Stay Away From Pay To Play (aka Pre-Sale)'s Blurbs
About me: THIS SITE IS MAINTAINED THE BAND GIRL TROUBLE (SEE OUR MYSPACE PROFILE FOR MORE INFORMATION). WE ARE MUSICIANS OPPOSED TO THE PRACTICE OF PAYING TO PLAY. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU ARE A MUSICIAN OR A FAN, PAYING TO PLAY WILL RUIN YOUR SCENE! PLEASE JOIN OUR CAUSE. THANKS AND KEEP ROCKIN'!
LATE BREAKING NEWS!!! BIG TIME ENTERTAINMENT HAS NOW CHANGED THEIR NAME TO AFTON. THIS THE NEW WEBSITE WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME AS BIG TIME WITH A NEW LOOK.
PAY-TO-PLAY - THE DEFINITION:
In music:
The transfer of money in order to perform.
In music, the term pay-to-play is used to describe a performance where an artist (primarily applies to musicians) turns in money before taking the stage. This payment can originate either directly from the musician or be collected from the sale of tickets (aka pre-sale). All or the majority of the collected funds go to an independent promoter or the club itself.
HOW DOES PAY-TO-PLAY WORK?
Paying to Play is the practice where independent promotion companies (not affiliated with any specific club) exploits young, inexperienced musicians for their profit. These promoters rent “dead nights” at local clubs to host pay-to-play shows. They typically send flattering spam emails through myspace to new bands notifying them of shows they can play, either straight shows or Battles of the Bands (BOTB). Many of these new bands have barely formed. In order to play these shows, the company requires that the band sell a quota of expensive tickets with all the money being turned over to the representative before showtime (or obligates the band to purchase tickets outright). The band sees a very small percentage, or often times nothing, for all their hard work. The promotion company pays the club rent and takes the biggest profit for themselves with very little effort and no promotion. These pay-to-play companies are acting as unnecessary middlemen. FYI: This practice can also be intiated by the club itself. Any time a band is required to sell tickets, they are paying to play.
WHY DO PAY-TO-PLAY COMPANIES SEEK YOUNG MUSICIANS?
Since older, established musicians will not fall for this practice, these companies primarily target the young, new band who is just starting out. These targeted newcomers don’t realize they are being exploited. We feel that if this practice is allowed to continue it will ruin the scene for the next generation of musicians. Paying to play is an exploitation of musicians that should be discouraged. Please help us spread the word...
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WHAT DOES PAYING TO PLAY SAY ABOUT YOUR BAND?
These pay-to-play companies will tell you that doing their shows is a way to let people know how hard you can work, that you are a go-getter, that you want to be successful. THAT IS A LIE. In reality, no real hard-working band would ever think of doing a show like this. They know they are a huge waste of time, effort and money...not to mention they’ll do damage to your image. The image your band (or you as a solo act) projects can be as important as the music you play.
So you need to ask yourselves a few questions. For instance, who plays these shows? Aren’t these shows typically filled with beginners and bands who need more practice time? Do your favorite bands ever pay-to-play? Of course not! No legitimate band would ever fall for doing these stinky gigs. They’d never consider selling tickets and handing all the money they collected over to some “company rep”. Older bands view this practice as pathetic.
It’s important to consider what your image will be and how people will view you. What does paying to play say about your band?
* We’re not good enough to do a real show.
* No real club will book us.
* Our music isn’t worth anything.
* Nobody really wants to see us so we have to resort to selling tickets.
* We are desperate.
* Our band isn’t the real deal.
Paying to play sends the wrong message. Doing these shows makes a bad impression. Paying-to-play can do more damage than you think!
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FLAG AS SPAM! Big Time Entertainment's head honcho, Ryan and Gorilla BOTB is spamming everyone again. Don't forget the fantastic new "Flag as Spam" feature on MySpace. Spread the word! Let's at least hamper them from using MySpace as their main marketing tool.
OUR EXPERT TEAM OF PAY-TO-PLAY INVESTIGATORS ARE AT WORK. CLICK TO THE LEFT FOR FULL INFORMATION ON EACH COMPANY.
