Taike is right...these guys are BRUTAL, sometimes, as are the goons from ASCAP.

I lost a gig I had been on for three years a while back because the bar downstairs from this restaurant told BMI that the restaurant had live music. I told them that they had better pay up years before, but they waited until contacted. i wanted to move on, and used the new fee as a justification for leaving. the place wanted a 1 year contract before they were willing to pay, and I wanted to move.

I have no problem with the theory of collecting funds for the performance of copyrighted music. It's the strong-arm tactics they use and the general nature of the kind of people they hire.

Russ