Anything New Going On With Anyone?

[Vito Corleone]

 

Our days from start to finish are anywhere from 12-16 hours and I make $3-$500 for them..In my view it's ****************ty money compared to making $250 for 4 hours total of playing solo most anywhere etc..The pay for the effort is a lot less than I've ever made. That's why i'm building Tributes because it's better cash, shorter gigs, less gear etc...That said, I'm definitely going to start a DJ business wrapped up in my production company because it seems like killer money for the amount of work comparatively speaking.

 

Yeah, well....if it was ALL about the money on a per-hour basis, I'd just stick to my day gig. I make much more money doing that than I can playing music. And the most money I ever made playing music was when I was doing a duo-to-tracks gig. It was also the worst/most boring/most soul-sucking year of my life. I finished that year with a gambling problem and contemplating suicide. So f' that.

 

I think that the best any of us can do is to make the most money we can while still doing a gig we enjoy doing. And, of course, the amount of money we can earn helps to slide that happiness scale along. To a point. And then we all reach that "you can't pay me enough to do this crap anymore" limit we individually possess.

 

As far as tributes being better cash, shorter gigs, less gear. Yeah, maybe. Like with everything else, it depends. One thing I've learned, though, in all my years of doing this is there is no free money in this business. And just when you start to think something is an easier route, you discover all sorts of other pitfalls along the way that make you realize---"oh, NOW I get why these gigs pay so much....."

 

The acts at the top of the pyramids are the ones who make the most with the least amount of effort, but that's only true if you discount all the years they put in to get to the top of their game. I guess the easiest road might be to just try and join up with already established effort. Then again, the guy running that act is probably going to pay you crap "hired gun" wages because....again...he's the one who put in all the time and effort building it up.

 

So, for me, it's about "do I have fun doing what I'm doing?" and "did I come home with enough money at the end of the night to make me feel my effort was rewarded?" Part of that "reward" and "fun" is also enjoying putting on the show and knowing the audience got off on it. The more of that I have, the less money I need to take home and vice versa. Because those are the reasons I got into this business in the first place.

[StratGuy22]

We specify a minimum 24' x 16' stage in our contract, but we're lucky to ever get that. Most of the venues we end up playing simply don't have the room. People spend a lot of money to rent out these beautiful venues for their weddings and while the places ARE beautiful, accommodating large stages and bands isn't usually part of what is considered in their design. I get that, so the stage specification is much more of a "request, if possible" than any sort of actual demand.

We usually get a 24x12 stage it works out, even the deck we played on a couple weeks ago worked out pretty good.

[StratGuy22]

That said, I'm definitely going to start a DJ business wrapped up in my production company because it seems like killer money for the amount of work comparatively speaking.

I kept referring DJ inquiries to other people mentioning that I was a sound guy, until I realized it was income that was passing me by. I looked into it, picked up some software, a couple music pools, and some DJ lights. Good to go.

[Vito Corleone]

I kept referring DJ inquiries to other people mentioning that I was a sound guy, until I realized it was income that was passing me by. I looked into it, picked up some software, a couple music pools, and some DJ lights. Good to go.

Band or DJ? Well, unfortunately THIS isn't likely to help.....

 

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/weddings/2014/06/band_or_dj_for_your_wedding_that_s_easy_ipod.html

 

[jcpatte2]

I've got a lot of new things happening at the moment: Tomorrow I have my first pre-production meeting with a producer I've never worked with, but we immediately hit I off in our initial meeting and seem to really be on the same wavelength with regards to our approaches in the music business. To say I'm excited to hit ground running on this project and about our future working together would be an understatement. We plan to do a 5 song EP, centered around a new song I've written, 'Mississippi Dirt', so I'm in a tizzy trying to finish writing some other material and gather a few outside songs for consideration. This will be my first new release in over 5 years (long story), so I really want to hit the scene with a big splash! As far as live gigs go, I've threaded slowly (1-2 gigs/month) through the first half of this year. Partly because I haven't been motivated to play without a new product to showcase and partly because I'm new to fatherhood and it has it's challenges, but mostly because I've had a hard time scheduling gigs around my regular players other band commitments and my fill-in guys family commitments. I hate having to turn down gigs and with what this recording is gonna cost, I'm not gonna be able to anymore. So, first thing after the holiday weekend, I'm holding open auditions to hopefully fill my backing band: Drums, Bass, Lead Guitar and a Utility Player (some combo of Fiddle/Steel/Banjo/Keys/Guitar), with an emphasis on the backing vocals my band has lacked in the past. All this is going on while I'm trying to redo my promo package and get started booking clubs and college towns for the fall. Oh yeah, and the little tyke turns 1 next week!

[StratGuy22]

I rent a pair of YX15's on sticks with an iPod input for those who want an iPod wedding.