BIG TIME ENTERTAINMENT IS ON THE MOVE IN THE U.S.!
1. UNSOLICITED SPAM EMAIL: You typically receive a friendly email from a company you’ve never heard of, with show dates to choose from, or how to sign up for their Battle of the Bands (BOTB) contest. Their websites are usually professional looking/elaborate. No matter how new your band is, or if you even are a band, they’ll claim they are interested in your music and want to work with you. Typically they don’t even listen to you.
2. THEY CLAIM THEY ARE NOT PAY-TO-PLAY: The pay-to-play company goes out of their way to mention many times over that they are not. No legitimate booking company has to make this claim. These companies are constantly doing damage control on blogs and message boards, trying to defend themselves against unhappy musicians. Always google first to see what other bands are saying on musician forums/blogs (FYI: “glowing praise” on their pay-to-play site does not count).
3. YOU ARE GIVEN TICKETS TO SELL: Whether it’s a requirement to play a show or suggested in order to win a contest, a bands’ role is not to be in charge of pre-ticket sales. Promote the hell out of it, but let the club (or promoter) do the actual ticket selling. You are “the artist” and your role is to put on a good show that people will want to see.
4. YOU HAND MONEY OVER BEFORE YOU PLAY: If you hand any money, no matter where it comes from (your friends, family, your own pockets, the sofa cushions) to a company representative before the show, you are paying to play. The representative keeps a detailed tally of who came to see which band either by asking at the door or counting hands at a BOTB. This is never the way real shows are produced.
5. THE COMPANY TAKES THE BIGGEST CUT: You get none (as in BOTBs) or a small percentage back from the money you turned in. No matter what the situation, the company always takes the biggest cut for themselves. They are acting as unnecessary middlemen.
6. ONLY VERY NEW OR INEXPERIENCED BANDS ARE ON THE BILL: Pay-to-play companies work with inexperienced bands. Notice who’s on the bill (if they can even tell you) and see if it’s anybody you’ve ever heard of. Established bands are hip to this con job and won’t do these shows. In fact, ask any established band what they think of paying-to-play (unless you are profanity sensitive) and see how they view this practice.
7. CRAPPY SHOWS: Too many bands on the bill, a mismatched lineup of acts, too short of time on stage, admission price higher than normal, and an audience that won’t stay for the whole show (or are only interested in the band they came to vote for).
8. BIG PROMISES, BIG PRIZES: If you play this show your band will be on the road to Fame and Fortune. You’ll play in a venue you’ll never get on your own, you will win a chance to do a major tour, play at a major festival, get a million dollar recording contract, receive free recording time at a major studio, have major label A&R reps to evaluate you, etc. The percentage of any of this happening through these shows is remote at best.
9. NO PROMO: The company doesn’t print flyers for the show, there are no special print ads in the local music papers, no mention in the free concert calendar. The only promotion is done by the bands. Only the club might list it on their website and that’s it. BECAUSE...
10. YOU DO ALL THE WORK - THEY GET ALL THE MONEY. And if the show doesn’t turn out well and you complain, you get the blame for not working hard enough, or for being a band that will never make it in this biz. In addition, pay-to-play promoters will always stress what a big favor they do for bands, how much they are sacrificing to help you obtain success, how they too are musicians who’s only unselfish goal is to “help other musicians”.
TOURING: This is the trailer for the 1993 documentary "Live With This". The LA band Popdefect toured constantly. This film should be required viewing by any band contemplating a tour.
Who I'd like to meet:
Stay Away From Pay To Play (aka Pre-Sale)'s Friend Space (Top 30)
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In mid-winter 1620 the English ship Mayflower landed on the North American coast (at Plymouth Rock) delivering 102 Puritan exiles. The original Native people ("Indians") of this stretch of shoreline had already been killed off in great numbers. In 1614 a British expedition had landed there. When they left they took 24 Indians as slaves and left smallpox, syphilis and gonorrhea behind. That plague swept the so called "tribes of New England", destroyed some villages totally.
