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Gig Salad WTH?


Bob Dey

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Declined within minutes of sending in my bid for a wedding reception! Why does Gig Salad have to tell that you've been declined anyway? I've never had such instantaneous rejection before!

 

Gigmasters may eventually notify that the prospect went with someone else after a few weeks, which is no big deal. The prospect has taken their time to look over info and price of 5 to 10 entertainers. I'm thinking Gig Salad only works for those that have a paid membership.

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so far, my experience with GS has been bidding on one...ONE gig [in a year of unpaid membership...in Los Angeles? Seriously?], that was, IMHO, ridiculous/preposterous...and never hearing back...at least you weren't left hanging...99% of my contact with GS has been them telling me to upgrade to a paid membership...for WHAT? Total fail, in my book.

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Declined within minutes of sending in my bid for a wedding reception! Why does Gig Salad have to tell that you've been declined anyway? I've never had such instantaneous rejection before!

 

Gigmasters may eventually notify that the prospect went with someone else after a few weeks, which is no big deal. The prospect has taken their time to look over info and price of 5 to 10 entertainers. I'm thinking Gig Salad only works for those that have a paid membership.

 

For the first year I was with Gig Salad, on the "Free" plan, I got 5 gigs through them. I then decided to try the $20/month level and, on average, get 3 gigs a month, bidding on an averageof 12/month...not too bad.

 

Actually like the quick response, so I'll know not to hold that slot open "on spec".Judging from the feedback I've gotten, many of the rejections have come because I was under-bid, but in the long run, I'm cool with that.

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Could it be GS sent a decline because I included my website address? I'll have to review the rules. The only other reasonable explanation would be sticker shock on my price. I've done 3 or 4 bids with them so far with none booked.

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I am a free member, but get no gigs from Gig Salad. I've had a few offers, I'm listed as a duo, but two were for singles (including a cellist), one was for a 5 piece band and the only one was for a duo. I told them how much room we would need to set up our gear and they regretted the space for the duo was not that big.

 

But I often get upgrade promotions from GS. If they would get me gigs, I'd upgrade. I don't think it's entirely their fault though, because I live in a medium sized town and I think it would work better in a big city.

 

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The only other reasonable explanation would be sticker shock on my price.

 

Ultimately you're competing with similar acts in your same market. If your price is twice as high as other acts doing (what at least appears to be) the same thing, most clients are probably going to go with the cheaper act. That's not Gig Salad's fault.

 

You have to know your market and your competition and price yourself accordingly. And/or make sure that if you're providing a superior product, that this is conveyed in the promo material. Markets will vary, of course, but IME there are people out there with money willing to pay more for better acts. You just have to make sure they easily understand why you're charging more money than the other acts bidding on the same gig.

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then again, so many potential customers are truly clueless, and simply go for the lowest cost. Maybe not the best deal for the money, but they are all so cost driven, that $5 will kill a bid from a great band, so some schlock band books a gig they can't cut. And then, who gets blamed? Why, Gig Salad...of course.

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then again' date=' so many potential customers are truly clueless, and simply go for the lowest cost. Maybe not the best deal for the money, but they are all so cost driven, that $5 will kill a bid from a great band, so some schlock band books a gig they can't cut. And then, who gets blamed? Why, Gig Salad...of course.[/quote']

 

I'm sure that happens. But I also find it pretty easy to convince potential customers that you get what you pay for when it comes to live music. Since it's not quite like internet shopping for the lowest price of the exact same book or car, they more readily understand that better acts will cost more. Everyone knows that The Eagles get paid much more than the busker in front of the fruit stand and people generally understand why.

 

They also are generally clueless to how little most bands get paid. I think most people would be shocked to find that bands play for next to nothing for what amounts to a full days work many times. Convincing people who earn $100K+ a year at their jobs that a musician needs to make a few hundred dollars for a days work isn't a big stretch.

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There will always be people who shop price and nothing else. Some people buy a Benz and others a Ford. If you are the Benz, you have to let them know what they are paying for or you don't have a chance. Even then, there are those that go to WalMart and those who shop at Saks.

 

Right now we are competing with Karaoke Jocks. They buy karaoke tracks, sing along, don't play instruments, have very little investment in time or equipment, and undercut everybody. I know a 3 piece 'group' that will go out for $100/night. There is no way we are going to take their gig away, but then they play mostly places that were to cheap to hire us in the first place.

