To the folks who play and make a living at it.

Yes, as Pat Marr said, the paradigm has changed. Apparently, if you're still playing and getting paid, you have adapted to it. The music business has changed. Vinyl records became cassettes and eventually CD's and then the digital download practically killed hard media sales totally. To think that would not reflect into the live music scene to one degree or another in one way or another would be foolish thinking.

Back in the day when I gigged for a living, there were plenty of places that let you play for free, and plenty of musicians willing to play those gigs. No different than now. But technology has changed and now the solo act can use any one of a dozen ways to enhance the music they play.

The amazing thing back then was this. That folks who did play for free or cheap never affected our band. Not once did we show up at a club and find we had been canceled in favor of a "free band" for that weekend. Not one single time. When a club started to use the free entertainment over the paid bands, it was an indication that the club was about to go out of business.

The gigs that paid good money were reserved to the best bands and the clubs and venues were packed. The club down the street that had the "free" entertainment was normally close to empty. People knew that when it came to weekend entertainment, the old motto that "you get what you pay for" applied and for a good time on a weekend night, that good time was found where the bands were getting top dollar and knew how to keep the good times rolling.

So no, we never really gave it a second thought that other folks and bands were willing to play for free. They weren't even close to the same professional level as us and they were not in the same venue circuit as we were....so they posed no threat to our livelihood.

If we had the time, we'd often go and see them and offer them some encouragement.

Last edited by Guitarhacker; 05/26/14 06:09 AM.
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Add nothing that adds nothing to the music.
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