HOT TOPIC: SHOULD U BE PAID!?

[drumnoob]

it is me again.

let me state my point of view. i hate to see young punks trying to gig for free. some even go to the extent of selling tickets for the venue. WHATS WRONG MAN!? HUH!?

several reasons y u must be paid.

most people uses jamming studio and that cost money.
your axe/gears cost money.
** the transport u take to gig needs money.
time=money.
etc.

i can go on and on y a person must be paid for a gig.
sad to say, there are many events EXPloiting musicians in terms of cash. i seriously do believe, unless it is a charity gig, 1 should be at least paid for their transport.

u might argue some are hobbist, blar blar, but cut the crap. end of the day, u are paying to play. i mean y? if u guys think about it, it is actually spoiling the market! i know of several agents where they wanna a bigger chunk of commission to themselves, they simply get bands that has no desire to be paid!

COME ON ALL U GUYS! don't spoil the music market. such an irritating act. if u tink u r nt gd enough to be paid, then don't bloodi create noise pollution!

 

[DarknessFury]

If the band's starting out, I don't see why they should be paid. What if they suck? But ticket selling is a no-no for me...if there are no terms on how many tickets must be sold, then I guess it's ok...but if there is, then it's horrid.

 

[geraldkoh]

i agree with you that the band should be paid at least for transport to gigs but what if the band really doesn't want the money. i know bands that have played for >5 years and they rarely seek monetary returns for their playing. some bands are like that, they just want to play and see the audience enjoy their music and they will be happy and when they see the audience singing along and enjoying themselves, there is no better feeling in the world and no amount of money in the world will ever be able to replace that feeling. even if you put the money in the gig bags of the bands who don't want to be paid, i think they'll take it out and return it to you. and i'm sure bands whom like you say "create noise pollution" will be those who definitely wanna get paid, IMO.

it's all above love for the music isn't it?

 

[Darren]

musician

Ten years ago , musicians were paid 150 for 3 sets .

Today, musicians are paid 125 for 3 sets and only if u are lucky and experienced yuo get 150.

10 years never change.

New years eve and Xmas eve, standard price per musician about 1k. Cos wa lau this is our bonus lah... the last time I heard, newbies were willing to play for 400. That just pissed me off totally, but when i heard them play, good luck to the agent. Sure can play a song, but its new years man, how are u going to get the crowd to move..sure can move to the next pub lah.

Agents are getting substandard or not even ready bands to fill up major slots and screwing up the market. And bands, please lah, pay ur dues first, get stage experience, know how an entertainer works. You want to get paid for music, sure you are a musician, but now u are also an entertainer. How will u do it? Get some pretty front singer with little clothes? But when she sing she does it 4 keys?

Point is, its disturbing when you hear young bands complaining that they are paid 400 for a set at baybeats. Whats wrong with that amount?? I think its lucky that you are getting paid already. 400 dollars is good start for a band fund dont you think?

 

[wraith]

Drumnoob, you have some radical ideas and points of views that are quite refreshing, but i will have to disagree with you on this one.

You say that every band should get paid to play? Now if musicians were to enter the music industry with just the intention of getting money, music would lose its soul almost entirely, i mean some of the most talented players out there are playing what they want to rather than what could potentially earn them the most money. Its not all about the money.

With regard to your comments about bands selling tickets for a gig that they are playing, its a rather sensitive topic, but the way i see it, the company or the place hosting the event is taking a risk and putting a significant outlay into making the event possible, bands should try to bring their fans along or the event will flop. So although it isn't a perfect system, asking the bands to sell tickets is a way of getting their fans to come down as well as to help the operator cover his/her costs.

And to your last comment about if you're not good enough, then don't play? Is that what music is about? Being good enough? You've got your priorities all mixed up i'm afraid. We gig because we enjoy it and its a way of gaining exposure and experience which in turn makes us better performers. If you can only gig if you reach a certain standard, a lot of us wouldn't be in music anymore.

 

[wraith]

I do however agree with you on the transport bit, or at least a drink or two.

