Gigs: Pay what you can afford......

Subject: Pay what you can affford......
From: Johnny J
Date: 12 Nov 24 - 06:01 AM

I thought this might make an interesting and even lively discussion.

It's getting more common for artists at gigs to suggest a "pay what you can afford" price for CDs etc and even for the actual concerts themselves.

The idea is to encourage the less well off to enjoy their music, I'm sure.
However, the temptation to "Pay what one thinks the artist is worth" is always there. Personally, I'd want to pay the usual "regular" amount for that type of gig but if someone just "quite liked" the performer and was in two minds about whether to go or not then the opportunity to pay a lower price might just sway things.

So, in my case, it would be either Pay the Proper price or stay away. However, doing the latter means a smaller audience/record sales and I'd be missing out on something I might like a little bit. :-)

Of course, I'm not against saving money and frequently buy things at a reduced price in certain circumstances...e.g. Savers, discounted CDs etc but the advertised prices are still "official".

Hoverver, having to choose how much to pay to pay myself seems a bit alien to me. How do you all feel about it this?

Subject: RE: Pay what you can affford......
From: GUEST,Howard Jones
Date: 12 Nov 24 - 07:32 AM

I'm not keen on it, to be honest. I don't want that responsibility. Should I play slightly less than the maximum figure I would pay if it were advertised at that, or what I consider to be an average ticket price for that sort of gig (in which case I will probably underestimate it). Or as little as I think I can get away with? It shouldn't be my job to decide the economics of their gig or CD release, and I shouldn't have to worry that I've not paid enough.

The intention is no doubt to assist those for whom money is tight, and a sale even at a lower price is probably better than no sale at all. However there's also a slight feeling I'm being pressured into paying more.

If someone has to choose between a gig or CD and feeding their kids then the truthful answer to what can they afford is "nothing". For the rest of us, just set a price and let us decide whether or not we want to pay it. By all means offer concessions, or even a "pay what you can" for those who need it, but then set a standard price for those who don't.

Live To Your Living Room offers a three-tier ticketing structure: a standard price, a "pay a bit less" price and a "pay a bit more" price. You are free to choose which one suits you best, no questions asked. That seems a reasonable way to approach it.

It would be interesting to know whether bands who use this strategy finds it works out better (or at least no worse) for them, or simply makes them feel better.

Subject: RE: Pay what you can affford......
From: Johnny J
Date: 12 Nov 24 - 07:39 AM

Re "Live To Your Living Room "

During Covid when we had many online concerts, a lot depended on whatever technology we had. I am lucky enough to have a 50" TV screen and a good sound system. So, I could watch music there by either a cable link from my PC or direct Wi Fi streaming.

If you had lesser equipment or just a phone, should you have to pay the same price. After all, in a big concert hall you often get to pay less for the "cheap seats".

Subject: RE: Gigs: Pay what you can afford......
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 14 Nov 24 - 07:56 PM

It’s difficult to find any system that everyone would agree was fair. Take the Senior Citizen scenario where prices are fixed: sometimes they get half price, sometimes just a pound or two off full price, sometimes no reduction at all. Or they may be invited to be honest and only claim a reduced fee if they are only on state pension, but pay full price if they have an occupational pension as well. Then there are sometimes further reductions for disability - but do you have to show proof of disability? And your carer might go free too.
I think that, on balance, I would prefer to just be told what the price is and be done with it: then decide whether I want to pay that price or do without, rather than have to search my conscience on what I should be paying.

Subject: RE: Gigs: Pay what you can afford......
From: r.padgett
Date: 15 Nov 24 - 02:41 AM

Artists' payment has a number of pitfalls due to venue issues and pub closure and indeed if a club consists of singers and regulars and some "punters" then support for guests will be affected

Pub and other less formal venues are being charged in UK for maintaining a monthly bank account charge of typically £5 pm some barely take that and the very existence of this show that Banks think that our folk clubs exist to be profit generators ~ well no not really!

So folk events unless under formal control by LAs and Community clubs etc tend to be free or collection style ~ straight to Guest ~ wouldn't you?

Ray

Subject: RE: Gigs: Pay what you can afford......
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 15 Nov 24 - 10:20 AM

So this is perhaps a separate argument around how much we pay guests, as distinct from how much we, the punters, pay to get in.
Speaking for one folk club I represent, we have always paid our guests a previously agreed fee, never done percentage of gate takings as some clubs do. There have been rare occasions when audience attendance was poor, and the guest has offered to take a lower fee, but we have always refused to entertain this, and given them what was originally agreed. In between guest nights, we have session nights, where people paya small entry fee, and this and membership fees help to subsidise guest fees if there is a shortfall on the gate takings.