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so much money are you pub bands getting then ?

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  • hotpickupshotpickups Frets: 1809
    edited November 2018
    In my area we'll get £250 -£350 in a pub depending on how long we play for

    Wish I lived on the south coast where bands are payed properly
    Link to my trading feedback:  http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/59452/
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  • Essex rock covers - getting 200 - 300 from pubs in essex and suffolk.

    Interestingly we managed to get a few more quid from a couple of the venues we play at - by way of background we set our fee at 200 quid when we started a few years ago and got nowhere fast on the pay 'increase' front until we got to know the landlord / lady despite knowing full well they were paying some bands a lot more for, in cover band terms, the same songs.

    And at one of our favorite venues we get a bit more as the landlady is usually smashed out of her head and leads the dancing!!
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  • onyironyir Frets: 45
    Rock covers band in Blackpool area. We normally get 250-300 for the usual 2 set gig (about 2 hours with a 15 minute break)
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  • Mark_RMark_R Frets: 79
    Very interesting, just joined a band and we are looking at getting our first gigs booked for April.  Good to know where we should aim at. 
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  • MayneheadMaynehead Frets: 1782
    £250 for local pubs in somerset, 3 hour set with a break in the middle.
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  • Roland said:
    If I wanted to make money from music then I wouldn’t be playing in a pub covers band.
    Same here. To me it’s a hobby that just so happens to leave me with a few quid in my pocket at the end of the night, and I enjoy it.

    There’s plenty of hobbies where you buy expensive kit and don’t get anything back (other than pleasure). 

    I generally look at it that i’m being paid for lugging the stuff around, setting up, getting home late etc. The playing is the fun bit. 

    Exactly this.  Plus it works out cheaper than golf as a hobby (until you get into the world of GAS).  I've worked it out over the last few years and with buying a guitar or two I'm claiming it as cost neutral.
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  • Don’t understand why the prices have been the same for so long. I remember getting £250 for a four piece rock covers band in the late ‘80’s. I was getting £300 for a backing track based rock trio with me and two girl singers 20 years ago. If inflation was taken into account a band should be on at least £500 by now. I suppose it’s an indication of the state of the pub trade and the amount of bands battling for the gigs. Lucky we bloody well enjoy it, I wouldn’t do 6 hours work for £50 in any other job...
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  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    tFB Trader
    Don’t understand why the prices have been the same for so long. I remember getting £250 for a four piece rock covers band in the late ‘80’s. I was getting £300 for a backing track based rock trio with me and two girl singers 20 years ago. If inflation was taken into account a band should be on at least £500 by now. I suppose it’s an indication of the state of the pub trade and the amount of bands battling for the gigs. Lucky we bloody well enjoy it, I wouldn’t do 6 hours work for £50 in any other job...

    Because pubs are in such a bad state.

    About half the places I used to play have gone under or turned into restaurants. The ones that are open pay bugger all.
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  • MentalSharpsMentalSharps Frets: 165
    edited December 2018
    I always wonder whether it could be technically challenge in court that it's prohibited to exhibit copyrighted works (the actual recordings) in public and charge money for it?

    Aside specifically from dance music genres, the average pub DJ's don't actually add anything to the music they play they just select the songs and swich between them so it can't be argued to be creative or 'musical' for that kind of DJ'ing.

    If they had to pay royalties for playing the recordings it might be a bit fairer to bands or people who can play covers or original stuff. Also it would help the electronic musicians who DJ and play their own material or people on their labels.
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  • monquixotemonquixote Frets: 17485
    edited December 2018 tFB Trader
    I always wonder whether it could be technically challenge in court that it's prohibited to exhibit copyrighted works (the actual recordings) in public and charge money for it?

    Aside specifically from dance music genres, the average pub DJ's don't actually add anything to the music they play they just select the songs and swich between them so it can't be argued to be creative or 'musical' for that kind of DJ'ing.

    If they had to pay royalties for playing the recordings it might be a bit fairer to bands or people who can play covers or original stuff. Also it would help the electronic musicians who DJ and play their own material or people on their labels.

    That's why you need a PRS license
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  • Ahh I see. Though that covers the premises, so I guess it's factored in just as the normal cost of doing day to day business. Nothing for the DJ to pay, quite a nice situation.
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  • p90foolp90fool Frets: 31366
    We've had PRS reps turn up to our gigs wanting a copy of our setlist, so they can get an idea of what's generally played in pubs. 
    That's fine by us, we're happy to make sure that the people who wrote the songs we're using to get people dancing get paid. 
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  • KebabkidKebabkid Frets: 3301
    edited December 2018
    For pubs, £300-450 (including the jug being passed around) which can get us £75-100.
    It was £600+ in the 90s!

    For functions, £1200-1500

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  • Dunno about now but back in the early eighties I was gigging in Germany and we were getting 200-300 marks between 4 of us (around 4 marks to the pound at the time). Included free all the food and drink that that we could get down our necks......only problem was that I couldn't drink and play then. Whereas now I reckon that I sound great after 10 pints of heavy!
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  • Last covers band earned around £300 for pub gigs £800 and upwards for functions.
    Gigging solo acoustic now and earning £120 for a pub gig and playing NYE in a pub for £450. For the NYE gig, I had no idea what to ask for so pretty much plucked a number out of thin air. Wouldn't have been doing anything special so a nice end of year bonus for me.
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  • We would charge £25 minimum, even when travelling.  Seemed pretty good to me.

        But that was 50 years ago and I was only 14.

        And you could get 5 gallons (~22 litres) of petrol for a quid!

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  • PhilW1PhilW1 Frets: 941
    edited December 2018
    Tonight We’ll get £200 between 4 of us for a Xmas party after 8 3hr rehearsal s at £7 a go,  I go straight to rehearsal from work so it’s a 15 hr day...and they wonder why I moan when we have to play Billie jean and happy Xmas war is over .
    And it’s 20miles away.
    I’m still gonna play Paranoid though
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  • Man, we must be shit...

    Last gig - 4 pints and a bag of scratchings
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  • In my area we'll get £250 -£350 in a pub depending on how long we play for

    Wish I lived on the south coast where bands are payed properly
    Don't come to the Isle of Wight , pub gigs are a shameful £100 to £150 per band , if you are really lucky you may get £200, but £120 is about the going rate .

    One pub offered an evening meal in exchange for a gig .

    You used to get one or two free drinks ,but even that has gone by the way .

    Some events pay fairly well ,if you can break into the Cowes Week clique , you can pick up some reasonable money.
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  • Modern Rock Covers with a few classics thrown in, based in Cambridgeshire and venture out into Norfolk also, min £200, but usually £250 for pubs as we being own PA and lighting etc.
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