[Dixielandjazz] Cheap Bookers

[larrys.bands at charter.net]

Steve: This tactic works with guys that want to build up their resume and with young musicians.  I listen to the bands on Jay Leno and IMO they are uniformly terrible.  I have thought that surely they, the bands, must be paying to get on his show.  Some have told me that they are paid but if so I bet it's a pittance.

Hope springs eternal except in us that have been around for awhile and see that there are those who use that for their own ends.  All of us, I am sure, have heard some variation of this poor us story at some time or another.  Unfortunately it works and if they call 10 bands, one will bite at the bait.

My wife's brother was about 16 or 17 and was in a basement rock band.  The local Catholic church put on a Battle of the Bands.  The entry fee was $50.  They got four entries each would play for an hour and then the kids would vote on the best one to win a prize (guess what the prize was ---- $200) As I predicted they didn't win but the church charged $5 a head to a packed room with four free bands.  But as I said young people can be taken advantage of and even churches have no morality about using musicians shamelessly.
Larry Walton 
St. Louis
> 
> From: Steve barbone <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
> Date: 2005/11/30 Wed PM 04:41:17 EST> To: DJML <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Cheap Bookers
> 
> They come in all shapes and sizes. Even the multi millionaires.
> 
> Used to be 15 years ago, that the local (Philadelphia) stadiums/teams paid
> bands to play before and sometimes during breaks in the games.
> 
> Not so these days. I was recently approached to play for Philadelphia Eagles
> (football) and Philadelphia 76ers (basketball) at some of their home games.
> 
> The offer? Free parking and a chance to watch the games.
> 
> Gee, they can can pay the athletes  multi millions, the city builds the
> stadiums with tax money so that the team owners get a free ride and make
> even more than the players as ticket prices increase exponentially.
> 
> The band? Well said the offeror, "Think of the honor and exposure. We don't
> have money in the budget to pay you." . . . Yeah, right. :-(
> 
> Honor and exposure? As Louis Armstrong once said in answer to "What is
> Jazz?"  "Jazz is what I play for a living."
> 
> Cheers,
> Steve
> 
> 
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