How much do bands get paid? Covers vs original material.

What's Hot
Rowby1Rowby1 Frets: 1258
This has probably been discussed a few times before but I had two gigs with two bands over the weekend and it got me thinking, is this the norm?

Gig 1. Saturday night, pub with a beer festival. My covers band. We’re not an amazing band by any means, just a bunch of mates playing songs we love for a bit of fun and getting paid for it from time to time. We had agreed a price of £350 but actually got paid £450. The night had gone well, we played longer than we expected and the place was full and jumping right to the end. I didn’t think we played particularly well to be honest, but it didn’t seem to matter. 

Gig 2. Sunday late afternoon. A pub that does live music several times a week and Sunday afternoon gigs regularly. Original material band with a few covers (less than 30% of the set). Probably 15 or 20 of the bands friends and family, another 30 or 40 unknown (possibly local regulars) punters. Musically and creatively another league up from the previous nights band. Played really well, loads of good feedback from the none entourage audience members. 7 piece band, £220.

So, is that fairly typical? Can bands that play just original material actually make any money until they’ve built a large following?


0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
«1

Comments

  • exocetexocet Frets: 1948
    Rowby1 said:
    This has probably been discussed a few times before but I had two gigs with two bands over the weekend and it got me thinking, is this the norm?

    Gig 1. Saturday night, pub with a beer festival. My covers band. We’re not an amazing band by any means, just a bunch of mates playing songs we love for a bit of fun and getting paid for it from time to time. We had agreed a price of £350 but actually got paid £450. The night had gone well, we played longer than we expected and the place was full and jumping right to the end. I didn’t think we played particularly well to be honest, but it didn’t seem to matter. 

    Gig 2. Sunday late afternoon. A pub that does live music several times a week and Sunday afternoon gigs regularly. Original material band with a few covers (less than 30% of the set). Probably 15 or 20 of the bands friends and family, another 30 or 40 unknown (possibly local regulars) punters. Musically and creatively another league up from the previous nights band. Played really well, loads of good feedback from the none entourage audience members. 7 piece band, £220.

    So, is that fairly typical? Can bands that play just original material actually make any money until they’ve built a large following?


    How much did the pub take on the respective days...simple as that. Full pub + Beer flying through the pipes = More pay. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 3reaction image Wisdom
  • mr-macmr-mac Frets: 200
    Rowby1 said:
    This has probably been discussed a few times before but I had two gigs with two bands over the weekend and it got me thinking, is this the norm?

    Gig 1. Saturday night, pub with a beer festival. My covers band. We’re not an amazing band by any means, just a bunch of mates playing songs we love for a bit of fun and getting paid for it from time to time. We had agreed a price of £350 but actually got paid £450. The night had gone well, we played longer than we expected and the place was full and jumping right to the end. I didn’t think we played particularly well to be honest, but it didn’t seem to matter. 

    Gig 2. Sunday late afternoon. A pub that does live music several times a week and Sunday afternoon gigs regularly. Original material band with a few covers (less than 30% of the set). Probably 15 or 20 of the bands friends and family, another 30 or 40 unknown (possibly local regulars) punters. Musically and creatively another league up from the previous nights band. Played really well, loads of good feedback from the none entourage audience members. 7 piece band, £220.

    So, is that fairly typical? Can bands that play just original material actually make any money until they’ve built a large following?


    I'd say at £220 you actually did very well as an originals band.  
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 14reaction image Wisdom
  • NunogilbertoNunogilberto Frets: 1679
    Sounds about right to me, though you’d have to be a seriously good covers band to get that kind of cash where I live... Going rate for a covers band is somewhere between £200 and £300 here (South Wales/Valleys, originals less so.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 2reaction image Wisdom
  • Rowby1Rowby1 Frets: 1258
    exocet said:
    Rowby1 said:
    This has probably been discussed a few times before but I had two gigs with two bands over the weekend and it got me thinking, is this the norm?

    Gig 1. Saturday night, pub with a beer festival. My covers band. We’re not an amazing band by any means, just a bunch of mates playing songs we love for a bit of fun and getting paid for it from time to time. We had agreed a price of £350 but actually got paid £450. The night had gone well, we played longer than we expected and the place was full and jumping right to the end. I didn’t think we played particularly well to be honest, but it didn’t seem to matter. 

    Gig 2. Sunday late afternoon. A pub that does live music several times a week and Sunday afternoon gigs regularly. Original material band with a few covers (less than 30% of the set). Probably 15 or 20 of the bands friends and family, another 30 or 40 unknown (possibly local regulars) punters. Musically and creatively another league up from the previous nights band. Played really well, loads of good feedback from the none entourage audience members. 7 piece band, £220.

