Members Potts Posted August 27, 2012 Members Share Posted August 27, 2012 If some aren't comfortable discussing money that's cool.. What's the least amount you'll book a three hour gig for as a solo? What about a duo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Telecruiser Posted August 27, 2012 Members Share Posted August 27, 2012 Restaurant or bar $150 min. (try to get dinner thrown in for that also) Private party $600 and up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Potts Posted August 27, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 27, 2012 Yeah...that's why I'm so busy because I'll do regular gigs for $150-$200. My fault is being soft on private parties. I don't think I've ever charged more that $250. I don't know why I do it. I've been saying for years that I need to charge more but I like being affordable for anyone that wants to have me. Feel free to discuss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cephus Posted August 27, 2012 Members Share Posted August 27, 2012 I expect the going rate. I have played a few places I thought were going to be cool for less. When I have played country clubs and private rich people parties, I want ALOT more because I hate it so much. To book the guitar/bass duo, I come in pretty cocky asking for $300. $250 is what I'd take. If it gets down to $200, it better be a cool place. But that is mostly for the bass player. He makes the gig easy for me. I know what he costs. Once I make that price point, then I can play around with the rest. For solo gigs, its alot more work. But, I can also afford to just do it if I want and not worry about the money. But i can't remember the last time I bothered for less than $100 - except for some charity things I have done gratis. Once it hits $100, then it's not really worth dragging all the crap from the curb to the door. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Voltan Posted August 27, 2012 Members Share Posted August 27, 2012 my duo is playing for free for the Alzheimer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jbviper4 Posted August 27, 2012 Members Share Posted August 27, 2012 $250 for a bar/restaurant$400 for a private party since we always tend to keep on playing. Duo BTW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted August 27, 2012 Members Share Posted August 27, 2012 You guys are lucky. Going rate for a solo around here on a weeknight is 50-75 bucks and dinner for a 2-3 hour gig; some venues pay that on a weekend. I get 100-150 /night on weekends at least, and that's considered good here. Tips help a lot though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EightString Posted August 27, 2012 Members Share Posted August 27, 2012 As a solo, my base price is $250. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted August 27, 2012 Members Share Posted August 27, 2012 for solo-$150 is my minimum with $250 my bottom dollar for private things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bob Dey Posted August 27, 2012 Members Share Posted August 27, 2012 $150-$200 depending on what night and distance travelled. Parties $300-350. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members doezer Posted August 27, 2012 Members Share Posted August 27, 2012 just to give you all some euro perspective on it solo on saturdays i would get anything from 120euro to 180euro. non saturday i would get anything from 100 to 150 duo - sat anything from 180 to 250 - mostly on the 250 end but we have done em for 180 duo non saturday anything from 120 to 200 private parties - 400 or so Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rodclement Posted August 27, 2012 Members Share Posted August 27, 2012 Thursday night weekly gig - $300 for the duo plus food and bar tab Private party if booked by us - $400 to $600 depending on size, distance, etc Private party booked by agent - $600 and up Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted August 27, 2012 Members Share Posted August 27, 2012 Basically, for a "public" gig (restaurant, winery, etc.) my minimum is $60/hr - solo, $125/hr - duo, and $200/hr - trio. Private parties - minimum is $125/hr - solo, $250/hr - duo, and $350/hr - trio. "Institutionals" (nursing homes, hospitals, etc.) - minimum is $75/hr (solo). Rarely do these as a duo or trio. These prices includes travel-time, if over an hour's traveling distance, each way. If flying, a round-trip ticket is part of the deal. There is no maximum, of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Potts Posted August 28, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 28, 2012 Good prices Terry! I had a friend that was old like you (lol only kidding) and he taught me years ago that the minimum should be about $1 a minute for local solo gigs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted August 28, 2012 Members Share Posted August 28, 2012 Good prices Terry! I had a friend that was old like you (lol only kidding) and he taught me years ago that the minimum should be about $1 a minute for local solo gigs! You young whippersnappers keep off my mother friggin' lawn! