Wants to be payed for practices

[lokikallas]

I’ve seen this mentality, and being in LA there is no shortage of “pros” who show up to a paid rehearsal unprepared. If someone actually showed up and nailed the songs, I’d be like, cool, see you at the gig. Lol. I‘m a “weekend warrior”, but I hate excessive rehearsals, and I’ve quit more than one band that felt the need for constant rehearsals. At a certain level of covers, rehearsals are just to coordinate fade out endings and cool song transitions.

 

[tradernick]

I guess by definition, he is a Pro because this is his PROfession. I consider a " Pro " being somone who is touring with major acts, not someone who just doesn't want to work a normal 8 to 5 job LOL

You'd be wrong. LOL

I'm guessing someone has already set you straight, but let me add my comment

There are a ton of pros who don't 'tour with major acts'. There are lots of guys making a living at music like I do, putting it together with a combination of touring when it comes, lots of in-town jobbing, in my case doing transcription, and yep, teaching. That's all I do. If you don't consider me a pro, that's cool. I work as many and sometimes more hours than the average person working 37.5/week

I don't even think the guy in this case should be asking for conditions if he is aware that this isn't a sideman situation and that you guys split everything equally and do it mainly because you enjoy it. I'm strictly commenting on your assertion that if you're not touring with a major act, you're not a pro. Which is dead wrong, and I'm a little surprised that someone who's been an integral part of the PHX scene for so long doesn't get this.

 

[tradernick]

First off dude, I AM in his league, I just choose to make my living in the real world.

Huh? The 'real world'?

Wow.

 

[twinfallsbass]

Huh? The 'real world'?

Wow.

Yeah, that statement is one I’d like to take back, it was too strong.

 

[twinfallsbass]

I take my playing very serious, I am only human and I got defensive with that dude making the statement about us making him look bad....
Just because I chose not to make music my only income does not mean I can’t hang with the Pros. Maybe when I retire, I can think of this topic differently.

 

[Rib 13]

<<< this hobbyist doesn't get paid to rehearse... i've had more cancelled rehearsals than ones that actually happened for the past few months, i'd be hurtin'.

if i had managed to ever make an actual living playing music when i was doing it as-full-time-as-possible and was still doing it full time today--i would talk about my pay expectations before an audition if i wasn't sure it was a paying job. being a pro drummer in a world of hobbyists looking for drummers, i think it's on the pro to tell the hobbyist up front "yo i will play exactly what you need on the drums, but this is what i do for a living, here's how it would work. i'd be happy to come audition with that in mind". or at least inquire as to the pay structure before the audition if that's a deal-breaker for you.

Perhaps the current state of live music players is in a flux and newer accepted protocols haven't been established yet.....I don't play music for a living anymore - I'm now a hobbyist - but I still take my working player sense with me

 

[friskinator]

I’ve never gotten paid for rehearsals, but I wouldn’t leave my house for less than $150 for a bar gig. Any less than that isn’t worth the time or effort.

 

[Rum Ham]

Maybe the drummer is tired of eating leftover pizza and decided it was time to take a stand.

By take a stand do you mean, stand outside the gig and listen to the reality of his demands?

 

[twinfallsbass]

There have been many gigs I have gotten payed where it only covered gas. I love playing in front of people and making them mosh or dance, in many ways that’s kind of payment in itself.

 

[Rayjay]

I take my playing very serious, I am only human and I got defensive with that dude making the statement about us making him look bad....
Just because I chose not to make music my only income does not mean I can’t hang with the Pros. Maybe when I retire, I can think of this topic differently.

Can I clarify something that you're taking way too personally if you're getting defensive. Allow me to speak from personal experience, through his reasoning to ask for payment. I've been burned many times by people who put zero effort into practicing. You spend hours learning something and soon doofus shows up and they've got every excuse why you should sympathize with their zero effort preparations. It will surely happen to me in the future as well. I'm sure the dude's been burned in the past in this way as well, enough to do something about it in terms of prevention.

Asking for paid rehearsals is a way of at least getting paid for that time, then its not a total waste if lack of preparation is a factor. Perhaps there will be more expectations of excellence as well, and/or the possibility of repercussions if you're not prepared.

I didn't say you're going to make him look bad. But since you brought it up, there is a chance of that if we're being totally honest. That's not a judgement on you, that's a judgement on all humanity. There's a chance of him making you look bad as well. It's MUTUAL. He's simply making sure he's not completely wasting his time. He's guaranteeing you won't make him look bad to the best he can get you to agree to. And since he's a pro, he's probably turning down jobs to be at that rehearsal.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I guess by definition, he is a Pro because this is his PROfession. I consider a " Pro " being somone who is touring with major acts, not someone who just doesn't want to work a normal 8 to 5 job LOL. You speak as though you have experience with this, are you a " Pro " or " Amateur ".

8 to 5 is 7 hrs bro. Hahaha

 

[Renaissance]

There have been many gigs I have gotten payed where it only covered gas. I love playing in front of people and making them mosh or dance, in many ways that’s kind of payment in itself.

