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Ughhhhhh...$300?


mstreck

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We received this via facebook tonight... I can't remember the last time we played for $300. I kinda feel sorry for the guy if he has to seek out bands to play there for that price.

Hi, XXXX XXXXX from XXXXXXX. Going into the winter ,I have some Fridays open. My Friday -winter budget is only $300 for 4 hours. If you have any openings and are interested ,lets talk. Thanks, XXXX

 

 

 

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Yeah, we are an original band and we play a 30 or 45 minute set for $300... 

 

Mike, Matt sang lead at a gig yesterday. I've been telling him to step it up and be the singer, and he did! By all accounts it went really well. I'm just not sureif they've canned the other singer yet... 

 

Not trying to undercut your fee structure, but let Matt know about this venue, they might take them up on a gig... Not sure what his band is charging since they are still fairly new

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I will say this, more and more places in my area are getting bands for that price. Even the bigger bands in my area with great draws are feeling the pinch.

There will always be someone that does it cheaper, the trick is to do it BETTER!

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I will say my friends it is tough out there. Tougher in my neck of the woods more than I'd ever seen it. Low turnout and DJ encroachment has compromised pay and gig opportunities. The only bright spot is the audiences DJ's attract. A popular resturant and music venue has been experiementing with DJ's on Fridays and wants to limit bands to Saturday nights (they are cutting all band budgets). A week ago a HUGE brawl took place at a DJ performance so already the manager seems to be backpeddling. He asked us for Friday availbles for 2014. 

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StratGuy22 wrote:

$300 each?

 

 

;)

 

In my neck of the woods $300 will get you one 45 - 60 minute set from an original band.

 

 

Not 4 hours.

300 has become the norm around where I live, too, unfortunately. Some bars pay 400, one pays 400 Friday night and 300 Saturday because the crowds are always lighter on Saturday. The sad fact is, there are way more bands than venues here , and some bands are playing 3 hour weeknights for 150 bucks. The solo scene is hot, and I play 3-4 nights a week for 100-150 a night plus tips plus dinner and I'm home by 10. 

 

Bands here don't have the luxury of "charging a fee" to an employer. They tell you what the gig pays and you say "okay" or you stay home. There were three clubs two years ago that paid 400 or 500 anight, and all three are closed now. It's why I don't play in a band anymore. 

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Yup Pat..Still nowhere near as bad as here in Nashville..These cats are just hastening their own demise taking solo gigs at $50 and $25-$50 a man for broadway gigs..Brings everyone down..They don't care and will continue to do it. I could work a lot if I wanted to go down to broadway and do that who deal..It's insane.

Sadly I see the pay continuing to decline for bands. No future in making any cash. I would move to a solo with tracks to replace a band when pay goes to $250/$200 on weekends and the good ones WILL work. I would always do solo acoustic as much as possible if you want to make a few bucks playing. If it's not about the money, just fun that you have nothing to complain about as far as pay goes anyway, right?

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sventvkg wrote:

 

 

Yup Pat..Still nowhere near as bad as here in Nashville..These cats are just hastening their own demise taking solo gigs at $50 and $25-$50 a man for broadway gigs..Brings everyone down..They don't care and will continue to do it. I could work a lot if I wanted to go down to broadway and do that who deal..It's insane.

 

Sadly I see the pay continuing to decline for bands. No future in making any cash. I would move to a solo with tracks to replace a band when pay goes to $250/$200 on weekends and the good ones WILL work. I would always do solo acoustic as much as possible if you want to make a few bucks playing. If it's not about the money, just fun that you have nothing to complain about as far as pay goes anyway, right?

 

but if you travel 50-100 miles out of Nashville gigging rates are more normal. Even around here the rates are lower in the metro areas than if you get 30-40 miles away from them.

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StratGuy22 wrote:

 

Do these places provide PA & lights?

 

 Well, in the solo rooms I play, two of them provide the PA, and they aren't bad systems. Two of them don't, None of them have lights other than what they use to light the room. 

