I'm in a band that's starting to receive some decent play on radio and whatnot, but we're still unsigned.
Anyway, we've been asked to play a festival by one of the people organising it. There is also a competition being run nationally to find a band to play a slot on the bill, but we've bypassed that and been asked to play directly.
Now i've been getting a bit wound up lately at getting ripped off financially by 'headline' bands that we play with and promotors keeping every penny at gigs that we play.
I've asked the other band members to ask for every gig we are booked for, to ask (before we confirm) what the situation with money split percentages will be between promotor/headliner or headliners/support bands. I think this is only fair as if we had management this is the first thing they would ask.
For this 2 day festival (which is being headlined by two platinum-selling bands) we've been told we have no rider, aren't getting paid, get no complementary tickets and if we want to stay for the rest of the weekend after we've played we have to BUY OUR OWN TICKETS.
Now i know this is an awesome opportunity, but i'm living on the bread line as it is and any other band would be getting all these things. I resent being treated like Jim'll Fix It winners when actually we've been asked to play the festival, not the other way round. I'd get more by playing weddings every weekend.
Has anyone who's been in a band that've played these big gigs/festivals/tours got any advice for me? IE, is this common practice and should i bite the bullet and accept this is how we'll be treated unless signed or am i being reasonable to expect to get what every single other band on the bill will be getting? Over 100 of my friends were planning on attending which would have made the promotor £8000...yet i'm on the bill and still have to pay to stick around after we've finished...
Cheers.
Anyway, we've been asked to play a festival by one of the people organising it. There is also a competition being run nationally to find a band to play a slot on the bill, but we've bypassed that and been asked to play directly.
Now i've been getting a bit wound up lately at getting ripped off financially by 'headline' bands that we play with and promotors keeping every penny at gigs that we play.
I've asked the other band members to ask for every gig we are booked for, to ask (before we confirm) what the situation with money split percentages will be between promotor/headliner or headliners/support bands. I think this is only fair as if we had management this is the first thing they would ask.
For this 2 day festival (which is being headlined by two platinum-selling bands) we've been told we have no rider, aren't getting paid, get no complementary tickets and if we want to stay for the rest of the weekend after we've played we have to BUY OUR OWN TICKETS.
Now i know this is an awesome opportunity, but i'm living on the bread line as it is and any other band would be getting all these things. I resent being treated like Jim'll Fix It winners when actually we've been asked to play the festival, not the other way round. I'd get more by playing weddings every weekend.
Has anyone who's been in a band that've played these big gigs/festivals/tours got any advice for me? IE, is this common practice and should i bite the bullet and accept this is how we'll be treated unless signed or am i being reasonable to expect to get what every single other band on the bill will be getting? Over 100 of my friends were planning on attending which would have made the promotor £8000...yet i'm on the bill and still have to pay to stick around after we've finished...
Cheers.