[nousername]

My singer was diagnosed as bipolar type II, and I'm pretty sure I have mild Asperger Syndrome. Yeah... My symptoms are slight (strong desire for routine, lack of empathy, exceptional knowledge of a few subjects, not seeing social cues, sensitivity to noise and light), but now that I know why I do these things maybe I can better control them.

 

Her BP, along with ADHD and social anxiety is going to make the band difficult to continue, I'm afraid. Oh, and guitar one's long term girlfriend is pregnant with their second together, and this will make a total of five kids between them.

 

Things are not great over here.

[dan88z]

Pretty busy here. My main band has 5 gigs this month and I have another with the blues band I play with, and that includes a full week off for vacation. 4 gigs plus 2 blues gigs in August. The Pink Floyd band is just about ready to gig (this is the SLOWEST project I've ever been in!). We're running sets now and working out logistics of changing guitars around, getting all the sound effects incorporated, generally tweaking things. We have a tentative "dip the toe on the water" gig at a multi band party in October, possibly doing a headline gig at a club at the end of Sept, and then I'm going to have us open up for my hippy band when we do our annual show at a theater where there will be 700+ people.

 

Here's the Floyd band sets so far:

set 1

In the Flesh

The Thin Ice

Have a cigar

Mother

Young Lust

Shine 1-5

Wish you were here

One of these Days

Run Like Hell

Hey you

Comfortably Numb

 

set 2- Dark Side of the Moon

Speak to me

Breathe

On the run

Time

Money

Us and them

Any Colour

Brain Damage

Eclipse

 

[wesg]

I did a sort-a iPod wedding this weekend. I played a wedding with my rock band, and one of the bride's friends supplied an iPod for break music. I told the bride, we're a rock band - if you want country or modern pop at your wedding, put it in the "Wedding" song list and we'll play that stuff during the breaks. The first dance, father/daughter dance, etc, were all off the iPod. It went pretty smoothly except that the iPod was delivered to me in "somebody has been trying to guess the password, please wait 15 minutes" mode. I set it on the desk and when the fifteen minutes were up...somebody tried to guess again. Argh. So I put it my pocket, tracked down the owner, and when the timer expired, I put it in her hand and said, "unlock this". Then I went into the preferences and disabled autolock.

 

One minor glitch I didn't anticipate was that the only way to get the tape inputs to the FOH is to use the "break" button on the Mackie mixer. This meant I could not talk over the music, nor EQ it. The kids LOVED the modern pop coming through a pair of PRX618S although the venue staff complained. I told them, "That's what modern pop is supposed to sound like...what can you do?". Next time I will probably rob a stereo channel strip or something.

 

As for what else is new...I've once again managed to get over-busy. I need an administrative assistant or something, LOL. If the union local hadn't promoted one of my big band gigs on Facebook yesterday, I would have probably missed it tomorrow. That would have been bad, I am the only chording instrument in that group and supply 1/3 of the bass. I spent 3 hours preparing for it last night, will need at least another 3 more. Crap. I wish I knew what I was doing, it would make learning solos for that stuff a lot easier.

 

Wes

[TrickyBoy]

StratGuy22

 

That setup is badass! If The Tricky Dickies makes a full return, I'm gonna drop a few grand for something like that. But right now, we're in a definite holding pattern.

[Vito Corleone]

I rent a pair of YX15's on sticks with an iPod input for those who want an iPod wedding.

So we're all going from being musicians, to being disc jockeys, to being sound equipment rental companies?

 

. Hmmmm.....and hmmm...

[nchangin]

So we're all going from being musicians, to being disc jockeys, to being sound equipment rental companies?

. Hmmmm.....and hmmm...

 

 

Kinda all the same gig, it is live sound production whether your plucking strings or pushing buttons, all comes out of the same speakers right?

[TIMKEYS]

BIg changes for me. I quit the songwriter band a few months ago and just let the side project go a couple weeks ago. I have zero bands at his point in time. Feels good to just not have band to deal with. Its been over 6 years of playing a lot and I was time to take a total break from the band thing.

[sventvkg]

 

 

Yeah, well....if it was ALL about the money on a per-hour basis, I'd just stick to my day gig. I make much more money doing that than I can playing music. And the most money I ever made playing music was when I was doing a duo-to-tracks gig. It was also the worst/most boring/most soul-sucking year of my life. I finished that year with a gambling problem and contemplating suicide. So f' that.

 

I think that the best any of us can do is to make the most money we can while still doing a gig we enjoy doing. And, of course, the amount of money we can earn helps to slide that happiness scale along. To a point. And then we all reach that "you can't pay me enough to do this crap anymore" limit we individually possess.

