Equal Pay Split, What Are Your Thoughts?

[Edward G.]

Originally Posted by bluewine

The only place some of us are trying to get to is in the owners face to rebook more gigs at his bar.

Blue

That's when some salesmanship is in order.

Ya gotta make that sale.

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by Stinsok

That's good. For me it wouldn't need to be a full cut for the PA. Pulling a trailer 70 to 100 miles sometimes can get pretty expensive though. I wouldn't expect a cut for booking. I have experienced where a singer shows up after setup, then has to leave with their boyfriend right after the gig (sorry, gotta go) and they got a full cut.

Hi Amber,

As of our next show if you are unable to help load in and out, we will no longer be able to pay you an equal cut.

Thanks

Mr. Band Leader

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by fdeck

In my view, trying to do anything with $400 other than dividing it evenly, amounts to hair splitting,

+1

My main point.

Blue

[inthevelvet]

Interesting comments here. I play in a worship band mostly, and then "hired gun" type stuff so I just get a flat rate that we agree on. Very situational, but I guess I always thought in some cases a certain person would get more if they were the "star". For example, even when in a bar band before he was famous, Stevie Ray is handling lead guitar and vocals, and is the obvious crowd draw. On a $600 gig should he, Tommy and Chris get $200 apiece?

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by jmattbassplaya

Same here.

I'm actually curious how people here define what a PA is and how they establish its value on gigs. My band has a PA, but it's just two mains, two booms, a power mixer, and all its needed cables. It's essentially my singer/synth player's amplifier, so he doesn't get a greater cut than the rest of us. Quite frankly, I wouldn't give anyone a greater cut unless the PA they brought had mains, subs, floor monitors, etc... Anything less than that and I wouldn't see any real value added past it being something the singer could sing through (which should be as much their responsibility as having my own bass and rig is for me).

Good point

My band we bring a full pa subs, mains, stage monitors and everything is miced including toms and cymbals.

Blue

[Edward G.]

Originally Posted by inthevelvet

Very situational, but I guess I always thought in some cases a certain person would get more if they were the "star". For example, even when in a bar band before he was famous, Stevie Ray is handling lead guitar and vocals, and is the obvious crowd draw. On a $600 gig should he, Tommy and Chris get $200 apiece?

Probably not, but only a dope wouldn't negotiate that up front. As a sideman, you usually know you're a sideman.

[bluewine]

Originally Posted by Edward G.

That's when some salesmanship is in order.

Ya gotta make that sale.

"You gotta make your hustle "

Blue

[prd004]

Best situation I was ever in was a six piece working tribute band. Everyone played an instrument and had to schlep their own gear. The PA was a mix, mains were mine, monitors were the keyboard players, mixer/rack/FX belonged to the drummer, mics-stands-cables were mine. Everyone helped carry, everyone helped set up, and we all helped load instruments, amps, drums you name it. This was a unique band of mature, great guys. Needless to say, it was a fun band that I'll never forget! Money was always divided evenly and no one ever had anything to complain about.

[Edward G.]

Originally Posted by prd004

This was a unique band of mature, great guys.

Boy, was THAT catching lightning in a bottle.

[bluewine]

Interesting responses.

There's no right or wrong here, too many variables.

Just depends on how you do business.

Blue

[Edward G.]

^^
Mostly it depends on what your aims are.

There's an old saying that if you only do what you get paid for, you won't get paid for any more than what you do.

It's important to have a broad outlook.

[Stinsok]

It's making me think hard about any future endeavors.

[klokker]

Pay isn't determined by who does the most work, but who is the most valuable. The quarterback makes a billion times more for playing football than some guy on the line. (well, sometimes).

I would think that it would be reasonable to pay according to value in certain circumstances.

Our guitar player has more value or worth in our band than myself. We're doing an opening gig at a new place that only pays $300 next month. We agree to pay our guitar player the usual hundred and split the rest ourselves. Up until this gig we split it evenly and everything was cool. But in this case its a different set a values.

Who hauls the PA or lines up the gig doesn't have anything to do with it. Just my experience.

[Stinsok]

Originally Posted by klokker

Pay isn't determined by who does the most work, but who is the most valuable. The quarterback makes a billion times more for playing football than some guy on the line. (well, sometimes).

I would think that it would be reasonable to pay according to value in certain circumstances.

Our guitar player has more value or worth in our band than myself. We're doing an opening gig at a new place that only pays $300 next month. We agree to pay our guitar player the usual hundred and split the rest ourselves. Up until this gig we split it evenly and everything was cool. But in this case its a different set a values.

Who hauls the PA or lines up the gig doesn't have anything to do with it. Just my experience.

That sounds like trouble to me.

[Pacman]

Originally Posted by bluewine

No, you wouldn't, because it wouldn't be a discussion.

This is what would happen;

If I was presented with an offer say I won an audition and the bl makes me an offer.

If he told me the guy with the pa gets paid a bigger cut, I would diplomatically thank him and decline the offer.

It's just business, nothing personal.

Blue

And there'd be 10 guys behind you willing to play for what was offered.

Playing for an even split is great, if everyone does the same work/has the same investment. It breaks down when people start working more than others. Why should the guy playing bass in a blues band (arguably one of the easier gigs out there) get the same amount as the frontman/singer/guitar player? Answer, he shouldn't. He contributes, but not an equal share.

A guy I work for makes STUPID money to gig. He pays *me* very well, but not as much as he makes. In turn, I make more than the drummer he hires, because (in his words) I bring more value.

In my cover band, I know I make twice what the other guys make. One, I bring more to the table in terms of experience and quality, and two because I sing. And I don't feel the least bit bad about that - as you said, it's business.

[klokker]

Originally Posted by Stinsok

That sounds like trouble to me.

Yeah, we'll see. Doesn't seem like it at this point, but who knows?

[Baird6869]

We split evenly between the 4 of us and every band I have been in has done the same.

Unless I am hired as a sideman/fill in, I won't do it any other way.

If it is a long drive to a gig and a band member drives... Of course he/she gets gas $$$. That is the only exception I can think of.

[RustyAxe]

Originally Posted by Medford Bassman

Unless, we're using a fill in. They would get a flat rate less than the regular members.

I agree with a flat rate, that's what I do when I sub. It makes no difference to me whether it's more or less than the regular players. It is often MORE though.

[Downunderwonder]

Originally Posted by bluewine

Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with "small time" gigging there's good money in it.

4 bills is the top of the scale for small bar gigging in Milwaukee.

If the bar does good and the owner is cool they will give the band a $100.00 boost.

Blue

Those extras should really go towards PA if you want the guy to keep providing it for love in your strictly business band. A buck both ways, having cake and eating it, these must be foreign concepts to you.

[WholeGrainBass]

we put all the money earned from gigs in a bank account to use for band finances such as making merchandise and paying for recordings and such