Play for free to keep a venue open....

[Wombat]

30 minutes ago, Beedster said:

 

That's a line I hear too often and it's bollocks, everyone has the right to be paid, or to choose to not be paid, for what they do

It’s unfortunately not bollocks. Venue is not making a lot of money or losing it they hire the cheapest labour - and consequently bands prepared to play for not much or nothing. Those making a living from playing miss out. You can go all the way back to the Tolpuddle Martyrs for comparison.

Do you want fries with that?

[Beedster]

1 minute ago, Wombat said:

It’s unfortunately not bollocks. Venue is not making a lot of money or losing it they hire the cheapest labour - and consequently bands prepared to play for not much or nothing. Those making a living from playing miss out. You can go all the way back to the Tolpuddle Martyrs for comparison.

Do you want fries with that?

 

It is bollocks if you're being made to feel that your being paid is unfair on someone else, but that's a different question to the OP's point

 

The vast majority of people we're talking about here are not pros, and those who are - like professionals in every field at present - need to recognise that the economy is changing. Venues that go under now will not start up again, in a year's time they'll be flats or corner shops. A little bit of give and take, in for example the scenario in the first post, far from being an existential threat to the livelihood of musicians, will help protect the future of live music as a whole

[Wombat]

Ah, ok. I see. When I was playing just covers I felt I was taking a ‘slot’ that pros could use. The current band is more originals and it’s great ( and hard!) to get our music out there.