How much is too much??

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thats_mr_to_you

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hey
Im new to the whole gigging scene, and i just have a question for anyone out there who wishes to reply. Here is the situation

My cover band has been playing at small places, kind of local and stuff, capacity about 60-250 depending on the place. We usually place a good 3 sets, 12-15 songs per set, and the whole show can take up to 4-4 1/2 hrs (including breaks and stuff). Sometimes we have to bring the PA, sometimes not.

My question is this. Given this situation, how much do you guys think is a fair price to change...without a PA anb with bringing a PA?

I hope to get some replies, they will be much appreciated...
 
First off, it really depends on the market you are playing in.

In the market I'm in, most clubs may pay about $250 -$300 per night (the majority of the clubs in this market do not provide a PA.

I've been in cover bands that had a solid draw and we pulled in as much as $1,200 a night and I've been in bands that pulled in as little as $150.

I've always figured that if each person in the band can pull in $75-$100 that's a decent wage for club work.
 
Check with a local music store or two and find out what they charge for a PA rental (for a system similar to yours). Figure about 60% of this amount into your fee for the gig. If the management thinks you are asking too much just tell them to rent a PA for the night, when they find out what it will cost to rent a PA they will usually agree to your extra charge. Especially if you remind them that they are getting set up and delivery for free and a better price than from (insert name) music store. It's always a good idea to discuss something like this before agreeing (signing) to any gig.
 
Our current standard fee is $250 plus the door and free beer for the band. The door varies between $3-$5. We bring all the gear including a whomp ass light show at the large places.
 
Around here, rates for small clubs runs $250-$600 a night depending on club and other details. None of them every provide any PA gear, and even if they did we'd never use it.

Most run 3-4 hours total over 3-4 50 minute sets. Here there is never any free beer deals. You drink it, you pay for it.

Ed
 
$100 per man per night is the least we play for, but then again, some markets don't even pay that little.
 
There is also the focus of why you play in the first place. For us, it's more about whether we want to play a specific gig rather than the $ involved. I'm much rather take a job for $350 that might really be fun and enjoyable, than another job for $750 that will clearly be a bore.

There are also other factors like distance, and time line. Jobs that start at 7PM are better than jobs that start at 9:30 PM. Jobs in non-smoking places are better than smoking environments.

Ed
 
We are in South Africa and its interesting to see the pay is very near to you guys across the "pond". We quote around R2000 (roughly $300-$350) but average around R1500. The differences however are 1.that we dont really play overs 2.we only play for around 1hr.
And we usually slog our own PA around.
We looking into visiting USA for 6months next year so will be cool to compare.
 
It's rare that we play a job here that is less than 3 hours. We play classic rock at mostly small clubs and private parties.

Ed
 
A typical night here in the southeastern USA for us is, three sets of 45-50 minutes each. What the gig pays and the benefits included varys a lot. Some of the ones which have paid the least have turned out to be the most fun. Our attitude is simple, the more they pay us, the more we hustle drink sales for them. It dosen't matter if we are getting $100 for the band or $100 each, we still play our best.
 
Being the youngest in a band of Old-timers, they play the classic country stuff from the 50's and 60's, I do a few songs because they seem to like the vocals I do on Waylon and Merle stuff. To the point......the way I got in with these guys, I provide "for a fee" the sound system for their gigs. As well as for others in the area. I mic everything! Control the sound from the board across the room. Set up, sound checks, record the night on tape, provide lights, down time music, do introductions for the bands, make announcements for the house....ect. I usually get flat rate $200 for the night. It varies depending on just how much of what I provide they're looking for. From my end of it, to load, set up, monitor, tear down/pack up, I just couldn't do all that for less.
So most of the time when the deal for the gig is being made, the band calls me to sit in on the deal. I either get paid by the band or the club. The club is usually the hardest to make the deal with, but most times the easiest to collect from. Money up front. No dough, no show.
 
Jeez, I play in an all original band that travels. We recorded our cd with Steve Albini too. We've had a few $300 gigs but not many. Maybe we should stop doing originals and do only covers.....
 
toemaster,

Keep in mind that while cover bands may make more in the local club scene than original bands, the cover bands don't have the opportunity to have the break-out recording, etc.

If a cover band makes $500 a night, they will always be limited to $500 a night (or somewhere in that general range) An original band may make small amounts in the beginning, but that is the trade off for following an artistic vision and for the dream of "international success", which could bring a much larger payday.

It's easy to get into a cover band (assuming you know the material) and you can always choose to do that if and when you feel the time is right.

I'm an old guy who was on the road for several years (a couple of those years in an original band) and then when the road burned me out, I settled down and have played in cover bands for the last 30 years.

If you have a dream and the motiviation, pursue original material while you're young (meaning the touring thing). It is better to have tried and failed than to look back and wish you would have tried. You can always settle down, join a cover band and work on original material on the side, but if you really want to pursue a "career" as an original musician, you have to commit (which means, making little money, touring crappy clubs and struggling while your dream hopefully comes true).
 
The going rate in the mid west is $300 to $350 per night (9:00-1:00) for your garden variety bar. When I first started it was $1200 a night. DJs killed the bar bands. :( On a side note, I just hooked up with a new band from a 5 year hiatus so this is a subject near and dear to my heart.
 
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