Can you make a living as a gigging band???

mike257 · January 2014

kelvinburn;133770" said:
Very interesting reading. Also "What happens in Aldershot stays in Aldershot" by Reuben is worth a watch.

Always worth a watch. I lent my copy to an ex-bandmate and never got it back, last one I saw on eBay went for about £80!

EricTheWeary · January 2014

I watched some daft programme on budgetting and they had one of the guys from Black Lace (Agadoo,etc). He seemed to earn a good income from two gigs a week - although, I guess you have had to have been vaguely famous to start with.

I thought the Fish thing was a mixture of interesting fact and self pitying whingebaggery.

daveyh · January 2014

A guy I know used to make average £500 a week in Brian Adams tribute band.

Brian Adams.

not_the_dj · January 2014

EricTheWeary said:

I thought the Fish thing was a mixture of interesting fact and self pitying whingebaggery.

Don't sign up for his e-mailing list then @EricTheWeary ;-)

RocknRollDave · January 2014

daveyh said:

A guy I know used to make average £500 a week in Brian Adams tribute band.

Brian Adams.

Wow, just think what he could have earned in a Bryan Adams tribute then........!

EricTheWeary · January 2014

not_the_dj said:

EricTheWeary said:

I thought the Fish thing was a mixture of interesting fact and self pitying whingebaggery.

Don't sign up for his e-mailing list then @EricTheWeary ;-)

Just the facts m'am, just the facts.

RocknRollDave · January 2014

EricTheWeary said:

I thought the Fish thing was a mixture of interesting fact and self pitying whingebaggery.

I didn't get self-pitying from it, myself.

EricTheWeary · January 2014

RocknRollDave said:

EricTheWeary said:

I thought the Fish thing was a mixture of interesting fact and self pitying whingebaggery.

I didn't get self-pitying from it, myself.

Probably just what I read into it but he seemed to have an appalling lack of perspective. Life is often hard, Fish, but at least you get to play rock star and if we extrapolate out from what you wrote your potential earnings are massive and your potential losses minimised in comparison to, say (slightly random this, I know), someone putting their life savings into opening a sweet shop.

Anyway, in brief, he got on my tits but I accept that is my responsibility, Fish is entitled to his views and is not responsible for my happiness.
L-)

ESBlonde · January 2014

@EricTheWeary I can see where you are coming from but don't forget Fish only has a few pay days a year and they need to sustain him forward for quite a long while.

The average income in the UK is approx £26k before tax etc. for Fish to equal that he needs a dozon gigs a year to clear him £2.2k irrespective of how much work and when he does it. this assumes he has no other significant costs (we all have to get to work for example). He may have some residual income from mechanical performing rights and copyright but that may not be much after all this time.

Anyway his problems are not ours and I was just being devils advocate/putting the other side forward.

viz · January 2014

Just makes you realise how you've got to exploit it when it's going well. I mean he's talking between 300 and 700 people per gig to break even. In Marillion's hayday they were playing stadia and huge venues of 50K and more. Even at crowds of 3000/4000, you're coining it in. But it doesn't last for ever (apart from if you're in a band called the Rolling Stones)

Danny1969 · January 2014

If I'm reading it right then I'm surprised how little his band earns for the gig, £750 split between 5 members puts them on less money then most of us on here get for wedding gigs.

RocknRollDave · January 2014

Danny1969 said:

If I'm reading it right then I'm surprised how little his band earns for the gig, £750 split between 5 members puts them on less money then most of us on here get for wedding gigs.

Well spotted...and yes, I get more than that for most of the gigs I do, which is ridiculous, really.

jpfamps · January 2014

Danny1969 said:

If I'm reading it right then I'm surprised how little his band earns for the gig, £750 split between 5 members puts them on less money then most of us on here get for wedding gigs.

£150 a gig is actually fairly par for the course for a musician in touring band at that level, ie 500-1500 seater venues.

I know plenty of professional musicians going out for that sort of money.

Yes, you can earn more playing wedding gig per gig, however unlike going on tour you are unlikely to be playing 25 odd shows in a the space of a month.

Furthermore, as a musician you generally won't have many expenses whilst on tour.

monquixote · January 2014

Just to add a bit of additional perspective on this.

I know a bloke who is the drummer in a band who had a number one and several top 20 hits in the 70's. He isn't an original member so he's on wages. He usually does one tour a year (UK or Europe). He is also in a high end (£1,500/night) function band.

Apparently he earns more from the function band than the "famous band" and he still does building work on the side to make ends meet.

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Can you make a living as a gigging band???

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