 

The problem is though, the KJs and open mic amateurs are invading the night club scene. There are even people singing along with the original recording. What a biz this is turning out to be.

 

Fortunately we have a lot of loyal clients and are doing much better than most others.

 

Notes.

 

 

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I recently was at a party where the hired entertainment was a Karaoke trio, with lyrics on the screen and all that. I expressed my disappointment [but tried to mask my disdain] to the host of the party when she asked how I liked the singing. She didn't get it. 'But, they're great...they sound just like the record...'

I understand that many people don't understand the difference between musicians and this type of act...but to pay them money?

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Some customers truly don't know the difference. And some don't care. Others do.

 

We had some people from a Country Club come out to hear us and ended up hiring us for their club. They were amazed that we actually played instruments.

 

It is hard to compete price wise with the KJ people though. All they really need is a PA and computer. We have guitars, saxophones, synthesizers, synth modules, and years of lessons. We think that makes us better. But to the person who just wants to shake her booty to the beat, perhaps it's not.

 

This business gets more and more difficult as time goes on. Of course nothing is constant but change, and survival of the fittest really means survival of those who can adapt to the changes.

 

I'm seriously thinking about buying Karaoke Tracks instead of making my own backing tracks. I would probably be able to get a lot more songs out in a lot less time. The quality would be compromised, but do most of the people even know the difference?

 

Is it time to adapt before my corner of the market wanes? So far I'm doing OK, but it pays to be ahead of the game.

 

Notes

 

 

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Some customers truly don't know the difference. And some don't care. Others do.

 

We had some people from a Country Club come out to hear us and ended up hiring us for their club. They were amazed that we actually played instruments.

 

It is hard to compete price wise with the KJ people though. All they really need is a PA and computer. We have guitars, saxophones, synthesizers, synth modules, and years of lessons. We think that makes us better. But to the person who just wants to shake her booty to the beat, perhaps it's not.

 

This business gets more and more difficult as time goes on. Of course nothing is constant but change, and survival of the fittest really means survival of those who can adapt to the changes.

 

I'm seriously thinking about buying Karaoke Tracks instead of making my own backing tracks. I would probably be able to get a lot more songs out in a lot less time. The quality would be compromised, but do most of the people even know the difference?

 

Is it time to adapt before my corner of the market wanes? So far I'm doing OK, but it pays to be ahead of the game.

 

Notes

 

 

Thing is, you would know the difference, and that might make you play differently, trying to compensate for the compromise...I'm sure it'd affect my playing.

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[quote= There are even people singing along with the original recording. What a biz this is turning out to be.

 

 

 

 

Chuckle. wow. and I own a DJ KJ business and that is the one thing I will not do, I will not let them sing to an original. Ew. harsh. bad. evil. nasty. unjust. I just can't think of 1 reason why someone would do that and then expect to be paid to do? A person can harmonize with anyone's voice if they put enough time into it, I get that but song along to an original? complete barf.

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I have to admit I did that once (and only once)

 

We were contracted to play a wedding between a white minister's daughter and a black Jamaican gentleman. The minister asked us to bring some Reggae music to DJ during our breaks to make the Jamaicans feel at home. We did. But we found out the Jamaicans really wanted Soca music so we asked the minister if it was ok, he agreed, and Leilani zipped home to get some of our Soca music while I did a single for a half hour.

 

When she got back we played soca music during our breaks, and since we knew the songs we sang along and played along the best we could (good ears, pentatonics, and simple chord progressions go a long way). After the gig, one of the Jamaicans came up, complemented us on our music and especially the Soca. He said, "You sounded just like the record! You can get a lot of work in the Jamaican community."

 

Anyway the wedding reception was a success, both the white and black members of the audience got their favorite kinds of music, the dance floor was filled, the wedding couple was happy and the minister who paid for the gig was overjoyed.

 

We still giggle over that one.

 

But this is something I'd never do for a living.

 

Right now we will DJ Cupid Shuffle and Blurred Lines because we can't figure out how to cover all the voices, and I'll noodle along on the guitar trying to contribute a bit and not get in the way of the song, but we don't pretend we are doing anything but DJ-ing it.

 

Notes

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