Paying to Play - How do you feel about it?
- Thread starter dontpassgo
- Start date
say we have 300 bands in singapore right now. 10% are good enough to entertain a crowd. we keep pushing these 30 bands.
for the remaining 270 bands, we hope they will quickly improve and move up.
we will devise a schedule for this 30 bands to perform. make sure everything is tiptop condition and worthly of $15 ticket.
if the hong kong people can do it, we should be able to do it. 8)
for the remaining 270 bands, we hope they will quickly improve and move up.
we will devise a schedule for this 30 bands to perform. make sure everything is tiptop condition and worthly of $15 ticket.
if the hong kong people can do it, we should be able to do it. 8)
Horrorflicked
New member
WAH!!
IDEA!!
IDEA!!
AgingYouth
New member
I know!
But who's going to execute it? :wink:
But who's going to execute it? :wink:
extremers
New member
*giggles* i find this topic, apart from "bad venues to perform", entertaining. well i guess some people are cross at the idea of paying to play.
i dont mind paying just to perform actually. afterall, we paid for playing other things in life, golfing, bowling, video arcades and the such. and i felt the very same way with performing. we shouldn't mind paying to play.
great bands started like that too. at least Nirvana did. thus, Cobain wrote the song "pay to play" later retitled it to "stay away". funny guy he is.
as for ticket sales, my only advice is, never sign any agreement papers unless you're confident enough to bag in <insert number here> of people. else be prepared to cover losses or such.
start asking around first and secure a certain number of friends/family/acquintances/strangers to buy yer tickets. and i dont think bands are the only ones pushing ticket sales alone, the organisers do push tickets to their friends and the such to turn up too. and afterall, if you're new to the gigging scene you might wanna drag your friends along first, they'll be your first immediate fans.
for cost of tickets, i feel that $10 -$12 (with a free drink) is reasonable enough. i've heard of gigs selling tickets at over $20 with no free drinks and honestly i think its absurd.
if none of this works for you and you're in an indie/alternative band, there's always the annual baybeats to look out for.
*laughs* last but not least, keep local scene alive!
i dont mind paying just to perform actually. afterall, we paid for playing other things in life, golfing, bowling, video arcades and the such. and i felt the very same way with performing. we shouldn't mind paying to play.
great bands started like that too. at least Nirvana did. thus, Cobain wrote the song "pay to play" later retitled it to "stay away". funny guy he is.
as for ticket sales, my only advice is, never sign any agreement papers unless you're confident enough to bag in <insert number here> of people. else be prepared to cover losses or such.
start asking around first and secure a certain number of friends/family/acquintances/strangers to buy yer tickets. and i dont think bands are the only ones pushing ticket sales alone, the organisers do push tickets to their friends and the such to turn up too. and afterall, if you're new to the gigging scene you might wanna drag your friends along first, they'll be your first immediate fans.
for cost of tickets, i feel that $10 -$12 (with a free drink) is reasonable enough. i've heard of gigs selling tickets at over $20 with no free drinks and honestly i think its absurd.
if none of this works for you and you're in an indie/alternative band, there's always the annual baybeats to look out for.
*laughs* last but not least, keep local scene alive!
rottenramone
Active member
..
what? is this exclusive only to DGOs??
soft said:
what? is this exclusive only to DGOs??
DoubleDecker
New member
I think AgingYouth has got some good points there.
For audience to pay higher, there will be expectations too. Audience will expect better music, better bands and everything will have to be better than we are having now. Otherwise, what makes it deserving to pay a higher amount for the same bands and shows which the standards remain the same?
Audience culture and education is evidently missing somehow. Most times, we do not mind paying S$8.50 for a weekend movie tix, but just to pay an extra $1.50 with a free drink for something that we "proclaim" to support very much, we are complaining about it.
For better stuffs, bands will have to sit back and figure, can they improve themselves? If they fail to improve themselves, how can they expect to play for free or even get paid to perform? It's harsh reality in entertainment business. You fail to deliver, you are left out.
Some bands will start complaining that they ain't given a chance. Indeed, chances are not given to bands who don't improve. If a band is not making the best use of the opportunity presented to them all these while, isn't it better to give up that slot to another band which could benefit from it? Even if the organizer gives you the opportunity and you fail to deliver on stage, do you think the audience will take a second look at you?
Perhaps I can suggest something along the line of - bands/musicians do not pay to play, but they will have to sell tix to cover the cost they are supposed to pay for performing.
Example; if the cost originally is $100 per band, the first 10 tix at $10 each is compulsory to be sold to cover for the booking fee. They only earn a small commission from the 11th tix onwards. Technically from a business point of view, we present a show to earn the profits from audience, not earn profit from the bands. Then it comes to the point, how do you attract that amount of audience to substantiate the earnings?
