Appropriate pay for a New Year's gig?

[rp911]

My band's being asked to play New Year's Eve at a good-sized Boston area club. Capacity is about 350 or so. We have packed the room in the past and walked out with $1300 or so. Typically, we play with a $500 guarantee and a sliding scale based on drawing more than 200. Cover is $10 there usually.

We haven't talked money with the club yet, but what would be an appropriate guarantee to ask for the night, should it be a flat fee, or based on attendance, etc. etc. etc. I'm assuming the ticket price will be considerably higher for the night.

Any thoughts appreciated ... thanks.

[Ed Fuqua]

Find out what percentage they're raising the cover by.

[jaywa]

Great question... but the answers will be of much more value if instead of a flat dollar amount they are posed as X% premium over and above a band's "regular" pay for a bar and/or private party 1-nighter. There is so much variation among markets. Someone could come on here and say, "you should get $800 for a New Year's Eve gig", when some bands in some markets won't even hook up the trailer for less than $1,000 a night. A better answer would be, "20% more than you'd get for the job if it wasn't New Year's Eve" or something like that.

[modulusman]

When my band played in bars we use to try for double our usual one night price.

[Moe Monsarrat]

At least double & sometimes triple your normal take. You gotta play the situation. Maybe a percentage deal is better, but then you need somebody from your camp at the door. Plus, who knows what the bar really makes(if that is involved)? There's no way for the band to keep track of that. Main thing is: they want YOU. They believe they can clean up with you as entertainment. Make them pay for it in no uncertain terms. They really expect that anyway from a good drawing band on New Years Eve.

[invader3k]

I've heard the rule of thumb is to double or triple your normal take for one evening. So if each guy would normally take home $100 at the end of the evening, each guy should take home $200-300. Use common sense and take into account the size of the venue and your band's overall "status."

Start high and negotiate down if you have to, but don't sell yourself short, either.

[sleeplessknight]

Where are you playing? If it's Johnny D's or the Middle East or somesuch like that, start at $3k and let them talk you down. If it's Copperfields or some other dive, good luck and bring some mace ;-)

[71Rick]

Originally Posted by invader3k

I've heard the rule of thumb is to double or triple your normal take for one evening.

+1
Your MINIMUM should be DOUBLE what a regular gig pays.

[jaywa]

These are great tips. I've been trying hard to get our singer/manager to understand that we need to be charging more for weddings and corporate gigs than we do for a night at a bar, and even more than that when a holiday is involved (4th of July, NYE, etc.). But I haven't had any luck with that and it's starting to piss me off that we're selling ourselves short.

[Moe Monsarrat]

Always start high, just like they always start low. You can always give something up, but asking for less than you should means that's all you'll ever get. You've already told them your bottom line. I hate it when the club owner says "You already get more than any other band." & it's your 1st gig there(and it isn't enough). That means: you have no future here. Weddings, corporate events and private parties are usually one time events. i.e. you don't have to worry about "another gig" or getting hired back. so, you charge a lot more because there are no more gigs coming from them. Don't give them club prices(which amounts to a package deal). Many wedding parties pay DJs more than some bands ask for.

[jaywa]

Originally Posted by Moe Monsarrat

Many wedding parties pay DJs more than some bands ask for.

Yep. These people will spend a small fortune on gold-leaf embossed napkins and chintzy little centerpieces that get tossed at the end of the night, but they want to go cheap on the band. Someone very smart once said that there are only three "B"s that anybody remembers about a wedding: the bride, the booze and the band. Everything else is pretty much a throwaway.

[dalkowski]

Originally Posted by sleeplessknight

If it's Copperfields or some other dive, good luck and bring some mace ;-)

I miss the Rat and Bunratty's.

[xgator4u]

Double your regular rate, and LOTS of comps.

[albertofrog]

Originally Posted by invader3k

I've heard the rule of thumb is to double or triple your normal take for one evening. So if each guy would normally take home $100 at the end of the evening, each guy should take home $200-300.

+1
Same numbers work this side of the pond as well...