Paid Original Gigs!

Bodes well for original bands the amount of replies you've gotten to this don't it man.

I don't think it's as simple as finding which pubs pay for gigs and which don't, most, if not all pubs will pay you for playing, but - you need to prove to them that it is worth their while paying you, ultimately it's all business, they need to make money, and they will hire you to help with that. If you can't make them anything, then you are a cost to the bar. Equally if you bring in a pile of people, and make them extra profits you should be compensated for that.

What I've done in the past is make an agreement with the bar that if you bring in x amount of people, or agree a certain threshold (eg the bar takes in €300) then you will get paid, otherwise you'll do the gig for free. You take the risk away from the bar then as they aren't worried they'll take a chance on you and lose out because a) you didn't bring any people in and b) you drove out their normal customers.

Another way about it that I've done is say to the bar that you'll do the first gig free, and agree that subsequent gigs will be paid if they like you. Yes you will find a few places that take advantage of that and don't bring you back again but those are the kind of places you don't want to deal with anyway.

That's unless you already have a great reputation and can command money, but if you did I'm guessing you wouldn't be asking the question here now. If you aren't very well known you aren't really in a position to demand money for playing, at least not right away anyway, neither should you expect to put all the work into your music and not get something for your time, but a fair compromise like above should work for everyone, has done for me anyways.

Them's my thoughts anyway.