[Dixielandjazz] Playing for nothing

[Stephen G Barbone]

On Jan 23, 2010, at 1:03 AM, Larry Walton Entertainment - St. Louis  
wrote:

> Steve and Jim
> If you make a business decision to play free that's up to you like  
> buying advertising.  Sometimes you might luck out and apparently you  
> did Steve.
>
> Unfortunately this is the line that is used so often to lure  
> musicians to play for free.  Young bands fall for this all the  
> time.  A lot of the time they end up actually paying.
>
> My Brother in law when he was about 17 was in a pretty good band.  A  
> local church had a battle of the bands.  The entry fee was $50 for  
> each band. There were 4 bands.  The prize for the best band was $200  
> (DUH!)  The band lost their money... played for an hour... got no  
> more jobs.... the church made out like bandits with the door and  
> sales of cokes etc.
>
> A business decision is OK if there is a real chance to get work from  
> it. This is usually a sucker play.  After a band gets burned a  
> couple of times they learn.
>
> I think the difference is who asks you to play.  If they ask then  
> look out.... If you ask then you retain control.
>
> Before I asked anyone in my band to play free I would have to have  
> everyone agree and that means everyone including me.
>
> I am right now considering a concert at a church.  I am fronting the  
> money for the band.  If the gate exceeds the cost of the band then  
> the church makes money and I get my front money back and maybe the  
> church will start a concert series.  I have seen others do it and be  
> successful.  The worst thing that will happen is I will lose a  
> couple hundred bucks but I stand to gain too.  In any event the  
> members of the band will get paid.  I just don't believe in having  
> guys work and not get something.  I'm the boss and I take the risk  
> not the guys.
>
> The only reason why I'm doing this is because the Priest is not a  
> businessman and is overly cautious.  If it makes money he will be a  
> whole lot more receptive to live music in the future.  I have little  
> doubt that it will make money and when it does I can persuade other  
> groups to play.
>
> Music in some ways is like farming.... you have to plant some seeds  
> before you can harvest anything.
>
> I would caution anyone who has the urge to play for free to step  
> back and try to think it out in a businesslike way and ask:  Am I  
> likely to get work from this.  If the answer is only a forlorn maybe  
> then don't do it.
>
> Free is the best price in the world.

I agree, Larry, freebies are usually bad. However "luck" had nothing  
to do with it in my case. It was just plain smart marketing. I was  
pretty sure we would get some high paying work from it. Speaking of  
Luck, I don't think we are "lucky" to have so many gigs but rather,  
good businessmen who know how to market our product.

In your church case, I wouldn't play free given the circumstances you  
describe and the condition  of the Churches in my territory. Three  
reasons, first because churches have enough money to pay bands. (We do  
about 10 or so Church gigs a year), second, in the case you describe,  
you might get one extra gig from them by playing free and third, I  
haven't yet found a way to successfully market to venues that have no  
music now. Not worth it in my estimate of risk vs. reward. And I  
remember well that the only time I ever got stiffed for a gig, it was  
by a CHURCH. (shorted me by $300)

Regarding paying a fee to play for possible prize money, I'm with you,  
definitely a no-no, usually a scam.

Like I said, if it makes Marketing sense, do it. If it doesn't don't  
do it.

Or if, for example,  I lived/played in Austin TX I would try my best  
to play at South by Southwest, (even if it meant playing free) in  
order to generate a young following. However, I would not recommend  
that other Dixieland bands do that kind of thing as IMO most of them  
neither tailor their music to young audiences, nor seek to market to  
young audiences and therefore would not be likely to generate a young  
following. Thus playing free there for them, would be pointless.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
www.myspace.com/barbonestreetjazzband