My head will be thinking about this... if I do think of anything, I will post again.
For audience to pay higher, there will be expectations too. Audience will expect better music, better bands and everything will have to be better than we are having now. Otherwise, what makes it deserving to pay a higher amount for the same bands and shows which the standards remain the same?
Audience culture and education is evidently missing somehow. Most times, we do not mind paying S$8.50 for a weekend movie tix, but just to pay an extra $1.50 with a free drink for something that we "proclaim" to support very much, we are complaining about it.
For better stuffs, bands will have to sit back and figure, can they improve themselves? If they fail to improve themselves, how can they expect to play for free or even get paid to perform? It's harsh reality in entertainment business. You fail to deliver, you are left out.
Some bands will start complaining that they ain't given a chance. Indeed, chances are not given to bands who don't improve. If a band is not making the best use of the opportunity presented to them all these while, isn't it better to give up that slot to another band which could benefit from it? Even if the organizer gives you the opportunity and you fail to deliver on stage, do you think the audience will take a second look at you?
Perhaps I can suggest something along the line of - bands/musicians do not pay to play, but they will have to sell tix to cover the cost they are supposed to pay for performing.
Example; if the cost originally is $100 per band, the first 10 tix at $10 each is compulsory to be sold to cover for the booking fee. They only earn a small commission from the 11th tix onwards. Technically from a business point of view, we present a show to earn the profits from audience, not earn profit from the bands. Then it comes to the point, how do you attract that amount of audience to substantiate the earnings?
My head will be thinking about this... if I do think of anything, I will post again.
In SG, people care so much about branding, packaging and content. There is so much uphill climb, it will be a very difficult task.
Branding, all organisers agree on a symominous brand name to work behind. Maybe something like 'SG Bands', or something very ke-lat one that will be the forefront name of it all.
Packaging, all organisers sure have their own pool of power performers. So these bands will be the actual ambassadors for the whole package. Where marketing will revolve around the 'power bands'. Imagine WWE wrestling entertainment, the packaging should emulate in a similar fashion.
Content, where the actual music quality, stage presence & performance, everything gets together in this final soupmix. Each show featuring 80% or more of the current 'power bands', and remaining 20% for upcoming good potential bands.
Few is gonna pay $20-30 to see local 'nobodies' performing. That's fact of life.
Branding, all organisers agree on a symominous brand name to work behind. Maybe something like 'SG Bands', or something very ke-lat one that will be the forefront name of it all.
Packaging, all organisers sure have their own pool of power performers. So these bands will be the actual ambassadors for the whole package. Where marketing will revolve around the 'power bands'. Imagine WWE wrestling entertainment, the packaging should emulate in a similar fashion.
Content, where the actual music quality, stage presence & performance, everything gets together in this final soupmix. Each show featuring 80% or more of the current 'power bands', and remaining 20% for upcoming good potential bands.
Few is gonna pay $20-30 to see local 'nobodies' performing. That's fact of life.
AgingYouth said:
Whoops I used the quote button, but I really agree with ah Will has to say.
Perhaps we should form a DGOC - Dodgy Gig Organiser Consortium and create a constitution even.
In my opinion, being both a musician and a promoter ("gig organiser" as they call it in this country) - Paying to play is not exactly a very attractive option in operations and marketing because it generates a degree of ill will between the acts and promoter. However, it does place some onus of the financial liability on the act rather than have it squarely on the promoter's shoulders. In a way, it makes the event in question 'belong' to the bands because everyone has a share in its success. Of course, any ticket-selling MUST have renumeration in the form of substantial commission (30%) at least. Bands still need to be compensated for their work. A professional price, for a professional job.
by the way! all DGO email me at mark@flow.com.sg, you are invited to FLOW 
- incase I didnt already email you guys respectively
- incase I didnt already email you guys respectively
snuffleupagus
New member
APB?
for gig organisers?
wheres the love my brudders.........???
for gig organisers?
wheres the love my brudders.........???
AgingYouth
New member
Bro edder bro mentioned that he wants to go to Archipelago Breweries at Circular Rd for some drinks that time.
Bro snuff bro, would you be the noble volunteer to organise this, bro?
Bro snuff bro, would you be the noble volunteer to organise this, bro?
snuffleupagus
New member
Bro aging youth bro, this time round I can't bro, end of the year bro, last minute business trips bro, sorry bro... 
XTREME-BOY
New member
Hi to Mr GrimBrody, can u call me asap please
Urgent lah
Thanks!
Roy
Urgent lah
Thanks!
Roy
AgingYouth
New member
snuffleupagus said:Bro aging youth bro, this time round I can't bro, end of the year bro, last minute business trips bro, sorry bro...
No worries, bro snuff bro. If we were to go out and drink, we'd drink one for you, bro!!! :!:
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