PaulWarning

[quote name='Slipperydick' timestamp='1440606790' post='2852379'] So admission is £50 each for the punters, but you get in free if you play free. Are the bar staff working for free so that they can watch ? How about the security staff ? Is the bar owner turning over his profits ? If all of the bands are playing free, its a nice day out, but dont kid yourself your not being exploited. Free admission is not worth £50. if your playing you wouldnt be paying. However, If its a charity you believe in, fair play to you. [/quote]yeah, all the bands are playing free, it's that sort of festival, hippy ideals huh? but I think you'll find that at most festivals it's only the name bands that get paid the rest only usually get free tickets, certainly most of the ones I've got experience of, which most bands are ok with because of the (perceived) exposure they get, as for being exploited, I don't think so, I'm a pragmatist, they don't sell anymore tickets because unknown bands are playing it's the headliners that do that. If you're in a well known band good luck to you, but most people aren't

maybe I should add that there's is no way I would do I'd do a NYE gig for beer money, but, we are doing a NYE gig for less than some of the sums that have been mentioned on here, but more than our usually fee. We are also playing a festival this weekend for no fee, but we get free admission for the band members and wags, worth £50 for each band member for a 40 minute slot, which I'm happy with

[quote name='Slipperydick' timestamp='1440589692' post='2852165'] It isnt. People support football [i]teams[/i], usually their local town or pub or whatever. [/quote]don't people support bands as well? if you get enough support you make a lot of money at it, if you've just got a bit of local support you make a bit of money at it, if you've got no support you make nothing from it, or maybe I'm missing the point

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1440584551' post='2852095'] I would argue that if you've been asked to play a NYEs gig, you are worth considerably more than free beer. [/quote]depends, if you're so bad, you emptied the pub you'd be overcharging them, and at that sort of fee for NYE that's probably all the pub will get

[quote name='TimR' timestamp='1440581835' post='2852066'] Because you should be compensated for your work. If people paid to watch Sunday morning players kick a ball about then they'd expect to get a slice of that as they are what the people have come to see. [/quote]but if you're a semi pro playing covers in a pub you get a payment, if you're good enough to draw a big crowd the pub will pay you more because you've justified the extra cost, if you're playing in an originals band, mid week to about 5 people you won't get anything, in other words you get paid what you're worth. I play in a punk covers band which I thoroughly enjoy, but to earn a living I would have to play in a, say, function band, all different styles, but I'm not good enough for that, so I don't expect to make a living from music

[quote name='Slipperydick' timestamp='1440580312' post='2852045'] Its not a market, your giving it away. Whats more, your paying for the privilege. You still have overheads. [/quote]it's the same with any hobby, it's unfortunate that you've chosen a career that other people enjoy doing, but as I stated you have to make sure you're good enough to do it professionally, for instance the guys who play football on a Sunday morning do it for free because they're not good enough to get paid for it, go up a notch and you get semi pros who need a day job to earn enough money to live on, why should the music industry be any different?

yeah I was anticipating that one, if someone wants to do your job for less either have to make sure you do it better to justify the money or find another job or lower your wage demands, it's called market forces

it all boils down to this, do you play for a living/the money or do you play for pleasure? I'm in the latter so money is of secondary importance to me, in other words I don't need the money, I don't think people should criticise me for it

just done this test [url="http://www.thelooploft.com/blogs/ryans-corner/38917697-can-you-keep-perfect-time-take-this-test-and-find-out"]http://www.thelooplo...st-and-find-out[/url] I play left handed and was better with my left hand than right hand, could this be why it's better to play the way that feels the most comfortable?

yep defiantly better with the space bar and my left hand,(I'm am cack handed) which may answer the question why can't left handed people play right handed, what difference does it make?

