Since Gas Prices Have Gone Up Has Your Band Been Able to Charge More

[tycobb73]

I'm having a freindly debate with a TB member in misc about the bailout. His view is that all costs are passed on to the consumer. My view is that the market bears what the market bears and if one of your costs goes up you can't always pass it on. Case in point: I believe that very few of us have been able to raise our gig fees as gas prices have increased.

[Robin UK]

I voted yes that i've been able to raise gig fees due to this, but this isn't always true, it obivouly depends on the gig. I have definately raised my stake within the band (being the man with the van), and on longer distance gigs (a band based around my uni which is 3 horus drive from my out of term home), as we get them over a wide area of the UK. But obivously gigs in my town or my uni town have little expenses on fuel costs compared to fees. However i don't know how the fuel price rises in the UK compare to the US. Although i guess it may come to a point where general vehicle maintenance costs rise to a significant degree, but i'm no financial advisor.

[Phalex]

I voted yes as well. The places we play south of town (Wayland or Bradley) make it worth our while. We get a little more cash than we used to from those places, but those clubs never used to comp us drinks before. My drummer, the marketing executive, and closet alcoholic, negotiated drinks as well as a bit more cash. I would have been happy with a lot more cash and still paying for drinks, but negotiating aint my job.

But on the whole, yes, we get more than we did a few years back across the board. Some of it is attributable to gas prices, but most of it was just the natural course of negotiation over time.

[Phalex]

I just read some of the bailout thread in misc.

I'm not really sure how much these particular issues are related.

With a band, you are supposed to start out asking for as much money as you think you can get, and then try to get more as you get a following and the bar owners see you are consistently generating revenue for them.

I think that gas prices may be more of a negotiating tool than anything else. Gas makes a compelling argument, when negotiating price increases.

That being said, I wouldn't drive 20 or 30 miles out of town to play a club that paid $100.00 less per weekend than a club close to home, and gas would play a large part in that decision making process.

Of course I really don't like playing a club for $100.00 less per weekend right down the street from a club that will pay $100.00 more. I guess that's where the sales and marketing executive comes in handy!

[jim777]

$2.64 by me this morning; still high but much lower than a few months ago

[badstonebass]

If you are a GOOD band.....fair price increases are accepted. For instance adding $50 to cover fuel costs. However you can't just go from $500 a night to $850 and expect to get many gigs.

[guitfiddle0409]

If the venue is close by, why endanger the relationship?

[bassrique]

I haven't gigged in years, so I can't vote

[IanStephenson]

a little - where we've had a gig that's some distance we've asked for more on the basis of fuel costs and so far its worked.