Maybe the drummer saw that.

 

[twinfallsbass]

8 to 5 is 7 hrs bro. Hahaha

That’s actually 9hrs LOL

 

[Marley's Ghost]

As I said before, a successful tribute band is tricky business, much more so than a cover band. It can be very lucrative, but a solid experienced manager with contacts is critical. And you will probably need to travel somewhat to venues. It's a major investment in time and effort to get it to work. Good luck. I hope it works out. I dig the Killers (we cover Somebody Told Me), so this sounds like a blast.

 

[Brad Johnson]

Wow, create a thread, go out for the day, come back and six pages later....... That’s what I love about Talkbass.com
Yeah, this is just a start up Killers cover band. Everyone is super talented so I can’t imagine this not turning into something successful in the future. I have been in some very successful bands that have opened up for major acts in arenas around the valley of the sun many times, so I would consider myself more than just your average weekend warrior. Maybe when I was doing this, I should have asked for this compensation LOL. Not trying to step on any Pro’s toes here, more like asking if this was normal to ask for practice compensation; that CLEARLY has been stated as something normal. Being that I am in the local scene here, if he was THAT much of a Pro, I think I would have heard of him, of which I have not...... I guess it never hurts to ask.

Maybe you should. That's how I got it.

 

[Brad Johnson]

Have one long practice and pay him his silly $75 fee and then tell him he had better nail it at the first gig or he's canned. Practice without him a few times just get it straight and you should be fine. Sorry, but he sounds like a real jerk.

Let's see... he did the audition, nailed it, had a good conversation, let them know his expectations. Yeah, sounds like a real jerk. I hope the next guy at least brings punch and pie.


By all means give him an ultimatum.

 

[Brad Johnson]

Huh? The 'real world'?

Wow.

Another high opinion of musicians. Check.

 

[Brad Johnson]

After the fact, though...

During his conversation with the BL. Was he supposed to have that conversation the day of the audition? The BL didn't.

Auditions are job interviews. And much like job interviews they aren't necessarily a one way street. He was checking out the band too... unless they didn't play and just watched him. After doing that he had more to go on as far as evaluating the situation. He had a follow-up and discusses details.

That's normal.

People who deal with tight finances often have difficulty thinking outside of that box. Look at how many will state without hesitation what they wouldn't buy or what they wouldn't pay or do... based on their world. Not looking beyond that. So the indignation over $75 is more about the band's budget than his request IMO. He could've asked for more. I didn't see any hint that he was making a demand.

 

[Brad Johnson]

I haven't read the replies. But my take- you get what you pay for, and if you want a professional you need to pay him. That's his way of getting the most out of his time, rehearsing the least amount (you guys are a tribute band, how much could you possibly need to rehearse anyways?), and getting you guys to maximize your efforts at home, presumably for both his time and so you guys don't make him look bad onstage. I have definitely been in paid rehearsal situations, and I know other musicians who are on salary. I wish that more people got that rehearsals should be paid.

And he's not leaving the house for less than $150 for a gig- also the way it should be. The person booking the gigs should assume liability and responsibility that everyone is getting paid fairly. Fairly isn't splitting up the payout, its guaranteeing a set amount. That's called being a professional who depends on your income.

I'm 100% on his side.

If you guys can't come to terms with that, or raise your standards to his, you need to settle for someone a little more in your own league- someone who will settle for lots of rehearsing and low, un-set pay. Tribute acts should be getting top dollar so I don't see what the problem is.

Personally, I don't insist on paid rehearsals, but I maximize my guarantee for a gig and will commit to exactly one rehearsal before hand, only if the learning material is provided reasonably in advance. And I won't rehearse the same crap over and over for multiple gigs, that's one rehearsal per group's set of material. And I tell people you need to pay me for rehearsals if they insist on more of them. Am I getting tons of gigs? No. But I'm getting quality over quantity, and I don't need to waste my time committing to a crazy rehearsal schedule with guys who don't remember the amendments made during the rehearsal on the bandstand.

There is a very common mindset that "we'll get it at rehearsal"... often followed by "we'll get it at the next rehearsal". Seen it way too many times. This guy is giving a big clue that he's not about that. Neither am I. If people insist on rehearsals and don't have a fire under them to get ready ASAP, cool. Make it worth my time.

 

[lordradish]

I get that everyone doesn't want to do this for a living but what the heck is this disdain for someone who does about? I really don't get it.

Who wouldn't like to show up and play well? Who would rather practice with a band until they had a comfort level with the music? Even though you'd be (surprise) wasting others time? Why would you rather not get up to speed on your own time?

It explains alot about many of the complaints about low pay on gigs. If you're not willing to go the extra mile and the guy who does bugs you, why are you even worth $100/gig? People want to play what they want, wear what they want and have someone else pay them for it. Like most jobs.

That's a hoot.

LIKE x100