How much do your gigs pay on average

[dbassman59]

Hey ... I know ... this can be a touchy subject. ... but I'm curious how much do you get paid for a gig? ... I'll start ... I play in 3 piece ... sometimes 4 piece band ... we mostly play weddings, private functions, and small pubs....

For most gigs we average about $100 - $150 each band member ... after any gear rentals ... we try to shoot for $150 each

If we make a little more that can't be divided evenly, we usually give it to the guy in our band who owns most of the PA (usually not a lot .. sometimes an extra $50 or so). By the way we all have day jobs ...

I always say that I play for free ... the money we're paid is for all the time spent setting up, tearing down and hauling gear around.

So what do you guys make for an average venue?

[NickInMesa]

Just curious to know what type of gigs you play?

[dbassman59]

We play weddings ... private functions like big birthday parties here a hall is rented, fund raisers, corporate parties (dinner dances), pubs .. etc ...

[Pacman]

$60K per year.

[Deluge Of Sound]

A six-pack, usually.

[NickInMesa]

Originally Posted by dbassman59

We play weddings ... private functions like big birthday parties here a hall is rented, fund raisers, corporate parties (dinner dances), pubs .. etc ...

Weddings have to be a hoot, especially when they want songs from the 80s.

The Eye Of The Tiger... always a crowd pleasure

[rollcall]

I make on average 100 dollars a night. That means 45k last year. The more upright gigs I take the higher the rate gos.

[BiigM]

About 450$ per. night. Clubs and private partys.
I live in europe, guess the gigs pay a bit more but we have fewer of them :-)

[fretlessspence]

Anywhere between 60 to 150 on average. Played two gigs in two weeks last month and made 320 on one and 290 on the other. Cool when that happens.

[ihateusernames]

100/guy after expenses, 2x/month. not a career, a cool hobby that's self sustaining.

[armywalaby]

Originally Posted by Pacman

$60K per year.

/thread

[Phalex]

Bout $100.00 per night + beer. So that's gotta average out to about $300.00 a night give or take.

[Jared Lash]

I have a few gigs. I play in a RHCP tribute band that makes around $100 a man for bar & club gigs and $200-300 a man for casino and festival gigs.

I play in a trio with a drummer and pianist/singer/songwriter playing a mix of fairly obscure covers and her original songs (and two of mine). She's trained in jazz so we'll also do background music where I'm just chart reading. This band varies the most in terms of pay. Last month we played coffeeshops for free, played a double bill at a college bar for $60 a person and then played an anniversary party and a New Year's Eve Party where we split $800 and $1000 respectively.

I semi-regularly play with a loose hip-hop collective of turntablists and MCs for which I get paid in beer, food, gas money and events that make for good stories later. That's also led to some recording dates that have paid well, but those aren't gigs per se.

Lastly, my guitar player from the RHCP band and I play out as a acoustic duo when we don't have anything else to do. We do covers we like and original stuff. In general I guess you'd call it "alternative". For reference we cover Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, Wilco, The Cure, Flaming Lips, Faith No More, Van Morrison etc We generally play open mic nights/jam sessions, or wherever we can just to get out and play and don't usually get paid.

[Jayce Bass]

This is truly the hobby that (almost) pays for itself. Pacman, and military musicians in general have one of the sweetest gigs, not only paying but full benefits, pension, full health care, sick days, etc. For the rest of us, upgrading and replacing equipment, new toys, g.a.s. fixes, etc... You'd have to have a pretty full schedule to come out ahead at all. For instance, Santa brought me a couple of pedals...about $180. Last night I purchased 2 additional Chauvet minwashes, to compliment the 2 the guitar player bought at Christmas....another $700. I'll have to play about 8 shows to pay for those toys, but it makes for a better show, and a better show makes for more gigs...sort of self appreciating in a way. We average about $500-$700 per show with 4 musicians and a soundman.

[varunkapahi]

around 80-100$ if they pay

[scootron]

Not counting free gigs for charity....

It has ranged from $200 per man to $8 plus my dinner. The $8 plus dinner gig was one of the most fun.

It was a last minute fill-in for another bassist in a country band which was playing in the back of a grocery store in Bodcaw, Arkansas. The back served as sort of a restaurant, where they served fried catfish and hamburgers and chicken fried steaks. I got the call about 5:00 pm, and the gig started at 6:00 pm. I said "what the heck". It was a blast.

[dbassman59]

I didn't mention .. my band is hobby band. We do it because we love it ... but the money is really a show of appreciation ... plus it helps with buying new gear ... I'm terrible at that ... right now I'm looking to buy a Mesa Boogie Walkabout Combo ... That's $1700 in Canada ...

[baba]

$100 per man at the low end.

[John Bigboote]

Originally Posted by rollcall

I make on average 100 dollars a night. That means 45k last year. The more upright gigs I take the higher the rate gos.

You played 450 nights last year? Forget James Brown, *you're* the hardest-working man in show business!

-jb
[makes your sig especially ironic...]

[Dertygen]

Originally Posted by John Bigboote

You played 450 nights last year? Forget James Brown, *you're* the hardest-working man in show business!

-jb
[makes your sig especially ironic...]

I am torn between thinking he is being ironic or omitted something in his statement.