Live Music

To raise an old thread ,does anyone one know of any live music venues around SE1, preferably free events.
I know The Stage Door does live music and The Duke of Sussex does karaoke but does anyone know of any others at the weekend?

Why free - do musicians not deserve to earn a living!

We ended up at The Stage Door and the music was quite reasonable.

Music events can be free and still provide an income for musicians, who are sometimes able to take a cut of drinks proceeds. It's not fair to say that free events automatically mean no pay for the artists performing at them.

The Glad in Lant Street is free.

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If you can get a cut on the bar you would be very lucky. Most likely the bar will pay for the back line equipment and give the band a few drinks vouchers. A more realistic scenario is the bar taking a cut of the door money even though a promoter has done all the promotion and has to pay the band, adverts etc.
Would you expect to go to the theatre/cinema for free?

OK, when I said free I meant that there is no admission fee to pay. I never suggested that the musicians were expected to play for free.
The pub or venue would obviously pay the musicians and recoup the expense on the drinks they serve. I went to The Stage Door yesterday evening and spent approx £25 which I would not have spent there if I had not gone there to listen to the music.

Thank you Tony D for the last sentence of your message - my sentiments exactly. One other point worth mentioning about pubs/clubs paying bands. There are more and more venues where, not only are the musicians not paid, but up and coming bands have to pay for the 'privilege'(!) of playing. That's 'free' music for you.

good live music should pull in the punters..
the venues should pay them from increased bar receipts

then everyone wins

Also, new bands/musicians starting out will often play for free as they build up a fan base. It's not that unreasonable to expect no door charge on an unknown band, the music of whose caliber is at that point an unknown quantity.

And you can always tip the band!