A few months ago I performed at large event where the headliner was a singer. I don’t know much about him, but he has a pretty big following and the event was well attended it.
After the event he posts this on his social media:
I know a bit about the average pricing/budgets for acts who do events like this. I’m guessing he was paid $40k-$50k for the event, which after everyone and expenses are paid out he pocketed $20k-$25k for the single show.
If you’re making that much, why are you begging for money? It’s not a good look, and how much can the begging really generate? A couple hundred, or thousand dollars? It’s a really short sighted move. If I was the booker and I paid you $40k, and saw you were begging for small donations, I’d think twice about paying you that much as clearly you need money and would be willing to work for a lot less.
At least pitch some merch, so it’s a transaction!
Begging for money doesn’t make you look successful, and when you’re positioning your self as successful it doesn’t help that position.
Something I was told by an agent years ago was that she wants to book acts that are successful, and working. She said to never send her an empty calendar, and if mine was empty to block off some dates to make it look like I was working.
-Louie