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Post subject: How much to charge for a gig?
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 12:50 pm
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Our band is starting to get the gigging momentum.
Since January, we have played 1 opening gig, 1 set for charity and 2 one night paying gigs.
We have 2 more upcoming gigs booked and are currently seeking more.
I am trying to ballpark what we should be charging, or are we at the mercy of the venue?
We are a 4 piece cover rock band with our own PA etc.
We are currently performing three 45 min sets, but have enough material to have longer or extra sets.
This is mostly local shows but a lot of the venues here are original acts.
We are in Saskatchewan Canada if that makes any difference.
Any advice from those with experience would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

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Post subject: Re: How much to charge for a gig?
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 1:13 pm
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I don't think $375 per show is out of line.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: How much to charge for a gig?
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 3:17 pm
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375 is not bad but don't cut yourselves short. Our band gets probably 400 on avg. sometimes more sometimes less. Talk to other bands similar to your. Don't drive the prices down. If your good and can bring a good crowd to places places will be happy to pay your price. They make a ton of money on drinks. Try not to play for the door unless you are sure you will draw a nice crowd.


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Post subject: Re: How much to charge for a gig?
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 3:39 pm
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Develop a decent following in your area. Its hard to determine a baseline rate, usually the club circuit is pretty well a set price. Be willing to negotiate based on venue size, and how long you have to play. I would say $75-$100 a person would be a good start for a two or three set show. Until club managers feel sure that you can draw a crowd it will be hard to get a more premium rate. Be willing to play one off shows for a little less money if it exposes you to larger audiences.
Things to negotiate in lieu of cash,
Bar Tab
Food
A cover kick, portion of the door

Expenses will add up, breaking even is a win most of the time.


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Post subject: Re: How much to charge for a gig?
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 4:19 pm
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Master yoda, might your humble un-blinded student suggest your all binding, metaphysical, and ubiquitous power of The Force for a jedi mind trick " the owner will pay $300/ 1 set, 45m - 1hr, and will provide sound/sound-man". Up charges at his discretion. Bring a crowd and they'll ask you to play again, master yoda.

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Last edited by Solid Body Love Songs on Tue Jul 07, 2015 10:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: How much to charge for a gig?
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 4:32 pm
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Thanks for the replies.
I was thinking between $400-$500 so that sounds pretty close.
A couple guys in the band always get their work crew to come and the drummer gets his wife to bring all her friends. A few of my friends come too.
It's nice to start to gig. its like we finally reached a collective goal!
Its strange to get money for playing guitar. I just want to play and have a couple beers! You're giving me money too? Sweet!

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Post subject: Re: How much to charge for a gig?
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 4:39 pm
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yodacaster wrote:
Its strange to get money for playing guitar.


That's the realm of a professional musician, YC.

Welcome to the club!

8)

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: How much to charge for a gig?
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 4:47 pm
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If at all possible, try to work up some original material and scatter it in your sets. Your stock value will go up substantially. Make sure you identify the original songs both before and after you play them. If they are catchy at all, people will look forward to hearing something new and different. Around here, cover bands are a dime for two dozen.

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Post subject: Re: How much to charge for a gig?
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 5:44 pm
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A Canadian dollar equals .79 USD as of right now.

Ask for $400 for three 45 minute sets then take what you can get. :wink:

Good luck!

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Post subject: Re: How much to charge for a gig?
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 6:22 pm
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In my area the venue has the upper hand.

It used to be that almost every club in town had live music every Friday and Saturday night. Most had a Tuesday through Saturday house band. Now is almost all either DJ or karaoke. A few places still have live music on weekends but I don't think there is a place in town that you can play more than 2 nights a week other than one club that has open mic nights. The house band plays their own sets on weekends and backs up the customers 3 nights a week. If there is an upside to it, it is that our local Guitar Center is now staffed almost entirely by former gigging musicians and the quality of their Customer Service has gone up. The salesmen actually know their product and if you find an issue with a used guitar they can fix it before it leaves the store. After all, they have been modding and maintaining their own gear for years. If you have a question, they can answer it without having to look it up. I've even heard them offer customers free setups if they find a guitar that they really like but doesn't play like it should. That would have never happened a few years ago since there would have only been 1 or 2 employees who knew what they were doing.

