$75-100 gigs in 2023

[ChrisB2]

Four piece and our min is $400 but we rarely play bars. BL doesn't want the pressure to bring the crowd. Even though I love playing weddings (we eat their food, drink their beer, make their women dance, then they PAY us!!), unfortunately he doesn't, so it's animal clubs, farm festivals, municipal concert series, private parties that pay anywhere from $100 to $500 per man. Usually in the $500-$600 range for the band and we roll our own sound 90%. We're talking about raising our min for '24.

I gig because I love music and entertaining, but I won't play for free (except certain charities) ..... but also don't play for my livelihood. So anything really is icing.

 

[JazznFunk]

The overwhelming concept here is that TIME is MONEY. How you want to spend your time vs how you want to make your money is THE thing in the end. This is a continuum which will change and shift. One person's 'hobby cover band gig' is another person's 'how much I need to make tonight to go toward paying bills this week/month' gig. I don't judge anyone for how they want to spend their time, but the economics of it are universal - in a professional capacity, we have standards that we should try to uphold for the greater good of the music community in our scene. What I have said, and will always say, is that if you are playing music in a public setting and getting paid for it - you are a professional musician *even if it's just for that brief point in time*, even if you have another primary source of income (which - and this is something folks aren't often willing to share or be open about - most people do). It's up to all of us to remember that in our negotiations and agreements, and conduct ourselves as professionals in how we do business.

 

[Bar Band Bassman]

DC Metro Area bar gigs are still around $100/man, IME. Corporate/private stuff can be more but the market seems to be tighter than in the "good old days". I make it a point to remember that there are lots of folks out there (usually more capable than I) who will gladly take my place for the same or less money, as often as not because they are "hungry" or have no need for the money. Venues know this as well. Add to that the fact that my peers are in their 60's as well and don't really do the "late night" life as much and it's rather remarkable that I work as much as I do. I have gotten raises at some long term gigs but not often. The labor pool is far larger than the venue availability. Always was and always will be around here, anyway. 'Twas ever thus...

The Bar Band Bassman

 

[kev451]

Bass Players-Geez not a lot of gigs clubs and bands aren’t looking.

Also Bass Players-wait $100.00 a gig where Im able to play several times a month NO…

 

[matthewbrown]

Answered a call for a working “pro” 5 piece country band in the DFW area who needs a bass player. Band is made up of older players who have some time under their belt (guess at 46 yo, I have some time under mine as well). He said they play out 2-3xs per month, 3 one hour sets, and take home 75-100 a man. That’s when I said thank you for your time. I’m not your guy.

I mean seriously, are cover bands still working for 400-500 per show/ 75-100 per man? I can understand the pay disparity for original acts trying to find their way and build and a following. But a cover band, especially for a full nights worth of music. No way. Maybe it’s cause I’m older and my time is worth more than that. I dunno. I also know what bands make in this circuit as I’ve played in several before. 200+ in a man in DFW for a good cover band (county, rock, variety, or top 40) is becoming more of the standard pay at clubs now. I just couldn’t believe a band of supposed seasoned guys working for less than a 100. Obviously, they’re not that pro and or seasoned as they led me to believe. Lol.

But this made me wonder, what’s y’all’s bare minimum for gigs in your market?

I generally make a distinction between working for a profit-making venture (bars) and working for non-profits or charities. If I want to donate to a bar, I go to the bar, and I have a drink. I don't pack up my gear and play for low money if I can avoid it.

 

[BassDudeSA]

Some bands will pay for little to nothing because they just want to play. This depresses pay for everybody. That's market efficiency, I guess.

That's what many musicians complain about, but I'm totally good with it. I've been on both sides of that equation for decades. If a band or musician wants to play for cheap or free, regardless of how good or professional they are, for the love of music/playing, then more power to them. I think it is horrible to criticize a band or musician for playing for free or cheap because it hurts other bands and musicians. Some people have other careers, even top notch musicians, who just play music for fun. Great! Should they not play out for free or cheap because it hurts other bands? Forget that. I make awesome money right now being in a top tier cover band in my area, but if that dries up and I only get offered free or low paying gigs (that are potentially very fun) then I'll jump on it, and I don't mind others doing the same, even if it hurts what I'm doing now with my well paid gigs. Granted, long drive or a sketchy location or minimal fun potential and I'd be out, but payment is not always in the form of cash.

Bottom line: Whatever works for you.... go for it! I couldn't care less what other musicians think about what I do when it comes to the love of music and playing.

 

[Medicine Man]

Playing events is where the money is, but it's hard to get those cherry gigs without blowing the roof off a few $500 dive bar gigs first. Most of the established acts in the event circuit have been the same names for decades, just with rotating members. People who are like "I'm putting together a new act that is only playing corporate gigs" are either self deluded, lying, or are already well connected. I've turned a dive bar band into an event band, but it took years of outperforming other bottom feeders at scummy venues to make it happen. Criticize people staring or stuck at the bottom because you can't get better paying gigs? Ok, whatever. I know great musicians playing for tips.

