Re: OT: compensation (WAS Re: Looping venue help)

[Daryl Shawn <highhorse@mhorse.com>]

I appreciate all the discussion, and especially the respect we're 
managing to show (Chris, thanks for the offer to help with venues in 
spite of our differences on this - in your own market...!!!). By now 
other people have made eloquent and interesting points better than what 
I can express.

Maybe the strongest point I wish to make is that I'd never, ever go to a 
venue and undercut someone else just so I could get the gig. 
Particularly if it's a scene where payment is genuinely expected, for 
instance Krispen's example of playing a regular, traditional jazz gig in 
a restaurant. Last year I had a few restaurant gigs, and this year I'm 
going to have a few as well, and discussing payment is just part of the 
deal.

And as I mentioned, all of the experimental venues I've encountered so 
far do charge a cover and deliver the bulk of that to the musicians, 
unless it's a festival where it's understood that the costs are above 
and beyond what a cover could bring in.

But there are coffeeshops and small informal venues that never pay 
anyone except tips/contributions, if that, and I'm okay with playing 
there, it doesn't bother me a bit. On the other end of things, I've just 
booked a show in a nightclub in LA, where they charge a $6 cover of 
which I'll split half with my co-performer, but only if we bring 50 
people (which we likely won't). I booked the show anyway, but I do like 
Rainer's point that if someone else is making money off the music, then 
the musician should deserve a piece of it.

Daryl Shawn
www.swanwelder.com
www.chinapaintingmusic.com