I make my living at this. I have done so for over 12 years. If I want to play a place, I will play without a guarantee. I sort out my own guarantee by working lots of dates around the risky one, and hedge my bets. It is NOT the venue's responsibility to make MY living.

I do select venues that have regular music, and a proven track record. And I always try to follow their lead on booking arrangements (that is, work within their budget, and work with their usual arrangements). I probably don't have much choice anyway. I know that if the evening is going to be a success, the venue has to earn it's operating costs, including the extra bit they need to put aside for their future shows. If WE don't earn that much (that is me get my fee, and they earn their cost plus) then nobody wins.

I really feel it is up to me to make each show a success, or at least to do everything I can to make it successful. I work hard to promote each show through my own resources; email lists, FaceBook contacts, friends of friends communications. I work with the venue to see what they are doing, and provide them with pics, clips and bio stuff. And all of that works. If a venue offers a minimum (and that is common) I will usually double that through CD sales.

When I travel to play a show in one town, I'll also work at least the night before and the night after on the road to and from that town. I like to do more. Some shows just don't pan out, for some reason. Most venues usually know what there crowd will be, but sometimes they get it wrong. If I've booked 3 or 4 or 5 nights in a trip I'll eventually earn my keep pretty well. I also make sure my shows in an area are pretty far apart. You can hurt yourself, by competing with your self.

I hate to say this in public, but since you're "Folk Venue Committee Rep" and your performer are anonymous, I'd have to say that your "performer who got indignant about the lack of a guarantee" is not a wise, experienced music professional. If you've been doing this for a living for while, you know the score and you work with it ... or you move on to deals you CAN accept without insulting the people who could be your friends!


sorry to be so long winded.