It's ok to say no ...

As a struggling artist, it’s hard to get work. Whether you are a musician, a producer, a painter, a sculptor, a dancer … exposure is the key to generating interest. And with that, musical artists are often asked to do shows for no money and be compensated by “the exposure” they will get from an event. A friend of mine played an outdoor festival this summer and inspired me to really think about why we donate our time and when it is ok to say no.

Below are FIVE REASONS to play (or not to play) that we use … depending in the situation.

M – MONEY: All other conditions of the event ( below ) are really sour, but the money is guaranteed and solid ( ie: it is a reoccurring event, they have sponsors, or you saw the other bands get paid, etc ). You play through the heartache and move on. If you are doing the show for free then don’t get bossed around ( unless it is SUPER HIGH PROFILE - ie: TV Interview, etc ). If there is any reasonable expectation that you are NOT going to get paid, then start growling about it ASAP ( ie: if you see poor attendance and the other musicians look very disgruntled ) … you don’t have to play if you are not going to get paid what you were promised.

I – INFLUENCE/EXPOSURE/FANS: Everything is going badly, however, if there are major influential people in the audience and a fantastic crowd then you put your game face on and play. You’ll hate it now, but you’ll thank yourself later. If you are doing the show for free and there is no one in the audience and no one you need to impress ( ie: big concert promoter ) then why are you there?

D- DISTANCE. The show is in a market you really need to develop and you are willing to make sacrifices to make it in to a long term relationship. However, driving your day and night away for a free event better be yielding you some positive results!

S – SAFETY and SOUND. THE NUMBER ONE REASON NOT TO PLAY! If you are playing an outside show and your gear is going to get rained on, say NO! Even five minutes before you go on … if it is not safe, worse things than ruining the finish on your custom Les Paul can happen - like electrocution! No questions, your safety and your hard earned money to buy that vintage guitar are number one. If the sound system isn’t right ( I don’t mean it sucks, because that happens all the time. I mean it isn't blown, or an indoors system for an outside show, etc ), then why are you playing. You are going to sound like a**, so no one would want to book you anyway.

T – TIME/SETS: If you are asked to play much longer than agreed on, and M,I,D above are bad, then say no. If your set gets moved over an hour from its original spot – then consider moving on ( unless the Influence/Crowd is great ). There is also a reasonable expectation for the work you do. You didn’t just play for three hours, you also drove for one hour, set up for three hours and will tear down for two and drive for one … adds up to a ten hour day!

So, MIDST – Money, Influence, Distance, Safety and Time. Keep these in mind when you have those questionable shows on your plate ( or are in the middle of one ). Yes, you did give your word you would play, that is true. However, the event also made its own agreement with you regarding reasonable working conditions, times, safety, etc based on industry standards.

Use your judgment; but keep these two very important questions as a guideline:

1. If you are not doing the show for the money, the influence/fans, or the distance sucks , or your time slot has changed so dramatically that no one you told will be there when you play - then why are you playing?
2. If you fear for your safety and the safety of your gear , then think about who it will be at the music store paying for the replacement of your gear, or who will be paying your bills when you are recovering in the hospital?

A good “rule of thumb” is this. One of M,I or D … then S MUST be there …and T is negotiable based on the others.

Honestly, it’s ok to say no.