[Music] Advice re Getting Paid for Gigs

[zefarelly]

FFS! Pretty soon I'll have to fall back on my Jet fighter training.

Post Ray

I've been performing a Limahl tribute act since 2009, and can command up to £60 a night.

I don't do christenings though.

the best paying gig I've ever done was a wedding, also the least satisfying.

putting on our own gigs playing our own stuff and selling out H&R, Concorde etc is always most rewarding

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Is there a level down from the top where it is still lucrative?

We’ve new neighbour’s, a guy in his mid 30’s who’s a founder member of a band with YouTube views up to 38 million per track, their weekend festivals start now, they tour Europe including huge football stadia, produced over ten albums.

He admits that after being skint in the early years whilst all his friends shot ahead in their careers, the table turned and they’re very well off.

I’d never heard of them (they’re young and its not my music genre).

You can’t tease us like this! Who is it?

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

You can’t tease us like this! Who is it?

Two Choices

 

[scooter1]

the best paying gig I've ever done was a wedding, also the least satisfying.

Ha.............sadly I have to concur with this....
Supposedly the happiest day of someones life, unless you're in the band

 

[Worried Man Blues]

In the room behind the stage in the Nags Head High Wycombe amongst some impressive names scrawled on the walls is 'George johnson is a chiseler' I forget the managers real name but t'was ever thus.

 

[pearl]

Is there a level down from the top where it is still lucrative?

We’ve new neighbour’s, a guy in his mid 30’s who’s a founder member of a band with YouTube views up to 38 million per track, their weekend festivals start now, they tour Europe including huge football stadia, produced over ten albums.

He admits that after being skint in the early years whilst all his friends shot ahead in their careers, the table turned and they’re very well off.

I’d never heard of them (they’re young and its not my music genre).

Is it Nick Cave? He's just moved gaff

 

[Titanic]

As an organist, I get paid between £40 and £200 per 'gig'... although nowadays it is mostly family weddings & funerals.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

I've been performing a Limahl tribute act since 2009, and can command up to £60 a night.

I don't do christenings though.

So good to hear a never ending story

 

[amexer]

Wonder what Eric Clapton earned when he played in Hassocks in the 60s

 

[WATFORD zero]

Wonder what Eric Clapton earned when he played in Hassocks in the 60s

If that was with the Bluesbreakers it would have been bugger all. John Mayall has always been notoriously tight

 

[Easy 10]

So good to hear a never ending story

I was offered a gig in a local boozer once, but turned it down.

Too shy.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Me and bruv's punk band used to target local Uni's. Phone 'em direct. Their booking agent used to always be some sweet well-meaning student person. We once cold-called Canterbury College of something or other and asked if we could support some long-since-obscure touring Yanks. Sorry, says sweet student booking person, that slot is already filled. We've got The Fall coming up next week tho. Would you like us to book you for that support slot instead?

OK, go on then, twist my arm

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

I was offered a gig in a local boozer once, but turned it down.

Too shy.

Ooh to be ah Limahl tribute act (I was at Her Majesty's Theatre when they first performed that song on TV)

 

[Since1982]

I play bass in a well established covers band and we will only do one or two slots a year which don’t pay - these are usually charity events and we will only do a short set ideally with PA and back line provided so that it’s minimal effort on our part. But, we don’t need exposure because we know we aren’t going to be “discovered“ - that ship sailed years ago for us all! So, at the stage your lad is at, if they have aspirations to develop their craft and maybe try to develop a following then it might be worth doing for free but, it’s not something to make a habit of. I’d still expect expenses though.

 

[WATFORD zero]

I need some advice from the NSC font of knowledge please:
My youngest son has joined a band with his mates on their college music course. The band have a few songs on Spotify and have been doing local gigs for which they have been paid (not much, but at least something).
They have been offered a spot at a festival in the summer which is a 2 hour drive away but have been told that they will not be paid. Whilst this will be great for them in terms of exposure and experience, I would have thought that they should be getting paid at least their expenses.
Further details are sketchy at the moment - you know what it's like to get info out of teenagers!
Is this standard practice for festivals with young, unexposed bands? Should they do it without payment or not?

If he's just starting out, What he needs to do is get lots and lots of gigs booked and then gradually whittle them down

Give up playing non paying gigs
Give up playing gigs where you are second billing to the Meat Raffle
Give up gigs where you outnumber the audience
Give up gigs where it's not safe to park the car/van
Give up gigs where there is a sticky carpet, a one eyed barmaid and a three legged Alsatian
Give up gigs where you can't park within 200 yards of the venue
Give up gigs where 'going down well' = not being attacked
Give up kipping in the Van
Give up gigs where a local prostitute propositions you while you are unloading your gear
Give up playing Weddings/Birthdays/Barmitzvahs, no matter how well paid
Give up gigs that seat 300 have 5 scattered around in the audience and a fight breaks out before the soundcheck
Give up teaching kids to play
Give up gigs where there isn't a PA/sound engineer supplied
Give up gigs where there isn't a lighting rig/lighting guy supplied
Give up gigs where there is no road crew
Give up teaching College students to play
Give up gigs where 'they will book you a B&B' and you don't book your own hotel
Give up gigs where you are one of the first three acts on a festival bill of more than 5
Give up gigs where you sleep in the same B&B as the road crew

That should keep him busy for the first 10-15 years and that's only from my experience. It took me 45+ years and I was never a professional

 

[Wozza]

Not sure this would be true. PRS don't count every playing of a song but rather a general avarage. Yes, radio stations send in play lists but if you think every shop with music has a licence (I have one) and every town hall has a licence for weddings etc, PRS sort of guess what is played. They would know YMCA gets spun at least 1000 times on a Saturday but guess that Little Arrows by Leapy Lea may be played once a week.

I can assure you that it's true.

Gigs and festivals don't work the same as a frigging shop.

Venues/promoters pay up to 4% of the ticket receipts to PRS.

At Glastonbury, that would be £1.8m - although they might have a negotiated rate.

Musicians and DJs are encouraged to fill in PRS playlists (now done on the website).

If your work is played and reported, you get a cut.

 

[fork me]

I need some advice from the NSC font of knowledge please:
My youngest son has joined a band with his mates on their college music course. The band have a few songs on Spotify and have been doing local gigs for which they have been paid (not much, but at least something).
They have been offered a spot at a festival in the summer which is a 2 hour drive away but have been told that they will not be paid. Whilst this will be great for them in terms of exposure and experience, I would have thought that they should be getting paid at least their expenses.
Further details are sketchy at the moment - you know what it's like to get info out of teenagers!
Is this standard practice for festivals with young, unexposed bands? Should they do it without payment or not?

Yes, it's standard practice and yes they should.
Financially, the festival aren't going to make any money by adding an unknown band, they're basically giving them an opportunity to be seen by loads more people.

 

[boik]

Ooh to be ah Limahl tribute act (I was at Her Majesty's Theatre when they first performed that song on TV)

Pretty sure I saw Kjagoogoo supporting Blancmange back in the day. Blancmange were absolutely superb, but I don't really remember Kajagoogoo.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

I've been performing a Limahl tribute act since 2009, and can command up to £60 a night.

I don't do christenings though.

Does anyone offer £70 for you not to do it?

 

[Easy 10]

Does anyone offer £70 for you not to do it?

I'll be honest. Bookings are down.