What to charge for gigs?

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  • hotpickupshotpickups Frets: 1813
    Absolutely @John_P  I couldn't agree with you more. It's about time people give credence to live music. It doesn't come cheap to us so why should it be totally free :( . One thing I have noticed though is the pubs are starting to pay bands .... properly over the past year. Not a lot of money but worth while to turn up.

    Two years ago it was a different story and was getting offers of £100 for a 5 piece band. With the premise of a live video being done for the band. I said I didn't want a shitty lit video with average sound quality as a demo video? Take it or leave it he said .... can you guess the answer I gave him yet ?
    Link to my trading feedback:  http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/59452/
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  • nick79nick79 Frets: 252
    nick79 said:
    Going rate round here is £250 for a pub gig, we have occasionally got more but not very often. We get asked a lot to do pub festivals but they don't want to pay us. Don't see why they should expect us to do it for nothing when they are raking in the money from overpriced beer and food..
    Charity event probably ?
    We've done a couple of charity one's, which we were more than happy to do, but this year we have been asked to do at least 4 so far that aren't for any charity, which to me is a different kettle of fish.
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  • ricorico Frets: 1220
    We've just confirmed another gig but this time it's a charity do - another local festival type thing. We are free to eat and drink ourselves silly though for our trouble though. 

    £750 for the original gig I mentioned seems good going then!
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  • fftcfftc Frets: 559
    Just out of interest really, but why such a large difference between pub gigs and private functions? Is it just down to what the market will bear or is there some other logic to it?
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  • John_PJohn_P Frets: 2744
    fftc said:
    Just out of interest really, but why such a large difference between pub gigs and private functions? Is it just down to what the market will bear or is there some other logic to it?
    At a pub you can do the gig pretty much how you want so long as the landlord is happy. 
    A fuction often means going earlier to set up, playing later, playing songs the person hiring you wants etc etc If your amp does in a pub and you need a break to sort it's annoying but not the end of the world - slightly different st someone's wedding.      
    The extra is for the extra hassle but also there is an element of paying more for a more professional act.      
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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16255
    fftc said:
    Just out of interest really, but why such a large difference between pub gigs and private functions? Is it just down to what the market will bear or is there some other logic to it?
    Market will bear at the end of the day but if you are playing a function you can expect to be there longer (setting up before guests arrive and taking down your gear after they've gone maybe), learning special requests, an expectation of certain standards if booked sight unseen, being on your best behaviour (staying out the way when not playing, following a dress code), maybe letting your PA be used for other purposes ( disco, announcements). 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • ESBlondeESBlonde Frets: 3576
    nick79 said:
    Going rate round here is £250 for a pub gig, we have occasionally got more but not very often. We get asked a lot to do pub festivals but they don't want to pay us. Don't see why they should expect us to do it for nothing when they are raking in the money from overpriced beer and food..
    Charity event probably ?
    Only if the pub are donating thier proceeds and the staff working for nothing too!!!
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  • hotpickupshotpickups Frets: 1813
    ESBlonde said:
    nick79 said:
    Going rate round here is £250 for a pub gig, we have occasionally got more but not very often. We get asked a lot to do pub festivals but they don't want to pay us. Don't see why they should expect us to do it for nothing when they are raking in the money from overpriced beer and food..
    Charity event probably ?
    Only if the pub are donating thier proceeds and the staff working for nothing too!!!
    Too right. Do you know I've never thought to ask that when I've been asked to play for nowt. I will next time 
    Link to my trading feedback:  http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/59452/
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  • RavenousRavenous Frets: 1484

    For charity gigs - I've heard people suggest asking for full payment, which members will then donate back to the cause. To weed out the fake charities.  Anyone done this?

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  • RolandRoland Frets: 8591
    Yes. It also helps their charity accounting because the donation income is larger.
    Tree recycler, and guitarist with  https://www.undercoversband.com/.
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  • fftc said:
    Just out of interest really, but why such a large difference between pub gigs and private functions? Is it just down to what the market will bear or is there some other logic to it?
    Market will bear at the end of the day but if you are playing a function you can expect to be there longer (setting up before guests arrive and taking down your gear after they've gone maybe), learning special requests, an expectation of certain standards if booked sight unseen, being on your best behaviour (staying out the way when not playing, following a dress code), maybe letting your PA be used for other purposes ( disco, announcements). 
    This.

    Also pub bands will tend to stay within their area, within reason - maybe you'll travel 20 miles or something across town - whereas long-distance travel is a given for function bands. We played in Woolacombe a couple of weeks back, nearly an 8 hour round trip. That is 8 hours x 3 men, plus fuel, before you even include the time loading in, setting up, playing and, most importantly, the time and effort we have to concentrate on utterly destroying the buffet and wedding cake.

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  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16255
    fftc said:
    Just out of interest really, but why such a large difference between pub gigs and private functions? Is it just down to what the market will bear or is there some other logic to it?
    Market will bear at the end of the day but if you are playing a function you can expect to be there longer (setting up before guests arrive and taking down your gear after they've gone maybe), learning special requests, an expectation of certain standards if booked sight unseen, being on your best behaviour (staying out the way when not playing, following a dress code), maybe letting your PA be used for other purposes ( disco, announcements). 
    This.

