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When should you start getting paid?

#21
hbarcat said:
It's called "butts on barstools"

As a band, it's your job to bring people into the venue who are going to stay and listen to your music and while they're there, they'll be shelling out money for alcohol. Your value to the club owner is determined by how much alcohol gets sold while your playing your music versus how much would have been sold had you not been there.

Hence, if you want to be paid, you need to convince the venue that you can bring people. It really is as simple as that.
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Couldn't have been articulated any better.

Last one we did, we pulled 96 people for a 10.00 cover. Not bad, but it wasn't easy.
 
#22
IbanezBass69 said:
I am hoping someone in a metal band can pop in soon enough... I don't really see why the genre should matter all that much in this question really, I shouldn't have even mentioned it in hindsight. Just like many of you may not think your friends would go to a metal show, I would never see my friends at a country, blues, or other genres like that show. Shouldn't metal bands be just as deserving of pay as any other genre of music?
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It doesn't work that way. It's all about supply and demand.

There is always an overabundance of metal bands compared to classic rock/blues/jazz/country/other bands and this also coincides with the fact that metal fans typically spend far less money at venues than other types of fans. Less money spent at the club means less money available to pay the band.

The bottom line is; any serious metal band needs to rise well above the "garage band" or "noob" status and establish themselves as a real gigging band with a professional attitude.

I made okay money with several metal and thrash bands over much of the past 25 years but you definitely have to work harder for the same amount of dollars.
 
#23
IbanezBass69 said:
I am hoping someone in a metal band can pop in soon enough... I don't really see why the genre should matter all that much in this question really, I shouldn't have even mentioned it in hindsight. Just like many of you may not think your friends would go to a metal show, I would never see my friends at a country, blues, or other genres like that show. Shouldn't metal bands be just as deserving of pay as any other genre of music?
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It can be a generational thing, I am indifferent to metal, no opinion one way or the other.

I am to old to appreciate whatever it is that resonates with metal fans.I would never go to a metal show because I don't understand anything about it. So I am pleading ignorance and being close/narrow minded. That different from saying I don't like metal.

Just like some young people that say;

I don't like The Beatles.

The informed young person would say something like this;

You know, I am really to young to appreciate their music and how they changed the face of music. The Beatles were retired 20 years before I was even born.


And to those young people that say they are Beatles fans, I question them too.I just can't see what aboutThe Beatles would appeal to the under 50 crowd.

I contend you would have to have been at least 9-10 years old in 1964 to be a true fan.Fan by my definition.


I just read my post.It dosn't seem to have much to do with this thread or anything for that matter:(
 
#24
Like any thing else you have to pay your dues. I played in a popular hardcore band for most of the 80's. At first you make peanuts if anything at all but through touring recording and touring some more you pay those dues. The band ran on its own including a van, rehearsals, equipment etc and pocket money. At our peak we made 350 to 850 (it was the 80's) a gig, not including merch. Merch is a huge! Thats where the money is. With merch you can at least double to triple your take.
A hardcore band is like a shark...If it stops moving it dies
 
#25
zarigunn said:
getting paid is not the goal.
right ? =)
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Not getting paid doesn't help anyone or any band.


Ok, if you offer to play a a decent time slot at a festival with a crowd of over 1000 people for free thats different.

In a way your getting paid. Take a bunch of professional grade pictures and build and market around that show.
 
#26
Stiggs said:
Like any thing else you have to pay your dues. I played in a popular hardcore band for most of the 80's. At first you make peanuts if anything at all but through touring recording and touring some more you pay those dues. The band ran on its own including a van, rehearsals, equipment etc and pocket money. At our peak we made 350 to 850 (it was the 80's) a gig, not including merch. Merch is a huge! Thats where the money is. With merch you can at least double to triple your take.
A hardcore band is like a shark...If it stops moving it dies
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What band were you in?
 
#27
I played in Token Entry. Still play with them once in a blue moon. I play in State of Disgrace now out of NYC. It's more just a few old timers having some kicks and playing local gigs. We make no money at all...ha ha
 
#31
Its very hard to make money playing music. your best bet is to sell merch you will make more selling stickers shirts cds patches girls underwear whatever you want to print your logo on. on average we bring 40 to 50 people on week day nights and probably close to 100 to 150 on weekends. and make about 3$ per person on a 5$ cover charge. but shirts we can get for 2$ a piece and sell em for 10. so where is the real money playing music? playing good and getting people to buy your merch.
 
#32
Play covers to get paid. There are too many noobs who will provide free entertainment just for a chance to get "heard", not caring what that does for the rest of the musicians who have some self-respect and believe that they should be compensated. Back in the day, it was the venues responsibility to "put butts on barstools", through advertising and the like. Now, they know the next band down the line will wh**e themselves out thinking they are gonna get a record deal. Sorry if I sound bitter, but I've been doing this for 15 years and have never played a show for free. Because of this, I've watched much crappier bands/people get the gig because they were accepting of the fact that they haven't worked hard enough on their craft to be paid for it.
 
#34
hbarcat said:
It doesn't work that way. It's all about supply and demand.

There is always an overabundance of metal bands compared to classic rock/blues/jazz/country/other bands and this also coincides with the fact that metal fans typically spend far less money at venues than other types of fans. Less money spent at the club means less money available to pay the band
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Eeeeeeeeeeeexactly.

There are a ton of local metal bands around here. There are probably about a dozen bands for all other types of music (That play regularly around town and appeal to the younger crowd).

I'm in a pretty young band that started getting paid pretty quickly because, well, we're young and we don't play metal. And having merch helps.
 
#35
hbarcat said:
It's called "butts on barstools"

As a band, it's your job to bring people into the venue who are going to stay and listen to your music and while they're there, they'll be shelling out money for alcohol. Your value to the club owner is determined by how much alcohol gets sold while you're playing your music versus how much would have been sold had you not been there.

Hence, if you want to be paid, you need to convince the venue that you can bring people. It really is as simple as that.
Click to expand...

+1 EXACTLY THIS.
 
#38
IbanezBass69 said:
I am hoping someone in a metal band can pop in soon enough... I don't really see why the genre should matter all that much in this question really, I shouldn't have even mentioned it in hindsight. Just like many of you may not think your friends would go to a metal show, I would never see my friends at a country, blues, or other genres like that show. Shouldn't metal bands be just as deserving of pay as any other genre of music?
Click to expand...

Here's where I pop in. 1 how old are you guys? That's almost all I need to ask. I am in an original metal band. Our last show we pulled in over a grand(no bs). But we brought 90 percent of the 200 people in the club. Now this was in our hometown. If we would have gone 50 miles away to play, 1) we wouldn't have gotten paid, 2) not nearly as many people would have came, 3) it would have been in some terrible club where we have no control of sound.

Now we are only a year into this but we played out first 3 shows for nothing. Then we got in with the bar owners and got our own booking lines going and setup our own stuff.

Now if your "crowd" is high school kids good luck on booking a bar. We book those type of bands to open our 3 to 4 band shows but to be honest we don't pay em. They are kids and you have to pay your dues guys. Just part of the game where I come from.
 
#39
BigOldHarry said:
"All Original Metal Hardcore band" is code for "never get paid".

Really.

Hate to break it to you.
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I do agree with this too. My band is a "metal" band but don't do the "hardcore" thing. Just elements of all modern metal. Its more appealing to a regular crowd then screaming un-understandable hardcore stuff every song.

Don't get me wrong some hardcore can be cool but most isn't. These are the types of bands we have open. Not the types that headline clubs. Unless your a signed hardcore band don't expect much. Just being honest here over my experience.
 

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