(Pulling teeth by US Army)
Getting paid for gigs can be a tough pull
Extracting payment for your hard work isn’t always easy. Many of us remember tough situations where the father of the bride didn’t want to cough up for the evening’s entertainment. Of course he might have still been choking on the material when he wanted cowboy hats and Tim McGraw’s Last Dollar and you gave ’em fedoras and 50 Cent. None-the-less you still had to hump all of your gear in and out of the place. And it sounded pretty good, even if it wasn’t exactly what he expected. If there’s trouble getting paid, how many times have we had to resort to commandeering the furniture or hijacking that garden gnome on a quick exit from a private venue? Hopefully not too many.
Unbalanced ledgers
When it comes to paying out, the list is endless. Music stores, recording studios, software, hardware, web design, public relations, insurance, auto expenses, etc. But the other side of the ledger always ends up being a lot slimmer. We love what we do but we also do a lot, so prying at somebody’s wallet with a crowbar trying to get paid at the end of a long night can be hard to take.
Tell the tale and turn the tables
Fortunately, for every bad experience there are usually many good ones, and we’ve all got our anecdotes – and antidotes. And those might be worth something. Here’s a chance to turn it around and tell us your solution to slow-payers and stiffers. As part of our Justification Jam, share how you deal with this and you’ll have a chance to win an awesome Seagull Artist Mosaic acoustic guitar and case, valued at $1229. Visit the Guitar Giveaway tab on my home page and follow the instructions. Just give us a tip or trick you use to make sure you are getting paid for your gigs. We’ll include it in our evolving list of skills required to succeed as a musician in the business today. And keep a cowboy hat in your trunk. Even if you don’t know the country song they want you to play, it can provide some protection![DISPLAY_ULTIMATE_PLUS]
Well, I don’t know if this counts, but I’ll try to get the discussion started. I’m not a gigging pro, but I busk at busy international locations and have learned a little. I always seem to make the most when I really get into the songs I play. I don’t know what it is about slide guitar and almost unintelligible loud soulful singing, but it works. I can sit and play for 30 minutes and make next to nothing, spend a few minutes to open tune and the next 10 lettin’ her rip on the slide and make ten times as much. It takes a toll on the voice and I can’t keep it up forever, but as far as an energizing change of pace, works very well.
That’s for me getting paid on the street, I am curious what people have to say about more serious gigs.