 

[azlan]

oh no, not again.......

 

[ShredCow]

Ugh... not again... this has been discussed before already...

 

[The_Rover]

Re: musician

some bands are like that, they just want to play and see the audience enjoy their music and they will be happy and when they see the audience singing along and enjoying themselves, there is no better feeling in the world and no amount of money in the world will ever be able to replace that feeling. even if you put the money in the gig bags of the bands who don't want to be paid, i think they'll take it out and return it to you.

Gerald, you know any of such bands? I'll be their agent. 3 sets per night, 6 nights per week.

 

[geraldkoh]

i do, but the band members are overseas for university while the others are working. i could try asking for you but then again. 3 sets per night for 6 nights is crazy dude. that kind of gig probably deserves to get paid for.

 

[wyldeboon]

wat the hell... pay or no pay... if u want to get paid and cant get it, then dun play. cant blame on the new bands...dun expect them to get paid as it might be kinda stupid as they r new....

unless u r saying abt experienced ones... gd portfolio and stuff

aiyah tis thing discuss liao la

 

[DoubleBlade]

I share Darren's viewpoint.

I too get pissed off when I hear of newbie bands charging a high amount of money to play upstage. What's more disturbing is that the bands compromises mainly of 14-16 years old students. Unless one can say that they have 2-3 years of playing experience , I feel that $400 for a band isn't justified.

I remember a similar post being started during Anthony's Youth Concert period...

Like what Darren mentioned in that post a few months ago , if we are gonna pay bands all the time , any tom dick and harry can go up stage and play a blink 182 song and earn a quick buck out of it. This does not encourage a sense of professionalism.

With achieving professionalism comes lots of sacrifice. You can't be a doctor without getting good academic results through sheer hardwork and that excludes hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on school fees , think enrolling in a medical school....

Same thing applies to being a musician in the local music scene , bands need to invest in renting of jamming studios , equipment , training etc so that one day , professionalism can be achieved....

The very fact everytime money has to paid out from the band's funds would instill a sense of "emergency"

Something like....

"Wha lau every month I pay $20 for the studio , $50 for guitar lessons , I better make good use of my money by practising hard so that every cent of my money spent is put to constructive use...."

I guess only when something of value is taken from us , we feel the pinch....

 

[geraldkoh]

"Wha lau every month I pay $20 for the studio , $50 for guitar lessons , I better make good use of my money by practising hard so that every cent of my money spent is put to constructive use...."

I guess only when something of value is taken from us , we feel the pinch....

+1

 

[3notesAbar]

I think geraldkoh brought up a very good point. Not all bands play for money. Passion! I think when we jam, spend money hanging out with bandmates, buy gear to make the band (and not to mention ourselves :twisted: ) sound better, forgo doing a part-time job to make time for the music to happen, all these things fall under the same category la. Call it what you may, but its hardly even a price to pay for most passionate musicians..

Asking for renumeration for such things is tantamount to asking your mom to pay you back for her birthday present...

 

[geraldkoh]

Asking for renumeration for such things is tantamount to asking your mom to pay you back for her birthday present...

that's a very nice way to put it!

 

[strats]

what we're not paid? INFIDEL!

well 3notes and blade summed it all up.

 

[thailoverboy]

if ur gd enuff, pple will pay u to play for them

 

[Ec-Rose]

its drumnoob again. i read abt the drum pricing thingy post of urs. i come to a conclusion u love money too much or kiasu in sg.

man. giggin is a Fun thing to do. and imagine getin paid to do fun stuff? i mean for me its good enough to be allowed to gig and feel the power of the crowd. :twisted:

if i m allowed to gig i wont ask for a pay. but like wraith said getin paid is good or maybe a drink or two.

If u wanna get paid to play music. then its a really sad thing. its like being a coporate sellout. Something i dispise and disrespect.

 

[wyldeboon]

its drumnoob again. i read abt the drum pricing thingy post of urs. i come to a conclusion u love money too much or kiasu in sg.

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Guest]

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