The music industry especially in the local sector has gone to a hell hole in a basket and getting deeper fast. It seems to me that everyone these days is a so called want a be musician playing in some sort of a band. Guitar players are a dime a dozen. There was a time when being a real musician meant something. We were proud to be one. These days no one seems to have any pride in what they do and are simply music whores playing for free, for exposure. To you I have to ask, are you part of the problem or part of the solution?
I don’t know whether the local scene can ever be cured until attitudes change. Playing for little or for nothing seems to be the norm these days and bands don’t realize that in the end it’s costing them not only hard earned cash but respect. Bar owners have no value for you since your services are free. In most cases they make a few bucks at your expense. Value here in America is placed by it’s cost. If it’s always free then it has no real value and can be replaced easily enough.
Every successful band had one thing in common, at least the ones I was involved with, and that was treating it like a business. We couldn’t afford a business manager so each member of the band had their specific jobs. Everyone of course had the responsibility of booking gigs and public relations. We even voted one of the members as the treasurer. Some of the bands decided to have a kitty where a small percentage of the intake was held back after each gig and saved in a band account for miscellaneous costs i.e.; T shirts, token gifts, postage stamps, equipment repair, truck or trailer rental or sound equipment rental for larger gigs. Some band members even borrowed against the kitty for a new instrument or even a car. The money was always paid back in a timely manner. Any money left over at the end of the year was spent on a band outing with the wives or girl friends. This went on for years. Because we took it seriously and as a business, rather than just doing it for fun and getting drunk on every gig, we became successful and most of the bands were booked from 45 to 50 week ends a year. Yup some of us were weekend warriors.
Mailing lists were essential and many of the local bands had between one hundred fifty to several thousand signed up. Those wishing to sign up received a band T shirt or another small token. The mailing lists didn’t appear over night and often took many a gig to fill. But, after a while we had plenty of fans to fill a club or bar for every gig and folks just wanted to sign up because they liked what we played and how we treated them. We never gave our services out for free. We knew as business people that it’s not the way to handle a business. You don’t see grocery or big box stores giving out all free stuff. When was the last time you got free money from the bank? Playing for free is just crazy and only hurting your selves and other musicians.
One of my son in laws played in bands. He was always complaining about one thing or another and being broke. He was an unhappy camper and asked me for some advice. We sat down and discussed his situation. He told me that they were doing free shows for exposure and the hope of getting a recording contract. I almost burst out laughing and had a hell of a time controlling it. I asked him about their expenditures and revenues, did they have at least a cover charge? I asked him about the mailing list too since their idea was to play for free, for exposure. Needless to say they didn’t have either. It didn’t take rocket science to figure out that they were failing. On an average gig it cost each band member a well over a hundred bucks to do a free show. Let me repeat that; it cost each band member a well over a hundred bucks to do a free show. There was the cost to get to the gig and home since they weren’t local, not to mention the bar bill, The gigs were mostly a tank full away and out of state, sound equipment rental and something to haul it with, a trailer or a truck was always needed. There were also motel costs and food. So what’s wrong with that picture?
It is getting increasingly more difficult to get a paying gig these days because bar owners know there are bands out there willing to play for free. They love this idea of free entertainment and making money at the band’s expense. Even fifty to seventy five bucks is better than nothing and might help pay for some gas. Ask for it, have some dignity, give it some value. In most cases the owner won’t have a problem with that. If you’re not getting what you deserve for your services, all that rehearsal time, effort and travel expenses, make sure that you have a cover charge. But make sure that it’s not too high and scare off customers. Start off with five bucks a head.
A close friend of mine, Bill, has been a dedicated musician for as long as me. He’s a few years older and was a music major like my self back in college. We played in many successful bands in the past but today he’s what I call just a music whore. Whenever we get together, I always ask him how’s the whoring business? In all fairness to Bill, most of the time he plays for a few bucks and only for free during jam sessions. Which kind of brings about a good point. Who’s the beneficiary playing his sax for free, him, the band or the bar owner? Bill is one of those pro union guys and is always complaining about non union jobs and scabs etc. and the falling wage situation. I’m wondering if him playing for free makes him a hypocrite or a scab. I call him a music whore. He doesn’t deny it. We’ve been friends for forty years so a little name calling from both sides won’t affect our friendship.
Bill just purchased a five thousand dollar alto sax, not that there was anything wrong with his Eight to ten thousand dollar tenor or his less costlier alto. He just wanted to sound better playing these free to fifty buck gigs he’s so proud of playing. He told me that purchasing the new horn wasn’t something he drastically needed and could have done just as well with his other alto, but it was more of an ego thing. His wife would kill him if she found out what he paid for his new horn. Nothing like pissin away his retirement money.he needs to live on. He’ll never in his life time recoup from that purchase. It’s typical for musicians to over spend just to do a some free or fifty buck gigs these days. Is it crazy or is it just me? Dude! Where are your priorities?
No comments :
Post a Comment