Watch Out For Vultures!
I hate to say it but it is true – musicians tend to be very driven and passionate. There are some people set out to use this for financial gain.
Here are some red flags to be aware of that we have come across over the years:
- Gig promoters who want to book you for a gig, but ask you to buy a load of tickets in advance to sell yourself – The musicians shouldn’t be paying to do the promoters job (selling tickets) and if your playing somewhere where you don’t have a following you can easily end up out of pocket.
- Fake sales/buyers on Ebay/Facebook/Gumtree – Be careful about who you buy from online, we hear of countless episodes where an instrument is posted and no money is received / an instrument arrives and is clearly a fake / money is sent and no instrument arrives. Make sure you use payment methods that cover you for these situations.
- Studios/Agencies who flatter you and promise to give you publicity/management/revenue but only after you pay for an expensive recording package/photoshoot – be wary of parting with your cash, unless you are certain that the contacts have your best interest at heart.