    So, is that fairly typical? Can bands that play just original material actually make any money until they’ve built a large following?


    How much did the pub take on the respective days...simple as that. Full pub + Beer flying through the pipes = More pay. 
    Yup, get that completely.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Rowby1Rowby1 Frets: 1258
    mr-mac said:
    Rowby1 said:
    This has probably been discussed a few times before but I had two gigs with two bands over the weekend and it got me thinking, is this the norm?

    Gig 1. Saturday night, pub with a beer festival. My covers band. We’re not an amazing band by any means, just a bunch of mates playing songs we love for a bit of fun and getting paid for it from time to time. We had agreed a price of £350 but actually got paid £450. The night had gone well, we played longer than we expected and the place was full and jumping right to the end. I didn’t think we played particularly well to be honest, but it didn’t seem to matter. 

    Gig 2. Sunday late afternoon. A pub that does live music several times a week and Sunday afternoon gigs regularly. Original material band with a few covers (less than 30% of the set). Probably 15 or 20 of the bands friends and family, another 30 or 40 unknown (possibly local regulars) punters. Musically and creatively another league up from the previous nights band. Played really well, loads of good feedback from the none entourage audience members. 7 piece band, £220.

    So, is that fairly typical? Can bands that play just original material actually make any money until they’ve built a large following?


    I'd say at £220 you actually did very well as an originals band.  
    Also, yes, I think we probably did.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • mr-macmr-mac Frets: 200
    In my area i am with prev poster 2-300 for covers at pub and well only a few originals manage to get gigs with a fee at all but there are opportunities to put together ticket events etc.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10356
    I play in 3 covers bands and generally we get between £400 and £650 a gig for pubs. Weddings are around the £1.2K upwards and corporate stuff can be 2K or more. 
    The last 3 originals gigs I did though were all for free beer and expenses. It is a hard slog for pure originals so sometimes it;s better to play a mix of originals and covers. When I started out 30 years ago that's what we all did anyway and that's what The Beatles, Van Halen and just about every other band did back in the day. 
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
    0reaction image LOL 1reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • LestratcasterLestratcaster Frets: 1079
    The band I'm playing with at the moment (mostly guitar tech though) demand £100 for shows now as a guarantee with a view of hiking it to £150. We get our fuel covered and usually some beers/rider is thrown in. Not quite rock n roll yet but at least travel is covered eh. Not played in a covers band before but can imagine they fetch more.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Rowby1Rowby1 Frets: 1258
    edited May 2018
    I suspect this stuff varries quite a bit regionally (previous posters have alluded to this) so it’d be interesting to know where we are. I’m East Midlands based and the two gigs I mentioned were relatively local to me. @mr-mac @Danny1969 @Lestratcaster
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • RolandRoland Frets: 8590
    Urban Legends play covers in pubs around the East Midlands. For pub gigs we get £250 to £300. We won’t play for less because the cheaper venues generally don’t want or can’t handle a five piece band.

    We could do weddings, and I’ve done them before, but we don’t need the money, and prefer to be the main attraction rather than the wallpaper.
    Tree recycler, and guitarist with  https://www.undercoversband.com/.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 10356
    Rowby1 said:
    I suspect this stuff varries quite a bit regionally (previous posters have alluded to this) so it’d be interesting to know where we are. I’m East Midlands based and the two gigs I mentioned were relatively local to me. @mr-mac @Danny1969 @Lestratcaster
    I'm just outside of Portsmouth in Waterlooville and there's a huge amount of pubs here that pay covers bands well ... on the stretch of A3 where I live there are 7 pubs that pay well within 3 miles of my house. 
    I generally do around 3 gigs a week so 80 % of my income comes from playing covers 
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • vasselmeyervasselmeyer Frets: 3664
    I'm in a 4-piece covers band (bass, drums, guitar, vox) playing in NW England around the Manchester area. Beer festivals are usually very well attended and we generally get £400+ for those. Beer festivals are a big earner for the venue anyway as they make a mint anyway from pissed punters. Standard gigs on a Saturday night down at the Dog & Duck is generally £200, possibly £225 if we are booked through an agent or the landlord likes us.

    It makes no difference whatsoever if you're a three piece or a seven-piece; the pubs don't pay you any more just because there are more people in the band. As far as the venues are concerned it's a flat rate.

