Great post Corin. Most of our heroes never made any cash when they were good. Sell out and you'll make loads and then fester in your own stench..(LOL) It is true tho that if one fan picks up on something cool like the Small Faces or the Move after digging your bands set then it makes all the 5am slogging the SVT up the stairs worth it. Not easier, but somewhat more comforting. I do suggest to get a combo or a lightweight 4X10 cab to make it less a strain on your back and brain. In no way does it symbolise less of a commitment. Besides, make the crap soundman work for his cash. We have the same problem here at the venues. No guarantees, you take the door but the soundman gets the first $50 - and he sucks!!! I blame alot of this problem on hardcore. In the early 80s when all them idjits first showed the bills started getting packed, no one could play, no one had to have any production at all (ie: lights, soundman) so the clubs stopped giving guarantees and the door was it - take it or leave it. People started to stay away in droves coz the bands sucked, or were shouting at you all fucking night. I don't think any of the bands in our town could play 2 sets if their lives depended on it! I got completely fed up splitting bills w 6 other bands and then splitting $13. Who made the cash? Dunno. The club owners certainly complained. The brewery is the one who came out on top I think. Another good way to save not only your sanity but your hard earned gas money is to not booze, smoke or play the VLTs (video slots). I figure - fuck 'em, they ain't giving me shit for cash so I ain't giving them a dime of mine for a headache (hangover). Tell the MoFo you're the designated driver, "so make mine a tonic w lime -- most refreshing!" Besides, unlike the English who spend all their lunch in the pub (HAR! ;o)) we can't drink during working hours so what makes being in a band any different?! Frankly, and honestly none of this is supposed to sound like advice or anything, but why do you bother going to play for dick? Why not say: this is how much we charge, take it or leave it. We're too good to play for nothing, so fuck you! I don't practise and work my ass off entertaining the folks so you can run a bar. This is a partnership! You wanna get people in here spending their cash then you need top notch bands - we're a top notch band so cough up asshole. You don't think I work harder at my gig than your floor sweeper then you don't deserve us. Of course you'll probably never get another gig but... I should be out playing again, after a 2 1/2 year layoff, in the next month or so. I know that our first gig is gonna be the door and that the soundman is gonna suck. I know this for a fact coz the venue is run this way. We're gonna be head and shoulders over the majority of bands that play this venue and this is not me being arrogant, it's a fact. They want us back? I want a guarantee. I don't go out to be hassled by hookers, psycho drunks, drug dealing gang scum and what we call "loogans" for free. I will do it once so you can see our "product" - but only once. After that its gonna cost. Oh, and I don't work the door at my own gig. Especially when I'm not getting paid. That's just stupid. Let em in for free like at the Casino. The bar is full of fucking VLTs anyway so whats the fucking diff? Ah.. the glory of r'n'r... And before anyone figures they got this pegged they'd better let me know if they ever been in a band. Bit like having a kid, unless you've had one your comments mean little. Snarky eh? COLIN ===== COLIN http://www.mohairsweets.mb.ca ____________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.co.uk address at http://mail.yahoo.co.uk or your free @yahoo.ie address at http://mail.yahoo.ie ________________________________________________________________________ Start an Email List For Free at Topica. http://www.topica.com/register
