My twin daughters play bass and drums in a band with a guy who is the guitarist, vocalist and owns the sound system they use for gigs. They are beginning to get more gigs and the money has really become an issue....This is his offer of the split -- he gets 85% and each of my girls gets 7 1/2% each......He has arrived at that figure by calculating the cost of all the equipment he owns and what they own (basically a bass and amp) - and feels he's being generous because he owns 90% of all the equipment) That seems grossly unfair to me -- but I need some advice --- what is a fair split between band members?
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Gig money split?
- Thread starter JamTwins
- Start date
Fair split? His lips...and his kneecaps, and his skull!!! He's an asshat. He's actually lower than a booking agent- they typically charge 10-20% of a gig, max. You might need to readjust the pay scale with a tire iron. 
Tell him to F-off and die and find your kids a new guitarist, band, what ever. Dude is a sleaze period.
There's a couple of ways to look at it. 1) It's his gig, his PA, and he's hiring two musicians. He pays them what they'll accept. If they don't want to do the gig for what's offered, then tell him no. He will either find someone else or will raise the amount. 2) If they are a band and all putting in the same effort then they should split the funds equally. But many times, the PA will count as an extra person. So in this case, divide the $ by 4.
Some bands will also pay more to the rain maker (the one that's out getting the gigs).
Some bands will also pay more to the rain maker (the one that's out getting the gigs).
Fair split? His lips...and his kneecaps, and his skull!!! He's an asshat. He's actually lower than a booking agent- they typically charge 10-20% of a gig, max. You might need to readjust the pay scale with a tire iron.
+ 1000
he needs to have an appointment with a few baseball bats
Lame. Equipment is seperate than players. Equipment only comes an issue at the end or if it's bought with band money.
I don't know why everyone is getting so nasty here. It's clear your girls are getting ripped off, but there's no need for the violent chatter.
I agree with Freddels. It depends on the agreement within the band. If your girls are just hired guns, then he offers what he's willing and they decide to take it or not. That said, there's no way I'd play under the terms he's offering.
Talk to him about it and remind him it's not really about equipment. He shouldn't get more just because he owns the PA. He'd own the PA whether you played or not and if the band breaks up, the PA is still his right? It's not fair to dock the girls pay unless they're somehow earning a share of the PA.
I agree with Freddels. It depends on the agreement within the band. If your girls are just hired guns, then he offers what he's willing and they decide to take it or not. That said, there's no way I'd play under the terms he's offering.
Talk to him about it and remind him it's not really about equipment. He shouldn't get more just because he owns the PA. He'd own the PA whether you played or not and if the band breaks up, the PA is still his right? It's not fair to dock the girls pay unless they're somehow earning a share of the PA.
His 90% share seems awfully high.
I assume he promotes/books/collects all the gigs but...
Does he pickup/store/drop-off all the equipment?
Does he pickup/drop-off the girls?
How old are the girls?
Do the girls also sing?
Do the girls help him at all?
I assume he promotes/books/collects all the gigs but...
Does he pickup/store/drop-off all the equipment?
Does he pickup/drop-off the girls?
How old are the girls?
Do the girls also sing?
Do the girls help him at all?
I'd say the PA gets a full cut, max. So divide by 4 (or however many there are in the band +1).
That being said, I've owned the PA in the bands I was in for years and never took any extra, except maybe some gas money. And that's only been since gas prices increased dramatically in that past couple of years.
Personally, I don' think I would play under the terms described. Even as a hired gun, that's too cheap! At those rates, they can't possibly be breaking even on gas, food, strings, etc.
dcr
That being said, I've owned the PA in the bands I was in for years and never took any extra, except maybe some gas money. And that's only been since gas prices increased dramatically in that past couple of years.
Personally, I don' think I would play under the terms described. Even as a hired gun, that's too cheap! At those rates, they can't possibly be breaking even on gas, food, strings, etc.
dcr
Topper's the closest to my approach; there are two ways to look at this sort of situation - the first is that he's the leader and your girls are indeed hired musicians. If that's the case, I would pick a figure (perhaps as low as $50, or as high as they can push it) per job. As long as they get their money, then it doesn't matter what the leader makes. (As I type this, I'm on a break on tonight's gig - while the leader on this corporate gig made thousands of dollars (I have no idea how much that is,nor do I care), I was offered a fee that made it worth my while.
if the guys doesn't want to do it that way, I'd go back to the classic union approach - the leader gets double what the sidemen make (with a trio, that would give the leader 50% and the sidemen would get 50% of gross; with a quartet or larger band, the leader would get a smaller percentage of gross, but would still make twice what the others make). In neither case does the cost of the PA come into the picture - that's part of what being the leader (at that level) entails - supplying the PA and (if out of town) transportation as needed. (Last night's gig was that way)
Or your daughters could tell this guy to take a hike and start a group of their own; I betcha a nickel that your girls are more than half of the reason that the band gets hired.
if the guys doesn't want to do it that way, I'd go back to the classic union approach - the leader gets double what the sidemen make (with a trio, that would give the leader 50% and the sidemen would get 50% of gross; with a quartet or larger band, the leader would get a smaller percentage of gross, but would still make twice what the others make). In neither case does the cost of the PA come into the picture - that's part of what being the leader (at that level) entails - supplying the PA and (if out of town) transportation as needed. (Last night's gig was that way)
Or your daughters could tell this guy to take a hike and start a group of their own; I betcha a nickel that your girls are more than half of the reason that the band gets hired.
WOW. Unless you're making a good $1,000 bucks per gig for the whole band, that is atrocious! $75 is OK I guess... BUT at that rate he's paid for the PA in a month or 2, if the band works regularly.
I wouldn't let my kids play for less than 50%. If they are good enough to play the gig, they are good enough to get paid as a band member.
Count the equipment as a band member, call it a 4-way split. Age is irrelevant. I'm 50, our lead player is 18, I own most everything we take to the gigs, we take the same cut. Of course, he is a lot better than I am, but that isn't really the issue either. We are both our there busting our butts to put on the best show we can.
Count the equipment as a band member, call it a 4-way split. Age is irrelevant. I'm 50, our lead player is 18, I own most everything we take to the gigs, we take the same cut. Of course, he is a lot better than I am, but that isn't really the issue either. We are both our there busting our butts to put on the best show we can.
And now a dose of reality...your girls can either accept the gigs or not accept the gigs. If the guy owns the PA, books the gigs, etc., he can pay the girls whatever he wants, and they are free to take it or turn it down. They can argue that they should be paid more, but if the guy doesn't want to pay them better, then that's tough for the girls, and they need to decide whether to stay or go. This business about 50% this and equal split that isn't reality.
+1
my band uses my poweramp for the PA but i don't demand extra money for that--the only time anyone gets any extra is if the drummer has to go a long distance with his truck to carry our gear, and we catch gas for him...personally, I would argue to have it split equally among the whole band...however on the other hand, if the guy hired them at that rate, then they should have said something before--personally, I'd quit that band...
My girls formed the band with this guy - they are 15 - he is 17. He has handled all the money from the beginning - and yes, he does get most of the bookings -- They've had about 8 gigs and have been paid around $2800 - My girls have gotten nothing so far. Until just recently, when he brought up this ridiculous split offer, we have been under the impression that this money was in a band account -- Turns out -- I think all of that money is gone.....We have a meeting with him (and his parents) tomorrow....We'll see how that goes.....
