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Compensation
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jbone
2324 posts
Jul 23, 2017
7:55 AM
Possibly a touchy subject. I'm not looking for exact numbers of what you charge or get paid. The question I'm asking is, besides cash or check, do you get other compensation? Drinks? Food? Other services?

When we're booking I always listen to the details. This last thing we played was a pretty much corporate sponsored gig. A check is cut at the corp. office and sent to the venue. Which I'm not fond of but it's pretty sure it's a good check since it's a national hotel chain.

When we stopped in this place to see the guy, he almost immediately got his calendar out and booked us a whole weekend! He told us the pay which by itself was acceptable. And he went on to offer drinks and food as well for all 3 nights! Personally I don't drink. Wife has one or maybe 2 scotches. She lets me order and take the food home since she has allergies to some common additives. I always get a to go order in and ask for it late since I don't eat while I'm gigging.

Between libations and food, we figured our pay was actually about 1/3 higher than if it had been cash or check only.

Some years ago I played a duo thing with a guy, in Texas, at a small funky steak house on the north prairie. The deal was, you run a tip jar, and the place feeds you anything but a steak. Great burgers and chicken though. At the end of the night, if you didn't make $65 each, they made up the difference from the night's cash drawer. If you made over it was of course all yours. This little place saw football players, real estate moguls, movie stars, etc pulling up in limos often. I think we once walked out with nearly $175 each with the meal added in. And there were slow nights where we went home with the minimum. But even then it was worth the effort.

So generally speaking, how are you compensated?
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SuperBee
4823 posts
Jul 23, 2017
8:26 AM
We're a 4 piece and we want a minimum $100 per head, for 3 hours. more if we provide PA. We have been know to go lower, but also have picked up that amount for only 2 sets. It's hardly cost covering, really. One place fed us pretty well, actually two places, and usually some drinks are provided or unlimited cut price/staff price.
Weddings are the best gigs we've done, higher pay, better food and no quibble about drinks as long as it's not silly and affecting the performance; not likely with our mob
The Iceman
3273 posts
Jul 23, 2017
8:54 AM
Every area has their own "philosophy" on value attached to live entertainment. Years ago, the "one man band w/back up tracks" pulled the rug out for the rest of us in regards to $.

So, don't undervalue your talents and always try to charge what you feel is fair - however, do not be surprised if certain areas disagree with your assessments.

Wedding/Corporate Event Bands seem to make the most $, as entertainment costs are usually budgeted at a higher level than shot/beer pubs.
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The Iceman
1847
4305 posts
Jul 23, 2017
10:05 AM
out here you pay to play....

it buys you bragging rights. you do get to put on your resumé i opened for,

"insert big name act here:

Last Edited by 1847 on Jul 23, 2017 10:05 AM
1847
4306 posts
Jul 23, 2017
10:15 AM
out here you pay to play....

it buys you bragging rights. you do get to put on your resumé i opened for,

"insert big name act here:

Last Edited by 1847 on Jul 23, 2017 1:36 PM
jbone
2325 posts
Jul 23, 2017
1:12 PM
1847- Exposure gigs? A guy can die of exposure.
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The Iceman
3274 posts
Jul 23, 2017
1:19 PM
y'know, those "bragging rights" never seemed to translate to any real advantage in my experience.

I remember when I was more involved in day to day gigs in order to survive how the "local music festival" promoters would advertise for local bands to play during the day leading up to the big name headliners. They would say "we can't really offer much money, if any at all, but just think of the exposure you will get" - meaning, "we hope to fill the daytime bill with free entertainment so we can keep more of the profits to ourselves". When I was very young and inexperienced, I bought into this "scam", but quickly realized that the "exposure" never amounted to any gigs or additional income.

Of course, there is always that one in a million carrot offered of "some big time promoter or talent agency in the audience will be so impressed by your set that they will approach you with a recording contract".
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The Iceman
garry
682 posts
Jul 23, 2017
2:20 PM
My band played a graduation party once, and when it was over, the host told us that he'd ordered too much food, and we could each take home one of those large aluminum catering trays of food. I got a whole try of Veal Marsala; it was awesome. First time I ever got tipped in veal! The last time, too...so far.

