question for those in bands...

Pat H

how many of your bands refuse to play without some kind of contract?

the band I'm in now just backed out of a gig because the club refused a contract. Personally, I think that it shouldnt matter for us because we are not the main band, a national band, a band that is doing it to make a living, or a cover band that is being hired for an all night thing. It just seems obsurd to me to even care about it because we fit neither of these categories.

do your bands only play if contracts are involved?

nailz100

Most of the time we send contracts to the bars...its almost expected. The ones we trust we don't send them to. It is good to have contracts....I have seen alot of musicians get ripped off from bar managers trying to lower your pay AFTER you have already paid....A contract just makes sure both parties (you and the bar) are both covered and committed for a certain amount of work for a certain price. Money is still money man...and who wants to get ripped off?

WiLL75

I'm lucky because I've known the manager at the pub we play at for years. I know that whatever I put together, he'll have us play there. The only thing we haggle about is how much he'll pay us.

Another band I was in...still am in...technically, were in the middle of drawing up a contract for this other bar.

All Those Yesterdays

The couple local bars we play at we only get some dollars if we get a certain head count of people (if we aren't the head liner) so we don't deal with contracts. But the headlineing gigs and all out of town gigs we do send contracts.

Tav

Never had to deal with them. A lot of bars/promotors will refuse to sign them or if they do won't honour them. Saying that some bands from Aberdeen <Scotland> have had contracts with promotors who pulled gigs and then still managed to get paid. The gigs I have played bands have been given money from ticket sales they have done/a share of the money made on the door. Bands who travel usually get paid for their petrol/travel costs...saying that it's not about the money untill you get to the stage where there are booking fee's and what not...at a local level no contracts here.

project_radio

I put on my own "night" at this venue (http://www.liverpool-academy.co.uk) and we do everything "verbally."

It helps build trust between the artists and venues, and I think at this level, it's much more suitable to work in this way. We arrange before-hand what the "split" will be between ourselves and the venue, and then we split the money equally between the other 3 bands we usually put on (so all 4 bands get the same money for playing).

If we play a venue and they "fuck us over" (so to speak) then we just don't bother going back there again. Simple really.

So, yeah my advice... if you're confident in your band keeping up your side of the bargain, then don't worry about contracts. Just work your ass off and fill the venues as much as you can, and most of all... enjoy it.

Hope this helps.

K.

nailz100

You can still have trust WITH a contract