[Harp-L] Stop pay to play (Was Why Blues Jams are Important)

[David Fertig <drfertig@xxxxxxxxx>]

The ironic thing is musicians who are not in the musicians' union (most of them!) need yet to take a stand and NOT PAY TO PLAY.  And to insist upon some decent amount of pay.  If it's zero, why not "four-wall" it, set up your own gig or just get a permit and play in the park?  Even jam host-bands in LA get paid, albeit a mere 150-300 (it' a longer gig than usual, even if one doesn't play as much while the jammers are either playing music together, headcutting, falling over, showing off, whatever, but still..)

We own the means of production, so to speak, after all.   And while some will always fall prey to pay to play, the fewer that do the better it'll be.    Running one's own door is viable, too, even let 'em take the money and you count  the heads.    Thing is, clubs need us, and we can play anywhere, including outside of clubs.  

Now, go four-wall an event, the clubs will have to compete with you, instead of control you.  Consider getting a non-profit sponsor, renting a hall, get a 24 ABC license to sell beer under the non-profit 501c3, run a fundraiser for a good, needy cause, pay the band a fair wage, and do well by doing good! 

-Dave "pro bono" Fertig   

(ps: as a lawyer, I only get paid when I win, defense hacks get it either way.  Yet every lawsuit I've ever filed (as an 
attorney and litigant!) since 1987 was frivolous - according to the 
defendant!   Indeed  the most frivolous filings are the BS 
defenses proferred by defendants, like shoplifters tossing produce in 
the path of an apprehending grocer, to avoid culpability.  Don't believe
 the stories planted in the press by industries to the contrary.  Follow
 the money, honey!  

On Sat, 4/16/11, harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx <harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
RE: [Harp-L] Why Blues Jams are Important
        	Saturday, April 16, 2011 9:58 AM
        	
            
            
            From: 
            "Buck Worley" <boogalloo@xxxxxxx>
            	
            	
            	
        	To: 
        	bluesharpamps@xxxxxxxxx, harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Rick-
 
Good
 point and you are right. I guess having a "club" person at the door as 
well as "our" person was a given. Done it a million times and that is 
the usual procedure. Thanks for correcting me on this. 
 
However is disagree with the statement you wrote:
 
            "I suppose you could plant your man somewhere near the door 
to keep an eye on things, but if he interferes with the doorman's duties
 he's likely to get bounced." 
 
"My" man is the man taking up the
 cover charge and I will never trust my money with someone who works for
 anyone but me. The club's guy can stamp hands, bounce, prevent folks 
from taking drinks outside or enforce whatever the local laws are or 
club rules. My man does one and one thing only: Takes care of the band. 
In cases where the band and club have agreed to split the door, protocol
 can be agreed upon on the front end so that there is an accountability 
factor.
 
Just a side note: I have acted as door man for friends 
and have actually been shot at twice as well as helped to break up 
fights and help bounce a few drunks event though I was employed by the 
band, not the club. Well, in one instance, the band owned the club.
 
My
 wife is a attorney's legal assistant and you wouldn't believe the 
frivolous law suits. One can bring suit against another for anything 
these days. Those frivolous law suits clog up the courts big time. Of 
course having two at the door brings some accountability to the thing , 
too, as well as a good witness in the case of a lawsuit.
 
Here is the important point that I was trying to make:
 
Now,
 when I said "what is wrong with this picture?", what I was going for is
 the fact that there are many club owners that think they can make up 
the rules as they go and being the club owner, I suppose they would have
 that right. I am citing an excerpt from the post you quoted but you 
omitted the part about the club owner making up all these nebulas rules 
and scenarios where "in 'this' case you will make more money and in 
'that' case you will make more money and if 'this or that happens' you 
will make more money' and I just started hearing bla, bla bla, bla and 
starting thinking things like "well, if an asteroid hits the earth, does
 that mean I make more of less money?" :D
 
It almost makes me 
miss the days when I was a member of the American Federation Of 
Musicians and we got everything in writing. One gig that had a house 
band where I played for almost a year was a big Union advocate and even 
furnish a group insurance policy. Never seen that since.
 
Best Regard,
BW