How far do you travel for gigs?

[ARGH]

pay me enough and IM there!

[Jase]

Taster Session???? No Pay No Play I hate them all....all the idiotic clubs, promoters,venues, what makes them think that a band will play for nothing? Why is it only bands and musicians who are expected to do something for nothing?

Tell them that if the club buy all the punters drinks all night and pay for everyone's taxis home you'll do it, see if there willing to do something for nothing.

[stingrayfan]

[quote name='BeLow' post='97138' date='Dec 1 2007, 10:59 AM']We were asked if we would play a local conserative club but we were asked if we would do a 1 hour taster session for them for free as they are not sure how a rock band will go down. This caused some debate in the band, I can't help thinking we are being fleeced a little bit, however my view is that it is also a free rehearsal.[/quote]
Offer them the first gig half price as a special offer. Don't do it for free though, sets a bad precedent and also makes your band look a bit desperate. Lower your prices a bit while you're making a name for yourself. If the going rate for your local pub's £200, offer to do it for £150 and tell them you'll bring a crowd. That's what landlords are ultimately interested in; more punters.

[chris_b]

[quote name='BeLow' post='97519' date='Dec 2 2007, 10:19 AM']Good point - thing is we are so undesperate that we would probably do it for free and not be that bothered about it.

I am not trying to blow the bands collective trumpet, but we can do this stuff, it is purely a question of giving the set and gear an opportunity to work so we can get slick.

There is an important marketing point there, if you are free the general view is you are rubbish so I think we need to think carefully.

By the way the club's reasoning is that they normally do duos and for them they are experimenting with a different sort of act as well as a 'new band', they are quite happy to pay us if it works. We are slightly worried ourselves about giving the ladies of the blue rinse brigade an unitentional perm by being too loud and raucous![/quote]
Why should you cover the cost of their experiment? This is a conservative club.....you WILL be asked to turn down and unless you are a tame version of Capital Radio or Magic FM you won't be asked back.

On the general point.... I'm sorry but I don't think bands should play for nothing. It costs to form and build a band, rehearsal space, instruments travel etc. I understand the marketing and playing for fun arguments but promoters/landlords etc are not in it for the music but the cash that you bring in for them. They want to reduce their costs and if that means not paying the band then they are taking the piss and I don't think you should do it!

[whynot]

I've voted for more than 2 hours.
Although most of our gigs are within the greater London area which means on average its an hour each way for me, its a pro band so the date sheet can include the odd trip to Yorkshire or abroad a couple of times a year. I would struggle doing the long travel gigs if they were not such a nice group of people.

[spike]

I have never played for free in a covers band, except when its been for charity. There's nothing wrong with offering a cheap rate for your first gig at a venue as long as the landlord understands that if he rebooks you it will be at the full rate.

[BassBod]

For me its all about the deal - which band (music, people)/fee/distance/how busy I am that week/could it get me more or better work. I do very little for free, but I do a fair bit in the £20-£50 range. Less in the £50-£150 range.

I live in Brisitol, so my general radius is an hour from home, stretching to Cardiff, Brum, London and Exeter for the right deal.

BB

[Pugz]

I'm flying to the USA next summer to gig there. Next summer it's possible that I will be playing Japan

Thats several days of travel as its touring many locations.

[warwickhunt]

Not quite off the topic but several years ago we dropped our price to help out a new local bar manager... to cut a long story short, word went around (via regional managers) that we (a 4 piece rock covers band, charging £200 at the time) could be got for cheap; it took a year or two to recover from that. Never again.

Funnily enough my latest venture is doing similar material in the same pubs and getting identical money to what we were getting 15 years ago. Inflation... what inflation?

[DaveDDF]

Prior to me joining the band did euro tours etc.
In this country we play all over the shop. We have done glasgow - there and back in one night before. EXHAUSTING though.

Edited December 3, 2007 by DaveDDF

[Jase]

We should all wear get T-shirts printed..." No Pay No Play" or " Musicians need to earn a living too"

[Lfalex v1.1]

I live in the South East.
The contracation of various local scenes has caused the bulk of decent gigs to be London jobs.
That, of course, incurrs the wrath of Mayor Livingston to the tune of £8 a time.
No chance of going in later, as London Venues frequently demand preposterously early load-ins (1600 for 2000 start) - I wonder if they get a cut from the congestion charge?

I'm so glad (in a round-about way) that I'm no longer gigging.

Cost of fuel + General aggro of travelling + evil travelling times (2hrs, approx.) parking + loading / unloading etc.

Just makes it too stressful to bother with if you're not getting paid IMHO.

[chris_b]

[quote name='Jase' post='97957' date='Dec 3 2007, 09:50 AM']We should all wear get T-shirts printed..." No Pay No Play" or " Musicians need to earn a living too"[/quote]
+1

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='Jase' post='97957' date='Dec 3 2007, 09:50 AM']"Musicians need to earn a living too"[/quote]

Y'see, this is where is depends on the scene you're in.

Round my way, many of the pub bands have and ASTONISHING amount of gear, and rarely get paid more than £200. Any money they make is swallowed right up again.

If these bands started demanding 'real' money, they'd lose their gigs overnight.

Most of 'em just get on with it, because they're doing it for fun & the love of it. It's a social thing, too.

[Jase]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='98012' date='Dec 3 2007, 11:27 AM']Y'see, this is where is depends on the scene you're in.

Round my way, many of the pub bands have and ASTONISHING amount of gear, and rarely get paid more than £200. Any money they make is swallowed right up again.

If these bands started demanding 'real' money, they'd lose their gigs overnight.

Most of 'em just get on with it, because they're doing it for fun & the love of it. It's a social thing, too.[/quote]

Good point, gigs would be lost but then again cheap gigs normally end up costing the band money anyway.

After costs etc I reckon at least 50 quid a member ( more depending on travel etc ) is reasonable and if people want to do it for fun and social reasons, carry on, 'ave a laugh there's no laws or rules.

[thebassmandave]

When I lived in London, I played in a covers band and we used to drive over to Wales (about 240 miles each way) to play some gigs.

These were always a lot of fun, always had a good crowd and paid quite well.