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My YouTube Channel
I suppose it depends on the position being offered, the band the support slot is with and the financial commitment the band is being asked to make.
I know fundamentally paying to play seems wrong and at a regular pub, club or small festival gig it probably would be. But if you are struggling to get exposure and believe that getting heard will get you where you want to be, then it may be worth a shot so long as it's the right crowd.
Even huge bands have to market themselves.
In the corporate circuit, there are showcases ( Keeping it Live for example ) where bands and artists pay a few hundred pound for a ten minute slot in front of the right people that book act's for cruises and hotel/holiday chains.
I get that bands starting out, in certain areas, feel that this type of show 'opens doors', but it does not, the only thing it opens is a negative balance in said band's cashflow. Fuck pay to play. DIY or die(as a band).
Seriously: If you value it, take/fetch it yourself
... and yet it continues to happen.
In all seriousness though, the fact that bands like this do exist, in abundance, makes it very difficult to stop these type of shows/promoters.
It may not solve the problem entirely, but would definitely be a start.
My YouTube Channel
Manchester based original indie band Random White:
https://www.facebook.com/RandomWhite
https://twitter.com/randomwhite1
This is something that pisses me off (not here, more on the other fb pages) a lot of gigs get advertised as no pay and the comments come flying in-comparing gigging to a plumber-you wouldn't expect a tradesman to work for "exposure" type shit. No you wouldn't, but then again fuck off. A better analogy IMO is comparing your band to a 5 a side football team, it's a hobby, it's fun it costs money etc but my office mates that play on a Monday evening don't try to sell tickets to watch them play and brand it as entertainment....people will pay to watch the premier league but not a kick about on the local park. Too often the differing standard of live music is comparable to PL footy and 5 a side shit. I think we as musicians get pissy as it's an art form, we spent ££££ and many hours to put a gig on but let's be real, it's fucking great fun. I've said many times here that if I didn't play in a band I'd rarely pick up my guitar, that's just the way I feel at the minute, I wish it was otherwise but there you go, and also if I never gigged again I would still meet up with my band every week to write, jam and have a good time. The gigs are fun yes, but they are a fucking tiny fraction of what being in a band is about (for me) if you're in it for the money, fame and blow jobs then 99.9999% of you will walk away dissatisfied.....those big bands that got lucky and "made it" would still be jamming with their pals and playing for fuck all in the dog and duck had they not had the fortune and talent to be in the right place at the right time.
Manchester based original indie band Random White:
https://www.facebook.com/RandomWhite
https://twitter.com/randomwhite1