Money for Nothing?
By Warren Neill
Playing and watching live music is everything. Go and see blues guitarist Billy Jenkins, go and see Slayer, go and see a Bach organ recital, go and see any performance that is played from the soul. Bill Hicks said he wanted his rock stars to ‘play from your fucking heart’, have a blood bubble coming from their nose, play a killer solo, then blow their brains out. On stage. In front of everybody.
We need live music. But – a question which has to be asked – who pays for it, and where does the money go? The first musicians didn’t care for money at all. Sitting around a big fire with the lads, banging a leg bone on a skull, just seemed like a bit of fun and, without wanting to sound like a hippy, was a natural expression of their lives.
Until the arrival of the gramophone, and then radio and television, music, to the general public, was never really a big deal – it was just there. People went to music halls, dances and theatres to experience music, as opposed to now, where music is all around. (I remember making a decision to stop using my Walkman so that I could have a bit of time not listening to music. This decision is now, sadly, redundant, due to the advent of the public transport nightclub.) With the new technology, the phenomenon of the ‘pop star’ began. Sure, there were ‘stars’ before then but they were intangible and untouchable. Now, you could have them in your living room, you could get to know them more and, best of all, you could go and see them in concert.
In those days, with a few exceptions, the stars didn’t earn a great deal of money. They were happy to have the adoration and ten bob at the end of the week. The people making the money were the managers, promoters and venues. Initially, I don’t think it was particularly mercenary – that’s just the way it was, because a kid with a voice and a quiff didn’t have the slightest idea how to get onto Ready, Steady, Go! It was like a job, and your manager looked after you and paid you a wage. That was until a man called Peter Grant started to manage a band called Led Zeppelin. He changed the way bands were managed and transferred the power to the band. It was the band that was putting bums on seats, so they should make the money. He would demand 100% of the gate for certain shows, as his theory was that he had the best band in the world which would sell out the venue. It was up to the promoter to work out how to make money from the audience, by selling hot dogs, beer or whatever (but, while we’re at it, we’ll take 20% as well). The choice was the promoter’s, take it or leave it. Get your hands on a copy of Hammer of the Gods, the story of the best rock and roll band ever, and you’ll see how Grant did it.
Nowadays, it seems to be going into reverse – the venues are taking the power away from musicians for financial gain. They have noticed the desire of the performer to play and are exploiting it. Don’t get me wrong. The venues/pubs/clubs are businesses which have bills to pay and are an essential part of the music business. What has been forgotten is that it is the performers who are bringing the punters to the venue. The performers get a couple of beers and a maybe a tenner, while the boys upstairs count the takings like it’s New Year’s fucking Eve. Bands are deceived by the‘10% of the bar’ deal. You fill the place out, everybody is wasted, and you’re expecting a few quid for all the effort put in. Then you find out that it’s Net not Gross, and the doorman and DJ come out of that as well. Oh, and it’s split with the other four bands. That doesn’t leave much money, does it?
It doesn’t have to be like this, because when you go to the rest of Europe you are so well treated that you are almost looking for the hidden cameras! There’s a great story about a local band who went on tour to Italy and arrived at the venue, where they found three men arguing intensely in their native tongue. The band was politely told to wait until they sorted this matter out. After the exchange, the guys were given a drink, and an apology for the fact that they were arguing over who wanted to cook the band dinner. Sadly, it is England that can’t get to grips with treating performers well and remunerating them for increasing their trade. (Remember ‘Pay To Play’?)
Of course, there are exceptions, and they restore your faith in what you do.
Musicians and performers aren’t greedy. We just want more of an understanding of how much effort goes into attaining the level of skill needed to go on stage. We spend so much time entertaining so many. The tills are ringing, yet we have to take a night bus home with a bag of chips, because where you’ve just played appreciates your efforts so much that it can’t be arsed to rustle you up a bit of grub and pay for a cab home. When you do things for nothing, a little respect and hospitality goes a long, long way.
Warren is N16’s Music Editor. His band Soixante-neuf play at Ryan’s on 2 December and at the Birdcage on 16 December.
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