Jim Rumbaugh
1182 posts
Dec 21, 2015
12:30 PM
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a business story
I get a call from Karen on Dec 19. She says Carl texted and wants us to play NYE. The question was, who are we going to get to play? We are not a full time/ 4 hour gig band, but I knew I had enough contacts that we could assemble one for Carl. Now the question was who, how many musicians, and how much? Before I was going to make the calls, I needed to know what I could offer.
I asked, how much is he paying? No fee had been mentioned. I said,"ask him what his budget is. At $200 a man this could easily hit $1200."
A few hours later Karen reports,"He texted most of the bands get $300 to $400".
I will not go into more details, nor discuss how this could of been done better. The bottom line, our minimum configuration would be 5 pieces, and no way would I ask a musician to play NYE for under $100. We are going to spend New Years Eve relaxing and having a good time.
My time, our time, is still worth something.
Jim Rumbaugh (played bass Sunday, 4 to 7 for $160)
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theharmonicaclub.com (of Huntington, WV)
Last Edited by Jim Rumbaugh on Dec 25, 2015 9:33 AM
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barbequebob
3086 posts
Dec 21, 2015
12:45 PM
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I rarely do NYE gigs these days because the money has gotten crappier and that doesn't count dealing with the drunks on the road. $300-400 is the price for a lot of bands on most any night that's NOT on NYE and the only kind of bands that fool is gonna hire are those that are desperate for any gig at all or bands loaded with really crappy musicians.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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Thievin' Heathen
650 posts
Dec 21, 2015
2:46 PM
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Maybe it's $400 + "All You Can Drink" and a bed to pass out on.
Play harmonica, get drunk, pass out and wake up $100 ahead to start off 2016. Will there be Hoochie Coochie Girls?
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Jim Rumbaugh
1183 posts
Dec 22, 2015
7:01 AM
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@Thievin
I like the way you think. :)
I'm gonna have a talk with my "partner" about the business side of playing music. I think the negotioans could have went better and a mutual point reached. But as it ended, there was:
no offer of food
no offer of drink
no offer of hoochie coochie girls.
As it was and as I see it, by the time I took my wife, bought dinner and drinks for 2, I would end the night with $20 dollars net, maybe.
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theharmonicaclub.com (of Huntington, WV)
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Raven
57 posts
Dec 22, 2015
2:58 PM
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Bands in the Albany, NY area will typically double the rate for a NYE gig. If that's true for other areas, then that $400 should be at least $800.Tell 'em you gotta have $180 per musician for a total of $900.
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JInx
1137 posts
Dec 22, 2015
3:12 PM
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If music is your job, then yeah don't sell yourself short. If however, you are set up to play music for fun, then what the hell, rock the night away!
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1847
3040 posts
Dec 22, 2015
4:04 PM
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everyone is afraid to go out and drink, and spend money to have a good time. bars just do not make the kinda money they use to on new years eve. now that is a generalization but for the most part true.
now maybe in the future when google gets the driveless car on the road. thing may change
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if i type in the correct captcha why is my post lost in cyber-space
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6SN7
621 posts
Dec 22, 2015
4:07 PM
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it's triple normal gigs around here, but i'm kind of in Jinx's camp. But honestly, I hate going out that night....amateurs!
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nacoran
8842 posts
Dec 22, 2015
4:32 PM
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Raven, are you in the Albany area?
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Nate
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First Post- May 8, 2009
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Tuckster
1497 posts
Dec 22, 2015
5:38 PM
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No way would I sell myself that cheap for NYE.Even if you wanted to do it for fun,I'd let the owner know he's getting a fantastic break. And let him know it won't happen again at that price.
Our local blues society has a NYE party featuring a national blues act.This year it's Brandon Santini. I won't say what we're paying him but it's not cheap nor is it out of line for NYE.
I personally dislike playing NYE. Much rather enjoy watching someone else playing.
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JInx
1138 posts
Dec 22, 2015
10:33 PM
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What you get is what you're worth...the end.
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jbone
2109 posts
Dec 23, 2015
3:52 AM
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If it's not worth hazard pay it's not worth doing. NYE is definitely a hazardous gig. Best case scenario is a medium size private party with a host who gets the picture..
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PropMan
70 posts
Dec 23, 2015
5:24 AM
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I hate playing NYE gigs but the boss booked us for a private party at $150/man this year. Three 45 minute sets from 9:00 till 12:30. The gig is about ten minutes from my house so I'm sorta okay with it.
What really sucks is that NYE is my wedding anniversary.
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kudzurunner
5808 posts
Dec 23, 2015
7:38 AM
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I think 2-3 times the normal gig fee (or per-man fee) is standard on NYE. Usually bars charge a very large cover that includes dinner, drinks, and a champagne toast.
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waltertore
2897 posts
Dec 23, 2015
7:46 AM
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Jim: You did the right thing. Like Bob said the drunk factor is so bad that the audience factor for these gigs is crap at best. I did only 2 NYE gigs in all my years. The first sort of shocked me and I figured it a fluke and after the second I said never again. Mustang Sally, Smoke on the Water, Jumping Jack Flash......... You best like playing those type songs for these gigs. Walter
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barbequebob
3088 posts
Dec 23, 2015
10:34 AM
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Even for a local gig, doing a NYE gig for less than $200 per man is far too low and not worth bothering to come out for.
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Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bbmaglinte
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6SN7
622 posts
Dec 24, 2015
6:29 AM
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@propman- oh my you have a different problem that will require another thread, but can be done at multiple sites! Good luck!! Ha!
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Raven
61 posts
Dec 25, 2015
2:39 PM
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@Nacoran: Nate, I live about an hour north of you in Cambridge. I worked for a number of years in the Capital region in radio and dealt with a number of bands and venues up and down the pike from Kinderhook and Ravena to Amsterdam, Johnstown, Gloversville and lots of accounts in Schenectady and Saratoga.
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