 

As far as tributes being better cash, shorter gigs, less gear. Yeah, maybe. Like with everything else, it depends. One thing I've learned, though, in all my years of doing this is there is no free money in this business. And just when you start to think something is an easier route, you discover all sorts of other pitfalls along the way that make you realize---"oh, NOW I get why these gigs pay so much....."

 

The acts at the top of the pyramids are the ones who make the most with the least amount of effort, but that's only true if you discount all the years they put in to get to the top of their game. I guess the easiest road might be to just try and join up with already established effort. Then again, the guy running that act is probably going to pay you crap "hired gun" wages because....again...he's the one who put in all the time and effort building it up.

 

So, for me, it's about "do I have fun doing what I'm doing?" and "did I come home with enough money at the end of the night to make me feel my effort was rewarded?" Part of that "reward" and "fun" is also enjoying putting on the show and knowing the audience got off on it. The more of that I have, the less money I need to take home and vice versa. Because those are the reasons I got into this business in the first place.

 

 

Yea well to each his own..this IS MY DAY gig..MUSIC and has always been so it's ALL ABOUT MONEY and I do break it down to what I make per hour, in relation to effort. To me, it's ALL THE SAME no matter what music i'm playing. It's Covers, it's business. That's all. What I enjoy simply plays NO PART in it. This is the difference between a pro and a semi-pro I think based on my experience and it's not a slight against anyone, it's just how it is. There's no emotion involved in my decisions to play any particular song or type of music. The only consideration is if I think the music will go over very well. Period!!!!

 

I'm DEFINITELY going to start working up a DJ thing to go along with my tributes because, WHY NOT? My solo thing will be revived and revamped for weddings and private events as well both acoustic and full band sound with tracks because..Why not???

 

 

It's Great hearing from everyone on this threat and heartening to see we're all just trucking away doing what we do!!!...It's hard to believe this year is 1/2 over already though!!!

[Vito Corleone]

 

 

 

Yea well to each his own..this IS MY DAY gig..MUSIC and has always been so it's ALL ABOUT MONEY and I do break it down to what I make per hour, in relation to effort. To me, it's ALL THE SAME no matter what music i'm playing. It's Covers, it's business. That's all. What I enjoy simply plays NO PART in it. This is the difference between a pro and a semi-pro I think based on my experience and it's not a slight against anyone, it's just how it is. There's no emotion involved in my decisions to play any particular song or type of music. The only consideration is if I think the music will go over very well. Period!!!!

 

I'm DEFINITELY going to start working up a DJ thing to go along with my tributes because, WHY NOT? My solo thing will be revived and revamped for weddings and private events as well both acoustic and full band sound with tracks because..Why not???

 

 

 

Oh I agree with all of that. Nothing wrong with doing the DJ thing on the side at all. And I'm probably the most "who cares what song you do as long as if it goes over" guy around here. Apparently you haven't been hanging around this joint long enough to have witnessed all the grief I've taken for having that attitude over the years! lol!

 

The only place where I part ways with you (perhaps, but I'm guessing we're probably on the same page much more than not) is that FOR ME, the gig itself has to be enjoyable. I have to drive home feeling satisfied that I did a great job and kicked some arse. The reason I personally don't care about what songs I play is because I get my rocks off by rockin' the house. Song choice is just one tool in the box I need in order to reach that goal. The money is something I use more as a measurement of how well I've done rather than an end goal in and of itself. If I've got a good act that people really like? I'm going to get paid well for it. If they don't like it? I won't. And if they like the act and I get paid well for it? Then I'm almost certainly having a good time.

 

The year I spend doing the duo-to-tracks thing? I hated it because even though I got paid well and had the freedom to play pretty much any songs I wanted to play, the audiences didn't care. There was virtually no one to entertain except on rare occasions. We were background music. In fact, if people started having too much fun, we were often asked to tone it down. Not my idea of a good time. But there are a lot of guys who do really well at those sorts of gigs and thrive in that scene. Hats off to them. They have all my respect, but it's just not my bag.

 

Maybe I've just been lucky in that I've always been able to make good money doing this within the confines of having a project I enjoy being a part of as well for the most part. I'd also like to think it has at least something to do with being able to understand the business aspects of all of this cover band stuff as well.

[Vito Corleone]

As far a breaking it down per hour goes? Well, unless I can somehow make money with the other hours that day, it doesn't really matter to me too much whether the whole gig takes up 6 hours of my day or 12 hours. I've always looked at it much more in terms of how much am I taking home a day or a week or a month rather than per hour. Because once you start going down the per-hour route, then you might as well start counting in travel time, rehearsal, time spent changing strings, writing up setlists, working on the promo, etc etc, as well. And it pretty much always ends up being {censored}e pay once you start doing that.

[StratGuy22]

So we're all going from being musicians, to being disc jockeys, to being sound equipment rental companies? . Hmmmm.....and hmmm...

