This is how my band would handle it. If you can't commit to the whole show we'll find a sub who can, or go without if that's an option.
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How should we handle this situation involving pay?
- Thread starter jmattbassplaya
- Start date
This is how my band would handle it. If you can't commit to the whole show we'll find a sub who can, or go without if that's an option.
We have a lot of layered guitar parts in our originals that demand us to have two guitarists. We also improvise quite a bit, so it's not like we can just sample guitar parts either. In addition, he really does bring a good dynamic to the band. The other guitarist is very improvisational, whereas the guy in question keeps things together with a more solid and straight-forward style. Both of them together gives us this great push and pull dynamic with our songs which sounds great. The reason we could get away without him for half a show is because the other guitarist and I have played in bands with each other for 3 years now and have a looooot of material between us that we can pull off incredibly well.
i didn't read the whole thread (yet) but if he really is a valuable member of the band, how is it ok to leave in the middle of the performance? if it is ok for him to leave how valuable is he really?
curious to see how this turned out.
the responses went about like i thought, and if you feel good about how it worked out on your end, good on ya!
one thing though:
one thing though:
i bet precedent is set and this sort of thing will pop up again. hope not, but most people would react that way. i say that recognizing everyone is different and hoping that i'm wrong.
hmmm....With our band, the drummer gets less of a cut all the time because he doesn't help with booking, promoting, flyer design, and usually leaves right after the gig. The rest of us (3) work our asses off to keep a float in the originals scene.
No play no pay. Figure out what you are making by the hour and pay him up to when he leaves the gig. The rest of the band takes all the rest of the gig money as a split. What? does he think he can leave and get full pay? Where is he from?
I'm glad this worked out for you but don't be surprised if you're having a sit-down with this member at some point in the future to discuss priorities. Feels like he and the rest of the band aren't on the same page. He may already be considering bolting the band and just trying to see how long he can keep one foot on either side of the line.
Yeah, how can he not understand that he wont get full pay for leaving early? Tell him to go to his job and walk out midday without reason or notice and see if he gets paid for the time he left.
He is two original bands so I can see him having some conflict of interest between the two. His other band doesn't gig nearly as much as ours (or make as much money), and our band is honestly doing quite a bit better as far as building up a following is concerned. That said, he has definitely invested far more time into the other band - a point that can't be understated.
I dunno. The interesting thing about this original band is that every member in it is involved with at least one more project, but the hang, music, and pay are very good so everyone seems really into making this particular band work.
We had a similar situation in my band, with a chick singer who took several opportunities (usually socially related), to show up late to gigs, leave early or not play the gig at all. The BL finally fired her and the hilarious thing is, we played two months worth of shows without her before a single person asked us where she had gone.
Nah, he'd be missed by our fans if he was gone. I was actually gonna post a thread on this very topic - that being, what's the reason for your band's draw? Is it the musicianship, the music, the members of your band, or some combination of the above? In my case, it's a combination of the three, but a nod definitely goes towards the members of the band.
Each member of my band brings at least 20 people out with them to each show just because they're playing and their friends want to support them and listen to some good music. If he were to quit or be fired he'd be missed and would put a decent dent in our showing per gig. As it stands, we can guarantee 80 people in the door, with our average actually starting to reach 100 - and that's not including our friends who bring other people with them. Not too shabby for an originals band that's only been around for a hair over 3 weeks now.
The fact that you can draw so much and actually make money as an original band is astounding.
It's very heartening to hear that someone out there is making it work.
Honestly, if we weren't in college and playing to college kids right now I doubt we would be as successful as we currently are. People our age are constantly looking for an excuse to go out to a bar or club to have a drink and socialize with friends. We're very fortunate to have a lot of good friends and a local scene that supports us and the kind of music we're producing.
We're also fortunate that many of the fraternities around here want to hire live bands instead of DJ's. We can pull anywhere between $500-$800 for pregame gigs, and we might be able to pull one or two shows for $1,000 before the end of the season. The stars are definitely aligning for us right now and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities we've been given so far this semester. It's been a fun ride, that's for sure
wow that's just opposite of what we had happen, our guitar player has a road job that puts him anywhere in the state within driving distance.
Anyways he had to miss the entire first set once to make it to a gig, but we payed him the same, how do you dock a guy that has a legitimate reason?
I mean, If he had his mother's 60th birthday party or had relatives in town and they were going to eat, and he had to leave an hour early would have more merit than wanting to watch the game!!!
Sounds like if you can make it a set without him you can make it a gig without him...
Better yet tell him you are hiring a fill in for his 1 set but it's going to cost over half his cut because the guy at least wants a decent cut to make the gig...
Anyways he had to miss the entire first set once to make it to a gig, but we payed him the same, how do you dock a guy that has a legitimate reason?
I mean, If he had his mother's 60th birthday party or had relatives in town and they were going to eat, and he had to leave an hour early would have more merit than wanting to watch the game!!!
Sounds like if you can make it a set without him you can make it a gig without him...
Better yet tell him you are hiring a fill in for his 1 set but it's going to cost over half his cut because the guy at least wants a decent cut to make the gig...
I don't know anyone who would take a sub gig that involved playing one set of a multi-set show and then going home. That's just weird, and unless the gig was stupendously high-paying, not economically viable either.
Reminds me of a gig we played in one of my former cover bands... the gig had been on the books for a long time, comes the day of the show and we're setting up and we get a call from one of our guitarists saying he was on his way -- from a town 4 hours away where he had been vacationing with his GF-- so he was gonna be "a little late". Turns out he missed the whole first set, comes strolling in just as we're starting the 2nd set, walks on stage and plugs in (out of tune), starts playing... our other guitarist was so furious I was sure he was gonna punch him out right there onstage. Not to mention this was our first night ever playing a pretty high-profile club in town where we had waited a long time to get a booking. Completely unprofessional, and I'm pretty sure it played a big role in us not getting hired back there again.
the game isn't likely to be decided in the first quarter- play the whole gig then go to the game.
If the game is decided in the first quarter- it wasn't worth going to in the first place.
When you are an entertainer, you have to work while everybody else has fun. This guitarist seems to want it both ways. I have been gigging for 20 years and working as a bartender for 12. For example, I don't get to spend New years eve with my wife-- I have to work while others celebrate. But that's where I make my money. that is the trade off I chose to make. Guitarist needs to grow up.
Plus: the band's only been together for a shade over three weeks and you already have members that are not replaceable? Balderdash I say. There must certainly be another guitarist at your school who could round up twenty people to come to a gig. Don't sell yourselves short. Or overvalue any one member.
If the game is decided in the first quarter- it wasn't worth going to in the first place.
When you are an entertainer, you have to work while everybody else has fun. This guitarist seems to want it both ways. I have been gigging for 20 years and working as a bartender for 12. For example, I don't get to spend New years eve with my wife-- I have to work while others celebrate. But that's where I make my money. that is the trade off I chose to make. Guitarist needs to grow up.
Plus: the band's only been together for a shade over three weeks and you already have members that are not replaceable? Balderdash I say. There must certainly be another guitarist at your school who could round up twenty people to come to a gig. Don't sell yourselves short. Or overvalue any one member.
If you had a time clock, would he have been there to punch in? Do you have a PTO or vacation policy in your band? Whatever the reason, it's his problem that he can't make it, and he shouldn't get paid for the time he's not there, mother's birthday or not.
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