 

[turf3]

if it’s an unbelievably fun gig with some friends in a cool set list, I will occasionally take a gig with crappy pay.. but you’re not gonna catch me did learning a bunch of 90s rock to back some guy called working on big things” play covers in a bar for 75 bucks and some drink tickets.

something I talk about to students and younger guys that I think is very important to think about-

It’s common and obvious to take gigs and music–adjacent jobs to fill the gaps, but the risk to watch out for is when those become your main full day job. A couple days a week at a guitar shop or teaching uninterested brats lessons becomes 45 hours a week plus the holiday rush.. a couple meh cover gigs a month turns into taking EVERY awful $75 gig that’s offered just to keep revenue coming in.. so you end up not working on your dream full-time, your dayjob is kinda music adjacent but it’s NOT your passion but here’s the rub- IT ALSO DOESN’T PAY YOU A DECENT LIVING AND THE CEILING IS VERY LOW.

so you’ve abandoned your passionate work because you don’t have time and you’re worn out at the end of the day, and you also don’t have a comfortable lifestyle or enough income to invest in your art itself!

Now of course- people can be passionate about teaching, some people absolutely LOVE working the crowd and playing their favorite covers, and we all know the guy who is more than happy to obsess over the minutia of gear and talk off of customer’s ear about it..

If you want to play music, go really do it. Even if you want to do covers, play in a GREAT cover band, work hard to make GREAT gigs happen.

If your main income is NOT going to be your musical dream, then don’t have a crappy and crappy-paying dayjob just because it’s music adjacent. If you’re going to play covers, LOVE what you’re doing- if it’s for FUN then who cares about the pay, but if it’s a gig you’re doing for money, then get better gigs.

I've played in a lot of bands with high school band directors. They surely don't love the day job.

I agree, you'd be better off with a well-paid day job (I selected mechanical engineering) and playing what you want, when you want, OR going all-in and making your only source of income the playing of what you want when you want (hint: chance of success here is VERY SMALL) than half-assing it and ending up always short of money because of the crappy pay scale of your "performance-adjacent" day gig, which also doesn't provide musical satisfaction.

Way back when, as I was (not really all that seriously) considering a career in music, full-time, my mentor said "Look, if you want to work in this field, what you do is you go, NOW, to New York City, live on beans and rice, play in every jam session where they'll have you, and either you'll make it or you won't." I thought about that and with my middle class upbringing, where we had to watch the money but we never went without, and both my parents with guaranteed pensions, savings accounts and a little money left over - I decided to stay with my BSME. I think the people who can deal with the real "sink or swim" launching, that seems to be necessary, are either those who grew up rich enough that they could always tap Mommy and Daddy; or those who grew up with absolutely nothing, so having to get through the next three weeks on $12 holds no terrors for them.

 

[WI Short Scaler]

I think the people who can deal with the real "sink or swim" launching, that seems to be necessary, are either those who grew up rich enough that they could always tap Mommy and Daddy; or those who grew up with absolutely nothing, so having to get through the next three weeks on $12 holds no terrors for them.

That is a great description. I was raised similar to you and never had the capacity to live with such uncertainty. I went with a job that pays the bills well so I can provide for my family and kept music for an outlet.

 

[BobDeRosa]

What can ya do. They told us to go into finance or porn if we wanted to make money, but did we listen?

I had inadequate resources for either of those fields.

 

[MakoMan]

One of the biggest issues for bands in my area is that we are competing with one-man acts who are singing to tracks. That wasn't a problem 40 years ago. So if a venue pays $200, we get $50 each, while one guy with a tablet, a microphone and a powered speaker gets the same $200.
As the band's singer, I could do the same and not have to split four ways. And I wouldn't even have to play bass while doing it. But I prefer being in a band with good friends and making music from scratch.

 

[shirojiro]

I've played in a lot of bands with high school band directors. They surely don't love the day job.

I agree, you'd be better off with a well-paid day job (I selected mechanical engineering) and playing what you want, when you want, OR going all-in and making your only source of income the playing of what you want when you want (hint: chance of success here is VERY SMALL) than half-assing it and ending up always short of money because of the crappy pay scale of your "performance-adjacent" day gig, which also doesn't provide musical satisfaction.

Way back when, as I was (not really all that seriously) considering a career in music, full-time, my mentor said "Look, if you want to work in this field, what you do is you go, NOW, to New York City, live on beans and rice, play in every jam session where they'll have you, and either you'll make it or you won't." I thought about that and with my middle class upbringing, where we had to watch the money but we never went without, and both my parents with guaranteed pensions, savings accounts and a little money left over - I decided to stay with my BSME. I think the people who can deal with the real "sink or swim" launching, that seems to be necessary, are either those who grew up rich enough that they could always tap Mommy and Daddy; or those who grew up with absolutely nothing, so having to get through the next three weeks on $12 holds no terrors for them.

