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Originally Posted by I.Am.The.End.
I'm worried about that too, but I'm never had paid gigs in this state and based on the politics, I probably never will anyway just because they don't let new people in unless someone dies or something.
That's true although one gig isn't going to make a difference. What I really need to do is to find a way to get paid to play around where I live instead of driving 3 hours one way just to get paid to play, but like I said before, the politics are such that you have no chance unless you've been in the area for a long time. I've only been here for four years.
I don't know. I don't really communicate with other people who play my instrument in the area. I'd feel bad sending someone to a gig with a two hour round trip with no pay anyway. I don't really know the people from the other city who would be closer.
I think it would pretty much be a toss up; they'd both be fun. For the paid one, I'd be the center of attention and for the unpaid one, I'd just be in the background.
I would rather just stick with the commitment I've already made, but whenever I think about turning the paid gig down, I just think "But…MONEY" and feel kinda dumb turning it down. I just don't want to make the wrong decision or for other people in my life to think I made the wrong decision.
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I'd say it sounds like you know exactly what you want to do. Why don't you go with your instincts on this one and play the non-paying one that you aren't going to have to drive forever to get to? Next time you can make sure that the gig you get pays beforehand, or you can start trying to connect with other musicians in the area or shopping around on youtube for support for your band after this one show. If nothing else, if you can make some connections, the next time you're committed to a gig you can pass on the name of some friends that you make, and request that they return the favor of mentioning you if a gig comes up that they can't take. Networking can be important, but so can reputation in the place that you live. You sound like you would be less comfortable passing on the gig you're committing to than borrowing money from your parents. Yes, borrowing from them is inconvenient for you, but you can keep track of what you borrow and repay them when you're in a better place financially. It's harder to recover your reputation on a local level than it is to pay back money, especially since not honoring your commitments can impact future opportunities. Just my two-cents.
Good luck with your decision.