Farmer's Market player - YIKES!

[Big Band Guitar]

Quality means nothing to the people that are booking farmers markets.

As long as there are many "musicians" that are willing to play for table scraps there will never be any real pay for farmers markets.

There was a new one starting up about 10 years ago. I asked about it and was told there was no pay and I needed proof of insurance. They later dropped the insurance requirement when they found out no one was willing to buy insurance just to play for free.

It is true you get what you pay for.

I do play a lot for free, but not where someone is making money as in farmers markets. Fund raisers for causes I agree in, I'm all in.

[Chriscom]

Originally Posted by Big Band Guitar

There was a new one starting up about 10 years ago. I asked about it and was told there was no pay and I needed proof of insurance.

Insurance against what? Lackluster interpretations of Wagon Wheel?

It's a judgment call. I am playing every open mic around here I can find (and there are lots now), and I spotted one at a farmer's market. That felt a little exploitive, though I wouldn't begrudge anyone doing it for the experience. In contrast, last year at the nearest one to me, there was a guy gigging there all day who was quite good, and he must have been paid for it. Please let it be so.

[RCGuitar]

I’ll agree. Once they know they can get free entertainment they will never pay someone. I play out a lot in our area...bars, restaurants, special events and concerts in the park. They will take free over paying for quality. We recently did a Friday night wine event with our 6 piece band where they sold tickets at a local winery. It was a rainy forecast fire Friday. We we under a big wedding tent. Weather was horrible. Last year we had 400 people attend. This time we had 150 show up due to weather. We were blamed for not bringing in enough people which was ridiculous.

[reeve21]

I don't often get to Farmer's Markets, but I have heard about some amazing talents playing them here in Connecticut--Stephen Bennett and Glenn Roth, for example.

On the other hand I went to one in a beach community a couple of years ago. There was a young lady playing a uke, unamplified, signing very softly and attracting no attention. She played with her phone between songs. Maybe she just decided to play on the spur of the moment, but it was kind of a sad situation to witness.

[gfirob]

There are many kinds of "Farmers Markets" some of which actually involve farmers. In our small town, ours is run by a couple of women in town who consider the live music an important element to the experience and they prefer more lively players or groups to the more typical aging folksingers. There are real farmers here in the valley and it is a weekly event that a lot of local people (as well as a lot of people here for the Vermont summer) look forward to. They pay a modest fee because that is the kind of people they are, even though they have plenty of people offering to play. I like doing it, though if the weather is bad, it deeply sucks. If playing music in front of people is what you enjoy, this is one way to do it. Better than a loud bar, IMHO.

[Mandobart]

OTOH - my local Farmers Market pays $200 for two hours. Recently, in an attempt to dodge ASCAP/BMI/SESAC they have started requiring all acts to sign that all songs they perform are their original work or public domain. I put together a group of friends playing bluegrass. We have about 350 tunes verified to be PD. We actually are getting more time slots as the majority of standard-singer-songwriter types rely heavily on covers of recent tunes.

[gfirob]

Wow, sounds like an urban farmers market. But if that's what they pay, god bless them. I'll bet they get some good tunes for those standards...

[Chriscom]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

OTOH - my local Farmers Market pays $200 for two hours. Recently, in an attempt to dodge ASCAP/BMI/SESAC they have started requiring all acts to sign that all songs they perform are their original work or public domain. I put together a group of friends playing bluegrass. We have about 350 tunes verified to be PD. We actually are getting more time slots as the majority of standard-singer-songwriter types rely heavily on covers of recent tunes.

Interesting (and that's some rate for that). Hope they keep dodging the ASCAP police. I have read that ASCAP has successfully pressed the matter where venue owners have said we only allow original songs written by the performers, with ASCAP's reply being oh, you know every song ever written by everyone in the history of copyrighted music? I guess the lines are brighter with PD.

[The Kid!]

We have one that pays $200 for a 10am-12pm solo. I bring my Cane Corso. She’s a certified therapy dog. She gets way more attention than I do.

The people that run it are very nice and all of the vendors hook me up with produce! The Apple people love dogs and she always brings treats for Martha.

The other farmers markets pay next to nothing or nothing at all. Not sure how the one is funded well and the others aren’t. I just play the one a few times every summer.

10am-noon is a great slot. I have a regular 2-5 patio gig as well and a late night gig. It’s an easy triple. I can think of worse ways to spend a Saturday.

If it rains, they put me on the steps of the building under an awning. A cop has to unlock the doors for me and find me a chair. They’re cool about it making it happen rain or shine.

