Cheap Musicians?

[ecca]

Well it wasn't 'Happy Days !' was it ?

It was more 'Happy Nights !'

[cockroach]

I can see both sides of this, been playing gigs since 1966 almost uninterrupted ...up to last Saturday night in fact !(and we're booked for the rest of the month and into March)...so I've seen good times and bad times for semi-pro players over the years...

Generally, I've found that private gigs (sports, dance, social clubs, weddings, parties etc) are usually far better for all concerned- you get paid, treated like human beings, and often are treated to meals and even drinks! They book you because they want live music, not just to boost the bar takings..nor to get something for nothing by only offering 'auditions', band talent contests, open mic nights and jams,and other tricky stuff!

Pubs are tough going- for many years, they didn't want bands doing live music when they put in poker machines, karaoke, discotheques with DJs etc...however, there are a few more live pub venues around where I live (South Australia) which are now having live bands, and even trying to attract families, so they will consider us old rockers and country music bands, because disco/nightclubs and the younger and/or heavy rock loud bands attract a drunken rough element which gets the pub a bad name and then average people won't go there...and people who go to karaoke don't buy drinks or meals- it's just wannabees who bring bottles of water.

We mainly do old US/UK and Aussie rock from 1955-62, including a good few instrumentals (Shads mainly, plus Ventures, etc) which go down very well, especially with older pub patrons- and even some younger ones!- and I have been lucky enough to get compliments when I play the instrumental stuff on lead! perhaps it's a relief to hear a guitar with a clean sound and not too loud, actually playing melodies rather than overpoweringly loud fuzz toned shredding as the young ones call it!

We try and be as professional as possible and some of the landlords are fair and reasonable- haven't struck any bad ones for a while (those who won't pay, break bookings, replace you with othehr bands who undercut your fee etc)

[Paul Childs]

I was once told by the MU to use their contracts. Trouble is when you send out MU contracts a lot of places won't sign them and they either cancel you with an excuse or don't send them back. One place was surprised when I said about a contract and said, ''Haven't had this before with a direct booking? we only have contracts from entertainment agencies''.
If venues won't sign contracts then they can't be trusted!

[piecrusty]

This is a very tricky area and I think that Cockroach above is probably on the money here, as I too have seen it from both sides and I can empathise with both points of view. What Paul says about the MU holds true as well and I remember when we were in the MU trying to use their 'gig' rates to value our work, again it was mainly the pubs that would just laugh you out of the venue, whereas most clubs especially those with an Agent were pretty fair and reasonable. As for the Agents.............well Im sure we could all tell a tale or two there!

When it comes to pub work, and Im reaching for my steel helmet now, I was in a band that went from working 4/5 nights a week in the early 90's down to twice a month due to the onslaught of the self contained one man acts, luckily club work held up but far fewer gigs overall. Now dont get me wrong, I have no personal problem with the self contained artist, one of my best friends has a brilliant self contained Roy Orbison show. I think with technology it was an inevitable development! The matter was brought home to us as a band by one publican who said, 'your group want £200.00, self contained will take £100.00, it aint my fault that it takes four of you to play what he can do on his own!' OUCH! Didnt have an answer to that one ready at the time.

Good thread this, lets have some more views.
Cheers,
Mark.

[Paul Creasey]

Right on, 'Roach!

I have to say, if we still were "in it for the money", we wouldn't touch Pub Gigs with a Barge Pole. We did get involved a year-or-so ago in "Musician's Evenings" at a Pub not far from here, and swiftly made a "quick exit - Stage left". The other Muso's were - in the main - OK, but as far as the "audience" were concerned, it was just a boozy cat-hanging.
As has already been said, the key seems to be playing at venues where the audience is there for the music, and I think that at least part of "the problem" is that there are fewer of those about these days - so get out there and support you local Community Theatre before they're all gone!

Regards
Paul (you know.................the one that's "A Scab!")

[petercreasey]

Right on, 'Roach!

I have to say, if we still were "in it for the money", we wouldn't touch Pub Gigs with a Barge Pole. We did get involved a year-or-so ago in "Musician's Evenings" at a Pub not far from here, and swiftly made a "quick exit - Stage left". The other Muso's were - in the main - OK, but as far as the "audience" were concerned, it was just a boozy cat-hanging.
As has already been said, the key seems to be playing at venues where the audience is there for the music, and I think that at least part of "the problem" is that there are fewer of those about these days - so get out there and support you local Community Theatre before they're all gone!

Regards
Paul (you know.................the one that's "A Scab!")

Still feel like a scab then big bro? Probably because there has been no apology for the totally unacceptable name calling.

[ecca]

I adopted the same philosophy to gigging that I did to employment.
I was self-employed for 30 odd years .
The gigs we did in the band I ran, we would have the room, free of charge from the venue and pledge to fill it - which we did.
Nobody to blame but ourselves if nobody came, you stand and fall by how good you are.

[dave robinson]

I adopted the same philosophy to gigging that I did to employment.
I was self-employed for 30 odd years .
The gigs we did in the band I ran, we would have the room, free of charge from the venue and pledge to fill it - which we did.
Nobody to blame but ourselves if nobody came, you stand and fall by how good you are.

Precisely !

[John Brown]

Totally agree with both Ecca and Dave. Yes Dave, you can certainally pack em in. Dave hope your recovery is going well.
All the best
John and Kathleen

[Iain Purdon]

May I request that the word scab not used again?

It was an unfortunate choice of word. On the other hand it was not directed at any member of this forum.

Let's stick to the subject please

Thanks - Iain