Pay to Play in LA

Just an FYI for those of you who carry around the idea that you must be in NY or LA to "make it"... you don't need to be here.
There is more value in gaining a regional following in Madison, WI than working yourself to the bone in Los Angeles trying to get a following.

An industry friend of mine told me that on any given Saturday Night there are over 500 bands in the Los Angles area playing out. That is what we call "saturated." Most all of those clubs are pay to play. Bands must front the money for 60 tickets and guarantee at least that many people will show up. If tickets are 10 bucks a pop times 60...that is $600 bones you have to front just to get a gig at some of these places. If you can only get 30 of your friends to commit and you gave away the other 30 tickets you just ate $300 bucks to play your music for 45 minutes. What a deal.

If you live in LA and are pushing your career...lets work together and find some places where you can play for free and start gaining some exposure. Post in the comments section coffee houses, clubs, street corners etc. Also give your thoughts on pay to play.

If you live outside of LA and have questions about live performance here...just ask!