Would You Play For Nothing?

[Count Bassy]

IMO the fundamental problem for anyone trying to make a living from (or just get paid for) playing, is that what you do for money other people do as a hobby and are prepared to do it for peanuts. I can't think of many other professions where that is the case (Whoring perhaps?).

For me it's a hobby: If it's a choice of playing for nothing or not playing at all then I'd play for nothing.

Fortunately for me no-one does what I do for a living as a hobby.

[thisnameistaken]

I've done a lot of shows I didn't get paid for and I continue to do it, and I have no problem with it at all. I enjoy playing, especially with other bands I know and like, and for enthusiastic amateurs who want to put on shows featuring music they love for people they love but maybe without any commercial angle. I'll always do those shows because it's why I started playing in the first place. I've never had a desire to make money out of making music, it's something I do because I can't imagine not doing it, and sharing it with other people is almost always a nice experience, not a chore.

I did do music full-time for a while in my early 20s. I was lucky enough to fall into a scene where it was possible to make good money playing original music, and I supplemented it with students and dep gigs for other bands. But in the end I let that income thin out and started doing something else professionally instead, and honestly I don't think I would like to play professionally any more. Especially not these days in the UK, because I would have to play music I didn't like or gigs that I wouldn't enjoy to make a living.

I get the impression that some bands who play for tidy fees either feel sorry for people like me or think we're mugs, but I'm actually very happy doing things the way I do them. Sometimes we do get paid and it's a nice bonus, but we just chuck all that money at stuff like badges and stickers and CD reproduction and T-shirts and give them all away for cost, so either way we're not making any money.

[Doddy]

[quote name='Count Bassy' post='1141026' date='Feb 25 2011, 11:55 AM']IMO the fundamental problem for anyone trying to make a living from (or just get paid for) playing, is that what you do for money other people do as a hobby and are prepared to do it for peanuts. I can't think of many other professions where that is the case (Whoring perhaps?).[/quote]

Exactly-and a very valid point.

[lettsguitars]

yes

[Maverick]

[quote name='Count Bassy' post='1141026' date='Feb 25 2011, 11:55 AM']IMO the fundamental problem for anyone trying to make a living from (or just get paid for) playing, is that what you do for money other people do as a hobby and are prepared to do it for peanuts. I can't think of many other professions where that is the case (Whoring perhaps?).[/quote]

Actually, lots of professions take advantage of large numbers of unpaid interns, many of whom don't have a chance of ever making it to paid postions but they all think it's their big chance. That's not exactly a hobby I know, but nor is music a particularly traditional career either, so I think it's fairly analogous. In both cases I think the system is wrong (and moves are afoot to curb the use of unpaid interns at least), but if you don't do it someone else always will.

Edited February 26, 2011 by Maverick

[bh2]

I have done often, and will probably continue to do so.

[Conan]

[quote name='Bilbo' post='1136799' date='Feb 22 2011, 10:08 AM']I think it is part of the Big Society thing. We should all stop being paid and do it for free for the welfare and well being of our communities.[/quote]

I'm cool with that. As long as the bakers decide to donate some of their produce in my direction. And the brewers. In fact,[i] especially[/i] the brewers! Also maybe the council (if such a thing will still exist under the "Big Society". Maybe they will come and repair the great yawning chasms in my street and route to work (sorry - I mean pot-holes, of course) free of charge?

Not likely, is it?

But as long as playing music is seen as a hobby, there will be a tacit expectation that musicians will play for free and enjoy it.

Me? I'm happy to play for free and enjoy it. Sometimes.

I love playing bass. I love playing in front of a large, appreciative audience as part of a good, tight band; playing interesting material. If all of that comes together, then I would be happy to come out at the end of the night even. NOTE - that does not mean 'out of pocket to the extent of petrol, 'refreshments' and wear and tear on my gear'. That means that all of those expenses have been covered but that I as an individual have not received any financial recompense in lieu of my time and efforts. After all, those of us who work full or part-time in another field... do we declare our band earnings to HMRC? Until we do, maybe we should be careful about shouting too loud about who should and should not be paid!

Just my thoughts on the matter!

Edited February 27, 2011 by Conan

[Conan]

[quote name='Count Bassy' post='1141026' date='Feb 25 2011, 11:55 AM']IMO the fundamental problem for anyone trying to make a living from (or just get paid for) playing, is that what you do for money other people do as a hobby and are prepared to do it for peanuts. I can't think of many other professions where that is the case (Whoring perhaps?).[/quote]

There are other examples. Are parents who teach their children to drive removing revenue from driving instructors?

Graduates who donate their time to educate children. Are they depriving teachers of a living?

Anglers who catch a few cod and such like on a saturday afternoon's charter trip with their mates and sell the fish to their neighbours - are they short-changing professional fishermen?

I could go on.... It's complicated.

[mrtcat]

If you want to get paid for originals it has to be worth the money. A lot of people like to knock the "covers" thing and in fairness it amazes me how many people put themselves thru the misery of songs like Mustang Sally. In my opinion you should only expect to get paid if your act is worth it regardless of whether you do covers or original stuff.

For a pub to pay a band say £200 and make the money back they would have to shift about £700 of beer. I make that about 250 pints which probs means you need to keep 50 people minimum in the pub all night. If you can do that week in week out with original material then I tip my hat to you and envy your talent.

I play covers and really really enjoy it. Some people have a problem with that and claim they are "keeping it real" or think they have "integrity" by only doing originals. I believe "keeping it real" is being honest about what you genuinely enjoy and doing it. For me this is playing covers well. There's also a very good reason that cover and tribute bands can tour and make money - punters want to see them (supply and demand). In my experience most people who claim to be keeping it real and slate covers / tribute acts are only doing so to appear cool which is exactly the opposite of keeping it real surely.

If you want to play Mustang Sally then good on you. I prefer to do some less well covered stuff but as a band we know that to get away with that you have to make the show really entertaining. We only do paid stuff as a couple of members of the band are only in it for the cash but we're booked solid for months. We don't do all the usual covers but we do focus on entertaining and engaging the audience.

[tom1946]

I play in a church band, I'm told I'll reap my reward in the land of glory

[lojo]

[quote name='tom1946' post='1144134' date='Feb 28 2011, 07:48 AM']I play in a church band, I'm told I'll reap my reward in the land of glory [/quote]

Ha, I forgot that one in my reply, I do play for free in church

Im not a real christian, but do see a lot of good stuff done through the local church, so I am happy to be on a rota to play bass, and lend my other skills to projects if I can when asked

[EntropicLqd]

[quote name='tom1946' post='1144134' date='Feb 28 2011, 07:48 AM']I play in a church band, I'm told I'll reap my reward in the land of glory [/quote]
lol. Me too. I love to play and I'm a Christian so it's a no brainer (although some of the songs really are dreadful).

Having to improvise bass lines to chords and transpose songs on the fly has improved my technical ability well beyond what I would have achieved playing in the covers band I'm in I think.

Which is nice.