What does your promoter/soundman charge you?

[Stumbo]

Originally Posted by two fingers

Keithwah NAILED it.

It doesn't matter how many jobs one guy does. He should get paid for EVERY job he does. He's getting 15% for booking. That's pretty standard (usually between 10% and 20%). No scandal there at all.

Now, as far as sound goes, what is he bringing? That, and ONLY that answers the question of whether or not he's taking you for a ride for sound. If he's bringing two Peavey SP2s on stick with a couple of CS-800 power amps, then yes, he's sticking it to you. But if he is bringing a full on system with a couple of 2-15 tops and 2-18 subs, a nice FOH board, a decent monitor board, nice mics, and setting it all up, then he's not screwing you at all.

Now, how much the gig pays should have NOTHING to do with how much the sound company makes. (I ran my own sound company for quite a while so I have context.) If I am setting up the same system, providing the same number of mics, speakers, watts, channels, hours, etc. then WHY should my FEE be any different just because YOU are making less? That makes no sense at all. I am providing the same goods and services. Here's what you do about the sound. Figure out what he is bringing. Then call some other sound companies in the area and ask what they would charge for the SAME kind of system in the SAME clubs. If you don't compare apples to apples, then there's no reason to call. Once you do that, then and ONLY then will you know if he is ripping you off on sound.

Again, if he is doing TWO JOBS he should get TWO PAYCHECKS. And how much one paycheck is has NOTHING to do with how much the other is. He is NOT double dipping as stated earlier. He is doing TWO JOBS. You do ONE. You show up and play. He does TWO. He makes calls and builds relationships with club owners and festival committees while you are at home playing your Xbox (or whatever you do on your off time). In other words, you don't have to do that job because HE DOES. And then he does AT LEAST the same amount of work that YOU DO at the shows (I would argue MORE, but again, I have owned a sound company so.....).

I'm glad your gig went well. And I'm glad you are more worried about you than what someone else is getting.

Yeah...but without the bass player nobody would be makin' any money.....

[jeffbonny]

Originally Posted by Stumbo

Yeah...but without the bass player nobody would be makin' any money.....

I didn't become a tech because I preferred it to playing bass. Teching your show is my day job not a labor of love. Understand that in the world of professional stagehands finding a competent soundman who will work for what this guy charges is often an exception not the rule. To give some perspective as a lighting tech and high rigger I make between $28 and $45 an hour at straight time rates and that goes up after 8hrs and again after 12hrs. You want me to go on the road that's $3000 a week minimum. It may sound outrageous to you but about 99% of first call pro techs won't work for less. Sure you can hire a hack or a greenie for a lesser rate but generally you'll get what you pay for.

As to the specifics of the OP's situation 15% is industry standard for booking so no big ripoff happening there. The assessment of this soundman making $20 hr sounds pretty accurate. I have to assume we're talking about purchasing or sub-renting the gear, hauling and setting up/tearing down a full PA...I mean who the hell hires a soundman to run a pair of SRM350's on sticks?

[modulusman]

I might be worried about his soundman abilities if he showed up with budget 215 PA cabs. They suck in general until you start spending north of $1000.00 a box.

[jonas_24112]

As long as I'm not having to haul any PA gear, it sounds pretty fair. Decent sound guys here get $300-500 for 300-1000 person sized rooms.