[Dixielandjazz] Playing For Free.

[Rob McCallum]

Someone recently told me that this problem is exceptionally bad in 
Nashville.

When I was in my early 20s, I used to play electric bass in an "originals" 
alternative rock band.  Often the bars would bring in 3 bands a night, 
charge $5 cover to all the bands' friends that would come to see them play, 
and the 3 bands would split the cover.  So, the bar makes money off of all 
the friends of the band drinking all night.  If it turned out to be a slow 
night (i.e., your friends didn't show), the bar owners would just stop 
taking a cover and not tell you.  They also thought they were doing you a 
favor by letting you play at all (because some agent might come in and hear 
you and you'll be a star).  Yeah--when was the last time a talent scout went 
to a dive rock bar in Detroit? : ).

But we all wanted to be rock stars...

All the best,
Rob McCallum


>From: Steve barbone <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
>To: DJML <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
>Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Playing For Free.
>Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2006 09:46:45 -0400
>
>While many OKOM bands play for nothing, it seems as if some other bands
>actually pay for the "privilege of playing".
>
>Lately what we find here in some of the popular "kids" nightclubs is
>Rock/Hip Hop/Rap Bands paying to play. Owners of these joints have figured
>out that just about all amateur musicians will either play for nothing or
>pay to play in a venue where they can be seen/heard. Some of these bands
>compete with each other by raising their payment to the clubs.
>
>We old folks may not have have passed the torch of musical appreciation, 
>but
>we sure as hell passed the torch of how to give music away. How very sad.
>
>Club  Owner's reaction? "What, are you an idiot? Do you actually expect to
>be paid to play music?"
>
>Cheers,
>Steve
>
>
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