I have a sound production company on the side. My band benefits from it, and like I said, I would me Rik. That we had a band, and if not call this person or that person. Then I realized I could offer that as well, and no one could touch me for gear. If I have the means, might as well. These are the gigs where they aren't interested in a band.

[StratGuy22]

My singer was diagnosed as bipolar type II, and I'm pretty sure I have mild Asperger Syndrome. Yeah... My symptoms are slight (strong desire for routine, lack of empathy, exceptional knowledge of a few subjects, not seeing social cues, sensitivity to noise and light), but now that I know why I do these things maybe I can better control them. Her BP, along with ADHD and social anxiety is going to make the band difficult to continue, I'm afraid. Oh, and guitar one's long term girlfriend is pregnant with their second together, and this will make a total of five kids between them. Things are not great over here.

Checked out some videos, they look pretty good!!!

[Vito Corleone]

I have a sound production company on the side. My band benefits from it, and like I said, I would me Rik. That we had a band, and if not call this person or that person. Then I realized I could offer that as well, and no one could touch me for gear. If I have the means, might as well. These are the gigs where they aren't interested in a band.

 

Oh I get that. Filling a need and a price point is what it's all about. Where I get a bit bent about it is when people start thinking a DJ or even a iPod is actually BETTER than a live band.

 

But I blame most of that perception on crappy bands.

[jeff42]

Ostrich Hat is doing Ok on the bar scene. We are getting contacted for more private work and are in the process of adding two members for the private work. That will eventually change into a separate 2nd band... hopefully we will get more private work than bar gigs cuz they are going down hill in most places. We are still working but the crowds on average are not there like they were.

[StratGuy22]

Oh I get that. Filling a need and a price point is what it's all about. Where I get a bit bent about it is when people start thinking a DJ or even a iPod is actually BETTER than a live band. But I blame most of that perception on crappy bands.

True enough. Usually it's the $900 vs $1600 thing, though when it's said and done I'm usually getting $1200. It's a shame, believe me I prefer playing even if I make less. But that bring said I'd almost rather DJ and make the bank, vs the $300 - $350 I get for doing sound for a bar band. I basically consider it paid practice and giving back to the scene. $500 would be much better, but $500 means I'd probably never be sound sound for a bar.

[Kramerguy]

In the cover-band, we've all had very busy personal lives for about the last year, so we've hardly gigged at all. We've missed a fair amount of rehearsals, but we still try to get together and never miss more than one practice back to back. We've been learning a lot of new (well, new to us!) covers, mostly 90's stuff since that's pretty much our thing. We sound tighter than we probably ever have, somehow lol. I realized the other night I've been with them six years now.. how time flies!

 

So we had our first gig in more than 6 months last weekend, and we really played well. We are looking to step back into regular gigging this fall, providing the scene here doesn't get any worse. There are a fair amount of bars we've decided to no longer play because we simply cannot pull decent crowds into them anymore, and it's no fun playing to crickets.

 

On my personal side, I started attending a "daryl's house" type open jam set up by a guy with a studio, and have been playing with some of the best players in the area. I think I've mentioned that here a while back, but it's been incredibly rewarding to stand with some incredible talent and be considered in the same league... something I struggled all my life to achieve (being considered "good") I guess we're all our own worst critics, but I still at times feel inferior to many of their abilities.

 

I auditioned for a fill-in role with another band.. which got really scary when their guitarist showed up, not aware he was being replaced... He was gigantic and looked like a guy who could get mean.. I packed up and drove off into the sunset.. I don't like dealing with people who choose to operate behind others' backs. Shame.. I liked their set list.

 

I miss the originals band (2 years since we disbanded), I wouldn't mind doing a studio-recording based originals project again.. I have a lot of ideas, including my dusty original concept album I stopped working on a long time ago

 

Vermoulian- I like the beatles thing.. I never learned any of their material, but started listening to them again recently and was surprised how much my now-fine-tuned musical mind and ear picked up tons of instrumentation, production, and arranging quips I never noticed before. Truly masterful stuff. Sounds like a great project!

[nousername]

Checked out some videos, they look pretty good!!!

 

Thanks. We're a good band, there's just so much working against us right now.

[jeff42]

There are a fair amount of bars we've decided to no longer play because we simply cannot pull decent crowds into them anymore, and it's no fun playing to crickets.

 

We decided to stop playing two local places recently also. The pay was OK but there was no crowd! Its not just us either... Across the board every band that plays at these places has been dealing with the same thing in the last year. It sucks cuz I have been playing one of the places for like 10 years! Nice people the bar sucks and the crowd is gone.

[Vito Corleone]

 

 

Thanks. We're a good band, there's just so much working against us right now.

 

 

Bands ain't easy. Keeping everything and everyone together is usually the hardest part. Even during the best of times, it's still a juggling act what with all the different personalities and agendas.