My band was offered a spot for a breast cancer fund raiser

[Fr!tz]

They can't pay us But I'm cool with that. I just like to play live and think this is a worthy cause. Besides there will be a ton of chicks there:o :D

Other members of the band don't feel so inspired to play the gig.

What do you think???

[cherri]

We play freebie at the Relay for Life Cancer Walk as well as put on a show for the Toys for Tots every year. It's a good cause and good press! It's also helped us to book shows at local festivals, because the folks that volunteer for worthy causes are often the same folks who volunteer for the local festivals and beer tents.

I have to bite my tongue to stop myself from making a politically incorrect wisecrack about hot chicks at a breast cancer fundraiser.

Oh what the hell: "Show me your hooter !! "

[the otter]

I think that you would be playing for agreat cause!!!

Will they be serving food? If so, that should be payment enough.

Of course I'm talking about peanut butter and grape jelly sandwiches.

[Brian Krashpad]

I always play any benefit for a cause I can support, if it is possible to do so. I consider myself very blessed to be able to play music onstage in front of people, and part of the band's responsibility as a member of the community is to give back some. We've done benefits for Red Cross (9/11), the local alternative media reading room, low-power FM community-based radio stations, underground warehouse venues, and in memoriam shows, among others.

One word of warning though. Sadly, benefits are quite often clustef*cks where no one knows what is going on. If you know that going in and can roll with it (or better yet, get the charity to appoint you or someone who knows how to run a stage as in charge), it's all good from then on.

BK

[Brian Krashpad]

Originally posted by cherri

I have to bite my tongue to stop myself from making a politically incorrect wisecrack about hot chicks at a breast cancer fundraiser.

Oh what the hell: "Show me your hooter !! "

This is my kinda woman.

;)

Speaking of political incorrectness, we once did a benefit for the local National Organization for Women (NOW), as I'm a lifelong feminist. Apparently, however, they weren't big fans of punk rock. Once our set began, they cleared the room so fast I'd'a thunk that the Indigo Girls had set up a kissing booth outside.

BK

[Fr!tz]

Originally posted by cherri
"Show me your hooter !! "


The PC version would be show me your TIT:D

[Fr!tz]

Originally posted by warped666
I think that you would be playing for agreat cause!!!

Will they be serving food? If so, that should be payment enough.

Of course I'm talking about peanut butter and grape jelly sandwiches.


I <3 The warped one:D

[Fr!tz]

Originally posted by Brian Krashpad


One word of warning though. Sadly, benefits are quite often clustef*cks where no one knows what is going on. If you know that going in and can roll with it (or better yet, get the charity to appoint you or someone who knows how to run a stage as in charge), it's all good from then on.

BK

That's what I was afraid of:(

[riffdaddy]

Never pass down an opportunity to play a charity gig (unless you have a previously scheduled gig, obviously). It's good PR and good karma. If your bandmates don't want to play the show, it reflects poorly on their character. Sorry to be so blunt.

[Fr!tz]

Originally posted by riffdaddy
If your bandmates don't want to play the show, it reflects poorly on their character. Sorry to be so blunt.

Well I knew that!;)

[Cortfan]

Our band will play for just about any reputable charity. So far, we haven't had any problems. But we do all the band type setup ourself, including P.A., stage, power, etc.

[ratthedd]

It's a great place to wear your SAVE THE BOOBIES!! T-Shirt.


:D:D

[Brian Krashpad]

Originally posted by fritzgog13


That's what I was afraid of:(

Well, that shouldn't deter you, though. I mean, there are clusterf*cks at a lot of the REGULAR gigs I do, so it's not that big a deal.

The more you can get involved with the planning and promo of the event, the better your chances of avoiding the clusterf*ck are. For example, when we did the aforementioned gig for NOW, it was in a venue that didn't regularly have live bands. So I volunteered my PA, and my services to run sound, so long as that meant that I was also the stage manager (I didn't actually use that term, but that was the gist of the deal) for the evening. When we actually got there, they'd managed to get a better PA than mine, so mine stayed in the car and I got the one they'd acquired up and running and mixed for the bands.

The main problems with these benefit gigs are two: bad PA/mixing, and no stage management. In order to avoid clusterf*cks I'm willing to work a little harder to remedy the former, and to be the "bad guy" if necessary to avoid the latter, which usually devolves to problems involving lengths of sets and the order of the bill. By being in charge of the PA, you can tell people when they have to go on and step off.

BK