If you ask pretty much any band, especially local ones, they’ll all probably say that collectively that “paying to play” is flat out unfair. Venue owners and booking agents will most likely say that they’re doing it to cover their end, of course, but there are better ways to go about this process. It’s hard enough for a small time local band to start getting recognition for their work and being made to sell their own tickets seems unproductive.
The whole process of putting a show together should be a three-headed approach. The booking agent, band and venue owner/promoter together should be promoting the show. Especially in the case for out of state bands playing shows, the venue itself and booking agent should be doing most of the promoting. With the availability of the internet on anyone’s laptop or phone, it’s easy for a band to post on social media to let fans know to come and see them play. It’s just as easy for the venue and booking agent to do the same. Having all three promoting the event, there is a greater chance more people come to watch. It’s a simple concept yet all of this promoting usually falls on the band itself.
There are many booking agents and venues that heavily promote even the smallest of events but another problem with ‘pay to play’ events is the actual bands playing them. Bands from all different genres are thrown on a bill and completely ruin the vibe of the show, all to make the most money possible. This can sometimes make a band frustrated and unenthusiastic in promoting the show. Instead of promoting the show out of excitement, bands are now felt obligated to sell the tickets given to them or else they cannot play.
The ultimate goal for a band that plays any show is to gain at least one new fan that they didn’t have before. Another big problem with ‘pay to play’ is that friends and family members are usually the ones bands sell their tickets to. Of course, friends and family can’t always come out to every show and it becomes a frantic mad dash to sell tickets at this point. A band can only do so much when it comes to speaking about their music to potentially new fans. This is where the booking agent and venue need to step in and help both their own pockets and that of the bands as well. Hearing how great a band is from an establishment or person of reputation in the area can go a long way for everyone. Simply put the more people that come, the more money to be made.
Forcing a band to sell a minimum amount of tickets to people, just to get their name sound out there is absolutely ridiculous on every level. There are so many different avenues that can be taken by all parties involved and it should not be solely up to the band alone to bring people along. If it weren’t for bands existing, neither the booking agents nor the venue owners would be making any money what so ever. It's time to go back to the times where everyone looked out for one another and just did it all for the love of music!
