Exposure doesn’t pay bills: Welsh musicians share experiences of not being paid for performances

Amelia Jones

The amps are packed into the back of a van, the soundcheck is complete and the crowd begins to gather. For many bands across south Wales, however, the excitement of stepping onto a stage is increasingly accompanied by a familiar question: will they actually be paid for their performance?

Musicians say unpaid gigs, “trial” performances and offers of exposure instead of wages have become a frustrating reality of the live music scene. While venues face mounting costs and shrinking margins, performers argue that the burden is too often being placed on those providing the entertainment.

El Hinton shared a recent example which he said reflected the experiences of many musicians seeking live performance opportunities.

He said: “A pub venue near Cardiff recently said to my father, who went looking for gigs for his band: ‘We only pay performers and bands after they have performed once for us, so we can see if we like them.’

“Having just been served food, he very nearly asked if he could have the food for free if he decided it wasn’t to his exact liking.”

The issue is not limited to informal arrangements. Some artists say even agreed payments can fail to materialise, leaving bands chasing venues for money after performances have taken place.

One dispute surfaced this month in a public Facebook group for Cardiff musicians, when indie rock band Dual Park warned others about their experience at Vulcan Lounge.

They said: “Just a warning to other bands/promoters/musicians regarding Vulcan Lounge

“We performed there on April 11th and were promised payment for the show, but we still haven’t been paid. We’ve contacted them multiple times over the past few weeks and either get no response or excuses about why payment hasn’t been sent.

“We’ve tried to resolve this privately and professionally before posting publicly, but at this point communication has basically stopped. “Has anyone else had similar issues with unpaid performance fees from them?”

The post quickly drew responses from other musicians, some describing similar situations.

Adrian Tucker said: “I had exactly the same problem with them before, I eventually told them I was taking matters further with the music union, copied them in on an email I’d sent to the music union and guess what…I had payment within an hour. Hope you can do something similar.”

Sam Brown added: “Name and shame. Over 2 months for payment is f*cking shocking.”

As the discussion grew, a representative connected to the venue replied publicly, apologising for the delay and attributing it to staffing changes and administrative error.

He said: “I’ve just spoke to the owner, we’re so sorry about this, the pub has been closed for a couple of weeks now due to repairs and the manager who was in charge has now moved on to a different company, it would seem that she has forgotten to send an invoice over to the owner which is why he hasn’t paid you guys.

“If you DM the page with the amount owed, the owner will see this over ASAP, we can only apologise about that the previous management has put you through.”

But Dual Park later challenged that explanation, saying they had repeatedly contacted the venue without response.

“Both bands messaged your page on Instagram on multiple occasions and the first response we got from you guys was to wait, after that you ignored our messages.

“If this is really the case why have you ignored our messages and not told us?”

Speaking to Nation.Cymru, the band said: “They’ve paid us now, but we used to play The Vulcan for years and many other people have had issues with the venue as far back as 8 years, with the venue not paying them at all.”

The reality for venues, however, is that the situation is little better on the other side of the stage.

Grassroots music venues across Wales have faced mounting financial pressure in recent years, with rising operating costs, rent increases and reduced margins making it increasingly difficult for many to remain viable. In Cardiff alone, several well-known independent spaces have closed or changed hands in recent years as trading conditions have tightened.

One of the most high-profile examples is The Moon on Womanby Street, which closed in 2024 after its operators cited rising costs, increased rent pressures and the challenges of sustaining a grassroots venue model in the current economic climate.

The venue had become a key part of Cardiff’s live music circuit, hosting emerging artists as well as established acts.

Venue owners and promoters argue that the picture is more complex. With rising costs and unpredictable ticket sales, some say they are forced to experiment with different payment models, particularly for emerging acts with no established audience draw.

Jamie from grassroots music venue Black Cat in Bridgend, said: “We work largely with “guarantee plus split” deals. Upon booking we typically agree a guaranteed fee (a fee they’ll receive even if ticket sales don’t reach that figure) with bands, with the sweetener of a percentage of the ticketing profits after break-even.

“These splits are usually weighted very heavily in the artists favour, leaving very slim margins for the promoter. We rely heavily on bar takings to keep the business running.

“With local media interest and coverage for our type of event being near non-existent we’re heavily reliant on flyers, social media and word of mouth. We feel that in theory, the percentage split deal incentivises the artists assisting in promoting the event. Every little helps with social media reach being gradually throttled for monetisation.”

For musicians, however, the concern is that this shifts financial risk away from venues and onto the performers themselves. It is now artists who are required to absorb the cost of keeping live music alive.

As local artist Camenae De Cymru, said: “Professional musicians usually start training at age 6. Electricians, plumbers, and other professionals usually study for 3 to 4 years at most.

“No one would think of not paying an electrician, plumber or other specialist, but for some reason, they always have no money for musicians.”