 

Only one of the band rooms provides the PA that I'm aware of. Some band venues have lights but no pA. 

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True enough. Once the setup is done, the length of the gig isn't a real big deal since all the work has been done.

 

Now it's playtime! We do a minimum of 3 sets, sometimes 4 or 5, time permitting. We do pretty good money-wise as well. We've all been at it 30+ years each. I grew up when bands put on shows. Full sound & lights. I guess that's why I've always tried to do that, whatever band I've been in.

 

We are definitely a hobby band, playing out 10 - 12 times a year, but we are good at what we do. We roll with full production, know a ton of songs. We are also aware of our place in our local "scene". We are too old for the bars around here so we stick to private parties. Our crowd is 30+, they love what we do, AND they have money as well.

 

That reminds me, I need to do some more work on our website.

 

;)

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I gotta say... Here in San Diego, you don't see hacks up in stage. Yes, there are less places to play... so the places that are actually doing well have the top acts and players.

 

I'm sure there are dive bars in east county that have some dad band jamming Red House but... It's invisible to me. I tend not to frequent dive bars in east county.

 

I find it hard to imagine each of you not having places in your town where pros play. One thing I've noticed is how the gig has changed... Players tend to shuffle around from band to band, night to night. One drummer I know, make that 2 drummers, have multiple bands, do sub work, some church stuff, lessons, sessions, privates, duos, yes they sing... All to keep their calendar full.

 

Both those guys continue to study music with the best teacher/players as well.

 

But people do not want to hear what I hear being in mentioned on this board. That model is dead here in SD and will be in your neck if the woods soon. You're not going to be able to charm your way into gigs with a smile, a set list, a loungy chick singer and even the latest chart toppers. No one cares about that or your lights and subs. Not for long.

 

It remains purely for the satisfaction of the aging players themselves clinging to a dead model. And you wonder why pay is down?

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Btw, the concept of the deadbeat musician is dead too. Sure, there are deadbeat wannabes, but today, being a musician takes time management skills, musicianship, people skills. I mean come on. If the guy you're talking to doesn't exhibit maturity and focus, he's not a WORKING musician. He's a dead beat wannabe,

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Lee Knight wrote:

 

I find it hard to imagine each of you not having places in your town where pros play.

It's not hard to imagine when gigs go to the lowest bidder. The best musicians I know usually stay home.

That being said, I'm DJing tonight. facepalm.gif

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Lee Knight wrote:

 

Btw, the concept of the deadbeat musician is dead too. Sure, there are deadbeat wannabes, but today, being a musician takes time management skills, musicianship, people skills. I mean come on. If the guy you're talking to doesn't exhibit maturity and focus, he's not a WORKING musician. He's a dead beat wannabe,

 

Lee - I agree. Took me five years to basically wear proudly the moniker of the A-hole lead guitar player..because I got so sick of the drugged out, doesn't know his craft, waste your time, screw up, that says he's in a band, but isn't, says he can play, but can't, says he writes, but doesn't have music up. It's a constant work around, drudge, time and energy sucker, to get these guys to get through a song, with out blowing it or falling over. Most are happy if these actually show up. It's stupid when people don't play to play, for playing sake. There is no debate...these guys want to be 'pros' but they don't put in the work.

Truthfully though, I see this in other industries as well..guys want 'in' to say they are pilots, fire arms instructors, martial artists, car mechanics, and for the most part 99% of them are completely full of crap. Everyone wants credit for showing up, they want you to just believe them that they know what they are doing.

We now live completely in a world of amoral nihlistic liars and unfortunately, they get in the way of starting a band, recording an album, playing good gigs. Kick them to the curb and discard this notion that 'everyone gets in' 'everyone can play'. Rolling Stone sold that crap back in the 60s and it's the big complete hippy marketed lie. All the big stars Od'd, some didn't make it. It was a sales job. Real musicians practice their craft and actually care about the music they put out.

