payment for service

["Eric Williamson" <erwill@suitandtieguy.com>]

as far as paying/non-paying shows go ...

there are some venues where this is appropriate, and some where it is not.

i generally follow my instincts, but i have _some_ rules (which i do not 
violate
at all anymore):

1. never play a free show where there is a bar serving liquor. they're 
making
money wether they say so or not ... if you play there for free, you're only
making it more difficult for yourself down the road.

2. see rule number one if there are any questions. the fact it's an 
all-ages
punk rock show doesn't matter and you shouldn't be asking yourself this 
question
again.

it's taken me a few years to figure out what's 'appropriate' and what's 
not ...
i'm comfortable with my personal definitions now.

the only reason i have the 'rules' is that my girlfriend was telling me 
about
this awful bar in St Louis called the Creepy Crawl. they have a bar, and a
cover. they generally don't pay the bands because they "have to cover the 
p.a.
guy". i think that's bullshit and not very Punk Rawk on the part of the 
bands
that play there. in fact, she's decided not to play there anymore ... 
which i
fully support.

as far as 'coffeehouse' performances go ... i don't care about payment, 
because
i do them to shake the rust off, so to speak. however, one coffee shop in 
Peoria
where i played monthly for a year and a half informed me there would no 
longer
be payment for services rendered as a matter of policy ONE HOUR BEFORE THE 
SHOW.
this was after i had set up a drum kit, guitar rig, Hammond organ, two 
leslies
(which required two 23-mile trips to do), and the PA.

i don't play there anymore.

Eric Williamson
www.suitandtieguy.com