I had the same realization as a teen and chose to go to college for engineering as well.
Music is still a hobby for me and I enjoy it a lot.
When I was dependent on gigs for rent and food, I played any paying gig, and I did get a little resentful about playing music I didn’t like over time.

 

[conttador]

I’m a hobbyist, I have a Risk Management day gig, that’s just starting to gig (Jazz). I’m almost 50 & the guys I play with are in their mid 20s and are much more experienced than I am. I’m usually getting $50 but I usually forego pay as the other guys don’t have a career. In my mind it’s free on the job training and considering that I live comfortably, I feel bad taking money that to me is not as impactful as it might be to my bandmates.

I’m grateful to be in a situation where I can take jazz gigs that ordinarily the more seasoned bassists would pass on. I guess it’s what most would call “paying dues.”

 

[Richard I]

Here in Italy, in the region where I live and in the one I study/work, the average pay for a gig in bar/pub/town fair etc is between 50 (usually) and 100 (not so often) €.
200-300€/man? You gotta do weddings (and work more hours) to earn that amount of money in a single event.

EDIT: oh, and it doesn't matter if you're playing covers instead of original songs. The only difference is that it's WAY harder to find live concerts with only original songs.

 

[friskinator]

I've played in a lot of bands with high school band directors. They surely don't love the day job.

I agree, you'd be better off with a well-paid day job (I selected mechanical engineering) and playing what you want, when you want, OR going all-in and making your only source of income the playing of what you want when you want (hint: chance of success here is VERY SMALL) than half-assing it and ending up always short of money because of the crappy pay scale of your "performance-adjacent" day gig, which also doesn't provide musical satisfaction.

Way back when, as I was (not really all that seriously) considering a career in music, full-time, my mentor said "Look, if you want to work in this field, what you do is you go, NOW, to New York City, live on beans and rice, play in every jam session where they'll have you, and either you'll make it or you won't." I thought about that and with my middle class upbringing, where we had to watch the money but we never went without, and both my parents with guaranteed pensions, savings accounts and a little money left over - I decided to stay with my BSME. I think the people who can deal with the real "sink or swim" launching, that seems to be necessary, are either those who grew up rich enough that they could always tap Mommy and Daddy; or those who grew up with absolutely nothing, so having to get through the next three weeks on $12 holds no terrors for them.

I have a good day job, so music is only a hobby for me now. However, I've been playing for 30+ years, and I feel my time/experience has some worth. I don't need the gig money, but I'm also not willing to go out and kill half a day on a weekend for $100.

 

[foolforthecity]

“In Victoria Texas it’s worth $100”

 

[selowitch]

IME, an all-originals band is harder to market than an all-covers band and so the former gets less pay. We get paid decently for some gigs (e.g., when it's a family celebration or corporate event) and poorly for others.

Heartbreakingly, sometimes we get nothing at all and our bandleader gives us each $25 out of his Social Security check. I am loath to accept that stipend.

 

[Five or Six]

If you want to play around here you'll take $100.00 gigs. Most are 2-3 hours. 4 hour gigs seem to be a thing of the past. Or, you can set home and not do anything with your talent. My band wants to play. As BL I won't take anything less than $100 per man and we stay busy.

 

[andruca]

I don't have a touring band (what I call my band -originals- is an intermittent thing) but I get hired for subbing in some bands. Except for this one metal originals band I LOVE to play with for barely any or no money (they hardly make ends meet for gigging dive bars, still the hang and the music are beyond awesome), I get 200-300€ per gig. Most work (and best paid) is cover bands, the ones I do are all concert venues/theaters and festivals, 1.5hr max. No surprise, rock culture is drowning over here demographically, even tho' great artists keep coming up (far away from any mainstream, sadly). Teen pop is the new rock, reggaeton is the new pop

EDIT: also consider there's really not that much beyond in rock/pop-rock here. The 400-600€ bracket is where it's at for top earning hired musicians. I have regular contact with people hired by top selling acts and max I've seen paid here (Spain) is 600€/gig, plus half that for rehearsals. Really TOP internationally touring pop-rock band. Can't say for musical directors and such extras, but I still doubt any of them makes over 1K€. So considering that I think 100€ for bar gigs 'round here, well... not bad at all, FOR ROCK'N'ROLL FYI, median monthly income where I live (Madrid region) is little over 1800€.

 

[lokikallas]

We charge 300$ min for a 4 hour cover set, some bars balk at that, and some bands in the area undercut us for even less. I'm fine with that as I am just a weekend warrior looking for something to keep me off the streets.