Have you ever paid to play a gig?

[Rayman]

No. Never have, never would.

[chris_b]

I've done a few gigs for free, but have never paid to play.

[Bluewine]

I've never paid to play a gig.

 

Daryl

[hiram.k.hackenbacker]

49 minutes ago, Rayman said:

No. Never have, never would.

We didn't intend to. Events just conspired against us.

We still haven't been paid through the electronic system for the gig in question.

I'm assured payment will be received by September 20th.

[msb]

No. But in some cities it’s common. 

[meterman]

22 minutes ago, msb said:

No. But in some cities it’s common. 

In some festivals it’s common too. I remember Bestival, Isle Of Wight, Glastonbury and a couple of others offering bands non-paying slots for “exposure”. They’d get local bands in to make the numbers up or fill gaps in the schedule. 
 

IOW used to (might still) have a big tent that only featured local artists, who played for free, in exchange for Access All Areas passes for the whole 3 days. I did those a couple of times when the gig was on Friday night and you could sell your wristband for £100 for the Saturday and Sunday on FB marketplace in advance. Shït festival though. It’s like being part of a Carling Black Label marketing event. With hen do’s and stag do’s 🤮

[NickA]

Some jazz sessions it's pay to play and pay to listen ( a fiver). Covers cost of the venue and gives a bung to the local jazz organisation who subsidise pros to come and play for us.

 

I also paid £90 for a 6 session coached rehearsal series and a performance with a pro trumpet player ( we did all of" kind of blue ")

 

I Also pay £74 a year to be a member of the local symphony orchestra, which charges punters £15 a shot if they attend our mediocre concerts... Then IF there's a profit the b£&#@rs give it to charity.

 

Mostly play for free tho.  Occasionally get paid.

 

..evidently should have been a rock musician 😂

[12stringbassist]

No.

[Downunderwonder]

Kinda, not really. The community band I play in doesn't pay the members but it makes some decent money on paid gigs that is spent on travelling to do free festivals. I wind up not out of pocket except for some food and drink. 

[jimmyb625]

On some tours, the support act pays to get on the billing, with the hope that they'll make enough in merchandise to cover it. Sometimes, if they're signed, the record company will front the buy-in cost.

We've had one occasion where we possibly just about broke even, although if one member of the band had submitted their full costs it would have lost money.

[bass_dinger]

23 hours ago, NickA said:

 

I also paid £90 for a 6 session coached rehearsal series

 

Good reminder.

 

I paid for lessons (and teaching-venue hire) in a ukulele band, with the intention that the band would gig.

 

The teacher was a musical genius with lots of contacts.  I joined the group, learnt 3 songs and five weeks later, the band was playing Mr Blue Sky on the stage of the Stagg Theatre in Sevenoaks.

 

That's worth 20 quid of anyone's money, I would say.

[Woodinblack]

I have paid for loads of lessons. I guess that counts?

 

[Paul S]

I effectively did, once.  A 'blues and brews' night at the John Peel Centre in Stowmarket.  We were capping off the eveing, 3 blues bands, with local small brewery beers available.  The deal, agred by guitarist, was that we got £50 (for the band, not each) plus a share of the door money.  As we were on last we were asked if the other bands could use our drum kit.  I got there early and they were just packing away the venue's drum kit to a side room.  WTF?  £10 on the door, some 60 souls turned up on a frozen February night.  Takings at the bar were also very good.  2 months later, when emails were eventually answered, we were told that, sady, they had only just managed to take enough to cover costs.  Cheating, lying b@stards.  My share of the £50 (we are a trio) didn't quite cover my fuel and food costs so, yes, I paid to play.

 

That's the JOHN PEEL CENTRE, STOWMARKET, folks.  Avoid.

[Leonard Smalls]

2 minutes ago, Paul S said:

My share of the £50 (we are a trio) didn't quite cover my fuel and food costs so, yes, I paid to play.

If having expenses covered and actually making a profit counts, I've probably only done that about 3 times!

That doesn't take account of time spent practicing, or strings, or other gear of course!