[Revy]

Originally Posted by Mandobart

OTOH - my local Farmers Market pays $200 for two hours. Recently, in an attempt to dodge ASCAP/BMI/SESAC they have started requiring all acts to sign that all songs they perform are their original work or public domain. I put together a group of friends playing bluegrass. We have about 350 tunes verified to be PD. We actually are getting more time slots as the majority of standard-singer-songwriter types rely heavily on covers of recent tunes.

First gig I played was outside a small town tavern with a group of about 10 people and we round robin songs. We had about a 100 people show up to watch. No cover fee, just for fun. Of course a few people made cell phone vids and put on Facebook. Within two weeks the SESAC cops were sending her a letter for payment. Fortunately her lease of the internet Jukebox covered the licensing of the copy written material and they backed off. Always amazed me if the artists don't want you playing their songs why do they have videos on YouTube teaching you how to play them! They take the fun out of everything!

[MikeBmusic]

Originally Posted by Revy

Always amazed me if the artists don't want you playing their songs why do they have videos on YouTube teaching you how to play them! They take the fun out of everything!

The PROs (BMI/ASCAP/SESAC) don't do anything with youtube enforcements. If someone owns the rights to a song, they can monetize the video, even if its on someone else's youtube channel. Some record companies (who own the rights to certain artist's songs) will have youtube videos removed on occasion - I've had this happen with Jethro Tull and Steely Dan (live in concert) videos, and cover songs that I've performed of the Eagles and Neil Young and Led Zeppelin.

[Davis Webb]

Call me stupid or just lucky but I make my living from FMs in the summer. It pays for all my groceries.

As far as talent goes, you might have some idiots down thataway..but we have good solid players. Burton Cumming's (of the Guess Who) guitarist plays here regularly.

It takes a ton of skill to make money at a FM> its all pocket change. My case fills with $5 bills.

Its not for someone with a big ego or an attitude.

FM players are entertainers first, and musicians second.

If ya remember that, yer golden.

As for clubs, not sure a room full of half drunk kids is really the kind of place I want to play. I want air, sunshine, variety, families, kids..

I use the S1 Pro now and my J45.....they get an earfull.

And the best rendition of new country they will find anywhere.

[varmonter]

Originally Posted by Chriscom

Insurance against what? Lackluster interpretations of Wagon Wheel?

thank you for that morning smile..ha

[varmonter]

Originally Posted by Davis Webb

Call me stupid or just lucky but I make my living from FMs in the summer. It pays for all my groceries.

As far as talent goes, you might have some idiots down thataway..but we have good solid players. Burton Cumming's (of the Guess Who) guitarist plays here regularly.

It takes a ton of skill to make money at a FM> its all pocket change. My case fills with $5 bills.

Its not for someone with a big ego or an attitude.

FM players are entertainers first, and musicians second.

If ya remember that, yer golden.

As for clubs, not sure a room full of half drunk kids is really the kind of place I want to play. I want air, sunshine, variety, families, kids..

I use the S1 Pro now and my J45.....they get an earfull.

And the best rendition of new country they will find anywhere.

Kind of the way i feel about it. I have some that pay and
some that only pay 50 bucks. I don't rely on music for a living.
For me i'll do an afternoon
gig on a wednesday down the road from my house for 50 bucks.
But i won't do it for free. It's that "being taken advantage of" thing
that bugs me. I have to consider "free gigs" . If the tips are really good
or if it's for a good cause i will do them. If the bar owner "just can't afford"
live music "just Yet" than i'm being taken advantage of. I weigh these things
seriously.
Try this. Next time a club owner says the can't afford
to pay you tell them you'll take the gig but if a paying gig
comes around you'll have to take that one over his.
Most club owners won't take that deal.

[Davis Webb]

Originally Posted by varmonter

Kind of the way i feel about it. I have some that pay and
some that only pay 50 bucks. I don't rely on music for a living.
For me i'll do an afternoon
gig on a wednesday down the road from my house for 50 bucks.
But i won't do it for free. It's that "being taken advantage of" thing
that bugs me. I have to consider "free gigs" . If the tips are really good
or if it's for a good cause i will do them. If the bar owner "just can't afford"
live music "just Yet" than i'm being taken advantage of. I weigh these things
seriously.
Try this. Next time a club owner says the can't afford
to pay you tell them you'll take the gig but if a paying gig
comes around you'll have to take that one over his.
Most club owners won't take that deal.

Well, I also do this to be with people. I dont enjoy just playing at home alone.