McDonald’s Asks a Band to Play for Free Food, but No Money at SXSW
But as the corporate money flows in, with it can come expectations from some musicians that the dollars will trickle down. On Wednesday, the band Ex Cops, from Brooklyn, took to Facebook to single out McDonald’s for its Austin offer: The group could play the company’s sponsored stage but would be compensated only with free food.
Brian Harding, one half of the duo, wrote: “In lieu of being paid like a real artist, or anyone who is employed to do a service, McDonald’s assures us that we will ‘be featured on screens throughout the event,’ as well as POSSIBLY mentioned on McDonald’s social media accounts like Facebook (57MM likes!).”
In December, the fast food behemoth vowed to “improve the SXSW experience for everyone” with its corporate patronage, in the form of the McDonald’s Lounge, offering coffee and Wi-Fi, and the “Fry-Fi” food truck, with fries and even more Internet access.
More: McDonald’s Asks a Band to Play for Free Food, but No Money at SXSW