What the going rate in your region?

[stratovani]

We play in the Worcester/Central Massachusetts area, and while I can't speak for other bands for us it breaks down like this - we make generally about $550 to $600 per 3-set, 3 1/2 hour gig, we provide the lights and we have a soundman who provides his own PA. The soundman gets $100 per gig, and we pay $250 per month for our rehearsal space in a small professional building. We generally play two gigs a month, so I usually take home about $125 a month. Certainly nowhere near enough to live on, but still a nice little supplement for something I enjoy doing. Most hobbies don't pay anything at all. It's probably like this for other bands in our area.

 

[LBS-bass]

IME - also currently in Southwestern / Central PA, most venues that regularly have live music typically pay $100 per musician - but only for a small group. Sometimes a venue will pay $300 max so it's better musical math to be a killer duo or fine trio, but there are plenty of opportunities to bring a quartet and end up with $75 ea. I find this mostly for jazz combos, "acoustic" singer gigs, plus the occasional rock bar band or downtown club hit. Most of these places require the band to bring their own sound.

This is part of the reason I'm working up a repertoire that I can play with just a guitarist or guitar and drums. Keeping the act small is more lucrative, even if adding a full horn section might be more fun.

 

[Troberts 98]

Vancouver area 6 piece and we average $175 a person. More for some corporate gigs. We provide sound and lights for most gigs. Play maybe 15 shows a year. Definitely not doing it for the money.

 

[bigboy_78]

Going rate a bar band covers is $800 - $1000. I'm in a 5 piece band so $150-$200 is the range.

Some demand more, some settle for less.

 

[JRA]

What the going rate in your region?
depends: bars/clubs/restaurants vs. private parties/corporate/weddings.

bars = $30 - $150 (probably averages around $75-$80)
private = no real limits, but usually starts around $150+ (probably averages around $225-$250)

in the past year:*
the least = $12 (a bar: was supposed to be gratis but someone passed a hat for the assembled 12-piece)
the most = $750 (+ room, meals, and travel --- a corporate product launch --- happened to be a 10-piece)

* neither one of these examples were with my two 'regular' bands.

 

[Big Mouth Bass]

San Diego, CA
We typically get 100% of Zero

 

[Drog]

I'm in a seven piece band in Alberta, we average $100-$150/each for bar gigs. Lately on the lower side...the economy is sucking right now. We all have day jobs, do it just for fun. We do gig on average 3-5 times a month (more in summer and December).

 

[David Jayne]

I used to do a lot of $100 bar gigs. But this year I raised my minimum to $150. So that bit has gone soft but leaves more time for better paying stuff.

 

[Pbassmanca]

This is part of the reason I'm working up a repertoire that I can play with just a guitarist or guitar and drums. Keeping the act small is more lucrative, even if adding a full horn section might be more fun.

The Rhythm Section is the foundation of every band. Imagine that someday in the near future, one can add a real-time AI horn section to any group... The reality of this is probably not in question. What is in question is , whether individual musicians will ever make more than $100 per gig....?

 

[Jason Hollar]

I recently moved to a new area and can confirm the basic $100 per musician is still in effect across a fairly wide range of weekend venues from pubs & clubs to nicer restaurants etc.

Thank goodness for private events!

 

[Mike N]

Last few gigs I did were between $0 and $20 a man....... and the BL wondered why I turned gigs down and eventually left the band.

 

[buldog5151bass]

The Rhythm Section is the foundation of every band. Imagine that someday in the near future, one can add a real-time AI horn section to any group... The reality of this is probably not in question. What is in question is , whether individual musicians will ever make more than $100 per gig....?

30 years ago we did...

 

[LBS-bass]

30 years ago we did...

Indeed. It's inching up there for me, as I'm starting to get busy enough that I can turn down any bands that aren't paying well enough for my tastes. I don't have the free time anymore to work up a repertoire with a start up and go through all their dues-paying days in the hope they'll work their way into better paying jobs.

The irony is that, though I've been picked up as first-call by a few acts that are paying pretty well, my main band is still a labor of love. We don't play for free but we don't play that often. I've got bandleaders in those other bands working hard to get us booked, and the main band just sort of slides along playing the same three or four rooms every so often. I want to get them into some additional venues, as they're the best-sounding band I'm in, but I'm not as familiar with the area as a lot of people are and I'm starting from scratch with most clubs. I'm starting to think I should pay someone to book us into some of these places initially, but I know that they'll demand pay for every show we play after the first one, and I can do the work myself once we're in. We never get into a room without getting asked back.

 

[Nightman]

Atlanta: I get $150-$200 per 2, 40 minute sets. $150 per Sunday service. It's been a long time since I've played more than 2 sets per gig!

 

[goneflyin]

Around here, 100-120 per person (5pc) in the normal venues. Double that (and more) in area casinos.

 

[akrachanko]

10-pieces at that rate? That is truly nuts or solely for the love of the game!

I think it was a little of both nuts and for the love of the game. Our band leader was also overly optimistic with the mentality that, "The more we play, the more we'll make as time goes on." This also came along with 2 weekly 3 hour rehearsals (often with no gigs lined up, I'll point out). The one that always killed me is the horn players didn't practice, so a 3 hour rehearsal typically consisted of 2.5 hours of them learning, and 30 minutes of actual rehearsal. I'm kind of glad to have left them behind, because there was a lot wrong with that group.

 

[Nightman]

The one that always killed me is the horn players didn't practice, so a 3 hour rehearsal typically consisted of 2.5 hours of them learning, and 30 minutes of actual rehearsal.

Not to take this in a different direction, but I see a lot of this here. Guys who can make a lot of noise, but don't know their instrument, can't read, don't know what song key means or can only play a song in one key!

Okay, I'm done!!

 

[donkeygrl]

Over here in Indiana my band usually gets between $100-$125 a person plus drinks or food or both at The regular bar/legion gig -we aren't the cheapest band but not the most expensive around....course New Years is a premium date so we get $300 per person like a corporate gig or wedding ...

 

[kevindahl]

Vancouver area 6 piece and we average $175 a person. More for some corporate gigs. We provide sound and lights for most gigs. Play maybe 15 shows a year. Definitely not doing it for the money.

You guys make slightly more than we do. For us it's about $100 to $150 per musician per night(4 Piece). It doesn't seem to matter if we have to supply the PA and lights or not. Are next 2 gigs the PA and lights are supplied and we will pocket $300 each for 2 nights.

We have day jobs and just want to play once per month. My bedtime is usually 10 pm on week nights and some of our gigs start at 10 pm and end at 2 am. Now if that doesn't wreck your sleep hygiene I don't what will.

 

[reverendboom]

Well, I'm getting $2500 a month for 4-5 gigs.



















But then I also have to write and preach a sermon, fix the sink that the homeless lady evidently sat on and tore off the wall , and all the rest of the stuff that goes along with being a pastor of a very small church...but I wouldn't change it for the world!

I also have plenty of time to spend on TB