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • LestratcasterLestratcaster Frets: 1079
    Rowby1 said:
    I suspect this stuff varries quite a bit regionally (previous posters have alluded to this) so it’d be interesting to know where we are. I’m East Midlands based and the two gigs I mentioned were relatively local to me. @mr-mac @Danny1969 @Lestratcaster
    We're London based but play all over the UK.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • EricTheWearyEricTheWeary Frets: 16253
    Danny1969 said:
    I play in 3 covers bands and generally we get between £400 and £650 a gig for pubs. Weddings are around the £1.2K upwards and corporate stuff can be 2K or more. 
    The last 3 originals gigs I did though were all for free beer and expenses. It is a hard slog for pure originals so sometimes it;s better to play a mix of originals and covers. When I started out 30 years ago that's what we all did anyway and that's what The Beatles, Van Halen and just about every other band did back in the day. 
    My first band was mid 90s ( big gaps since without picking up a guitar let alone gigging) and we mixed covers and originals. I used to go see other local bands and that’s what everyone did. Everyone got paid as well. To some extent it was the idea of thanking your audience for paying attention to your original stuff by giving them something familiar. I’m not saying it was an artistically better thing but there wasn’t the split between covers and originals bands for the most part. I think now a covers band is a hard sell, has to be a tribute to something. 

    Anyway, pub gigs between about £200 and £350; my previous band did a couple of shared gigs with original bands and we got paid in out of date beer bottles. 

    Roland said:
    Urban Legends play covers in pubs around the East Midlands. For pub gigs we get £250 to £300. We won’t play for less because the cheaper venues generally don’t want or can’t handle a five piece band.

    We could do weddings, and I’ve done them before, but we don’t need the money, and prefer to be the main attraction rather than the wallpaper.
    I quite dislike playing weddings; as a way to make a living it wouldn’t be terrible but as a hobby hanging around for hours to be treated like the hired help isn’t my idea of fun (although why anyone would hire us to play a wedding - and they have - God knows). I think we got about £600. 
    Tipton is a small fishing village in the borough of Sandwell. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Rowby1Rowby1 Frets: 1258
    edited May 2018
    I’ve done the wedding and function/corporate gig thing years ago and yes, it’s a pain. If I was desperate to make money from it then I’d do it again but it’s too much hanging around and you can never please everybody at those gigs. 

    Just interested in playing stuff I enjoy (covers or original material) and if I can get paid as well then that’s a bonus. Sounds like we did okay pay wise on both gigs at the weekend then! 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • fastonebazfastonebaz Frets: 4065
    I used to get £150 to £200 for an all original funk back in pubs.   My rock cover band was more like £200 to £300 For pub gigs.  My current band is yet to gig but hoping for larger functions with a higher fee.  S. West. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • mudslide73mudslide73 Frets: 3049
    250-350 for pub covers. There's loads of work at that level. We don't tend to take many punters either. We've done a few big payers over the years but I don't tend to enjoy them so much. 
    "A city star won’t shine too far"


    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Hick81Hick81 Frets: 122
    I once played The Hard Rock Cafe in Manchester doing originals, got paid in Nachos. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • munckeemunckee Frets: 12255
    edited May 2018
    Danny1969 said:
    Rowby1 said:
    I suspect this stuff varries quite a bit regionally (previous posters have alluded to this) so it’d be interesting to know where we are. I’m East Midlands based and the two gigs I mentioned were relatively local to me. @mr-mac @Danny1969 @Lestratcaster
    I'm just outside of Portsmouth in Waterlooville and there's a huge amount of pubs here that pay covers bands well ... on the stretch of A3 where I live there are 7 pubs that pay well within 3 miles of my house. 
    I generally do around 3 gigs a week so 80 % of my income comes from playing covers 
    Don't want to give Danny ego problems so he changes his name to a symbol or anything but to provide some context the band of his I have seen are not representative of the quality of pub bands I have seen in many years of watching pub bands!!
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • Moe_ZambeekMoe_Zambeek Frets: 3419
    edited May 2018
    Here in Edinburgh we would get about 200 quid for pub gigs, maybe a bit more, doing covers. We had a regular slot doing originals in Edinburgh that paid around 150, regular originals gigs in Dundee @300, very occasional big originals gigs that paid 7-1200 across the uk, usually mixed with some paying £75!

    My most recent short-lived experience in another (not very good) originals band was being paid 35-50 quid - but that’s what you get when your singer is shit but thinks he’s a musical genius

    There are considerably fewer venues here now though. Many of the places we played are closed or not doing live music anymore.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.