Behind the stage

The City has seen a growth in independent artistes from a myriad of fields in recent times. At the same time, the challenges they face are many and varied. The oft-heard complaint from these artistes is how sometimes they are not paid or how the payment is delayed by either the organisers or the event managers.

It’s not just music bands that face such issues but photographers, artists and other people in the creative industry. Bharath, the guitarist for a well-known City based band, ‘Broken Membrane’, recounts his experience. “Once we played at a mall and the organisers said that the payment would be processed in two weeks. However, it has been two years and the band hasn’t received anything. We tried calling the organisers but their phone was switched off right after the gig. We also had a contract with a prominent hotel where we played three gigs for them but didn’t get paid after that.”

Adhir, a drummer from the same band, describes this phenomenon as a ‘musician’s worst nightmare’ and says that many bands face such problems when they have to travel to far-off venues.

For photographers, it’s a different ball game altogether as the clients are said to not only refuse to pay but decline to accept the work once it’s completed and don’t consider it. Sean, an independent photographer explains, “Once, I did a family photo shoot, put in weeks into the editing and sent my photos to them. They ultimately said that they were not happy and wouldn’t pay me. When we click pictures and send an estimated quotation to the client, the usual response is that our service doesn’t cost much as our job is to ‘only click pictures’.

Sahil, a designer, explains that many clients have got him to work for free. “I haven’t faced such problems with start-ups because they are in the same boat and understand what we go through but I have faced many problems from independent clients. Many people reject our work and ask us to produce more designs for them by saying that they don’t like our initial designs but they don’t pay us for the extra work we do.”

Bharath feels that while a few gigs like ‘Freedom Jam’, where the organisers are true to their word, are helpful for artistes, the industry still has a long way to go in terms of payment.  “Organisers have to respect artistes because we invest our time and effort in travelling and carrying such heavy equipment. The first gig for a band is always a trial gig so it’s a little understandable when the organiser says they won’t pay the artiste. However, once a band shows it’s previous work and experience, organisers shouldn’t take artistes for a ride,” he says.

He adds that the band has been careful and network their way through about the venue before taking up a gig and always have a written agreement about the pay rather than a verbal confirmation. Such instances also produce questions on how much an established and emerging band should be paid and if the demarcation between the two is water-tight.

Sean explains that once clients select photographers for a project, they shouldn’t reject their work as the clients select the photographer based on a portfolio and past experience. “I used to work for free in the beginning because I was not confident of my work and I got paid as my projects were recommended. A photographer should be confident of what he is delivering and the basics of photography, such as perspectives, composing shots etc. Organisers should understand his investment and effort that goes behind the service as well. There is a notion that anybody with a DSLR camera can click a picture so organisers are skeptical to pay.”

Prakash Sontakke, a renowned musician, explains that this is a common phenomenon and a debatable issue that happens in every industry. “There is a problem of miscommunication between artistes, clients and event managers which causes delay in payment. What organisers don’t understand is the service and effort put in by the artiste.”

He recounts his initial days in the industry, when he performed for a big company. He recalls that he waited 14 months for the payment. “However, I won’t fully blame the event manager and organisers. The event will be divided into many sections and the event manager will have a lot of backlog to clear. If an event increases beyond the capacity of the event manager, he will reduce the pay of the artiste. I feel that artistes have to be professional too. For example, many bands inform the event manager that the band consists of only five members but will turn up at the venue with 10 members, where the others consists of sound managers, helpers etc. In such cases, the organiser cannot pay everybody as he was not informed. Artistes should also not exceed their time-limit of the gig. If people produce quality output, organisers feel that  they are not losing money.”

Such instances make people wonder if art should be left ‘free and cheap’ and whether a commercial or utility-value should be placed on the product.