Well Done, Katy Perry, for Setting a Great Example

10 years ago Liv Carter Comments Off on Well Done, Katy Perry, for Setting a Great Example
Katy Perry performs at the White House on July 31, 2014 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Pool/Getty)
Katy Perry performs at the White House on July 31, 2014 in Washington, D.C.
(Photo: Pool/Getty)

In the yearly brouhaha surrounding the Super Bowl halftime show, I learned an interesting tidbit. When Katy Perry spoke to Billboard about the process of being chosen for this most high-profile of performances, the NFL thought it appropriate to ask her to pay for the honor.

My first thought was “How dare you, NFL?”

And Perry’s response was a resounding “Absolutely not!”

I put my foot down very early in the courtship. I said, ‘Look guys, here’s where I draw a line in the sand. I want to be invited on my own merits and not with some fine print. I stuck to my position … I don’t even care if my contract leaks. … I have nothing to hide, basically.

With an estimated audience of over 110 million, the halftime show at Super Bowl XLIX is without a doubt the biggest performance of her career. But she has worked hard to get there, built a brand that was deemed by the NFL to add value to this event, and could potentially draw in a section of the public which doesn’t normally watch this game. (Yes, such people exist) All that is worth something, and she should be compensated just as for any other performance.

By refusing to “pay to play” at the halftime show, she sets a great example for artists at all levels.

Far too often, upcoming artists are talked into deals which aren’t necessarily good for them, with the promise that the opportunity to reach an audience alone is worth it. “It’s good for exposure.”

And sometimes it is.

But tread carefully once you start down that path. It takes years of work, and usually quite a bit of money spent on recording, instruments, equipment, press material, ect., to get a foothold in the music industry.

If you are in your very first year as a new act, you should expect and be willing to mostly play for tips. But as you grow an audience, and build a better live show, playing for free should only be done for a charitable cause. Being asked to pay for the privilege of playing a show should be met with the very same response Katy Perry gave to the NFL.

So, if you ever feel compelled to take an offer which isn’t in your best business interest because “it will be great exposure,” be very cautious. It always reminds me of my training in forensics, and in pathology, “exposure” is an official cause of death.

It’s not always a good thing!

 

Liv Carter

Liv Carter

Liv is a career coach for creatives, and the people who work with them.
She holds several certificates from Berklee College of Music, and a certificate in Positive Psychology from UC Berkeley.
Her main influences are coffee, cats, and Alexander Hamilton.
Liv Carter

Latest posts by Liv Carter (see all)