Pretty much, Dave.Richard, are you saying that the guy who works for nothing is telling everyone that his work is worth every penny?
Actually, a lot of good bands will play for free simply because of the lack of gigs these days. Some just want to play out, and this is a way to Git 'er Dun. I rarely play free. Even when friends throw parties at their house, unless we owe them a favor, we get paid the same as a gig.