Re: How far is too far
I had a weekly gig four years ago that was 100 miles each way. I was playing all instrumental mostly Italian music in an Italian restaurant on Friday nights. Due to the hours, the buses weren't running for the return trip, so I had to buy a vehicle. I found a beat-up but running mini-van for $200, which paid for itself after one gig, and in fact is still running, so that was money very well spent. Even though it cost $30 in gas each trip and took two hours each way (the speed limit for most of the road is 45 MPH), it was well worth doing. First of all, the pay was twice the going rate here. I got a nice meal as well, and the food was very good. Also, rather than catering to drunken tourists calling out requests for Buffett and Skynyrd in a noisy smoky bar, I got to sit at one side of the room and play quiet music suited for the mandolin. I even enjoyed the drive - two hours of quiet time all by myself, during which I would listen to music, or run songs in the process of writing through my head, or just let my mind wander. It was a great gig, and I would still be doing it if the owner hadn't looked at its lessening cost-effectiveness as the tourist season waned.
But this will probably be at the outer limits of the responses you'll get. It's more than I would care to do now, unless the money were right. You have to look at all the factors involved and decide whether it's worth doing. It might be tough to get through the practice period until you start making money for your efforts. It would be nice if the other members would see their way clear to let you have few extra bucks from the tips to pay for your gas costs. But don't count on it, not at the start.
But that's just my opinion. I could be wrong. - Dennis Miller
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