Cambridge bands including Hot Content and Soft Crunchy Landing may boycott the St John’s College May Ball after less well-known musicians were asked for a deposit of £260 per person in order to perform. Big bands have been asked for up to £5000.

The contract circulated by the May Ball committee stipulates that “in cases where a performer fails to attend their performance, performs under the influence, or fails to scan out”, “the full price of a St John’s May Ball ticket may be added to their college bill”. Students were informed that St John’s College reserves the right to contact their Senior tutor in order to do this.

The contract explains that John’s May Ball will be taking deposits “using an authorisation system”. Although the £260 would not leave students’ bank accounts, the contract seen by Varsity states that “the whole amount will need to be present in the account for the authorisation to take place”.

One student musician told Varsity that he has been asked for a deposit of over 10 times the amount he would be paid for his set. The May Ball committee “refused to talk about price” and “weren’t willing to negotiate”, even though the pay they were offering — £25 per person for an hour-long set — is the lowest the band has ever played for and is “three times less” than any other ball was offering. He told Varsity: “I will not play if there’s a deposit, and it doesn’t look like they’re removing the deposit. So I will not play. It’s very simple. I will not play.”

Another student musician told Varsity that John’s May Ball is offering to pay “significantly less than every other May Ball,” and that the committee told him that “In the eyes of the treasury team, paying a student group even £300 for 60 minutes feels problematic”. His band has been paid £400 by previous May Balls.

Not all bands have been asked for a deposit. One member of a more well-known band told Varsity that this is “harsher on bands that aren’t as established”, and shows “a complete lack of trust”. In an email seen by Varsity, the John’s May Ball Committee justified the discrepancy: “either [bands not asked for a deposit] have a long standing history with the May ball, they could be professional bands in that they are a business in and of themselves, or it may be that they are involved with the May Ball in other ways making an escrow authorisation unnecessary”. The student who was not asked to pay told Varsity that his band does not meet any of these criteria.

One student who was asked to pay the “exploitative” deposit said that “the whole experience was just really insulting”. According to her, the John’s May Ball committee has “clearly exploited newer bands”. She said that “the assumption that students would have that much money is so elitist”. As she is not able to pay the deposit, her band will no longer be able to play at John’s May Ball.

Magdalene May Ball was originally the only other May Ball requiring musicians to pay a deposit, at £50 per band. That plan has now been changed and Magdalene will no longer require bands to pay a deposit.

After the publication of this article, the John's May Ball Committee clarified the level of reduction that would be put in place. In a statement to Varsity they said: “The St John’s College May Ball committee has reviewed this contractual condition and decided to reduce the authorisation amount requested from performers to £50. No payment is taken from musicians who fulfil the legal contract in place for performers. This requirement is in-line with other major events and is as a direct response to issues in the past when people who have not purchased tickets to the May Ball enter the premises to enjoy the festivities organised for ticket-holders.

They continued: “We respect the right of performers not to sign any contract they do not feel comfortable with and would like to reiterate that payment is not taken in advance – only £50 is to be taken in the event of the entry conditions being breached.”