There's a lot of guesswork in bidding out-of-town shows.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that the multi-tiered 'star system' we've worked up was really helpful in bidding a show the other day.
It shouldn't be too much of a surprise: although it doesn't help in clubs (any more,) the good ol' union scale book helps take a lot of guesswork out of decisions like this, and it even helped me make a few extra bucks at a senior prom last week.
Since the Union book doesn't really work for clubs, we worked up our own: one of the cornerstones of the Fair Pay to Play campaign is a tiered pay scale that reflects the earning potential of clubs. This recognizes clubs who pay musicians better, and it also allows small venues to participate. (see http://wwwfairpaytoplay.com)
Next question: How many stars?
There are a few ways to do this. We are in the final, number-crunching (and reality-checking) stages of testing several calculators. One of them is based on the 'Calgary' style model (so named after a group of AFM musicians who did this before in that city.) Based on that model, I asked the presenter/purchaser/organizer a few questions about the club:
Full bar? Yes. (this means, unless it's tiny, it's at least a two-star)
Capacity? about 150. (it's not tiny.)
Ave food price? (average... upscale bar food)
Sounds like a two-star venue to me. I bid a three-star price for negotiating purposes, and added travel time and expense. The number sounded perfectly reasonable, possibly even doable by the venue! Headache averted.
With any luck, we'll be finishing the star level calculator in the next few weeks.
With a lot more luck and some help, we'll start signing on venues in October.
Speaking of out-of-town gigs, down here in Salem the word that musicians work for free is spreading like wildfire.
ReplyDeleteFirst the Marion County Fair said they were looking for free musicians to fill their stages (and the musicians lined up to sign up), then comes the Cherry City Music Festival (over 100 bands showed up knowing the pay was nothing) and now the latest.
After spending half a day working up a great promo package and hand delivering it 2 months ago, I get an email from the Salem Art Fair last week. Yes, they want us to play...for free. I returned a reply telling them how they were hurting musical artists. They returned an email saying all the slots were filled up with musicians willing to do it for nothing!
I'm feeling like no matter what we do as long as there is a vast pool of musicians starved for stagetime, we're all doomed. Help - my attitude needs damage control!!! Rick
I'm a bit late jumping in, but I'm new to the Portland music scene and I must say it's shocking that it's commonplace to not pay musicians here. I'm from Chicago where I've got lots of friends that live and pay their bills from gigging a few nights a week. The culture there appreciates and rewards its musicians. Portland takes what we have for granted by expecting people to play for free...which they happily do!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear about this campaign. It truly starts with the musicians. Our art is worth being paid for. Don't give it away.
UPDATE ON SALEM ART FAIR:
ReplyDeleteWell the Salem Art Fair went on last weekend. In the runup to the fair there was a big article in the local paper written by a lawyer who serves on the Salem Art Assn. (who puts on the fair) talking all about how much money the fair brings into the local economy and (this one really galls me) how the artists who display their wares make an average of over $4000.00 each at the fair.
I thought about what it would have been like had we accepted nothing and played:
there we are on the stage of the Salem Art Fair. Both with 30 years experience as musicians - the duo has worked for 4 years and we're tight and professional - we've got probably $6000.00 of musicial gear onstage and ALL AROUND US commerce is flowing -- BUT WE DON'T DESERVE A SHARE!!!!!! Nada. Zip. Does that not seem completely MAD?
To the musicians who DIDN'T push back and fight for the right to fair pay, I say two things:
1) This is my bit of tough love: You are accessories to the crime of destroying a market within which you most likely hope to succeed. By your failure to push back against this injustice, you ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM!!!
2) [That was the sting; this is the ointment] I fully recognize how beaten down musicians are by the system. The pressure to marginalize regional musicians has been going on for a generation (ever since the musicians unions lost their ability to negotiate on behalf of them).
Here's a mystery: The culture around us continually devaluates musicians out one side of their face and yet (curiously) seems to consistently demand it out the other side of their face.
Let's play make believe. Imagine if every fair and festival and nightclub that treats musicians like dirt suddenly found NO TAKERS. Would they do WITHOUT MUSIC?
I have a strong suspicion that fair conditions would all of a sudden magically reappear. But as the saying goes: "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free." My fellow musicians - WE ARE THE COWS!
This rant has gone on too long but I want to say one more thing about what we can DO.
We can apply peer pressure on our exploited colleagues to STOP believing that this is somehow good for them. That it is just "the way it IS."
We can help them and ourselves muster the courage to believe that we CAN make a difference by changing our behavior and THEN, CHANGE OUR BEHAVIOR. By standing up to the powers that control these gigs that we need. By talking with each other about how there is no future for us if we are working to keep poor pay and conditions working for THEM.
In spite of my strong beliefs, it was hard to say NO to the Salem Art Fair. It's a cool gig! But I believe I did more to help musicians by rejecting it. Now if only you ALL were standing WITH ME, we might have a chance for positive change. Let's make it happen NOW
- Rick