A Tale as Old As Time
This article on the ABC about one particular shady promotoer promising payment, then running off with the money, misses one key point. This the the norm in the arts. Society values artists so low that no government ever does a thing to protect them. The promise of payment is often not even contingent on having a certain number of camp followers, it's just a stated fee, then when the gig's done, the venue has no idea you were expecting payment and the promoter evades everybody who played the gig. the industry is rife with "to play is the privilege", "pay to play" and just plain, simple lies and rip-offs like this Aussie Gigs scam. And these kinds of ripoffs are scams, pure and simple. There's a "joke" that tells of a band who the promoter expects to play for free because the venue can't afford the fee. The band's rep turns down the gig (that's the punchline, right there, we're too eager, we musos. Lesson 1: Learn to turn down ...