The Puritans landed and built their colony called "the Plymouth Plantation" near the desired ruins of the Indian village of Pawtuxet. They ate from abandoned cornfields grown wild. Historical accounts tell us that only one Pawtuxet named Squanto had survived. He had spent the last years as a slave to the English and Spanish in Europe. The Pilgrim crop failed miserably, but the agricultural expertise of Squanto produced 20 acres of corn, without which the Pilgrims would have surely perished. Squanto spoke the colonists' language and taught them how to plant corn and how to catch fish. Squanto also helped the colonists negotiate a peace treaty with the nearby Wampanoag tribe, led by the chief Massasoit. These were very lucky breaks for the colonists. Thanks to the good will of the Wampanoag, the Puritans not only survived their first year but had an alliance with the Wampanoags that would give them almost two decades of peace. In celebration of their good fortune, the colony's governor, William Bradford, declared a three-day feast after the first harvest of 1621. It later
Whats the skinny on "Local Productions" out of Atlanta? Guy named Eric...we were supposed to play a show in Griffin Ga. When we got there, cops were arresting people left and right, and the Sheriff was talking to the "promoter" about the fact that he didn't even have a permit to hold ANY event like this and that they should pretty much pack it up....needless to say...we left and played a basment show...lol
Carlos and the bandidoes in Edinburgh this Saturday.
Carlos and the Bandidoes are heading for Scotland
They will be playing at the Starlight rock n roll Club @ the Victoria Park Hotel on Ferry Road , Edinburgh on Saturday the 7th of November Starts 8.00
Tojo will be on the decks playing superb red hot and rare vintage sounds both before and after the band.
Tojo should need no introduction to any of you but just incase your kinda new , He is very well respected and has played all the major UK weekenders since they started inc - Hemsby and Rockabilly Rave.
The band are unmissable its as simple as that, you cant get better than them anywhere in the world.
thanX for the add guys. fXXX gorilla productions and illumina records too. i know allot of bands that got promised to get a chance and lost cuz the other band had neck ties. no lead singer, just clip ons. we'll put these jerks in there place. and take back what belongs to local bands everywhere. i'll be sure to check out that blog too.
Great news after 2 years we have gotten ALLpay-to-play scam companies out of New Orleans!!! We went from club to club threatening to protest without ever having to because the club owners know what pay-to-play is. We did have 3 protests go down and Afton shit their pant's and canceled the shows and they have not been back sense!!! We had an act get up on stage and just pound their instruments screaming FUCK AFTON!!! We payed them handsomely for it. We are FREE!!! Do the same in your city's I promise it will work We got them all out and now we are getting the respect and money we deserve!
We totally agree with every word you are saying about this pay to play thing, its a disgrace, no rockabilly band in the world would ever have anything to do with it and no decent rockabilly club would ever exploit a hard working band in that manner.
The Spiders web club is a rockabilly club and we pay up to £600 for a top band and no band we book ever gets paid less than £300.
Start your own clubs put on your own gigs and cut the gangsters out of the picture.
I'm sorry, but I don't want to be an emperor. That's not my business. I don't want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone if possible - Jew, Gentile - black man - white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other's happiness - not by each other's misery. We don't want to hate and despise one another. In this world there's room for everyone and the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful, but we have lost the way. Greed has poisoned men's souls - has barricaded the world with hate - has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed, but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical; our cleverness, hard and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost. The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in man - cries for universal brotherhood - for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world - millions of despairing men, women, and little children - victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people. To those who can hear me, I say: 'Do not despair.' The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed - the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress.
No pay to play here... been there, done that, never again... Please check out our video on YouTube from Battle of the Bands and leave a cool comment. It's one of our NEW songs and your page views and comments on Rockitz' YouTube page count toward our Battle of the Bands VICTORY!!! How about giving us a boost to the checker flag? Go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBAmkityqfY Can you help me pass the word? Enjoy the jam... and thanks :-) - Jim
OUR EXPERT TEAM OF PAY-TO-PLAY INVESTIGATORS ARE AT WORK. CLICK TO THE LEFT FOR FULL INFORMATION ON EACH COMPANY.
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