kenfobert
Member
Up here where I live in Toronto, Canada, we have never really had to pay to play a gig. Most of the time we get asked to play somewhere either as a headliner or a support band so I don't think we're expected to pay. We usually only get paid $50 to $100 for gas. This is for playing smaller shows with local bands from the area.
When we see a big show/tour coming through where the headliner needs local support, then we just email the local promoter that does all the metal shows and ask to be on it, and the odd time he'll ask us to play. Usually we get paid with beer tickets which is completely fine with me considering we've asked to be on the show and it's giving us exposure we otherwise wouldn't have had if the promoter didn't let us play. This same promoter does pretty much every metal show that comes through our area so we have gotten to know him through the years which is good. The last show we played a couple weeks ago with Sonata Arctica and he paid us $100 as well.
So I think once you get some credibility as a band and start drawing a crowd, you'll start getting paid. But don't expect to be getting paid when you can't draw a crowd. I'm not saying that my band can draw HUGE crowds, but I know for a fact that we have gained a pretty big fan base in our area by playing shows with some bigger bands that came through our area.
So if you either have to pay to play these shows, or accept the fact that you won't get paid if you get to play without paying, know that IT IS WORTH IT and It does pay off.
If you're playing in a band to make money, you should be playing in a bar band, not a metal band.
If you are in a band, treat it like a business. It always costs money to start a business and for the first couple years you're going to be losing money or be in debt. Sometimes you have to do things for free to get your name out there. When you treat it like a business it makes perfect sense to me.
And seriously there is no point in complaining how the "system" works because that's how it's always been. You simply have to accept it and adapt to it. I work in Internet Marketing and there are always things that are changing online that make it harder for a marketer online to make a living, but we have no control over how Google changes their algorithms, or how the FTC changes their laws, we simply have to comply and adapt to it and that's it.
If you want to survive as a band you HAVE to adapt.
When we see a big show/tour coming through where the headliner needs local support, then we just email the local promoter that does all the metal shows and ask to be on it, and the odd time he'll ask us to play. Usually we get paid with beer tickets which is completely fine with me considering we've asked to be on the show and it's giving us exposure we otherwise wouldn't have had if the promoter didn't let us play. This same promoter does pretty much every metal show that comes through our area so we have gotten to know him through the years which is good. The last show we played a couple weeks ago with Sonata Arctica and he paid us $100 as well.
So I think once you get some credibility as a band and start drawing a crowd, you'll start getting paid. But don't expect to be getting paid when you can't draw a crowd. I'm not saying that my band can draw HUGE crowds, but I know for a fact that we have gained a pretty big fan base in our area by playing shows with some bigger bands that came through our area.
So if you either have to pay to play these shows, or accept the fact that you won't get paid if you get to play without paying, know that IT IS WORTH IT and It does pay off.
If you're playing in a band to make money, you should be playing in a bar band, not a metal band.
If you are in a band, treat it like a business. It always costs money to start a business and for the first couple years you're going to be losing money or be in debt. Sometimes you have to do things for free to get your name out there. When you treat it like a business it makes perfect sense to me.
And seriously there is no point in complaining how the "system" works because that's how it's always been. You simply have to accept it and adapt to it. I work in Internet Marketing and there are always things that are changing online that make it harder for a marketer online to make a living, but we have no control over how Google changes their algorithms, or how the FTC changes their laws, we simply have to comply and adapt to it and that's it.
If you want to survive as a band you HAVE to adapt.
:Spin: 
