How Much Per Gig?

While we don't give on what can be considered a "regular" basis, all the venues/events we play average about $75 a person on the high scale, $50 on the low. Luckily the $50 places are few and far between. Our next 3 gigs are between $90 and $125 per.

 

I haven't done a bar gig in many months which I'm not complaining about. When I did the average was in the $75-$80. If I was going to do a bar gig again I'd like to try bargaining with the owner a bit more. In other words if they want to pay $75 we'll play until a certain time. If the bar is hopping and they decide they want us to play longer then they would pay more. I'm not really interested in paying until 1:00 am or later for $85 anymore. i'm lucky since I get lots of good playing gigs these days. I played background music with a trio for a wedding yesterday and got paid $200. Can't complain about that.

 

We are getting $300-$600 a night for local regular gigs (bars)

Covers

 

We play bar club gigs, it's either the door or a flat fee by contract. I hate getting paid by the door unless we are covering the whole night, because they you have to worry about splitting the door and we always get the shaft on that since we usually pick the opening slot, since we don't want to be home at 3 am.

The contract gigs we either cover an hour and get $150 for a three piece or if we cover the whole night we make $500.

We don't do weddings and parties, but that is where the money is usually at.

 

I live in Perth, Western Australia. I am in a 5-piece, female led Top40 rock covers band playing songs from the 70's to the "noughties" (2000+)

I have heard that the standard market rate for a 3 set (45m a set) pub gig is $900AUD.
Corporate work is roughly $1100-$1600 for the same, and private parties are usually negotiated on requirements, but I usually work on negotiating from pub rates.
We spend roughly $200-$250 on production (sound/lights) although can go up to $500 depending on who is available, so on average we pull $150 a man after expenses, and the guys won't play a licensed pub or corporate gig for any less than $100 a man a gig.

We must be lucky because our band has gotten market rates or better for every gig we have played and have booked more the same. We don't undercut other bands working at that rate and I prefer to refuse a gig than accept less than what we are worth just because the venues have come to expect it from "those teenagers down the road willing to get paid nothing just get gigs".

/Rant

Hope that helps you some!

 

We get $900 for a 4 PC. for 42 songs (4 hrs. incl. breaks) if it is in our city. $1000 if it is out of town or withing 60 miles. Over 60 miles is negotiable . The out of town gigs , we always pay the gas first out of the gig money, then split the rest equally. So around $200-$225 per member per night, after fuel costs. We try to only take 2 trucks, both big, one w/ a large tandem axle enclosed trailer. We always use our own PA system. Nobody in our area has a descent house PA,

 

6 piece combo=$150 a head usually, of course, the 20 piece big band gets paid more along these lines:



We basically buy new charts with whatever ends up in the case.

 

$300 - $600 for a trio, usually free drinks and some food.

 

Could everyone please note whether you play covers or originals? I think that would make this thread much more informative.

 

Around here (south UK) the going rate for a bar band is £200 ($400) - few places pay much more or less than that reguardless of the band. That's 2x1hour sets, usually covers, but a few of the more established originals bands can get booked into these gigs, and if they do they get the same rate (most of the local original bands are kids who play the "music venues" - 1x30 min set, 4 bands per night, play for the door if anything).

When we had 5 that as $80 each - since we went down to a 4 piece we're a lot happier getting $100 which makes a BIG difference. When my side project 3 piece plays out we all have a GREAT night...

 

I think it depends on your region,state,country,etc.
In my area(Philadelphia,PA ) the going rate for a regular small/medium sized bar/restaurant/club date is about $400-600maybe a little more.Some places only go $300.Most of the small bar /weekend warrior bands I work with have floating lineups that they swap around.Each player gets $100 each.

The rock club cover bands get $750 to $1200-1500 (for the band)depending on what night of the week it is . Some of these bands can get $2500-6000.There's agency fees,production costs,etc.To get that money you gotta do sound ,lights & do a good job of replicating a big rock show & you have to be able to draw people in.You can't use PA on a stick & you may have to have a good lighting rig too.That work has fallen off a bit but it's still out there.It's geared to younger crowds so you can't be too old(although I know some 40 year olds getting away with it)You have to be really popular!

Weddings & private parties/corporates pay well. My main band does them.They usually start at about $2500 & up(for the whole band),At that price you are expected to at least have pro production.We hire a pro sound company & sometimes a good DJ for the breaks,cocktails,etc.We generally do 3 50 minute sets & encores(if we getém!).If the client wants a price break(& they all do these days!) we can bring our own PA in.It will do a small/medium room nicely.Production costs can really add up.Our average production costs at a big private is$700-800.Although we are self managed sometimes there's an agency fee(usually 20%)With the economy this stuff has slowed down but it's still out there.

Oh by the way..Most of these gigs are above board.You have to show tax ID,etc.Even the bars are getting fussy about it.

My area is one vast suburb in any direction so there is a lot more work than other areas

 

Live music is so underrated here, we actually have to pay the pub money for them to let us play lol.

 

My band plays in the LA County and surrounding areas. We perform at or above 100 gigs per year. Average is about $85 per man. We're a four piece. Sounds like Northern Ontario is in the ballpark. Have some fun!

 

A good cover band in West Michigan will pull down something between $800-$1000 for a weekend. It works out to about $80.00 to $100.00 a night.

 

We start at $400 per guy minimum for our three piece. Most gigs are $450-500 each.

 

Playing covers, SE Michigan, 3x1' or 4x45" sets, 4 piece band

$300-$500 a night.

 

$1,800 - $2,000 for a 5 piece with one or two crew (depending on venue). That's for a fairly local show. Costs went up when we traveled

I made $300 minimum for shows. It was more when we traveled, which we did too often.

 

$400 for small rooms, $600 for larger clubs. $800-$1200 for festivals and the right wedding can get $2000. Corporate/Hotel parties even more. Talent agencies get bands better money, but you'll always pay the agent for that room whether they rebook you or you do it yourself. All covers (maybe an original or two if its good and not announced as such til its over and only if it was well received).

The larger the gig, the more work and people to pay. The projects I contribute to won't leave the house for under $100 per man and they don't expect to be tabbed for their beers or diet cokes.

 

Damn...I need to join a cover band. I play in an original metal band and we get between $0-$60 per gig. These aren't gigs where 5 people show up either. We were playing the back of a record store once, they had a good PA system and a lot of room, 50 people showed up and payed $5 each. Well when all was said and done the cost to rent out this backroom came out to $350 for the 4 hours the show lasted and the promoter was short $100 which he paid out of pocket to the record store. Luckily the place was a 10 minute drive from our practice spot so we didn't mind not getting anything.

Shows where we get $40-$60 are usually at decent sized venues when we open up for touring bands. Most of the bar shows we play that are all local bands will ask people as they come in which band they're there to see and the band gets the full cover that each person there to see them pays($5 cover, 5 people show up for us, we get $25). Most of our fans despise small bar shows and don't come out, which is kind of a let down for us 'cause they're the only situation that we have a chance to make any decent money.

We get a lot of offers along the lines of 'Open up for these huge touring bands, you just have to buy 32 tickets for $400 and if you sell them at the same price we sell them at you'll make $800....or 'we'll give you 30 tickets to sell. If you don't sell them all just bring them back and you don't owe us anything, only in that case you'll be going up first and only have a 20 minute set and we'll never work with you again. You even get to keep 1/4th of the profit from the tickets you sell.

I usually respond to these offers using language I can't use on this site.