We’ve tried, but we just can’t take it anymore!

I spend a lot of time looking at Craigslist.  I see it as a form of people watching.  Since I have been booking shows at Spike’s I have been more interested in the “Musicians” section (one to find new music, and also to see what musicians are saying).  There always seems to be a lot of talk about pay to play on the site and I always seem to find the rants relatively interesting. 

Now I have never been a fan of pay to play.  The way that I see it, if the bands don’t play then the venue doesn’t have a show and they are not making any money.  I always figured that if musicians wanted to change the landscape then they would all get together and as a unified front decide not to participate in pay to play. 

Now I have been doing shows at Spike’s for a few weeks now and unfortunately I can see where venues are coming from with the pay to play principle.  There are great bands out there that are looking for opportunities to play.  However, there are others out there who are ruining it for everyone else.  What I can’t understand is why a band would book a show and not even call and say that they are not going to show up.  So what is a promoter/venue suppose to do?  So do you charge bands to play only get a commitment from them?  Do you make them sign contracts?  What do you do? 

I would like to get some input from bands.  Don’t complain that there are no opportunities out there if you keep screwing over the people who are genuinely trying to help you.