We've done one pay to play show with Scythian. We sold all 50 tickets we were given reasonably easily by simply promoting the gig (we actually even designed the flyer for it).... we got a nice amount of money from the venue in the end, which was the most amount we'd received before then, as we were still completely unknown even in the London scene back then.

I must say doing those shows really helped us establish ourselves and get the name our there. It's a good way to start, but I wouldn't do it again ... not only because there's lots of gig offers coming in nowadays, so we get to pick the best.

this is the best ever thread on ukthrash, sooo helpful

I must admit, i kinda agree with zurab in finding this a really insightful thread.
I tend to goto most Thrash gigs in and around London and have never really taken the time to appreciate what the promoters and the bands go through in order to put one of these gigs on. I wrongly assumed that a promoter sets up a gig, signs up the bands they want and pays them accordingly. I still find it strange when bands that have become fairly popular and well known such as Evile talk about having jobs to get by, its hardly the lifestyle you expect from a band of that stature!
Maybe its just the ignorance of being a fan of the music looking in, rather than being involved, but the posts in this thread are a great insight to whats really going on, and maybe explains a few questions about gigs.
Cheers!