Would You Drive 6+ hours for $300?!

[GearHeadBassMan]

Depends on the gig. Is it a 4+ hour cover gig or a 45 min set in front of a huge crowd?

And the $300 would have to be my cut, free and clear. And would I be driving separately?

I'll agree, that is a long ass drive for one day.

we'd all be driving up together, 1 hour set for a college crowd, but there's no guarantees how big that crowd will be.

I basically told my bandmates, thats an awesome connection to have, and we'll have to tour through that state soon and hit them up then, but not for a one day thing, it just seems ridiculous.

 

[jaywa]

we'd all be driving up together, 1 hour set for a college crowd, but there's no guarantees how big that crowd will be.

I basically told my bandmates, thats an awesome connection to have, and we'll have to tour through that state soon and hit them up then, but not for a one day thing, it just seems ridiculous.

Good answer. That gig sounds like a loser.

 

[bikeplate]

HI

If it was in town and for good will, yes. $300 for everyone and all that driving, no chance in this lifetime

Rob

 

[MatticusMania]

I guess thats a good way of thinking of it. however, its total, not per person cut.

I already had my answer, I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't the odd man out.

Ok, since you would be splitting the $300 with the rest of the band it might not be worth it for you.

Though if it were my band, and our travel/food expenses could be covered by the $300 I, personally, would still do it just for the love of playing and adventure. Though im used to doing unpaid shows.

 

[Intune]

Originally Posted by OtterOnBass
Let's see, if it's a three-hour show (including loading times), that's 9 hours of work for $300. Minus gas let's say it's $270. That's $30/hour. Not bad, I'd do it.

I guess thats a good way of thinking of it. however, its total, not per person cut.

I already had my answer, I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't the odd man out.

Naw, you're not odd man out, you're the one using his noggin! And I'd call it 15 hrs with the 6 each way.

 

[MrLenny]

Van rental is $30.00 plus $0.56/mile here in New England.
I drove 8 hrs. round trip last summer for a gig and it was a dud.
Luckily we had a good van.
Given your circumstances I would stay home.

 

[stanger503]

i cant believe some of you people make so much money that 300 dollars to YOU(your own cut) would still be a question...you realize theres alot of people that make not much over 300 in a week after busting their A's for 40 or more hours. i would be alllll over this in a heartbeat if that was just my cut. and depending on the exposure and type of gig then it would still be near the top of the list considering im in a 3 piece and the money would just go to band funds any how and we wouldnt pocket any of it

 

[stanger503]

Ok, since you would be splitting the $300 with the rest of the band it might not be worth it for you.

Though if it were my band, and our travel/food expenses could be covered by the $300 I, personally, would still do it just for the love of playing and adventure. Though im used to doing unpaid shows.

im with you on this too.... i absolutely love playing live and playing bass in general. it still boggles my mind that in the right gigs and circumstances i can get paid to just play our songs and really enjoy it. it kinda bugs me that these people that love to play bass so much require money to do so. you may want to consider taking up something else in your life unless your a pro gigging musician and thats your only means of making money, if you dont love it that much just get out of it i guess. i sound dumb i know but thats just my opinion and how much i love to play

 

[dangerkirk]

I'd do it especally if your an all originals band, exposure is your real profit.

 

[jaywa]

Dude, don't ever feel bad about being the voice of [financial] reason in your band. I'm in the same situation at times with my band, always asking the question, "but what does this gig really get us"? It's Net (i.e., gross minus expenses and time), that matters and $300 gross for the whole band, well heck... That's just basic business sense and it sounds like you're the one in your band that has it.

If you're going to play for free (which is basically what the gig in question would be), I'm sure there are places a lot closer than a 6-hour drive each way where you could do that, and have a bigger audience. I myself do plenty of playing for free but that is for my church and select local benefits. No way I would ever drive that much for that little cash, plus you say it would only be a 1 hour set and you have no idea how many people are going to show up? Doesn't seem like a real tough call to me.

 

[LowDown Hal]

I wouldn't drive anywhere in that van!

 

[BassScum]

im with you on this too.... i absolutely love playing live and playing bass in general. it still boggles my mind that in the right gigs and circumstances i can get paid to just play our songs and really enjoy it. it kinda bugs me that these people that love to play bass so much require money to do so. you may want to consider taking up something else in your life unless your a pro gigging musician and thats your only means of making money, if you dont love it that much just get out of it i guess. i sound dumb i know but thats just my opinion and how much i love to play

Give me a break!
We all love playing and yes for most of us playing music is not our only source of income. You'll figure it out when you get older.

