Who gets paid

[Liam Wald]

While money isn't the primary reason that most musicians play music, it is a scorecard.
If the band is only getting paid $40-$100 for the whole band, the band needs to get better.

 

[Jscriv]

Depending on where we play we make either nothing, we have a venue that is strictly for charity. Which I will say I really like. Other bars depending on turn out we get 60-100. And there is one bar we can really cram people into and we get 150-200. All just a 30-45 minute set. These are lifelong friends of mine. One is now my brother in law and the other two might as well be brothers. We usually tip the bartender 20-30 bucks from the band and out the rest in a kitty for studio time, merch production, or the off chance I book a show that requires travel.

 

[GBBSbassist]

You are in a very good place, then. Enjoy it while it lasts.

I would question giving your gig shares to "the touring band". I've never been part of the originals scene. Is this a thing?

I've been in a few bands that have done this in the punk scene. There seemed to be so many bands playing punk that practically lived on the road playing dives.

I walked away with $140 today at rehearsal. It was payment for our last gig. 1 hour 15 min show with free food and beer.

Foo Fighter Tribute band, split between 5 members with 10% off the top for our booking agent.

Played to a packed house in a great venue.

I’m lucky.

Nice! Sounds like a dream gig.

 

[SaucyJackBass]

Haven't read the whole thread but I would say this is pretty common. We buy T-shirts and order CDs and end up giving away more than we sell. The tiny amount of money we get for original shows pays for some of that. Thankfully we have designed our own studio and we track and mix everything ourselves. On the last album, we even used a Mastering site rather than pay for mastering. Quality is fine in this age of streaming. We never pay individual members.

 

[lfmn16]

I can only hope that this is supposed to be funny...

What's funny about being payed the market rate? If you don't like the rate of the market you are in, get in another market. Is it fair that police and fire fighters make $50,000 a year and some dumb @$$ that can put a ball in a hoop but can't speak in complete sentences makes millions?

 

[GBBSbassist]

While money isn't the primary reason that most musicians play music, it is a scorecard.
If the band is only getting paid $40-$100 for the whole band, the band needs to get better.

That's just not how it works in regards to up and coming originals bands. There is often no correlation between compensation and musicianship as an unrecognized originals musician.

 

[mikeyjm2]

In the originals band I'm with, we throw any money we might make (which isn't much) into a group fund that goes towards things like studio time, merch, etc. as previously mentioned. Sounds like we're in a similar situation where everyone in this band has a regular job and isn't relying on music to make their living. If we did we'd be in a world of hurt! The kicking in money for the touring bands thing is news to me, but we really don't do shows like that so wouldn't apply in our case.

That said, I'm also in a couple of cover bands. Thought there is that I do like to get paid for playing but I know realistically it's just not going to happen in an originals band. Even in the cover bands we all have regular day jobs which pay our bills.

 

[PennyroyalWe]

Thanks all for the replies! Some where in my out loud thinking I don’t think I was very clear on my stance in all of this hahaha. I’m cool with my situation, I’m having fun and keeping my mind busy. I was just wondering if this situation is a common one and how others maneuver the financial aspect. Seems it’s really just the nature of the game. My wife really has all the best intentions, she’s just a bit more business minded than I am.

 

[JRA]

My wife really has all the best intentions, she’s just a bit more business minded than I am.

still wouldn't hurt to pick a flower for her once in a while. good luck with your originals band!

 

[Liam Wald]

That's just not how it works in regards to up and coming originals bands. There is often no correlation between compensation and musicianship as an unrecognized originals musician.

I am not so sure about that. Even if the band is playing all original music if, the original songs are very well composed/arranged and the musicianship is top notch while the band is rehearsed enough to be really really tight with great beginnings-endings-vocals. It will work. But you have to be willing to make the commitment and the investment to get there. I believe that bands get paid what they are worth.

 

[Retired Guy]

You are getting paid market rates. That's what your value is, no more, no less. If you are concerned about money join a soul-sucking, pocket-filling cover band.

I guess it depends on how you look at it...playing the same 12 angst ridden songs that all sound the same week after week would suck more soul out of me than playing 40 cover songs, many of them written by some of the best musicians and bands of all time.

But, each to their own...

 

[bdplaid]

Thanks for the input. It’s more a concern to my wife than to me. She’s expressed concern that I’m not valuing my skill set properly or that I’m being financially taken advantage of. If it was a soul-sucking cover band, I’d have a stronger opinion on the matter lol.

Yes, there’s a few bookers that even include a line in their gig confirmation emails saying something to the tune of “even split, but locals are welcome to kick down $ to the touring band(s)”. So with these small time gigs, it’s pretty common thing. And to that, there’s been numerous cats I’ve talked to that have stories about how those little donations really make or break a tour. In a way this tradition keeps the scene going, but it’s a lot like encouraging patrons to tip so that restauranteurs can underpay their servers.

