Somebody's bad at math - Even if those two are taking $100 each the other three of your should be getting $33 each?
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Bar band Gigs are too long
- Thread starter glenb73
- Start date
I'm married too. That's the incentive. I know what I'm going home with at the end of the night.
This.
300/5=$60
wha?
Other than THAT problem....
$60/(roughly what 6hrs total time?) =$10/hr.
Not bad side money to do something you allegedly love to do.
Our average gig is 300 a night also.....but were a 3piece and plan to stay that way.
3-4 hour cover band gigs sound like a nightmare. I've never gone that route and I never will. I'm sure it is a great way to hone your chops, though.
If you don't like it, quit. Frankly, if that's your attitude, it probably shows in your performance & you'd be doing your audiences a favor in addition to yourself.
Then work your way up the ladder to that level.
Vintagefiend
I don't care for 410 cabinets at all.
dude, don't do it.
we start out at $100 an hr. If we bring the PA, they pay for that too. If it's farther than 60 miles, we start adding gas...
People will pay what you're willing to accept.
Hi,
Practice and play better. Pay your dues. Join a better band. Play better gigs.
When I was playing high school dances in the mid-70s I would average $35 a gig for a 3 hour dance. When I started playing bars in college in the late 70s the average was $50-$75 (mostly five 45 minutes sets with 15 minute breaks, 8:45pm-1:45pm). The average bar gig stayed $50-$75 for decades while I worked 4 to 6 nights a week.
The last few years I've been playing in better bands at better gigs, a lot fewer bar gigs and more showcases, amusement parks, casinos, private parties, corporate events, etc, and averaging $175-$600 a gig. Our most strenuous gig is four 45 minute sets with half hour breaks, 8:30pm to 1:00am. Our NYE gig at Disney was 5 half hour sets with half hour breaks, 8:00pm-1:00am. Most of our events and private parties are only 2 or 3 sets.
This is our monthly gig at The Ranch, the "most strenuous" one. They even feed us! We get fed on most of our gigs.
I still take a sub gig now and then in local bars. This Friday I'm working with a classic rock band at a sports bar in town. I'll make $100.
Some markets are better than others. It can be tough away from the big cities.
I also had an occasional big band jazz gig for a while in the late 70s. The band had about 16 pieces in it and we all played for the fun of it. We'd make $10 a night but we didn't care. We would read out of fake books all night and had a blast.
The good gigs and good bands are out there. Keep plugging away and you'll get there.
Thank you for your indulgence,
BassCliff
Practice and play better. Pay your dues. Join a better band. Play better gigs.
When I was playing high school dances in the mid-70s I would average $35 a gig for a 3 hour dance. When I started playing bars in college in the late 70s the average was $50-$75 (mostly five 45 minutes sets with 15 minute breaks, 8:45pm-1:45pm). The average bar gig stayed $50-$75 for decades while I worked 4 to 6 nights a week.
The last few years I've been playing in better bands at better gigs, a lot fewer bar gigs and more showcases, amusement parks, casinos, private parties, corporate events, etc, and averaging $175-$600 a gig. Our most strenuous gig is four 45 minute sets with half hour breaks, 8:30pm to 1:00am. Our NYE gig at Disney was 5 half hour sets with half hour breaks, 8:00pm-1:00am. Most of our events and private parties are only 2 or 3 sets.
This is our monthly gig at The Ranch, the "most strenuous" one. They even feed us! We get fed on most of our gigs.
I still take a sub gig now and then in local bars. This Friday I'm working with a classic rock band at a sports bar in town. I'll make $100.
Some markets are better than others. It can be tough away from the big cities.
I also had an occasional big band jazz gig for a while in the late 70s. The band had about 16 pieces in it and we all played for the fun of it. We'd make $10 a night but we didn't care. We would read out of fake books all night and had a blast.
The good gigs and good bands are out there. Keep plugging away and you'll get there.
Thank you for your indulgence,
BassCliff
I kinda prefer longer gigs for a couple of reasons. First, if the audience turns over two or three times, it's like playing multiple gigs. Different people react to the band differently, and it's fun to see fresh faces. The late crowd is often different than the early crowd, and we even adjust our tune choices accordingly. By the third set, nobody knows that I screwed up in the first set. 
Second, getting out of the house to play a gig involves disrupting the family schedule, packing up my gear, setting up, etc., so a longer gig is more "bang for the buck."
Second, getting out of the house to play a gig involves disrupting the family schedule, packing up my gear, setting up, etc., so a longer gig is more "bang for the buck."
Drummer I used to play with plays 4 hour sets at resorts and corporate gigs but they are pulling in a minimum of 300 dollars a band member. So I'd have to agree, if the bar is not going to pay you to play all night and you have a day job cut out early or ask them if they want to make it worth your time.
But there is always the risk they will hire another band who will do it their way.
