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Gas prices and Gig Pay Rates

Juniorkimbrough

Juniorkimbrough

Mar 22, 2005
3,718
6
Mississippi / Memphis, TN
www.lakland.com
Disclosures
Endorsing Artist: Lakland Basses
#1
How are you guys coping with it?

The higher the price of gas goes, the less profit we end up making. A lot of the local venues we play we have a set pay that we've been getting paid for a while and within the city it seems as if their is a pay cap that most bars won't exceed. We've actually stopped playing some of the downtown venues just due to the parking/traffic hassle for the same pay we get at another venue that has a PA, soundman, and no parking/traffic issues.

Are you guys asking bars for more money due to gas? I know most people would understand and if you sat down and explained the situation but a lot of these managers has owners over them that they have to get approval from. I know everything the bars are purchasing from their vendors has gone up in cost as well, so I feel this may be a somewhat touchy topic to bring up.
 
#2
We started figuring fuel costs into our rates last year. The problem is that we are booked a year in advance, so we're stuck with those rates until we book more jobs in remote locations. Around town it hasn't, and probably won't be an issue. I've got about a 60 mile round trip x2 this coming weekend. That's about $30.00 in my pickmeup truck to get there and back twice. I guess it's not the end of the world, but I sure do miss .99 gas!
 
#8
We did a 3-night gig 10 hours drive away last weekend. We have a guy who hauls our stuff in a trailer. He got 10 mpg and put approximately 1200 miles on the vehicle. yup. 120 gallons of gas. You can do the math. We had to cough up $500 out of our $3000 pay to cover that part, plus pay him his roadie fee. I came away with far less from this gig than I would get playing locally.

It's a problem. But we also realize we cannot jack up our prices to cover the extra $ in gas - club owners won't pay it. There are other bands who would play there for less than we're making now.

So you have to make choices. Is it about the good times and the really big gigs (like this one -- 2,000 to 3,000 people in front of us each of 3 nights)? Or is it about coin? For me, the money is not a big deal. For 2 of our members, the money means a great deal. We're having a debate about this very issue.
 
#9
Thank goodness good-paying session work is still plentiful...

Oh, wait! MP3 thieves!!

1892_.gif


lol
 
#10
Musicians/bands are at the bottom of the food chain, so to speak. To cover increased expenses, manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers raise prices. That's no problem, right? It's no problem until a band tries to raise its rate and then all hell breaks loose. Bars can sell drinks whether there's a band or not and they can hire a DJ or karaoke or simply have a juke box to provide music. We have very little choice except to grin and bear it. Like I said in a similar thread, we ask for what we need and the venue either pays it or they don't. This weekend we have a gig that requires a 2 1/2 drive each way. We got our asking price which includes drinks, food and 3 hotel rooms. Unfortunately, that is the exception rather than the rule.
 
#12
Peaved said:
Just remember that the club owners are as pissed about paying $4/gallon as you are, and to ask them to compensate for your higher expense may make them feel like they're paying twice.
Click to expand...

Exactly, I"m just afraid it's a really touchy topic to bring up with bar owners and I'm not sure how they'll respond.


The reason I brought this up is because my band is going on a week long tour through Colorado next week and we'll be doing a LOT of driving. To be honest I'm really scared we are going to end up going into the hole, but we booked all this stuff before the price of gas really started to go up like it has lately.
 
#13
I don't gig as far away as those who have posted here have. But I have been car pooling as much as possible everywhere I go.

I also use my motorcycle every chance I get.... 61.5 miles to the gallon CITY! Can't carry a bass and 15" cab on the sissy seat though....

Our drummer moves all our gear with his pickup. One of the guys usually drives us to the gig with their minivan. The wives drive us home.
 
#15
We're booked through July, and have to stick to the agreed rates until then. The band takes a break in August, because the couple (singer/drummer) goes on vacation then. After the break, we'll have to see how much more we can get away with asking. We've already had a venue that books us *often* and pays well stop booking bands altogether. They have a restaurant, so they don't really need music. Other bars are increasingly having karaoke and DJ's, instead of bands, because they are cheaper. Others are cutting any and all music (besides the jukebox) to once a week, down from two-to-four nights a week. Many others are hiring acoustic groups...and paying them less than a full band.

So...we can't ask much more.

We aren't taking road gigs unless we can turn a profit, and we aren't taking gigs on the south side of the city without a $200 minimum. If they don't want to pay it, we'll save our gas and play north side only.

Sigh.

Cherie
 
#16
Geezerman said:
I can't see how a few bucks every fill up is breaking the bank with people
Click to expand...

Full-time musicians are already under-compensated, and it's not like there's a cost of living increase or anything.

Juniorkimbrough said:
The reason I brought this up is because my band is going on a week long tour through Colorado next week and we'll be doing a LOT of driving.
Click to expand...

I wish you the best of luck, mate. If you're selling CDs at your shows, maybe bump the price to help offset the additional fuel expense. When I'm at a good show, I really don't care whether the CD is $10 or $15 or even $20 as long as I want the music.
 
#17
yep my bands are attempting to ask for extra gas money on gigs over 1 hour drive away. we have met with some success - like a winery that booked us specifically for labor day weekend cause they figured they would do better and could afford the extra cost. living in central iowa, our gigs are either really close or really far. the far away ones are probly gonna be pretty rare, since most venues don't seem to willing to support fuel sur-charges...


Juniorkimbrough said:
The reason I brought this up is because my band is going on a week long tour through Colorado next week and we'll be doing a LOT of driving. To be honest I'm really scared we are going to end up going into the hole, but we booked all this stuff before the price of gas really started to go up like it has lately.
Click to expand...

hey, any chance you are coming thru iowa? and stopping to gig?
 
#18
I think the thing to keep in mind when dealing with a bar owner is that everyone is probably increasing their prices due to high gas prices. They're being charged more for food, beer, liquor, everything. A bar owner can only raise the price on a pint of beer so much before people just say "screw it" and go to the cheaper bar down the road.

I'm not saying it's not a good idea to slowly increase rates you charge for performance, but you have to do it with tact. Sometimes, you also have to work smarter. If you're in a large metro area, there are probably a lot of good places to play within easy driving distance. Sometimes you just have to say "no" to that gig four hours away that isn't going to pay enough to cover your opportunity cost.
 
#19
The five of us live 225 miles apart. We rarely play in the middle, but when we do, it's an even take. When we play in each other's towns, the drivers get a fair take from the local guys. It's a pain. We try and maximize by car-pooling, driving smaller vehicles, etc. The takes are agreed upon ahead of time so no hard feelings. Last couple gigs, my and keyboard guy drove up in his vibe. Was a little tight, but got 33mpg.
 
#20
Geezerman said:
I can't see how a few bucks every fill up is breaking the bank with people
Click to expand...

It's breaking the bank because most bands drive bigger vehicles to get all of their gear to the gig. This time last year it cost between $40-50 to fill my van's tank. Now it is costing nearly twice that much. You can see how a few bucks gets expensive. If we play a show that is more 2 hours away we typically are on empty by the time we hit the show. But those shows are not the norm. We usually travel within an hour.

Gas prices are getting bad, but I have found that a lot of venues and individual promotors understand fully about us bands needing a little extra for gas.

I'm just glad I live in the North East. Everything is pretty close to me.
 

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