getting paid

[fenderbluesdude]

my band has recently started to get a series of gigs at the same place. the drummers dad knows teh owner (jay) of the sidewinders baseball team a side team of the arizona diamondbacks, we have played about 4 gigs there already and have not gotten paid, but they do give us free tickets to a private box and free food at the consessions. but we really need money for the band instead of free food or airconditiond box seats, tehy also announce os over the inercome of the stadium and also are going to make a sign in the left feild. we have already made 600 bucks of just tips and selling some of our cds, but we still want to get paid by the baseballpark! how do you think we should approce the owner to see if we could get paid, or do you think it would be best to wait, we basically are the house band they really like us, especially scince we dont play metal or punk or something we play blues/rock which is great music for baeball i think. how do you think wee could get paid? wait, or ask?

 

[P. Aaron]

Before you and the band and your gear show up for another show. Ask for a $$$ up front and get an agreement in writing.

We have a verbal agreement at most clubs we play at for what the bands' fee is. Owners have re-neged prior to us showing up,(so we don't show up) but we have not been stiffed after a show at the circut of clubs we play. It is working for now, it could also collapse tommorrow for all I know.

But you get the agreement up-front. If you're happy with a verbal agreement...get it before you show up, and make sure the person you're making the agreement can/will pay you.

 

[Mo'Phat]

Have your drummers dad ask the owner if you can get paid. Since you're friends with the guy, then you shouldn't hurt anybody's feelings or risk your chances of playing there again. Also, the guy (Jay) will be more willing to give you the straight up answer of Yes or No because of your drummer's dad's relationship with him. Also, Jay is a business man and he recognizes that you pay for what you get. He's getting a band...and I guess a good band, right?...so he should expect to pay for it. Don't give him any reason to think you aren't worth getting paid, like sucking.

 

[TVD]

Why in the world did you guys agree to play for free in the first place? Sorry, but that was really bad business on your parts, and beyond dumb. I hope i'm not wrong about this, but i'd be a bit surprised if they agreeed to start paying now. It's been my experience in general that once you agree to play for free or too cheap even, that it's then "expected" of you from there on out. You'll run into tons of people trying to get free music, and if you say "no", it's possible they may find someone else to say "duh sure", but you need to stay strong i think. When bands agree to play for free, it drives the market value for others in the toilet. I won't play for free, and there's no quicker way for someone to piss me off and get an earful than to use the "dreaded" E word on me.....Exposure!! Man i hate that word. It's just an excuse for someone trying to be cheap and get something for nothing. Any gig other than a benefit show to me isn't worth doing if it isn't paying. I guess maybe it depends what your goals are. I approach it as a business. And from your post it obviously bothers you that there's no pay from this gig. So.......Why'd you and the band agree to it in the first place? They may well not even take you guys that seriously, and may act surprised and taken aback if you ask for money now. Trent

 

[brianrost]

They are not playing for free. They are being paid in tickets and food. Plus they've made over $600 in tips and CD sales that's $150 per gig (I've played plenty of gigs that paid less than $150).

If the entire band is teens, I'd say this is a pretty good deal.

 

[TVD]

Well, they're obviously not happy with the "arangement" as it stands now. It sounds like they never came to a meeting of the minds with the venue in the first place, that's not how you do business. If they ballclub said we'll let you in free, and feed ya, and they said sure, then that's the agreement, weather the band thinks so or not. If the club said nothing of the sort and it's just kinda morphed into that, then they're getting more than they bargained for, cuz the bargained for nothing. I'm wondering what kind of a baseball team would expect a band to play for free before or after games. Never heard of that. Is the band actually playing inside the stadium, or out in the parking lot or something? Trent

 

[fenderbluesdude]

i dont know if you relize this but my bad is made up of 3 15 year olds including me, i dont think we really need to worry about getting money until we get cars andf have to pay for gas and taxes i think we are fin making tips, plus every person that sees us is good exposure, plus we have been anounced on teh radio at 107.5 beacuse of this gig which was huge!

 

[Edwcdc]

It's all about demand. Are you guys the reason people come to the baseball games? No. Can they still attract fans without a band? Yes. Could they attract even more fans with a band? I would think its possible. Minor league baseball has always had promotions or gimmicks to attract fans. It seems that originally you guys got booked there because your dad is friends with the owner. Maybe it was a favor and an opportunity for your band to play out in front of a big crowd.
Now, if you guys are going over pretty good and the owner is happy and they are putting a sign up and everything I would say that you are being expected to play and should be paid.

Good luck, it sounds like a fun gig.

 

[fenderbluesdude]

i know the fans like us and the owner likes us beacuse we havea really and i mean really great guitarest and he is only 15 actually he is 14 he won the guitarmageddon guitar competiotion at guitarcenter on the first round and he was the only person under 24 or somthing it was really great, if you were to close your eyes he would sound like SRV one of the greatest guitarest that ever lived! i know its not good to sound like another person but he is finally started to play his own style which is really great! when people come to these baseball games tehy see him and tehy are just in oaw they cant belive how good he is, i know people like us beacuse the 100 or so people that stayed after the game whatched us untill we ended and we ended at around 11:00! we usually burn around 60 cds off us and we usualy sell them all! we dont charge a streight fee for the cds we charge a donation fee, i remembe5r this one guy put in 20 dollars and then when one of our parents told them that he could take a cd he puty in another 10 dollars, that was really cool, and once we get done with our last set(we play before and after the game) tons of people come up to us and have to shake our hands and there are usually alot of people who wont to have us sign the cd, i love it! we have started to make buisness cards, once the people want us to play somewhere and they call us tehy are going to ask what our rate is right? what should i say what would be a good hour rate?

 

[brianrost]

Since you guys are just starting out I'd ask for $300 for 3 45 minute sets and see what they say. You'll get one of two responses:

1. Wow, that's all? (meaning you should have asked $500)

2. Wow, that much? (meaning you can either offer a lower fee or thank them for their interest)

If you guys don't own your own PA and would need one, add in another $100 or whatever it costs to rent a PA where you live.

 

[fenderbluesdude]

we have a pa system, we dont really need much, we have

drum set- 1989 mapex mars series, its bad ass
guitar amp- fender super reverb 1960 reissue all tube 50 watts 4x10
bass amp- avatar 2x12 behringer bx3000t head
microphones- 3 shure sm57s, 1 shure beta bass mic, and 2 vocal mics
pa system mackie 8 channel 2 yamaha 1x15 speakers,

our guitarest is thinking of getting a marhsall 100 watt pleaxi halfstack to work with the super reverb and i am planning on getting a peavey bam 2x10 combo (loud as hell)

so basically the rate would be $100 dollars per 45 minute set, sounds good

at the ballpark we play one 45 minute set before the game, then the security guy tells us when to stop we usually start playing at 6:00 beacuse that is when the gates open and usually end around 6:50 or 6:45 beacuse they have to do the national anthem and anounce the players. and then we play right after the game and thats when alot of people listen to us and that is when we make the big bucks of tips and we usually play for about 50 minutes to one hour long. we play alittle longer when they do firework night on saturday and thats when we make some serius money beacuse there are usually ALOT of people there!

so $100 per 45 minute set so that would basically be $200 dollars per night plus tips so around 350 a night! thats alot of money!!!!

 

[fenderbluesdude]

bump

 

[brianrost]

around 350 a night! thats alot of money!!!!

Now you know why some people like to play music