Back in the 60's, you could keep a 4-piece working for scale and make enough to make a meager living. People actually went out to hear live music. There were clubs everywhere. Bands flourished. Clubs flourished. A lot of great bands came out of those clubs.
Those days are gone forever.
Today, people simply don't value music, or musicians. Any guy who can scratch a needle across a record is considered a performer , and if he can string a bunch of loops together he's considered a producer.
Mac is right. Today's Gen-Xers didn't grow up playing an instrument in the school band. They grew up "playing" music with Guitar Hero. They are, for the most part, self-absorbed, vacuous, soulless lemmings devoid of any musical appreciation. It's a shame, but it is what it is.
Want to play for free? Fine. There are plenty of open mics to get your stage rush on and be a star. But when you play a normally paying gig for free, you are taking food out of the mouth of someone who has actually paid their dues.

Dyslectics Untie!


https://90dbband.bandcamp.com/

https://soundcloud.com/90-db

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm_3mpivKYV7T7XFJmXL-GA