I have just received an email from an folk music booking agent, part of which says:-

One of the bands we represent at *** ******. They will be releasing a new single in April and we already have Radio 2 support for the single confirmed from Janice Long and Dermot O'Leary shows.
As part of the single promotion we would like to put a 10 day tour together for the band between April 1st -15th. The band are not looking for payment although it would be appreciated if one could be offered.

I know that these are difficult times for new artists trying to make a mark and that getting gigs is tough, but surely this cannot be right?

I was discussing this sort of matter in an email exchange with a top agent last week and she said:-

..... the youngsters coming up are having a hard time.
There are a lot of artists chasing those few gigs, so of course clubs can afford to pick and choose, and why shouldn't they? I'm noticing that the quality of the music matters less and less, as long as the name is known. By that I don't mean to imply that poor artists get gigs purely because they have a record company and a publicist behind them, but I do mean that good artists who don't have a publicity budget and a high profile are often sidelined...... There are some groups that would do anything to get their feet inside the door....

As a club organiser, I don't feel that I could live with myself if I were to advertise and promote a gig and then keep all the door takings for the club fund. What do others think?