Is anyone else having problems getting paid for gigs?

b_carville · #1 11-18-2011, 09:53 PM

I do a lot of freelance gigs & in the last couple years I seem to have problems getting paid.
Nobody's stiffed me or anything but the time between the gig & payday's getting longer & longer. I have gigs from late August that I haven't been paid for yet. Many clients ,especially corporate ones, want to take six to eight weeks to pay bands. I played a happy hour blues gig at a chain steakhouse( not for a lot of $$$) & the band leader was told he had to invoice the corporate headquarters & the next pay period was in mid December. We're talking bar gig money here.
I wouldn't mind so much if I knew when I was getting paid.The money is never paid out or received when it's supposed to be. More places are doing this. Paying out once a month or quarterly even. Like I said I haven't been stiffed but it plays havoc with my budget not knowing when I'm gonna get paid. In January of this year (2011) I was actually W-2 'ed for gigs that I wasn't paid for yet!

ForSix · #2 11-18-2011, 10:01 PM

Stipulate payment in advance in your contract.

seanm · #3 11-18-2011, 10:02 PM

We always require payment the day of the event. However, we haven't done any corporate gigs.

b_carville · #4 11-18-2011, 10:09 PM

I've already told some bandleaders that I require payment within a certain time period. You expect this sort of payment thing with corporate clients but now it's even extending to bar gigs. A lot of it is last minute no contract stuff. Clients of all kinds are just dragging their feet about paying.

lowfreq33 · #5 11-18-2011, 10:13 PM

My sister works in the film industry, and it's normal for her to wait up to 6 months to get paid for a job.

DWBass · #6 11-18-2011, 10:17 PM

Our band has one spot that actually put us on their payroll and we get paid 2-3 weeks after but we put an end to that spot. All the other gigs pay immediately after. We just started doing private parties this past weekend. The band was paid 1/2 up front and the balance check was given just before playing!

cassanova · #7 11-18-2011, 10:29 PM

Stipulate in your contract, when payment is due. Another thing you can do, is stipulate a down payment, in the contract for learning the material. This way, you at least get a little something for your work, should they cancel, or try and stiff you after the gig.

b_carville · #8 11-18-2011, 10:31 PM

My main band does a lot of privates & that's how we work it. Deposit in advance, balance the day of gig.
The Atlantic City casinos & casino bars ( many who are not doing well) I don't expect to get paid for at least six weeks.
What bothers me is now this is extending to regular weekend warrior bar work. I fill in in several of these bands. Used to get paid at the end of the night but now I gotta wait until whenever. It's been growing. A lot of bands are taken by surprise. We're talkin' $100 a man corner bar gigs not big bucks. Seems their all corporations now. Or the tax man is leaning on them,

Stumbo · #9 11-18-2011, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b_carville

Or the tax man is leaning on them,

The economy is leaning on them. The longer they take to pay, the better their cash flow.

Edward G. · #10 11-19-2011, 02:02 AM

The only times I have ever waited have been when the client gave the band a check and there wasn't enough cash on hand to divide it up, which amounted to about a week after the gig, only a couple of times. This is over about 20 years.

The band's job is done the day of the event. That's when payment is due in full. There is nothing left to reconcile in terms of usage or sales. Anything that deviates from this would trigger an alarm, primarily about the client's ability to pay.

Cash flow be damned. Music is a pay-as-you-go deal. Photographers and caterers operate with different business models.

unclekebm · #11 11-19-2011, 02:09 AM

I had a couple checks bounce recently

Edward G. · #12 11-19-2011, 02:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by unclekebm

I had a couple checks bounce recently

It's bound to happen, never to me, though. That's when you call in your muscle.

People who bounce checks shouldn't throw parties. Bad karma.

**Freddels** · #13 11-19-2011, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b_carville

My main band does a lot of privates & that's how we work it. Deposit in advance, balance the day of gig.
The Atlantic City casinos & casino bars ( many who are not doing well) I don't expect to get paid for at least six weeks.
What bothers me is now this is extending to regular weekend warrior bar work. I fill in in several of these bands. Used to get paid at the end of the night but now I gotta wait until whenever. It's been growing. A lot of bands are taken by surprise. We're talkin' $100 a man corner bar gigs not big bucks. Seems their all corporations now. Or the tax man is leaning on them,

Casinos and their bars are not doing well. I call that BS. More corporate BS to screw the little guy.

**bassybill** · #14 11-19-2011, 07:53 AM

A lot of companies work on a 90 day credit thing over here with their "suppliers" and it seems bands doing corporate entertainment are now in that category. It sucks, but really it's something that needs bashing out at the contract stage.

If any private individual conducted their finances the way a lot of big companies do, their credit rating would drop through the floor.

b_carville · #15 11-19-2011, 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freddels

Casinos and their bars are not doing well. I call that BS. More corporate BS to screw the little guy.

A lot of Atlantic City casinos are not doing well now.
Casinos are popping up everywhere. You don't have to go to Vegas or AC now. A new casino is being built about eight miles from me and I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia PA. Used to see packed houses in the casino bars Thursday through Saturday. Now not so much.

Casinos are becoming as common as strip malls. Many of the casinos in Atlantic City sub out their bars to an independent operator now.

cableguy · #16 11-19-2011, 08:56 AM

It's not just music as you know. Try being a contractor. ( I'm sure many here are) I used to bill all my customers back in the day and over 20 years never had much of a problem. Those days are long gone. Bigger companies have no problem pushing the little guys out 60, 90 days. Especially after services have already been rendered. Now it's 50% down and payment when job is down. I haven't been playing out much lately so I'm sorry to hear this has carried over to music.

Edward G. · #17 11-19-2011, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Freddels

Casinos and their bars are not doing well. I call that BS. More corporate BS to screw the little guy.

Never underestimate an industry's ability to drive itself into the ground. No surprise on that one. Add in the economy and the fact that AC casinos are near-legendary for being indifferent to customer service (unlike Vegas), and the whole thing is set up for failure. AC is a very unwelcoming place.

addylewis · #18 11-19-2011, 08:58 AM

Over here you're lucky to actually GET paid...let alone any kind of decent amount!

b_carville · #19 11-19-2011, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Edward G.

Never underestimate an industry's ability to drive itself into the ground. No surprise on that one. Add in the economy and the fact that AC casinos are near-legendary for being indifferent to customer service (unlike Vegas), and the whole thing is set up for failure. AC is a very unwelcoming place.

That's true!
Atlantic City hasn't got used to the fact that they can't have it their way anymore. The newer casinos in PA are a lot friendlier!

LiamPodmore · #20 11-19-2011, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by addylewis

Over here you're lucky to actually GET paid...let alone any kind of decent amount!

Very true. You're looking at £150-£300 a gig, thats between the band, and in my bands case, ends up going into a fund for maintanence, recording and merch. Most i've earned for a gig so far is £10 i think.

Liam