No, the parasites are often the guys that run the open mic nights. They go into a local venue that has had live music on for years and offer to run nights for a third (or less) of the usual fee. For a time they make it work, taking half of the money for their ‘expenses’ and giving out a tenner here or there to cover ‘fuel for the featured artist’. After three or four months they’ve exhausted every connection they have locally, the landlord calls time on it and the open mic guy moves on to do the same in another local venue. However, the landlord now knows he can get an evening’s entertainment for a fraction of the prior cost so lowers what he is willing to pay accordingly. Local music scene dries up. Cue open mic guy ranting on social media that nobody will pay for live music anymore when nobody will book him and his band. Seen it a few too many times now.