BREAKING NEWS
Next time you want to complain about paying $5-10 to see 2-5 bands...

[1] Sit on the door at a gig sometime and watch the surprise with which punters respond to being asked to pay a $5 per head entry fee.

[2] Then sit at the bar for a while and watch the largesse with which those same people will shout all their mates beers at $8.50 a head.

[3] Take a look at the gig poster. How many bands are on the bill? If it's four bands, then do the maths and figure out that each band is going to get $1.25 from your entry fee, minus costs. And if that band has four members, each will get 31 cents, minus costs i.e, Fuel, Posters, Advertising, Venue Hire, Soundman….etc, etc, etc

[4] While you're admiring the poster, ask who designed it, and the flyers, who printed them, who distributed them and at what cost.

[5] Ask the bar manager what the bar has charged the performers for venue hire - you may well find that amount to be hundreds of dollars.

[6] Ask the bar manager what the bar returns to the performers from alcohol sales - you may well find that amount is exactly zero dollars, and they have charged the bands for any drinks they may have had also.

[7] Ask the sound operator and the lighting operator what they are charging the performers tonight.

[8] Ask the band where they rehearse this music and what the rental cost on their practice space is.

[9] Ask the band what time of the day/night do they compose, arrange and rehearse this music, and what impact does this have on their family life and their income earning potential from extra-musical jobs. By the way it's far more than likely they will have day-jobs than not.

[10] Ask the band if - given all the above - their labour is futile. They will tell you that, on the contrary, it is highly worthwile.

Credit: Sarah Sampson

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