tegs07

Personally I don’t expect to be paid for skills I haven’t honed nor to be given opportunities I haven’t earned. If I started a career as a musician I would expect to start at the bottom and work my way up. Pub gigs and local events are unlikely to be paid.

This is exactly the issue. In the early days I would see a lot of gigs. Most of the ones that I paid for (that had little media coverage) I had seen at various festivals (where I suspect they played for free). I saw plenty of pub bands who I would never have paid to watch as they were crap.

I’ve frequently volunteered to work for no pay as well as putting in many hours of study to get the skills required for the next step up. Any professional has to put in unpaid or very poorly paid time to get the qualifications and experience to progress. A working musician at the dog and duck is doing the plasterers apprenticeship, the TV execs runner days or the surgeons sleep deprived, gruelling junior doctor days but that’s just my opinion.

In order to progress in my current career I have put in hundreds of hours of unpaid labour over the last couple of decades. People don’t pay for practice in any industry.

Or someone in their late 40’s/early 50’s who hasn’t played in a band since their teenage years. If I were to form a band again I would expect not to get paid until I got good enough. In the same way as someone who is in an established but not particularly successful local band would play Glastonbury for free (entry to festival provided for free) or an established middling band would have their management pay or get paid beans to support a big name act on a large tour. It’s all relative to where you are in the food chain.

I think I would need to pay to get anyone to listen to me play live. As others have said though an entire line up of unpaid bands and an alcohol free bar. Throw in a vegan BBQ and you have the worst event ever. I think free support acts to a pro headline isn’t a bad way of getting exposure and experience but can’t see all the bands being unpaid as being good for musicians or audience.

Lay lady lay - Dylan

I saw them live at Brixton Academy I think. A school friend was obsessed with Wendy James and persuaded me to go in return for him going to a gig of my choice. They weren’t great but it was worth the fun of watching his face as soon as Loop (my choice) started their set a few weeks later.

Going Up To The Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue - Taj Mahal

The Queen is dead - The Smiths

Nope I’m saying what motivates and inspires you at 50 will be a bit different than what motivates and inspires you at 20. Record companies and fans to an extent may also make demands that an artist should not change or try new ideas.

Not sure if your being sarcastic or not. Of course it doesn’t matter what I like. I was only trying to illustrate that good music finds an audience. I feel for artists that get pigeon holed and are expected to conform to type throughout their career. Hard to have any musical integrity if your expected to churn out stuff year after year that may no longer be reflective of your current life experience.

Teenage kicks - undertones

I think The Cure’s first couple of albums were recorded with a pickup from a Top Twenty guitar. The record company apparently refused to let him use the guitar so he bought a Fender and swapped the pickups out.

Too Much Too Young - Specials

As an example of why labels are only really good for marketing. If I was asked if I liked heavy metal I would answer no. Yet if anyone were to browse my music collection they would find: Sabbath, Motörhead, AC/DC, Metallica, Deep Purple, Guns and Roses, Ramstein, Down, Kyuss, Tool, Machinehead et al. Am I a closet heavy metal, heavy rock or stoner rock fan and does it really matter?

Pretend we’re dead - L7

I once heard a presenter on some silly Saturday morning TV show announce the new single from Goth band The Cure. They proceeded to show the video for “Why can’t I be you.” Pure pop with the band dressed up as furry multicoloured animals. Very Goth. I’m not keen on pigeon holing music. Even being commercial is seen as a sin. A good record is still good even if it appeals to more people.

The Prince - Madness

Ring my bell- Anita Ward

Just like honey - JAMC

Frizzle Fry - Primus

Heaven knows I’m miserable now- Smiths

Absolutely agree with this. The Cure were stuck with the Goth label for years even when playing very poppy songs. Americana seems to be the latest catch all label to apply to artists that can’t be pigeonholed with an existing label.