Free or Charity Gigs

[Peter Voice]

Peter had a go at StarPixy in another conversation here about doing a free gig, suggesting that it undervalued her and possibly undermined our industry.
There are several simple ways to deal with this.

1/ Do any charity gig you believe in regardless of circumstances.

2/ Invoice them and then give the money back. It's worth it if only for the tax deduction.

3/ Ask them to pay your full fee and give them the hat. This is a double edged sword but if they do provide you with a good crowd, you can bottle it mercilessly because the money is going to a cause. You can often prove your self to be worth more than the fee you charged.

4/ See option #1, it will always feel good.

None of the above will undermine or undervalue you or our industry, besides, sometimes it's just about doing it

[Peter]

[quote]Originally posted by Peter Voice:
<strong>Peter had a go at StarPixy in another conversation here about doing a free gig, suggesting that it undervalued her and possibly undermined our industry. </strong><hr></blockquote>

Yes I did say that and I still believe what I wrote, that doing a free show is detrimental to us as individuals and as a group because it is like saying that we have no value. (BOY would Sister Mary Immaculata wrap my knuckles for that "run-on sentence.")

StarPixie wrote about doing a freebie to get known. Charity gigs are another matter altogether. I do some charity gigs as fundraisers. If the charity is one I believe in and the people are nice I will go out of my way to help them. But only because I believe in the work they do, NOT to become known.

If there are other entertainers there I ask if they are getting paid, if the answer is yes. They pay me. I also ask if the caterers are woking for free. If no, they pay me. If there is an organization, there is a budget. If there is a budget, there is money to pay us as entertainers.

Organizations think that because we entertain, it costs us nothing to help them out. It costs us out time! Time that could be used at a paying gig where we can earn a living. Let them ask a doctor of a plumber to donate their services to charity and see what they get.

Peter

[jonnyflash]

My favorite is the "Think of the exposure"
and..."The media will be there!"
Ever trying to squeeze that dime out of Joe and Jane Performer's grasp.....

Country: Canada
Case: Rave Market
History: Raves have been a good working enviornment for performers in Canada for years.

Situation Now: Raves are generally much lower paying for performers than corporate, though they often have similar or superior event budgets.

What Happened? Rave promoters figured out that they could simply give free entry to hippy types(no malice intended here) and they would do their thing with whatever skill and equipment they happen to have. For the WHOLE night, and most importantly, for free.

In this specific market, amateurhippyforfree beats professionalgun4hire every time.
Summary: a recent
socialogical phenomenon has undercut the value of the commodity we sell(Visual entertainment)in this specific market.

Other factors: People on E can often be as awestruck and rivetted by a simple cigarette lighter as by a dazzlingly modern multimedia pyro
performance.

Solutions:????

[Neil Brown]

[quote]Originally posted by jonnyflash:
<strong>People on E can often be as awestruck and rivetted by a simple cigarette lighter as by a dazzlingly modern multimedia pyro
performance. Solutions:????</strong><hr></blockquote>

Cigarette lighters with your web address on?

[Pyromancer]

BLABLABLA...

Sometimes I just feel like taking some words back...

Etcetera...

[ 11-21-2002: Message edited by: Pyromancer ]</p>

[scot]

Doing free gigs can be a good way to get favours out of organizers. Make sure they understand what you're giving to them. Organizers are usually the types of people that are organized and get things done. They can help you our heaps. You can get paid without getting money.
scot