    Also pub bands will tend to stay within their area, within reason - maybe you'll travel 20 miles or something across town - whereas long-distance travel is a given for function bands. We played in Woolacombe a couple of weeks back, nearly an 8 hour round trip. That is 8 hours x 3 men, plus fuel, before you even include the time loading in, setting up, playing and, most importantly, the time and effort we have to concentrate on utterly destroying the buffet and wedding cake.
    We played a wedding and they said we could eat at the buffet. It consisted entirely of crackers, cheese and pickle. Big whoop :anguished: 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
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  • fftc said:
    Just out of interest really, but why such a large difference between pub gigs and private functions? Is it just down to what the market will bear or is there some other logic to it?
    Market will bear at the end of the day but if you are playing a function you can expect to be there longer (setting up before guests arrive and taking down your gear after they've gone maybe), learning special requests, an expectation of certain standards if booked sight unseen, being on your best behaviour (staying out the way when not playing, following a dress code), maybe letting your PA be used for other purposes ( disco, announcements). 
    This.

    Also pub bands will tend to stay within their area, within reason - maybe you'll travel 20 miles or something across town - whereas long-distance travel is a given for function bands. We played in Woolacombe a couple of weeks back, nearly an 8 hour round trip. That is 8 hours x 3 men, plus fuel, before you even include the time loading in, setting up, playing and, most importantly, the time and effort we have to concentrate on utterly destroying the buffet and wedding cake.
    We played a wedding and they said we could eat at the buffet. It consisted entirely of crackers, cheese and pickle. Big whoop :anguished: 
    Ha, yes, that has happened to us many times! In fact, last time it happened there wasn't even any butter. Dry cheese on dry bread... What self-respecting venue would lay out such an abomination?!


    On the plus side, we have had many very nice buffets and even a good few occasions where we have had the exact same sit-down meal as the guests. Now THAT is above and beyond...but never refused.

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  • mudslide73mudslide73 Frets: 3049
    I got a mild case of gout from the remnants of a wedding buffet. As we were packing up they said "help yourself!" and I hadn't had any tea or lunch. We did a dep gig for a booking agency where the original band had specified hot meals and a proper dressing room. The venue was a nice gastro pub but we'd all stopped off for a BK on the way down because we didn't know. :( 

    We get £250-£300 for a pub usually. There's the odd one that pays a bit more. We do 1x45 and 1x75 usually in a pub - we don't get out much so sometimes we'll do more than we should. We did a mini festival last year for "exposure" and got offered a slot on another festival where the fee was 2x free tickets per band member to the festival!
    "A city star won’t shine too far"


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  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10357
    I've had some memorable wedding grub ... doing the Queens house in Greenwich .... wedding cake was made entirely of meat, each slice containing beef, pork etc
    Many a good meal at Languish house and Tithe Barn and other upper class Hampshire venues

    Best score though was Wickam vineyard ... they said help yourselves to leftovers and we came away with 4 cases of wine


    www.2020studios.co.uk 
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  • ricorico Frets: 1220
    We did a private function a few summers ago and the hosts invited us to fill our boots (and the van...) with whatever booze we fancied.

    A polypin of Harveys Best, two cases of Laurent Perrier and 3 cases of rather tasty red.
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  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10357
    rico said:
    We did a private function a few summers ago and the hosts invited us to fill our boots (and the van...) with whatever booze we fancied.

    A polypin of Harveys Best, two cases of Laurent Perrier and 3 cases of rather tasty red.
    That is a score indeed ... well played :astonished: 
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
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  • Danny1969 said:
    I've had some memorable wedding grub ... doing the Queens house in Greenwich .... wedding cake was made entirely of meat, each slice containing beef, pork etc
    Many a good meal at Languish house and Tithe Barn and other upper class Hampshire venues

    Best score though was Wickam vineyard ... they said help yourselves to leftovers and we came away with 4 cases of wine


    ...If you ever need a dep guitarist..............

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  • ESBlondeESBlonde Frets: 3576
    Ravenous said:

    For charity gigs - I've heard people suggest asking for full payment, which members will then donate back to the cause. To weed out the fake charities.  Anyone done this?

    Yes always. It's not that we don't make charitable donations like ordinary folk, but if you don't put a value on your service the client won't either and you get treated like a floor mop. Make it known you are worth £750 and you are a star that gets fed and watered, especially when you hand some or all of it back at the end as your personal donation.
    I do however attend open Jam sessions with other musicians on a regular basis in ad hoc venues. We are not 'working' we are socialising and having fun, the collections and donations are always to the local cancer charity because we have lost too many of our number to the disease in the last few years.
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  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10357
    I tend to do one charity gig a year but we organize it ourselves and pick a venue that makes it easy work. Then we print the tickets and sell the tickets. It's normally for the Rowans Hospice for the same reasons @ESBlonde does   
    Other than that I consider myself a professional musician and I wouldn't ask a mechanic to change a gearbox for charity so why would I work for nothing ?
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
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