The Local Band Ripoff

[jarrysopa1984]

Many small very unknown bands seem to book shows in other than their hometown lately and expect local bands to draw an audience for them.

I got the third email this week that tried the same thing. It always went like this:

"hey we are playing at the xyz club on xx.xx.2013 and we are looking for 3 supportbands. it's our big tour for our new album. Do you guys want to support us? Sorry we can't pay any money, but it will be fun." I know the metal scene quite well and no one would show up for these bands, since they are that unknown. And I ask myself, what is in it for us? When we book a gig I our hometown we earn about 500 bucks at least. WTF guys.

And I ask myself, are you guys experience that stuff too, or even worse does this actually work, I can't seem to get how, without anyone getting ripped off big time.

Sorry for the rant, but that had to get out.

 

[egan.]

I'm not familiar with the particular technique you're talking about but show trading absolutely is how local bands become regional bands. Normally you'd try to open for the band in that city, but it's also pretty common for the local bands to give the touring band the lion's share of the money. Of course that's from a US perspective.

 

[jarrysopa1984]

I'm not talking about trading shows. because that's what we do all the time, that's fine because we get a gig somewhere else, but non of these guys who wrote me offered anything like that.

 

[Drummerrrrr?]

Woah, you get money for your gigs? :O

 

[Sloan]

If you are the out of town band, all the local bands are there to draw a crowd and make money for YOU, no questions asked. You do the same when they come to your town.

Touring with a band is different, don't ever expect to make anything. Take your vacation from work and all that money you've saved up and hit the road. You best have a good selection of merch so you can eat shitty fast food and not dig into the 'fix the van' money (you will need it).

 

[JonWormwood]

If you are the out of town band, all the local bands are there to draw a crowd and make money for YOU, no questions asked. You do the same when they come to your town.

Touring with a band is different, don't ever expect to make anything. Take your vacation from work and all that money you've saved up and hit the road. You best have a good selection of merch so you can eat shitty fast food and not dig into the 'fix the van' money (you will need it).

I hate how this mentality is universal to all small bands. We've toured in a van/bus we funded for our selves, did the work our selves to put bunks, nice carpet, couch etc, towing the trailer we paid for, when break downs happened, we fixed them. We would have 3 awesome meals a day (on a budget) thanks to portable propane or power when we had it. Oh and we broke even after every tour. We don't have full time jobs, we don't religiously save every penny for touring but we do one thing well...plan.

Planning, planning, planning.

Pilling into a shitty van and bitching about not eating is the bands fault.

 

[Melb_shredder]

If you are the out of town band, all the local bands are there to draw a crowd and make money for YOU, no questions asked. You do the same when they come to your town.

Touring with a band is different, don't ever expect to make anything. Take your vacation from work and all that money you've saved up and hit the road. You best have a good selection of merch so you can eat shitty fast food and not dig into the 'fix the van' money (you will need it).

Can't +1 this enough... If this wasn't the case (at least at the start) how is anyone starting out and getting somewhere/ known? That's how we've been doing our touring and it works fine. We haven't been assholes or underpaid anyone, but we expect those bands playing with us/ supporting us to pull numbers, it's THEIR state/ town etc. What I expect from my band if we are headlining, is to put on an absolutely KILLER show and make it worth their time to be there/ play there/ and their fans to become our fans etc.

And if they came to our town... Same thing happens \m/

 

[jarrysopa1984]

Can't agreed more to all of you, gig trading is a great thing. I on the other hand was talking about the bands that are not offering any kind of trade but expect everyone to work for them out of thin air. There just has to be some kind of thing in return.

 

[smy1]

jarrysopa1984: I don't understand your problem? Someone is offering to organize a free gig in your hometown. If you don't wanna play it, cause it pays nothing, don't play it. There's no lying or cheating involved so I don't see why you consider this a rip-off?

If you've been around for a few years you'll notice that actual gig-trades only work out in 30-50% of the time anyway, cause a lot of the time there are scheduling or other problems.

 

[cfh11]

stupid me, i actually thought for a second this thread was about my band

http://ripoffmusic.bandcamp.com