 

[MatticusMania]

If you're going to play for free (which is basically what the gig in question would be), I'm sure there are places a lot closer than a 6-hour drive each way where you could do that, and have a bigger audience. I myself do plenty of playing for free but that is for my church and select local benefits. No way I would ever drive that much for that little cash, plus you say it would only be a 1 hour set and you have no idea how many people are going to show up? Doesn't seem like a real tough call to me.

See, for me it would all be about the fun we'd have along the way. The guys in my band are some of my best friends. Basically the pay from the show would cover all of our expenses. By the time we rented a van, filled up, drove out there, played our 1hour set, either to a packed room or just the supporting bands, hung out, got wasted, crashed, and drove home, even if we were empty handed by then, it would have all been worth it, like a free vacation!

Though, I understand, not everyone would see it this way.

 

[atheos]

I've done a gig with my band e.g. in Moscow, Rome and Rovaniemi and got paid nothing. Zero bucks. On the other hand, I didn't have to pay anything either so it was kind of zero-zero situation. Those gigs were no special but nice enough, not a lot audience though. Doesn't matter. Ok, I'm in a "rock band" and we're aiming to rule the world but it's not about the money, it's about getting heard. And there are never too many gigs in the "past gigs" section of a band's web site.

Every single one of those trips have been wonderful and I'd do them again. With my band mates I'd definitely do it again, they're the best people in the world. And I'm still young too so I'm not tired of traveling yet. I'll probably never be though, I've loved every minute in the minivan with the guys (and a girl). Maybe I might have a different opinion if I did this for money or would just want to jam a few tunes every Sunday and not really care about doing gigs.

Yes, I'd drive 6+ hours if I'd get paid enough to cover the expenses. $300 might just be enough to cover the car rent and gas for a trip that takes 6 hours per direction. Then there's the booking agent's share, our share plus food and extra alcohol not supplied by the gig organizer... So no, not for $300.

And what do you complain about the gas price, it's DOUBLE compared to U.S. thanks to the taxes

 

[jaywa]

I can totally appreciate the different perspectives on this, and it's good to hear them.

If I were 24 and single again (sigh), trying to make a full-time living at original music and playing with my best friends in the world, then yeah, something like that gig I would probably jump on. But I'm "a few" years older than that now and at my current life position, the time I spend on gigs is time that I'm not spending with my family, helping my wife around the house etc. - so even though I love playing bass as much as ever (actually, MORE than ever), those gigs represent an "opportunity cost" and I expect to be fairly compensated for them, notwithstanding the pro bono stuff I mentioned earlier.

Everyone in town pretty much knows what my going rate is and my band all shares that same expectation, so if a gig is paying that money they know where to find me and if not, I'm OK letting someone else have it.

 

[atheos]

See, for me it would all be about the fun we'd have along the way.

Damn, you were more compact than me Free vacations with best friends ever = totally FTW. Totally worth anything if only the expenses get covered (not counting all the booze and food not delivered at the venue and/or mentioned in the rider).

Although a friend of mine did a self-organized & self-paid two week tour in middle Europe with his band and two others last summer. I guess they ended up with around -$500 per head but I've never heard anybody saying anything bad about the tour overall. Minor details like broken cars don't count

 

[tekhedd]

12 hours round trip is about 2 tanks of gas (in my vehicle) which is about $50 these days. Add tolls and McDonalds and thats another $25. So I pocket $225. yes, I would.

McDonalds? That's a deal-breaker right there.

 

[David Jayne]

No.

 

[kesslari]

Someone here put it in a way that really makes sense to me.
The three benefits I get from playing music are fun, learning, and money.
If none are there, I don't go.
If it's about money, then the money has to be sufficient.

I personally would not drive 6 hours for a $300 gig if it was a typical (but well paid) bar gig.

I *would* drive that far for that pay to play, say, a festival with other musicians/bands that I like (high fun and potentially learning factor).
Or if I got called by a really good musician that I respect (sure, BB, I'll meet you in Los Angeles for the gig). High learning and fun factor.
Those are just examples.
Enough learning and/or fun can make up the money-to-hassle ratio.
Key word being "can".

 

[butchblack]

I guess thats a good way of thinking of it. however, its total, not per person cut.

I already had my answer, I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't the odd man out.

Let's see

My old Ford van used to get 15 mpg highway. a 6 hr trip = 300 miles = 20 gal of fuel X 2 @ $2.00 gal = $80 gas + tolls if any + food + lodging (do not attempt to pull an 18+ hour day by driving 6 hours home after the gig) add in the safety factor of a van leaking gas and the potential for a ticket or a breakdown, all for $75.00. Unless this is some unbelievable opportunity don't even think about it, it's a no brainer. I enjoy playing in front of a crowd as much as anyone, but at some point you need to be practical and run the band as a business.