What do you make on New Year's Eve?

[Bassic83]

Just curious about what others make on New Years Eve gigs. It's supposed to be gravy night, the one night out of the year when musicians get paid well. What did you make, what kind of gig, did they have an outrageous cover, etc...all the gory details.

 

[Shoka42]

My "band" (still minus a guitarist) Performed a cover of the House of the Rising Sun for our families on new years eve It was our first ever gig

 

[bassicinstinct]

The tradition in the UK is that an act will tend to be paid twice it's normal fee for a New Year's Eve gig.

 

[jive1]

The band pulled in around a grand this year, but I'm sure there are plenty of guys on here whose band at least doubled that.

 

[Bassic83]

So how was it split up? How much did you make? Where? Formal attire, or the usual streetwear? Details, people, details!

 

[chris4001asat]

9 Piece band including sound guy. $2000
Cover charge: $175 a couple CASH BAR!!!!!!!
$3 beer, $6 mixed drink, $7 glass of wine

 

[brianrost]

$600 for a jazz quartet at a local restaurant, plus we got the $60 four course dinner on the house. Attire was dressy casual.

That room normally plays $250 for a Friday night gig so the dough was decent especially since it was our first gig anywhere.

 

[Jace The Bass]

Dunno what the full amount our showband made but I got 300 dollars in the hand with free dinner meal B4 gig

 

[SmittyG]

The guys in my band, who have lots of stage time in previous bands (while this is my first band), told me that two-four times normal pay is what to expect for NYE gigs. I had six venues try to book my band. All wanted to just pay us as they usually do. I turned down all six. All six got other bands to take the gigs at regular pay. So, in my neck of the woods, the bands have quite effectively joined together and devalued a NYE gig down to the same price point of a regular Saturday night.

 

[Eric Moesle]

$3000 total for four piece cover band (we rent PA out of our cut), three sets between 9:30 to 1:30, with $100 per guy bar tab.

 

[PhatBasstard]

I played a corporate event (Hyatt, 1000 people) with a group/organization I play with often.
The group was 9 peice (5 musicians, 4 singers) that night.
Regular nights are $200 or more. $150 if it's a short appearance (30 minutes).
Not sure what the leader/booker got for the whole gig, but he paid me personally $500 for 2 1/2 hours work. Plus food and drinks in the "green room" for the band only.

On New Years gigs I've made as little as $200 and as much as $1800.

 

[ZonPlyr]

$2500 for a 4 piece band at a country club party. Plus we got a steak and lobster dinner and a bar tab. This is the first time I have had a plush gig such as this on NYE, usually it's a bar gig that pays $1200 for the band and no food. Nice thing was that we finished at 1:00 at the country club then went to a private party where the home owner gave us another $500 to play until 4am, long night but profitable.

This is not the norm around here, i was lucky to be double booked this year and was able to choose the higher paying gig and give my sub the other one.

 

[Joe P]

Our little three-piece rock band VERBALLY CONTRACTED for $400 to a little club with a hall that didn't advertise one bit as the show approached.

Yup - you guessed it: We were cheated by $200 at the end of the night. We could not convince the club owner that what was in the till was not the only money in the world, or that she should have advertised, or that people should be faithful to their word (as we were).

We brought in maybe a dozen folks ourselves - freinds of the band. Most of the money she took-in that night was from OUR people!

We were pretty down after that, but what can you do?? A couple of our fans thought of one thing - they said "hey let us load up the truck for you", and when we got home we found a nice bar stool packed in with our stuff. That's definately not like us, but I must admit that it does make me feel a little better.

Joe

 

[Bassic83]

Dude, that sucks...at least you have a "throne" for the practice room...

 

[fastplant]

Our little three-piece rock band VERBALLY CONTRACTED for $400 to a little club with a hall that didn't advertise one bit as the show approached.

I love when clubs don't advertise one bit, then get mad at the band for not drawing enough. Especially when every last soul in the place was brought by the band.

 

[godoze]

I played The Sands Casino in atlantic city..$700 and a comped room

EDIT: it was a piano trio...

 

[Joe P]

Dude, that sucks...at least you have a "throne" for the practice room...

Yup - That's where it's sitt'n!

At least we had a gig scheduled for the next night too... Oh yeah, but there was an ice storm, so it got cancelled!

I was expecting to have $230 in my pocket for the weekend's work, and ended up with $60... But then I should subtract the $10 I spent on lunch at the club that ripped us off (and I tipped big!).

Well - next gig is weekend-after-next. Also, the club that cancelled rescheduled us for an april show at the same time.

Life rocks on!

Joe

 

[Bassic83]

Always get it in writing. Leaves the club owner a lot less "wiggle room", and it holds up better in court.

 

[Joe P]

The band pulled in around a grand this year, but I'm sure there are plenty of guys on here whose band at least doubled that.

Oh yeah!!

Makes me want to go home and practice!

Joe

 

[Bassic83]

OK, for what it's worth- my band played at my G/F's restaurant, got $250 a man, free food, free drinks, and got to set off some fireworks. I got $450, but it was overage on the gig money that I got to pay off the PA I bought earlier in the year. We also got booked for next year. Even if I quit this band again, I'm still going to do this gig with them because it's such a cool gig, and I had a lot of fun. We're also supposed to make more next year...I'm thinking around $1500 for the four of us.