What would you do?

[GaryM]

I got a call from our banjo player this sat night.
He say's Gar, we got a little problem..
They need us to play at the hall and the posters are already made up..and their in a bind.
After a little more chat it comes out theres no money in it. This is a REALY small community..and I fear our group will look very bad if we dont do it. Pretty upsetting for me anyway...
I dont think the rest of the guys are too pleased either.
I LOVE this hall and even before I lived here I played in it 30 years ago.
Our band will be meeting this wednesday to try and figure out what we will do..
Very strange times.
Mandobsessed and I on the left.

[mandobsessed]

Here is the poster

[mando bandage]

Do it for love, not money, and try to get free food and drink.

R

[bnjrpkr]

If you don't play,you look bad.That's the bottom line.I'd do the gig,and play like it's the most fun you ever had.Then,maybe have a little private talk with the owner later. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif Just my 2cents.

[John Flynn]

You let a banjo player handle the arrangements? Have you given leave of your senses? Why do you think we make all those jokes? You should do this gig as penance for bad judgement! LOL!
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[atetone]

Gary you can't tick off those Sunshine Coasters now,,, you will never make it to the ferry alive!!!

[GaryM]

http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif thanks atetone!
yeah we better avoid the lynch mobs http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[delsbrother]

It depends - do they provide the stilts?

[Jonathan Reinhardt]

Gary - I have a policy of 3 songs or less for non-$ gigs. (Solo or with band.) Yes, they do happen, as much as I/we try to avoid them. Then, at least, I feel like it's only advertising. To take a hard line sometimes only alienates a band from those in the community who care for and appreciate your music. This can even occur within your own community of musicians.

[onlyagibsonisgoodenuff]

If you have any CD's to sell, plug them shamelessly. Maybe you'll make a contact that will result in a good gig later on. Usually whenever we play for a freebie, we get offers to play for other freebies. Have fun.

[Scotti Adams]

aah..what the hey..play it....it could be a great time and it would be doin your home town good....sometimes things like this can turn into some of the most funnest times youve ever had...and they could lead into bigger gigs. I, myself, made a policy that I dont step out my front door for less than $150...sometimes I waiver that. People for whom I play with know my policy...so I do get some good paying gigs...but they also know for a good cause I will play for alot less...

[mingusb1]

-Business cards
-CD's or other things for sale
-A TIP JAR

Bring these things and you could treat like a little "marketing event". #And I wouldn't necessarily tell the audience you are playing for free!

An old friend said to me "if we don't value our service (like require payment), no one else will (want to pay). #

Z

[Steve L]

Some years back, I was in a cover rock group and we wanted to play a club in Boston's Quincy Market. It was a plum gig that a lot of people wanted and the manager finally said if we wanted to play a free set one afternoon so they could check us out for further bookings we could. We were a little insulted, the parking and load in would be a nightmare, but after a lot of thinking and foul language at the band meeting, we decided to do it.

Well, not only did we have a ball, but we got a ton of good paying work out of this place over a period of years, expanded our fan base, and met a lot of women (including my wife). You never know how these things will turn out. If it's not going to actually hurt the band, you should probably do it and, as others suggested, figure out ways to make it work for you rather than approach it with a negative attitude.

[Dagger Gordon]

I think it's important to do things that benefit your local community. I think it may have been out of line how you were 'booked' to do it, but the people who would suffer most loss of reputation would undoubtedly be yourselves if you didn't do it. The public will neither know or care about the details.

In any case, I expect many of the people organising these sorts of events are volunteering their own time. Play the gig with the spirit that you are putting something back into your community.

[lownote]

Gary, I guess I would have to ask, "Are the promoters making money?"

[mandofiddle]

Bingo lownote. That's our band policy as well... If the promoter is making money off of us, we should be making something too. However, if you're already in the position you're in, I'd go ahead and play it and chalk it up to a lesson learned on the booking side of things. Next time whomever is doing the booking should remember this, and make sure that payment specifics are discussed before it gets this far...

[straight-a]

"You let a banjo player handle the arrangements?"

Hey, I resemble that remark!http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

If it's just a one time thing, just count it as a great practice session with an audience and give them a great show!

[GaryM]

Just checking in here.....Thanks for all the replies.
Hopefully I'll find out more about if there is door charge today. I sure hope not. I'll keep you posted. I'm off to my usual crawl space or attic now!
Thanks again.

[mrbook]

We play for free if it is for a good cause, which means one we like. Like others, if people use our music to make money, then we should be paid something. It's hard to get caught unaware of the situation, but play and have a good time - much good could come of it.

A couple years ago, a "friend" in another band asked us to play for an event he was helping put on. Said it was a small budget, but would get better in the future, and wanted to know the minimum we would take. I said we would play for $100, which would pay for gas for a set to help him out. He thanked us, and put us on from 10:30-4:30 - with breaks, of course. I had been taken, but we did it because I agreed to, and it is the only gig where people e-mailed me afterward to say how much they liked us. However, when he called the next year to ask if we would do it again for the same terms, I indicated that the price was a bit low for what was involved. I thought a fellow musician would treat us better. Money isn't the only concern, but we often do play better when we are paid more.

[GaryM]

Well..after talking to our B#@$0 player again tonight he informed me that the whole thing is off...
The organizers had problems with volunteers ...a sound system..(we don’t have one, unless we rent it for $300.)
I appreciate all the input. To tell you the truth, I just about bailed on it until I read all the good replies.
Thanks again.

[Docmarc]

Gary...had a similar gig last Friday night - our banjo player's parents belong to an Airstream camper club and they asked us to play for their gathering...I made up a sign and a bucket with a couple of dollars in it "Help Feed the Band"...we played like we were in Carnegie Hall and we were being paid $0,000's...ended up with $51 apiece - not too bad for an hour and a half -- had a great time to boot...

[GaryM]

Thats it!!!!
New policy..
Free gigs only http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[mandobsessed]

The issue was that they were going to pay another band to do the show and then decided to cheap out and ask us (me, GaryM and the eponymous banjo player) to do the gig for free.......

Um what's that the gig is off. Dang I was just about to get up on my soapbox and rant about union scabs and small town corruption. Oh well I guess I'll just crawl back under my rock.

Anyway I like the three songs for free rule. sounds sensible.