This is an appeal to all our fellow hard working touring bands who are sick of getting screwed over. We must make a stand against pay to play gigs.

Pay to play gigs (for those of you who don't know) are were the promoters or venues ask each band who they book to pay a pre gig deposit that will only be returnable if the band manages to attract x amount of people.

We recently applied for a gig at a new venue in a town that we have never played in, we were told we would have to give them a £50 cheque before the gig which would be cashed if we failed to bring 20 people or cancelled within 6 weeks. Also they added that it shouldn't be a problem for any hard working band to do this. This really pissed me off, cos we are an extremely hard working band who play all over the country. Any unsigned touring band that is reading this will understand that it is not very easy to bring 20 people to a new venue in a city that you haven't played before. It seems to me that it shouldn't be the band's responsibility to bring in crowds to away gigs, after all , that's why we play out of towners, so we can play to new people. It surely should be a promoters job to attract people to their gigs. I reckon if these promoters are relying on out of town bands to bring them a crowd, it's probably not worth doing the gig anyway. If we continue to let these venues and promoters get away with it, expecting out of town bands to bring them crowds, less and less unsigned bands will play away gigs and music will become regionalised.

This is not about the amount of money that they want. It's more a matter of principal. I know £50 isn't that much when split between a band, but when you put it with petrol money, possible hotel stop overs etc. It's an unwanted extra expense.

So our brothers and sisters in bands all over the world. If you are confronted by a pay to play gig, say thanks but no thanks, and let's unite against it.

Rock n roll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!