Don't landlords think this through? free drinks equals a pissed up band and a bloody awful performance, having said that if the crowd are also pissed they probably won't notice or care, funny old world.

not sure if this relevant , I was listening to Gold over the weekend (it's mostly a digital station available in the East Midlands) and they were playing a Day in a Life and it got me thinking, how many other bands get their album only tracks played on the radio years after they were released? Only Beatles nerds would realise they were never released as singles, probably.

perhaps the OP should show the guitarist this thread, would be interesting to hear what he'd got to say, but only if he's thinking of leaving the band anyway

PA is a minefield, we all owned 25% of the PA and other stuff (lights, smoke machine etc) when the Guitarist and Drummer quit, me and the singer gave them £100 each for their share (we had had the gear for a while, so it wasn't worth much more than that), it was either that or somebody had to sell it all and then split the proceeds, not many people have the stomach for that load of hassle.

just reread your original post, the singers not contributed to the PA? why didn't you buy it out of band funds?

I'm also trying to persuade our singer to buy (his own) in ear monitors, then we can dump the wedges.

That's singers for you, we've had/have the same problem, not to this degree, just put your foot down, as Japanaxe says the PA is his instrument, especially if it's just used for vocals, just tell them you haven't got the room to transport it/store it, then it's up to the others to sort it out between them, or just dump the bass bins, do you really need them? we flirted with them for a while but soon decided they were more trouble than they were worth

because until the bad out weighs the good it's worth while sticking with it, having said that we've all got our faults, what are the other band members saying about you? As for being honest with each other, there was a programme on TV recently about bands splitting up and one commentator said "The trouble is band members never ever sit down and discuss problems it just festers away until something gives" this has been the case in my experience

depends how many gigs we've got, there's no substitute for playing live, if you're doing 2 or 3 gigs a month, with more or less the same set, there's no real need for band rehearsals I practice the songs I have trouble with at home along with any new ones, On the subject of boozing, I have a pint at half time then another near the end, our ex guitarist used to get pissed sometimes and, frankly, let the rest of the band down, unfortunately he couldn't see it, or didn't care

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1439818419' post='2845993'] Some of the worse mixes... ..have been when we've hired the P.A in. [/quote]yep, especially on multi band gigs

I don't listen to the bass drum at all, just make sure I'm in time with the song, but I'm that sort of bass player, sort of rhythm guitar on one string probably because I play with just one guitarist, as for the sound at home I don't bother too much, mainly plug straight into my computer and use headphones (the dog is a lot happier) practising is to learn the bass parts not sound good, with the band I just try and make sure I'm cutting through without booming all over the place

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1439632602' post='2844511'] EDIT: 90s, Nirvana! Hugely influential, even today. How could I have forgotten. Someone like The White Stripes have been influential, but I don't think they have been as innovative as others. There is an awful lot of their stripped down modern blues around today, however. [/quote]Yep Nirvana were influential, they in turn were influenced hugely by Punk, White Stripes were influential after there first couple of Albums, showed you didn't need a bass, bastards

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1439630008' post='2844486'] IMHO there are tons of influential artists, but you probably aren't aware of who is being influenced. Going back a bit, but look at how influential rap bands such as De La Soul, NWA, etc. were. Dance music pioneers such as Aphex Twin. They defined the sound of a large part of popular music for everyone. I'm sure there are similar bands/musicians now who are hugely influential on other artists, but I don't know who they are. Skrillex? [/quote]I take your point about rap, but it took off in the 80's, I'm no expert but it does not seem to have moved on to another level since then, but yeah I'm sure there are young bands who have been influenced by bands from the noughties, just remembered the Artic Monkeys, they've been influential I guess

everybody's influenced by somebody, if they take it to another level (not necessarily higher, the Ramones were very influential by stripping rock and roll back to the very basics) then they become influential, but I do wonder who has taken anything to another level in recent years

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1439619463' post='2844378'] I think that after a few generations many people have forgotten the importance of musical innovation, and just evaluate the music with the ears of someone from 2015. And if the innovation has been influential and lasting, then the music will sound more ordinary. E.g. anyone who thinks that The Beatles were incredibly influential then should accept that Buddy Holly and the Crickets were also very influential, as they influenced The Beatles. (Even to the point of The Beatles being a The Crickets me-too band name, but with the spelling change). [/quote]maybe I'm just getting old, but when who was the last really influential artist?in the 50's 60' and 70's they seemed to come round every few years, maybe that's because they were my formative (musically speaking) years