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This. I don't know anything about this keys player, but back in my college days, (or summer job days, or post-graduation-looking-for-a-job days) I could not have justified an extra $67 per month in that same situation.
OP, you say the gig income will "easily" cover the rent space, but how much is left over that actually makes all the time spent worth it? There's the fun and enjoyment factor, sure. But to a lot of people dedicating hours and hours, that's not enough.
I'm not saying you carry him, because everyone knows that will create other rabbit holes. But it's possible this guy's decision isn't unreasonable.
(Also, I'm with the other guy who thinks $400/mo is high for a band space.)
Heck, in my town of 90,000 people, we have a "Music Conservatory" that rents out a band space with a full drum kit and a few full size bass/guitar rigs for $10/hr. Split that 6 ways. 
Edit: Yes, they're losing some money and almost entirely donation driven. But still. If I were in your 4-piece, I wouldn't be too interested in the $100/mo band "entrance fee" unless we were gigging weekly at decent venues.
Edit: Yes, they're losing some money and almost entirely donation driven. But still. If I were in your 4-piece, I wouldn't be too interested in the $100/mo band "entrance fee" unless we were gigging weekly at decent venues.
- Oct 7, 2000
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100% on the above.
I was in a similar sitauation with the Zep tribute I play in. They wanted me to kick in for their studio space, and I did for a short while but quickly realized I was nuts. I was losing money in the band, which was not what I signed up for. I told them I couldn't kick in after a few months, and they were fine with it. 4 years later we're still only playing about 6 gigs a year, but we're only rehearsing about 4 times a year, and we're all very happy. They use their studio for other projects now.
If your keyboard player is good, and willing to rehearse - you best hold onto him however you have too. It's tough finding keyboard players, tougher finding good ones, and next to impossible to find a good one willing to rehearse regularly. Add no gigs and he has to pay for rehearsal...
Ya might want to rethink this one.
I've been doing this a long time and never paid a dime for rehearsal space. I understand that it might be necessary for certain types of gigs and setups, but it absolutely has to pay for itself. Of course, I'm one of the "book the gig, then figure out how to play it" types.
tell the keyboard player you'll be practicing at his house from now on ...
that how it goes if i'm the keyboardist ... i hate dragging my keys around
that how it goes if i'm the keyboardist ... i hate dragging my keys around
Yes actually. We had 24 hour access at storage units we rented that's were as cheap as $100 per month and never over $200. We paid $180 a month to rehearse in a studio where we were even allowed to use the pro tools setup now yeah the studio wasn't 24hr but the all the storage units were.these days we pay nothing btw
Not meaning to pile on, but yeah, you should have covered anything that members need to pay up front on day one. I get that you guys were covering it until you found out if he was going to work out. I'd just wish him good luck and let it go. If you try setting up a special arrangement for him, other will want the same thing later on.
$17 a week with no gigs?
I'd be gone too, probably with "And the horse you rode in on..."
I neither need nor want rehearsal space with 24/7 access.
Why ? So I can store a spare rehearsal rig there ?
I am in -one- (of 3) project that -sometimes- rents rehearsal space for $10 a week - but that cost covers a full backline. I.e. - for me, and the drummer - plug & play...
If I had a dollar for every time I've heard something like that, I could cover the $17 _a week_ with no problem.
My goal in playing out is not to pay your rent...
Where you gonna gig with 20 cover songs ?
I have 2 shows coming up this month and they are 40 songs each.
If you're billing out enough to cover $75 / person / month for a 5-piece cover band, more power to you.
I think you should have told them at the very beginning. I don't like hidden costs. I do like honesty and people being upfront with what's required to be in a band.
I'm in a 7 piece band that pays $350/month rent, that's $50 each or $600/year. We rehearse once a week. I don't think I make that much a year with this band or maybe break even. No gigs this Christmas. Maybe a retirement party in January. They're all good people but I'm thinking of pulling the plug as another outfit that I play with occasionally doesn't even rehearse and pays well ($100-200/nite each). Can you blame me?
If you're doing it for money, yeah, you should pull the plug. I like the equation I heard someone propose a few weeks ago. Money, the hang, the music. You need two out of three or you should move on. Obviously, if this is your actual job, the money part becomes #1. But it's a good value proposition for those of us with a day job.
A top 40 cover band doesn't NEED a lockout. They should barely need rehearsal. An original band might, but if he shows up having done his homework, I would be annoyed too. Maybe you just like the space, but I'd rather play in an hourly place these days.
A lot of valid points. Before we decided to switch to covers, and were gigging our own stuff on a regular basis, we were easily covering our costs as well as banking a bit of cash. Right now, we typically rehearse once a week. For this project, i assume we'd start with a couple of gigs a month. If we can swing more, we are all for it.
Hey, i hold no animosity toward the keys player for leaving. And as a band, we discussed how it was a mistake not to bring it up immediately. A mistake we wont make again. The female vocalist brought up the rent situation herself after a few weeks of rehearsals and it wasnt an issue. I guess everyone is different.
As far as the $400 cost, there isnt a huge amount of options in my city without having to travel. We all live within minutes of the spot, including the keys player. We had a band in there sharing it, but it became a hassle.
Is this band a hobby? Absolutely. Do we make a bit of money? Sure. But we all have day jobs and families, so we arent gigging 5 times a week.
We can debate whether this band is lucrative enough until we are blue in the face, but the question i posed was whether or not to waive his portion of the rent. It seems like the consensus is that we just move on without him.
Live and learn. He's a great guy and was a pleasure to play with, so perhaps we can revisit him in the future.
Hey, i hold no animosity toward the keys player for leaving. And as a band, we discussed how it was a mistake not to bring it up immediately. A mistake we wont make again. The female vocalist brought up the rent situation herself after a few weeks of rehearsals and it wasnt an issue. I guess everyone is different.
As far as the $400 cost, there isnt a huge amount of options in my city without having to travel. We all live within minutes of the spot, including the keys player. We had a band in there sharing it, but it became a hassle.
Is this band a hobby? Absolutely. Do we make a bit of money? Sure. But we all have day jobs and families, so we arent gigging 5 times a week.
We can debate whether this band is lucrative enough until we are blue in the face, but the question i posed was whether or not to waive his portion of the rent. It seems like the consensus is that we just move on without him.
Live and learn. He's a great guy and was a pleasure to play with, so perhaps we can revisit him in the future.
wow, you'll be lucky to find a lockout around here for $500, and that may not have 24/7 access and will be in a BAD part of town that's guaranteed to be a freeway trip away. most lockouts at $500 a month are shared, which i'm not into.
a good keyboard player, quiet, learns the songs with no hassle, you say? a pleasure to play with? i'd just pay the keyboard player's share myself. it's cheaper than paying a sub and good, drama free keyboards that learn their parts aren't exactly thick on the ground, not even here in l.a.
a good keyboard player, quiet, learns the songs with no hassle, you say? a pleasure to play with? i'd just pay the keyboard player's share myself. it's cheaper than paying a sub and good, drama free keyboards that learn their parts aren't exactly thick on the ground, not even here in l.a.
We did the hourly spot for a while, and it was a bit cheaper, but it isnt always available when we want it. It was just a pain. The hourly room was tucked in a crappy small room in the basement. Unfortunately, we're limited with rehearsal spots in my city.
deepestend
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- Feb 21, 2003
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The keys guy should not be surprised that you asked him to pay rent. You may not have brought it up in the audition, but come on.
Run the keyboard tracks on a backing track (mini-recorder), send a click track to the drummer and boom, problem solved.
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