Well, over here we don't have bar bands per se.
Must be a US thing or something.If playing bars lugging a 810 and an SVt around is your game, more power to you. I've come to the conclusion actively gigging is not for me for a multiple of reasons. And that's cool if everyone gets what they're in for but I loathe the condescending attitude in respect to bands who want to stay off the cover band bus (see the dichotomy of the glamorous cover band getting cash thrown at them vs being stuck in a basement rehearsing originals to your dogs). And vice versa.
Three- or four-hours gigs are no big deal as far as I'm concerned. By the time we're halfway through the final set I'm often getting a bit tired and thinking about closing time. By then you usually have either a smaller crowd as people have started going home or a drunk crowd that loves whatever you do no matter what.
If you're playing $300 a gig, then you're seriously underselling yourselves (unless, of course, your bands sucks). If your singer or guitarist is booking you at that cut rate, they haven't really earned an extra cut, and if they're drawing a crowd, then they should be able to charge the venue more in the first place. If you're going to play $300 gigs, play in a power trio.
Everybody's been through the getting-screwed thing. I recently subbed for a trio playing dinner music at restaurants - jazz and light funk and stuff. When I got hired, the BL was saying it wasn't great money but would be about $60 a man and we'd get fed. At the end of the night he gave me a pair of 20s and asked for $5 back, and the restaurant didn't feed us (a patron bought the band some food, though). I didn't mind too much because it was my first time subbing and I was more interested in the experience, but I wouldn't do that on a regular basis.
If you're playing $300 a gig, then you're seriously underselling yourselves (unless, of course, your bands sucks). If your singer or guitarist is booking you at that cut rate, they haven't really earned an extra cut, and if they're drawing a crowd, then they should be able to charge the venue more in the first place. If you're going to play $300 gigs, play in a power trio.
Everybody's been through the getting-screwed thing. I recently subbed for a trio playing dinner music at restaurants - jazz and light funk and stuff. When I got hired, the BL was saying it wasn't great money but would be about $60 a man and we'd get fed. At the end of the night he gave me a pair of 20s and asked for $5 back, and the restaurant didn't feed us (a patron bought the band some food, though). I didn't mind too much because it was my first time subbing and I was more interested in the experience, but I wouldn't do that on a regular basis.
It seems to me that the OP only posted in order to kvetch. All of his posts in this thread have been negative. If he's really feeling what he posted, he's either a) making it up; b) not that good, which is why he gets paid so little; or c) getting screwed royally, in which case he needs a new band.
I'm 53, played the cover band scene for years. I've given up my illusion of headlining Madison Square Garden. I, for one, play because I love to. The money's cool but it's not why I do it. I would play at the opening of an amusement park or at the opening of an envelope. I've played packed bars and I've played for 5 people. I've played for 4 hours without a break and I've stopped gigs after three songs because my band was having stuff thrown at us. You generally play however long you're contracted for - and have some extra songs handy in case the audience likes you.
You're not Mick Jagger - you're only imitating him. Get over yourself.
I'm 53, played the cover band scene for years. I've given up my illusion of headlining Madison Square Garden. I, for one, play because I love to. The money's cool but it's not why I do it. I would play at the opening of an amusement park or at the opening of an envelope. I've played packed bars and I've played for 5 people. I've played for 4 hours without a break and I've stopped gigs after three songs because my band was having stuff thrown at us. You generally play however long you're contracted for - and have some extra songs handy in case the audience likes you.
You're not Mick Jagger - you're only imitating him. Get over yourself.
The money stinks for the average cover band, no doubt about it. But this is a supreme violation here!
Just curious, I have a suspicion, that you guys playing the bigger gigs, where I see the photos of lots of people... your band plays mostly Country and New Country. Correct?
I think that is reality all there is a market for, in ATL, it absolutely, positively, SUCKS for cover bands. (and probably originals too).
But my minimum is $75 and honestly for that I don't plan on doing the 4 hour rip-off, where there are 3 people actually left for the last half of the last set.
Just curious, I have a suspicion, that you guys playing the bigger gigs, where I see the photos of lots of people... your band plays mostly Country and New Country. Correct?
I think that is reality all there is a market for, in ATL, it absolutely, positively, SUCKS for cover bands. (and probably originals too).
But my minimum is $75 and honestly for that I don't plan on doing the 4 hour rip-off, where there are 3 people actually left for the last half of the last set.
Reading the original post made me chuckle because a 1.5 hour set for my band is 30 songs, because we mostly play quick, hard rock/punk type music.
If you don't like playing long bar gigs...... quit. That leaves more available gigs for the rest of us.
If the guitar player and singer get a bigger share, I assume they own the PA and lights and do all the setup and breakdown. If not, perhaps it's time to look for a new act. And, yes, I agree - $25 is not enough for your trouble.