I've been staying home at night doing the single Dad thing for years and now that I'm about to the point that I can get out I have no place to go except the open mic Blues Bar. Is fun but no pay. No local bands are looking for guitar players because there is no place for them to play. That's one of the main reasons that I got a bass last year and started learning it. Bass players are in short supply and there is usually a band out there looking for one.

But hey, why pay good money for a band when there are plenty of drunk customers willing to laugh at each other for free? More like comedy night with a few good voices thrown in here and there but they sell a lot of drinks.


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Post subject: Re: How much to charge for a gig?
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 7:10 pm
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fenderfan wrote:
No local bands are looking for guitar players because there is no place for them to play. That's one of the main reasons that I got a bass last year and started learning it. Bass players are in short supply and there is usually a band out there looking for one.

Yeah, pick up a bass, practice for three weeks, and you can probably get gig offers. The problem is that many of them sound like they have three weeks of experience too... But the demand is higher than the supply, so most things go.

That's not always a bad thing in the long run - several of the great bass players started out as a guitar player or drummer having to pick it up because the band lacked a player.


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Post subject: Re: How much to charge for a gig?
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 8:15 pm
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$300 to $400 seems to be the going rate here in my remote area of North Central PA. This year has seen a significant decline in the number of places with frequent live bands. For reasons of cost and the declining attendance for DUIs, the trend is moving to DJs, Karaoke, and one-man (sometimes two) bands. BUT, I've seen this cycle before.

I have friends in another band that play for much less and sometimes for drinks only! I remind them of the story of 'free milk and the cow'.

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Post subject: Re: How much to charge for a gig?
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 9:07 pm
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arth1 wrote:
fenderfan wrote:
No local bands are looking for guitar players because there is no place for them to play. That's one of the main reasons that I got a bass last year and started learning it. Bass players are in short supply and there is usually a band out there looking for one.

Yeah, pick up a bass, practice for three weeks, and you can probably get gig offers. The problem is that many of them sound like they have three weeks of experience too... But the demand is higher than the supply, so most things go.

That's not always a bad thing in the long run - several of the great bass players started out as a guitar player or drummer having to pick it up because the band lacked a player.

I have a few more years before the kids are old enough for me to make it to any kind of structured rehearsals much less staying in the clubs till late. I do play at some daytime outdoor festivals during the summer, maybe I'll work up a few songs on the bass and bring it along sometime since all we usually have are guitars and a mandolin.


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Post subject: Re: How much to charge for a gig?
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 10:24 pm
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$400 seems about right. Personally, I won't play a 3-4 hour show for less than $100 per person. I've played some acoustic duo gigs at wineries lately that have been around 3 hours and we get paid $150 per person plus tips (so it usually ends up near $200).

The catch is that as far as distance goes in Texas, I usually drive one or two hours each way to and from gigs. If I could get gigs that paid $100+ without the drive time, that sure would be nice!

I found it interesting that we were getting paid about the same (around $100 per person) for two hour sets in Scotland. Half the work, the same amount of travel time between gigs (although almost no travel time at all getting back to the hostel/flat after the gig), usually a place to stay worked in for free, and the same pay. Our gigs in Ireland were usually three hour sets and paid around $100 per person as well, so that was about the same as it is here, but again with a much more reasonable commute. Although there were a few shows we played in Ireland (that were unscheduled, just sessions) where we just played for about half an hour and received whatever was dropped in the tip bucket or a couple of pints of Guiness in return. :lol:

Anyway, bottom line is $100+ per person. More if it's a wedding or corporate gig.

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Post subject: Re: How much to charge for a gig?
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2015 12:41 am
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Around here I'd say the going rate tends to be $375 - $400 for 4 sets on new bands. But this is a very competitive area with more bands than clubs. The elite established bands with a good following demand as much as $700 for 4 sets. Of course for special events like New Years, birthdays, weddings, etc. you can ask for double. You might not get it, but you'll get considerably more than standard rate.

As far as the bands doing all originals, if it's at all like it is here they're lucky to be getting a portion of the door charge. Most of the time they don't even make enough to cover their gas to and from the gig.

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