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Cover band pay: how much are you making?
- Thread starter Schizoid75
- Start date
- Oct 18, 2012
- 6,683
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- Endorsing Artist: Fender, Spector, Ampeg, Curt Mangan, Nordstrand Pickups, Korg , Conquest Sound
I currently do a lot of original recording and also play in a tribute band. The tribute band does well. $1,500 and up per night, plus we always ask for meals. We just a show at a casino where we played two 1 hour sets. First set was from 9 to 10 and the second was from 10:20 to 11:20. They paid us $1,500 and also fed us at their all you can eat seafood and prime rib buffet plus gave us a few drinks. I have friends who play in various cover bands. They tell me that they usually get between $400 to $700 per night depending on the venue.
NicJimBass
Flossin'? I thought your name was Munson!
Columbus, Ohio based, I'm low man in the totem pole, along with our keyboardist, we each make a flat $150 a gig, unless it's a private function then it bumps up to $225. We have a total of 8 guys, including me, which breaks down to 6 band members, sound guy who is also our van driver and roadie, and a light guy who is also a roadie. We have our own PA and lights, van and trailer. We don't have any out of pocket expenses like gas, hotel etc. and most clubs feed us and give us a drink tab. I was very lucky to have fallen into this gig!! Even better, my bandmates are like family, and we hang outside the band regularly. I'm super happy!!
I live in Southern California, north of LA. It's tough to find a 4-bedroom house within 25 miles of me for under $1 million. Lots of guys in the Midwest seem to be doing much better, though.
Hmmm......
Oversaturated market? I imagine its a pretty competitive scene there.
club owners market for sure.
Oversaturated market? I imagine its a pretty competitive scene there.
club owners market for sure.
Also take home pay after taxes.Before you all move to Norway I suggest you do some research into cost of living.
You're making money? If we look seriously and objectively at this as a business and figure everything into it (buying and maintaning gear, travel, clothes, time, PA rentals, promotion, rehearsal space, ...) for most of us the real question is "How much does it cost you to play music?"
For me, I'm in 2 hobby bands and I treat it as such:
- $2000 for a bass and an amp that are all I will ever need. I could have spent less, but I earn a good living in my day job.
- strings, cables, maintenance, etc. are well under $100 a year.
- one band rehearses in my basement, no travel costs.
- the other band rehearses 15 minutes away in a band member's house, $3 in fuel to get to practice.
- we don't promote, people hear us play and someone always wants to hire us for another gig at the end of the night.
- if a larger PA is required for a gig than band members currently own, the cost is recovered in what we charge.
- clothes?? Lol...
When I add it all up, after the initial $2k cost of my gear, which was easily affordable, playing in a band may not make me any real money, but it certainly doesn't cost me more than pocket change.
Here in the southern latitudes (I'm in Perú), bands usually get what the bar charges for cover. In a good night you can make $100 for a 4 members band, that means they pay you $25 bucks for hanging out with your friends (as you usually bring the crowd) during one or two hours, play fun music and drink their beer... :Bassist:
here in the south of spain(almeria)our 60s covers band get about 100€ each for bar gigs and about 150/200 each for parties. it seems to us that we get paid to have fun.
- Apr 1, 2000
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Hey man, send me a PM. I'm always looking for subs, and will be looking even more for this coming year.
We are a 3 piece that charges $400 for electric bar gigs and alittle less for acoustic. Used to get up to $600 because we draw a crowd but, things have really dried up in the last two years up here. Doing mostly acoustic. The few bars we have left are hiring guys to dj for free drinks and alittle cash. Most show up with an ipod and a crappy set of speakers.
Upstate NY is really a "buyers" market for talent. I play in a 4 piece band and we play stylized versions of blues, rock, jazz fusion. We play for free but charge $300 to $400 to haul our gear. Some venues pay more. We could make more if we went the party band, classic rock route, but we like the music we're doing, so $75 to $150 per is about the best we can do. Good wedding bands in the area will make $1500 to $2000+ per gig.
For completeness you probably should factor in your time, both rehearsal time as well as setup and tear down time at gigs.
Personally I always figured I got paid to lug gear and played for free.
For me it's $100 a man for a four piece doing a standard 3 set bar or restaurant gig on Long Island New York. Private parties are usually $250 a man.
Oh yeah, you can still make a lot as a wedding band up here but, I have zero interest in that. I actually think a dj is better suited.but, I mean a real dj who can run an event. Not an ipod jockie.
After about 10 gigs with my current band, we have done it for free (also we are 16-18 year old) but ask if we can sell our demo. So far made about £150 ($245) from doing this, and it helps to spread the word about us. A gig is a gig, and we all know this isn't serious for us and we enjoy playing music no matter what 
Last cover band I was in was averaging $100-$150 a night per man, plus food and drinks. We made upwards of $750 a man a couple times, too.
That's what I'm thinking. The whole pay-to-play BS pretty much started here, and it seems that the clubs are still on the winning side. I guess I just need to find a way into some more professional (and higher paying) circles.
Here in Cow town, CA we get $300-$400 for bar gigs. one of our regular gigs the manager pays us bonuses for reaching certain marks at the cash register. We have made as much as $500. on some nights there.
The local Casino pays between $600 & $800, we play there about once a month.
We are a 4 piece cover band, all with day jobs.
The local Casino pays between $600 & $800, we play there about once a month.
We are a 4 piece cover band, all with day jobs.
Where I live, it is a varied market. The general rule is no less than $100/man for this 3 piece variety band. There are a couple of venues that have treated us well through the years and provide a house p.a. And we play for the door or a percentage of sales. That usually comes out the same pay but we've had a couple of dead nights. The rest of the bars pay $500 or $400 a gig. The three of us are pretty picky on our sound so we bring a p.a. To all shows. It's just less hassle. Weddings start at $1200 and road trips are about two grand. Personally I try to hold on to my youthful, "music is my passion" but as I age I can honestly say that money does have a deciding factor on taking a gig.
