Wild Violet
Artist / Performer
Posts: 3,554
My main instrument is: Symonds OM-14
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Post by Wild Violet on Aug 24, 2023 17:24:36 GMT
no-one would pay to hear me performing (unless it's to do so somewhere else!🤣). That's my current busking strategy...
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ocarolan
Global Moderator
CURMUDGEONLY OLD GIT (leader - to join, just ask!)
Posts: 33,908
Mini-Profile Background: {"image":"","color":"c0cfe1"}
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Post by ocarolan on Aug 24, 2023 18:13:12 GMT
no-one would pay to hear me performing (unless it's to do so somewhere else!🤣). That's my current busking strategy... A friend I used to play (and sometimes busk) with would position himself right in a shop doorway, and if he was asked by a shop person to move on he'd look at them appealingly and tell them that he would go elsewhere when he'd made £20... sometimes it worked, but more usually it didn't! Keith
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Post by dreadnought28 on Aug 26, 2023 4:36:15 GMT
I will occasionally play charity gigs and I never take anything, not pay or expenses. I have been offered expenses a few times but I’ve either declined or put them in the collecting pots.
However, often they are not enjoyable because the organisers haven’t a clue about music snd musicians and seem to think they’re doing me a favour by allowing me to play. There’s also a tendency to have a band or even a DJ playing all evening except for the food break when they want me to toddle on and play while nobody is listening and most people are talking very loudly. Stopped doing that a long time ago. So, it’s now very occasionally and only if I have an audience there to listen.
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Post by curmudgeon on Aug 27, 2023 22:47:46 GMT
Musicians are a funny lot. Do we play for money, or for the pleasure of singing/playing? Personally, my paid gigs dried up in March 2020. I'd spent 2017 - 19 trying to recover from cancer treatment and couldn't really sing or carry a guitar case until 2019 but I ut myself abuot and got a nice little list of gigs starting in May 2020. None happened of course and I haven't been offered a gig since. But, I run my club twice a month ( entry mostly pays for the hall hire, I take no income) and I visit a few other clubs which are mostly sing-arounds. Open Mics are horrendous, but I've been asked to do two "charity gigs" in September although last year, I played at one of them, and I played for my wife, two dogs and a strange old lady. I got paid £30 expenses - if asked I'll charge £40.Big deal!
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juliant
C.O.G.
Posts: 327
My main instrument is: Lowden L23
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Post by juliant on Aug 28, 2023 1:57:40 GMT
I just played a charity gig today, invited by a friend I was visiting in New Jersey, what with me being over here with work for a couple of weeks. It was in aid of the local food bank and was more of an open mic, so there was no thought of anyone getting paid. A very pleasant and relaxing afternoon was had by all, and the event raised a few dollars for a worthy cause. I even managed to remember all the words to three whole songs, which is rather unusual for me.
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Post by papadon on Oct 14, 2023 19:24:33 GMT
I was never much for playing charity gigs being from the old Willie Nelson school of thought that if you want to dance you've got to pay the band but a few years back I was doing the garage band thing with a four piece just for fun and the rhythm player kept dunning me about doing a charity gig at a retirement community. Being of that same age group myself I finally relented figuring I might give something back to my generation. Upon arriving at the venue I was shocked. Here I was thinking that I'd be playing for some needy old folks but the place was totally upscale Luxury single family homes, Cadillacs and Mercedes in the driveways and a community center that rivaled some of our Vegas night clubs. I got through the first two numbers but by then I was so ticked off that I packed up my gear, told the rhythm player to F off and walked out. I'm not saying that I'll never play for charity again but next time I'm going to make damn sure that it's actually a charitable thing.
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