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Pitar Posted August 28, 2012 Members Share Posted August 28, 2012 The least? Nothing. I'll play for free. I don't care. I know this tears at folks who think I'm sabotaging the market by accepting no pay. But I'm an old guy who doesn't need the income offset, I have a lot of fun with it and usually it's for some cause where everything at the event is volunteered/donated anyway. The last time I did a real gig free it was to get some life into a particular place owned by a friend while he rounded up some decent local talent on a schedule. I did that every Friday and Saturday night for about a month before he got some other regulars to take over. He wanted to pay me but I could see he was running a tight budget trying to get in the black. Later on he mentioned some patrons were asking about me and that they'd like to have me back. That was nice to hear but I'm done with the bar scene. Hell, those couple days a week in a smokey bar damn near killed me and my guitar smells like an ashtray. When I was accepting pay for play it was $100.00/night or see ya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Potts Posted August 28, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 28, 2012 You young whippersnappers keep off my mother friggin' lawn! hahah! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted August 28, 2012 Members Share Posted August 28, 2012 and usually it's for some cause where everything at the event is volunteered/donated anyway. That's a whole different thing than undercutting paid performers in a commercial venue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Potts Posted August 28, 2012 Author Members Share Posted August 28, 2012 The least? Nothing. I'll play for free. I don't care. I know this tears at folks who think I'm sabotaging the market by accepting no pay. But I'm an old guy who doesn't need the income offset, I have a lot of fun with it and usually it's for some cause where everything at the event is volunteered/donated anyway. I hear that argument around here (at home in Buffalo) at times and I don't subscribe to that line of thinking! Good for you! Go play your guitar and have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MDLMUSIC Posted August 28, 2012 Members Share Posted August 28, 2012 I'll play for free for a good cause. I like to get at least $100 for a normal gig, but have been known to go a bit lower if there are perqs involved (free meal, free lodging). Usually I can make up in tips what I lose by lowering my price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sgt. Rock Posted August 28, 2012 Members Share Posted August 28, 2012 $25 an hour plus tips within a 50 mile radius. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bob Dey Posted August 28, 2012 Members Share Posted August 28, 2012 Unfortunately, venues are popping up around here that don't really pay anything. There's a few that give the musicians a sandwich and whatever tips they can get. Others have a cover charge that the musicians get a percentage of. Nothing guaranteed. I've been a pro for too long to stoop to that level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chemikool Posted August 28, 2012 Members Share Posted August 28, 2012 I played solo for $150 Friday night 9-1145 (2 on a stick), the jar rang ($82- didn't take a break:cop:) so it paid off and made it worthwhile. Saturday, I did a trio (pods and tops and music stands) and it was a bill a man + maybe 10 bucks in the jar. All food and drinks comped both nights. Both venues are local. We are talking absolute minimums here...During the week (Tuesday to Thursday), I won't go out for less than $100. On the weekend $150. Certainly not hard-and-fast by any means, but that seems to be what my market (Georgia, USA) will pay as minimums. That seems to be the wall I'm running into with venues around here. I make more than most, but they aren't going to go any higher. I don't live in L.A., or a similar large market with large market economics either though; so I usually do much, much better than the minimum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Howie22 Posted August 28, 2012 Members Share Posted August 28, 2012 Usually $150 for restaurant/bar gigs for me, which seems to be the going rate at most places in my neck of the woods. I've played for $125 before, but don't really do that anymore. For private parties, usually in the $200-350 range. I should charge more, I guess?? I kind of figure that I'd rather play a private party for $250 than NOT play it when I quote $500 and scare off the client. I have one duo gig that I've had for several years where I play for quite a bit less, but that's really the only one. It's my longest running venue and a very small place that I like a lot (I hang out there all the time, too). It's also like 4 minutes from my house! I'm just getting the trio going, so I'm trying to figure that out. We aren't really doing any bar gigs. Most of the places we are playing are offers for solo gigs that I've been upselling for duo or trio shows. I could be making more if I just did the gigs solo, but I figure it's just part of getting the trio going. For bar gigs, I'm finding that tips aren't what they used to be. I don't know if it's venue specific or what. My gigs are better, but my tips are not what they were 3-4 years ago. I'm guessing economy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Guitarman63 Posted August 28, 2012 Members Share Posted August 28, 2012 I charge 200 for three hours on the weekends solo. I've got a bass player that will show up for 100 (all he has to bring is a small rig and I set up and supply the rest) so 300 for the duo. Private partys for friends I will give them a break at 180 solo. People that I don't know or corporate at least 275 solo, up to whatever I think they will pay. (and yes the bass player makes more when I do too LOL) Benifits are free, I try to limit these to 1 set (did 2 this weekend) For my power trios (full bands) for 4 hours we charge 600-750 depending on the venue but we can back that price down if the bar has a {censored} night (I will take less money and play there again instead of burning bridges) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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