Charges for Gigs

[indychino]

Hi ya'll

Marty here from KnifeParty. I have a question about charges at gigs.

We've been offered a few gigs now (which we are doing) and should we be asking for money to do the gig?
I have always felt stink about putting a price on something that we enjoy so much
Whats a normal price? (for about 45mins).

the main reason I ask is when we're been asked how much we will charge for a set, Im saying nothing, just supply a few beers/cokes etc. They all seem very surprised at this.

This isn't a career option for our band, we all work full time and this is our 'hobby'

In our whole career as knifeParty we have made $27.50 (which we blew on pies and chips)

We don't charge, as we have no expenses, the sound guy is being supplied and we just wanna play without having to worry about this crap.

A few bands a getting declined gigs (here in Wellington) because they want $300.00 up front, a bar tab and all expenses covered (travel etc).

Any help would be greatly helped.

Chur
Warty, Mole, Junk and Baindy

[JoshuaZahn]

I really don't know. I think its a gig by gig basis. But if someone asks and you only wanna do this for fun you could say something like "Oh, we just want to cover our expenses"

So that'd be like Petrol + food $40 (4x band members @ 10each) + Instrument mantainance + time performing + practise room expenses.

$80-100 if you dont want to make any profit??? Just a guess. You could always just play for two-dozen beer if that hit your fancy.

[indychino]

You could always just play for two-dozen beer if that hit your fancy.

Bro, if you were a chick, I'd french kiss you!

Thats some rad information!

has/does anybody charge the bar the price of the sound guy? (or sound person)

[dragonorchid]

I think what you charge depends on what you as a band are bringing to the venue...

What I don't think people understand from a bars perspective is... If they advertise a "free Gig/Live Music" -  more people are going to come to the bar if they like the type of music offered, especially the friends and fans of the band - thus making it more likely that they will make a killing over the bar through selling drinks and thus making it relatively worthwhile to pay the band from the bar take.

What we've found In Auckland is, it has become a bad habit of bars to try and get something for nothing... e.g saying that the band must be paid via door take after expenses such as PA and lighting hire, and not being paid by the bar... What they don't seem to get is that A door charge decreases the amount of people coming to the gig, thus decreasing the amount of people paying for drinks over the bar. They are really shooting themsleves in the foot by tyring to do it on the cheap.

On Sat night Mark was doing sound for a Gig with "FREE LIVE MUSIC" at a Bar in Newmarket. There were over 300 people there... New Zealanders love free stuff (we are such stingy bastards sometimes!). I heard that the bands were playing for next to nothing, but were absolutely stoked to play to that many people, and that the bar payed for the PA and lighting hire, and the bands didnt have to set that all up. I'm hoping to convince more bars that this is the way to do things, and that they should pay the bands from out of the bar- not a door charge - because obviously... it works!! Surely, the bar would have seen it with the takings they got that night.

That being said, there are some bands out there that are also trying to get something for nothing... To get paid for a gig and then put no effort into promoting it. It's a gamble for bars who also have to filter these ones out - but I think that if they think of it as a win/win situation, where everyone is putting a little effort in where it is due, then at the end of the day everyone is happy: the bar gets a reasoable profit from selling drinks, the band gets paid a little something for their time and effort, the audience gets a good show!

[Warlock]

I dont think we have ever really had a say to be honest.
The usual deal is, the bar gets all cash from the booze.
From the door take you have to pay the sound guy, and whatever is left is split between the bands.
Maybe we were just getting stiffed! 

[indychino]

Cheers guys,

Thats all awsome.

I heard that the bands were playing for next to nothing, but were absolutely stoked to play to that many people

Thats the same as us. Im not trying to cheapen us or anything, its just that we're just so stoked to be playing a gig that money doesn't even come into it.

I also know that some bands (Ghost Train) are demanding $300.00 up front for gigs and are now being turned down for gigs!

[dragonorchid]

If that is the case, then I would ask for less than $300, maybe $200. I also think that asking for a bar tab would be silly because it decreases the bar profit and thus does not help them or you that much - unfortunately it seems like the prima-donna band thing to do - playing drunk does seem kinda rock-n'roll  but not very professional. I rekon with the bar tab thing, don't ask, just see if something simple like a couple of drinks per band member is offered by the bar... If you ask bands if they would rather have a bar tab or get payed, I'm sure most people would say they'd rather get payed a little something - if you get payed, you have a choice of what to do with the money - you could save for recordings, pay for petrol, organise a little tour, make merch to sell e.t.c

[that drummer]

tricky I say,

We dont ask for money because we do sh*tty little gigs and dont expect to get paid, but we charge out $150-$200 for a 45-1hour set for private partys, so maybe thats something to go by. Its not much, but covers expenses, like the 6 pairs of drumsticks and the 20 strings needed 

[indychino]

tricky I say,

We dont ask for money because we do sh*tty little gigs and dont expect to get paid, but we charge out $150-$200 for a 45-1hour set for private partys, so maybe thats something to go by. Its not much, but covers expenses, like the 6 pairs of drumsticks and the 20 strings needed 

Cool thanks guys!

So, asking for 1000 browm m&ms, 5 Virgins from Manukau and a K-Fed accoustic show are proberley dumb!

Awsome info though guys. We just got booked for a series of gigs (each 6-weeks) at a pub (with two other bands) and we're doing the first two as a trial (to see how many people we pull).

[Pacey]

I'm organising my first gig at the moment, and man.. this was a very interesting read.

What we've found In Auckland is, it has become a bad habit of bars to try and get something for nothing... e.g saying that the band must be paid via door take after expenses such as PA and lighting hire, and not being paid by the bar... What they don't seem to get is that A door charge decreases the amount of people coming to the gig, thus decreasing the amount of people paying for drinks over the bar. They are really shooting themsleves in the foot by tyring to do it on the cheap.

I assumed this was how it worked in most places?

I have a lot to learn I think..

[bluesgeek]

If bars are being awkward, I just ask for free beer - this is usually enough to bankrupt them, especially with the new band   I'm usually the most sober-est.....   

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