 

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Lee Knight wrote:

 

I gotta say... Here in San Diego, you don't see hacks up in stage. Yes, there are less places to play... so the places that are actually doing well have the top acts and players.

 

 

 

I'm sure there are dive bars in east county that have some dad band jamming Red House but... It's invisible to me. I tend not to frequent dive bars in east county.

 

 

 

I find it hard to imagine each of you not having places in your town where pros play. One thing I've noticed is how the gig has changed... Players tend to shuffle around from band to band, night to night. One drummer I know, make that 2 drummers, have multiple bands, do sub work, some church stuff, lessons, sessions, privates, duos, yes they sing... All to keep their calendar full.

 

 

 

Both those guys continue to study music with the best teacher/players as well.

 

 

 

But people do not want to hear what I hear being in mentioned on this board. That model is dead here in SD and will be in your neck if the woods soon. You're not going to be able to charm your way into gigs with a smile, a set list, a loungy chick singer and even the latest chart toppers. No one cares about that or your lights and subs. Not for long.

 

 

 

It remains purely for the satisfaction of the aging players themselves clinging to a dead model. And you wonder why pay is down?

 

 Maybe, maybe not. I played the entire Northwest on the road for 10 years, then moved to LA for a year and San Diego for 6 years. I came back here, and I can say that in my 6 years in San Diego, while I can't speak about other parts of the country, I can say with all certainty it never resembled the way things work in the Northwest. In fact, when  I moved to SoCal, the first thing I noticed in 1983 was that everyone was in multiple projects and no one wanted to be in an actual, band and dedicate themselves to it. I'm sure those folks existed, but I never found any. That isn't how it works on most of the NW. Outside of Portland or Seattle, there just aren't the number of venues or proximity of towns to be exclusively a free lancer. Most guys have their main gig and do other things on the side. I only know two guys here who are full time mercenarties, and they are both from-you guessed it- SoCal. And they're finding out that it isn't working. They initially got booked so much that they aren't available when you need them,  and so no one wants to count on them. I know I don't, and rarely call them anymore, because I can't get them enough to get tight with them. They're great players, but they're finding out that unless you have a main gig, they can freelance themselves right out of work and the only people they'll be playing with are mediocre bands that are throw together affairs. 

 

When i was in SoCal, it wan't uncommon for guys who toured with national acts to gig with guys who were on Midnight Special or TV talk show bands and session guys. They were top notch full time pros and it was no problem throwing something together You said you couldn't imagine not having a place in our own towns where pros play. Well, come here, and nearly every town around here, and you'l see it. Here. nearly everyone, and I mean everyone, is a hobbyist. No one except a couple of solo guys I know do it full time, and those are sit-down gigs in restaurants.  I'm close to "full time" at 3-4 nights a week but i still work a day job.

 

But even the part-time great "pro" players have to work with hobbyists. The talent pool just doesn't exist. No one here is good enough to put on a consistently good show with contant rotataing subs or throw-together ensembles.It's that way in most places outside the big cities, so I wouldn't be so sure that the "old model:" is dead just yet.All the successful musicians who are in bands here are in bands that  that have been together for awhile and have decent lights and PA.  It's two completely different worlds and is a bit like comparing apples to anvils.  

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On a positive note the guys my son started with in Reclaiming Jame reformed to Edewaard..touring up and down the West Coast, making a name for themselves of all places...Britain. The moral to the story is that he writes music and runs the show. He started with all newbs and while he was a bedroom player/writer, he had a vision, stuck with it.

http://www.registerguard.com/rg/entertainment/30490819-67/edewaard-band-says-music-rock.html.csp

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Where I'm from the originals bands don't try to get out of the bars the cover band are playing. They just don't play them in the first place because they please those bars' clientele. They play originals venues which exist on the hopes that the collective fanbases of the handful of bands playing each night can keep everyone paid and the place in business. Nobody is making cover band money.

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