[Dixielandjazz] Playing for nothing - was music business

[Stephen G Barbone]

>
> "Jim Kashishian" <jim at kashprod.com>
>
>> Interesting 3 minute perspective on the music business from  
>> Guitarist Dick
> Dale.
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AJxc3Lxn4o
>
> More negative than interesting, I would say.  He ends by telling  
> young guys
> to get out there and play for nothing if they have to.  That's not a  
> great
> idea, and has been put down pretty strongly by some on djml in the  
> past!



I am one of those whom excoriates those who play freebies on an  
ongoing basis. However, there are times when it just might make good  
marketing sense to play a freebie. Especially for a young band with no  
credentials. I think Dick Dale suggests playing a free gig to get  
paying gigs and not freebies all the time just for the sake of playing  
in a band.

I remember years ago when I formed Barbone Street, we had no track  
record of club dates and wanted to perform in jazz night clubs, like  
in the 1950s, before they all disappeared.

So I decided to do a free "showcase" in Rehoboth Beach, a resort town  
100 miles from our home base. Several things made me think it might be  
a good idea. (A showcase, for those who don't know, is where a bunch  
of bands perform for 20 minutes or so in front of event presenters,  
club owners etc.) It was in March.

My rationale was that this is a resort town on the Atlantic Ocean with  
a bunch of clubs that present music all Summer. Plus they have a Jazz  
Festival every October with some big timers. Plus, we did not have a  
lot of gigs when we started out. So I talked the guys into doing it  
for no pay, and subsidized their travel expenses by giving the vehicle  
drivers $50 and bought everyone dinner.

They all bitched afterwards because they felt is was all for naught  
and there were only about 40 people in the audience. And there were  
some pretty bad acts there.

What they didn't realize is that the Jazz Festival Folks were there,  
as well as Ms. Sydney Arzt who ran Sydney's Jazz Cafe, one of the 100  
top jazz venues in the USA at the time. She grabbed me and said keep  
in touch, I' love your band.

The upshot was that, starting that summer, we got booked annually at  
Sydney's for the weekend closest to Louis Armstrong's birthday for the  
next 10 years or so. (until Sydney sold the place) Room and board for  
the weekend, plus resort life, plus making good money for two nights.  
Plus performing before an adoring crowd of YOUNG people like you get  
in Spain.

We also got booked 4 times at the Rehoboth Autumn Jazz Festival, the  
only Dixieland Band amongst smooth jazzers, singers (Alicia Keyes et  
al),  made excellent money and received great audience support. Then  
we got booked twice at the Mid Delaware Jazz Festival, and 3 times at  
the Dover Downs Casino, and twice at the Dover Downs Jazz Festival,   
and played several private parties at beach homes, and two Republican  
Gubernatorial nominating conventions. Needless to say the band loved  
it both musically, and financially.

It all happened because we played one free gig, 100 miles from home,  
and I was willing to bet a few bucks and a little time that the  
investment would pay off.

Cheers,

Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband

"I get satisfaction of three kinds. One is creating something, one is  
being paid for it, and one is the feeling that I haven't just been  
sitting on my ass all afternoon."
- William F. Buckley