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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Gigging: How much to charge for a performance?
Gigging: How much to charge for a performance?
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asilve3
147 posts
Feb 04, 2016
5:29 PM
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Hello, this question is for those with experience booking themselves and their band.
I have been trying to book gigs at local fairs and festivals for this upcoming summer and gain some momentum with my act and the local music scene. I have received a decent response back which is great! However most of the promoters/bookers want to know my asking price. I have taken about 3 year hiatus from performing and so I don't really know what I'm worth right now. Most of my previous bookings the promoter just said here's what we can pay take it or leave it.
So I'm having trouble knowing what my asking price is. If I go too high I price myself out of the gig and if I go too low I can't pay the band to get to the gig!
Any advice???
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AJ Silverberg
www.hearaj.com
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Barley Nectar
1115 posts
Feb 04, 2016
11:11 PM
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Techno Funk Harp...Cool
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A440
514 posts
Feb 04, 2016
11:35 PM
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I think it depends on:
1. Location in the world
2. Type and size of venue
3. Level and type of band you are
It can range from a couple free beers to a couple thousand dollars.
If you are mid-market, in a major city, its not uncommon for a good band to earn $300-$600 for two 45 minute sets. The venue size plays a factor, and also their business model (do they charge for admission, or do they just make their money on food and drink?)
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KingoBad
1687 posts
Feb 05, 2016
6:33 AM
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My question is, what are your local gigs paying?
Pretty easy to gauge what a regular day's worth of work is.
Now, what do you need to pay your band to get them there?
I like festivals, etc. because you get paid a lot for an hour set. We have received double a regular gigs pay for one set. But we also travelled 2 states away. More local festivals still paid well, but we also try to pick up gigs around it going in and out to make the trip worth our while.
Sometimes you have to take a few lumps on pay to work the area, or if for a festival, to show your stuff to get invited back the next year for more $$$.
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Danny
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dougharps
1149 posts
Feb 05, 2016
8:36 AM
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What A440 said...
Pay for gigs has not really gone up around here, though the standard gig now seems to be 3 hours instead of 4 hours like it was in the '90s and early 2000s, so I guess from that perspective the hourly rate has gone up.
Only a touring band from out of town could get away with playing two 45 minute sets for a show around here, and encores would be assertively sought. 3 sets is the norm, or two long sets with a 20 minute break totaling 3 hours. There are a few 2 hour happy hour shows, and they pay $30 to $60 per musician depending on the venue and attendance.
In our musically saturated college town the pay for local bands is lower than in smaller area rural towns, but then you have to drive there, which takes time. All the pro musicians I know have day gigs to help them get by, perhaps teaching or working in a music store, or construction, etc. There are too many good musicians around town. Outlying smaller towns pay more because they are starved for music. In town there is a musical glut.
The jazz fans here really have it good, because world class players regularly show up at a local venue, The Iron Post, due to the jazz program at the university. Covers are low, talent is stellar.
You can't expect the pay for bands in a setting like a Central Illinois college town to match large urban areas. Around here the standard take home (including tips) for a musician on a Friday or Saturday is between $50 to $150. If I get $75 for 3 hours without traveling far, I feel I have done pretty good. Week nights usually pay less.
The pay depends on the draw of the band, the size of the band, and whether their reputation justifies a higher cover. It also depends on what else is going on around town that night. Private parties and holidays pay more.
Usually good local acts can charge a cover maximum of $5 to $7 and draw a decent crowd. Touring acts can charge more. People here are spoiled by good music and low covers. $2 to $5 is the norm for all but the top local acts. Local touring bands that charge significantly higher covers on the road either play here seldom, or work cheap and consider it a paid rehearsal. Some venues throw in free drinks or meals as part of the pay.
Some local venues offer guarantees, many do not. A few venues quote a price, but if it is slow want to pay less, and if it is good may throw in some more. You either put up with it or don't play there. Some give a small guarantee and circulate a tip jar instead of or in addition to a cover.
Unless you teach or work in a music store to supplement your income, it would be very difficult to survive here as a full time musician.
EDIT: Our amplified 4 (or 5) piece blues band plays out of town gigs and brings in $300 to $500, with tips added. We can not get that in town these days. We hosted the blues jam (I posted some video) cheap as marketing and as a paid rehearsal. We recently decided that we will book different configurations and numbers of musicians from the band depending on what the venue is willing to pay.
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Doug S.
Last Edited by dougharps on Feb 05, 2016 8:59 AM
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