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hvyj
3378 posts
Jul 23, 2017
6:27 PM
We'll work for a little less per man on weekdays than on weekends. Last Saturday we got told that the venue always feeds its musicians and got a free dinner to go which was nice. We also didn't have to pay for drinks. Different places have different policies. But when I'm handling booking a gig, all I pay attention to is the $. Anything else is just icing on the cake.

Last Edited by hvyj on Jul 23, 2017 6:29 PM
Gnarly
2272 posts
Jul 24, 2017
12:04 AM
I used to quote my wife as saying, "You don't have to pay musicians if you feed them."
But I came to find out that the actual quote is, "Musicians are more interested in getting fed than getting paid."
Goldbrick
1841 posts
Jul 24, 2017
1:49 PM
It varies wildly
We have gone as low as $ 50 each plus food tips and a free yoga lesson ?? ( i gave that to my daughter)

Normally we look for $100 per man as the bottom - unless its at a really cool place or a good cause
Littoral
1504 posts
Jul 24, 2017
2:44 PM
This is a great topic. It would help to know where you are from ,- at least the general territory.
Panhandle of Florida here. Going rate is roughly $100 per player. But venues also don't pay a lot of attention to the number of players. They figure 3-5 people for a band so the music budget is $400. Other amenities are usually some sort of reasonable food and drink amount.
Littoral
1505 posts
Jul 24, 2017
2:44 PM

Last Edited by Littoral on Jul 25, 2017 4:12 AM
hvyj
3383 posts
Jul 24, 2017
4:29 PM
Tips are an interesting phenomenon. Some venues are more often big tipping rooms and other venues usually are not. It seems to vary with the room.

What has been weird and flattering is the 3 or so occasions when I was just sitting in with a band and an audience member approached me and paid me a decent sized tip, making it clear it was for me, personally. Hasn't happened all that often, but it's nice to feel appreciated and sorta makes you feel that your playing has some value. Now if that ever happened on a paying gig, i would have split the tip with the rest of the band.

Most bandleaders I work with split the tips evenly with the other musicians. But there are some who keep the tips for themselves. But those have usually been on decent paying gigs.

Last Edited by hvyj on Jul 24, 2017 4:32 PM
Mirco
513 posts
Jul 24, 2017
5:24 PM
My best was $3 in the tip bucket.

I've heard that, around here, guys won't come out of the house for less than $50. That's usually three sets.
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hvyj
3386 posts
Jul 24, 2017
5:58 PM
The problem is that some amateurs (who may be quite skilled) will play for almost anything because they get so excited about having an opportunity to play. This drives the bottom out of the market. The musicians i play with would disown me if I started taking gigs for $50. I don't think I am particularly good, but most of the musicians I play with are.

But to keep matters in perspective, on my last duo gig we split the tips evenly between the two of us: $1 each.

Last Edited by hvyj on Jul 24, 2017 6:03 PM
Spderyak
150 posts
Jul 25, 2017
5:16 AM
jbone, hi there my wife and I do gigs together. but not as long as you have been playing together We are approx 150 for about a 45 min set.
However we also play where they "pass the hat" (bucket), fortunately that works out to about the same. Interesting if there are fewer people on a given night, yet the money comes out the same, that means folks are kicking in at a higher rate, which is fine and somewhat humbling.
One place offers us free food and drink. Like yourself I don't drink and usually to jittery to have much food before the gig, but maybe a little afterward, my wife will have some wine, ( usually enough for the 2 of us) mostly after the gig.
We will play a nursing home for free, senior center or library usually reg price..etc
Our music is usually in english and a little bit in french.
Instrumentals are great as are sing alongs (even in a pub).
Good luck

Last Edited by Spderyak on Jul 25, 2017 5:23 AM
Diggsblues
2131 posts
Jul 26, 2017
5:51 PM
Good places will feed you or at least give you a discount. When I worked with Juan Avila he always tried to negotiate a meal for the band. Trump Plaza in AC always gave us free food in the employee cafeteria.
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