Finding paying gigs is a constant struggle

It's not like the old days [1980's for you younger folk...lol] when you were exclusive to an agent and they made sure you were working 6 days a week and your travel day was Sunday. Unless of coarse you were in Sudbury Ontario and playing the Sunday afternoon matinee before you headed out to the next destination lol. These days the agents are making their doe from tribute acts and corporate gigs because the clubs won't pay the average cover band enough to warrant and agent picking up the phone. It's even worse for the indie recording artist who is trying to get their music heard but has to either play for free or put a cover at the door in hope that the masses will give up buying one beer in order to come and here their music. Yes times have changed in world where everything is free it appears this has translated to the gig scene as well.


So what's a band to do...you have all of this great music and talent just waiting for the world to discover. My take on things is I won't play for free unless it is a charity or some other form of fund-raiser I agree with. Other than that I won't put people into a bar for the management to make money while I play for nothing. Now if bands choose to do so that's their prerogative. However, I come from a time when you were paid for the service you provide either in the form of the club paying you up front or you put a cover charge on the door and take 100% of it. The latter seems to be the more common format these days. The clubs have downloaded the rick to the band rather than taking it on themselves in the for of paying the bands out of alcohol income. That's all well and good if you are playing your home town where 150 of your friends are going to show up to your gig. However, what about the band who is playing 2 hours away and may not have a following in the area they are playing. If the turn out is low not only does the band not get paid but the club gets pissed that know one showed up.

There has to be a split in responsibility. The clubs need to promote the bands that put people in their clubs. Not only so they can sell booze, but so the band can in the least recoup their cost for PA and lights for the show. In turn, the bands have to promote the shows as wel...l and be creative as to how they get people to show up. This may include organizing bus trips to the show for out of towners, giving away samples of their music or free tickets to their next show in a near by town. In th clubs defense they are trying tto run a business however so is the band. There has to be a give and take so both can benefit frombe in business.

It's a jungle out there for bands these days and you really have to fight for every dime you get paid for a show...and chances are that dime won't come out of the clubs profits... you will have to be craetive and create that income yourself.