This situation angers me more than you can imagine. They are saying, We won't pay the touring bands enough, so please give them your portion." It's SOP for blood-sucking promoters. And we freely participate in their sucking of our lifeblood.

Personally, I feel your entire story outlines a very tragic scenario for the entire music scene everywhere. Your wife is kind of right, but it's not you that aren't valuing your music, it's that everyone everywhere doesn't value music. Living in the current day of free - to - 99 cent downloaded music has killed us. The new generation feels music should be free (they seem to think everything should be free). Yet the worst music imaginable (turn on the radio) makes billionaires out of idiots.

I play originals, don't expect any pay at all, but will be damned if I pass along any of my heard-earned pennies to the so-called touring acts. Their manager should have taken better care of them. My band has needs, too, be it studio time or just pizza and beer.

Listen to Porcupine Tree's Sound of Muzak... it expresses my feelings precisely.

 

[lfmn16]

I guess it depends on how you look at it...playing the same 12 angst ridden songs that all sound the same week after week would suck more soul out of me than playing 40 cover songs, many of them written by some of the best musicians and bands of all time.

But, each to their own...

+1

Because playing your originals to an empty club for $4 a night isn't soul-sucking at all.

 

[devo1]

If you are in the music business to make money then don't be the musician, it pays the least. Especially in an original band...

 

[Wasnex]

While money isn't the primary reason that most musicians play music, it is a scorecard.
If the band is only getting paid $40-$100 for the whole band, the band needs to get better.

It's not necessarily about how good the band is. It's more closely tied into supply and demand in the chosen market segment. It's possible the same musicians could play different music at the same quality level and make significantly more money.

 

[Acoop]

Funny that an original band playing original tunes make less than a cover/tribute imitating another band. There’s no real reason for an original band to play out till you have product to push. Time is better spent working on new material and recording.

 

[40Hz]

What kind of sick mind get pleasure in making other people happy????

Seriously though, I never got why people think playing originals makes them so special.

I don’t get it either. Any more than I get why playing any kind of music (including well-paying cover gigs while sneering at originals bands) makes somebody think they’re special. It’s not like music is solving any real world problems.

Music, at its core, is something you ultimately do for yourself. You do it for art, or your own pleasure, or the hang, or the lifestyle, or the money, or accolades, or sex…or…whatever.

As musicians, I think we all (myself included) need to get over ourselves and what we do every so often. It’s one thing to feel justifiably resentful if someone is profiting off of your skills and talent and not giving you an equitable share in the take. But copping an attitude because you’re not getting the respect you feel is your due even if the world isn’t that much interested in what you’re doing is another matter.

People associate and form friendships with people they decide they like. People pay money for things that have value to them. And people give their attention to things that match their own personal needs and interests. And not everything worth doing, or is a great idea in and of itself, automatically maps out to something that would make for a good business.

Music is always going to be around. It’s something people listen to. And it’s something people do.

Whether or not the business of music still makes, or will continue to make for a viable business activity is another thing.

 

[Wasnex]

It could be that the wife is thinking along the lines of "Isn't a night with me worth more to you than six dollars?"

If she's looking at it that way then I could see getting annoyed with whole endeavor.

Since the OP is in a hobby band, "Isn't a night with me worth more to you than six dollars?" is essentially the same as saying, "Isn't a night with me worth more to you than playing softball?"

Perhaps a conversation would be appropriate to clarify that the band is a creative outlet that is really more of a hobby than a money making venture. Also perhaps some effort to make the spouse feel valued and appreciated would be helpful.

 

[Wasnex]

Funny that an original band playing original tunes make less than a cover/tribute imitating another band. There’s no real reason for an original band to play out till you have product to push. Time is better spent working on new material and recording.

Depends on your goals. Obviously your goal is to make money, so I see your point. But if the point is to have a bit of fun playing out, the money may not be important. The problem is the people who don't care about the money increase supply and saturate the market pushing prices down.

 

[SteveC]

I usually don’t leave the house for less than $100. Were a 5 piece cover band and soundguy. He gets equal cut. He’s at all the rehearsals and shows, sets up the FOH and the wireless stuff for our IEMs, etc. totally worth it.
We usually start at $2,000 but it depends on the gig, if we’re using our FOH/Lights, etc. we try to not do many “bar” gigs as they don’t pay. Private, corporate, street dances in the summer, that’s where we try to play.

 

[Plectrum72]

You might make more being a covers band, but no covers bands sign record deals or get world famous, unless you are Five Finger Death Punch.

Fixed that for ya