What's it worth to ya?

On an average night I make about $50 for myself. Usually the 5 piece jam band plays for about 250 depending on the venue. I'm going to start picking up some jazz shows which are still just on campus so that usually pays about $200 a trio. We're trying something new with a bar this week where they've promised the headlining act a set amount and then the opening act (my band) will get the rest. If we pack the place we have the potential to make a lot and if we don't then we might not making anything. Right now I'm only playing out 2-3 times a month though.

My last band was a three piece. We'd play what is considered to be an 'A' room (as far as blues is concerned) for $300 a night. I know a guy with a big name locally, with a 5 piece, and he gets $350 at the same place.

I read Willie Dixon's autobiography. He talked about getting $300 per night in Chicago IN THE 1940'S!!! It's really sick that the benchmark hasn't changed since then.

Before saying how much our band gets around here let me just interject a few things. 1) There is some competetion but not a lot. 2) This band plays alomst exclusively covers, with 2-3 originals thrown in. 3) We have been doing it for about 2 years.

That said. The band as a whole (that's 5 members, and usually 2 others) makes around $700-$900 a gig. 3-6 times a month. So usually we all leave with $100 or a little more. And when I cover a gig it is usually $80-120 depending on who the group is and how far the gig is.

If we were playing original music exclusively, it would be gas money if we were lucky. So All you good uglyless bands....move up here to Vermont....and look me up.

Our main club is pretty much a hole-in-the-wall type of place... looks rough, but actually is probably the less likely place to see a fight. They let us have ALL of the door money plus a 5 drink tab, so it's basically how much advertising we do as to how much we get paid (we usually charge a $3 or $4 cover depending on what we're doing). The other clubs around here offer anywhere between $300 & $400 for the band. At least one of them offers $300 for the band plus the door money. Not too bad. The most I've made at a gig was $192 - would have been over $200, but since our sound man volunteered to do sound, lights & fog, we all gave him $20 plus what was in the tip jar. On the average, we make between $75 - $130 a gig. I look at it this way, if I make $100 then I'm doing good. I prefer playing the 1st club mentioned and doing my own advertising, it tends to pay better... but there's always a chance nobody comes to the show  99% of the time, I'm just happy to be out playing. The extra MOOLA is just a nice bonus AND it helps to satisfy my GAS

I've been talking with a stinky about playing boathouse parties on Lake Texoma this summer. Rich drunk boat owners have been known to offer $100 per song request after the band finishes their set.... if that's true, then I'm all about giving this a shot! Two or three of these types of requests and the bands original set pay $300 - $500 could make for a nice cut...

Ok, Colorado must suck then!!! The only thing clubs out here pay is the door! The door person stands there, takes the money, and asks, which band are you here to see? You only get paid what you draw. If you draw two people and play your hearts out and get the entire crowd lovin ya, you still only made 10 bones!!! All of the theater venues I've played in CO. have basically been for free, and ALL national shows have been for free! Colorado sux to try and get paid in, but its a great local, loyal as hell fan following if you can work it right!

1) 20-30$
2) some beer
3) nothing

that's how things are going in Russia..

we play for the door,we're original except for the ocasional slayer cover or what have ya.the money ranges anywhere from $0-$800.we don't really think about the money thing anyways,everybody in the band is fortunate to have day jobs they like that pay pretty dam good.we do what we do as a labor of love.i prefer playing benefits where music is helping people money-wise,besides my cut of the money goes to the local food bank

In the mostly cover 4-piece rock band, I usually pull $100 for 4 forty-five minute sets. There's rarely a guarantee for the original acts, though. It seems there's also no support for original acts around here (Kansas City, MO). Because of this, my primary band is now in the process of adding some covers to the set.

I like bass AND money, thank you.

in my experience, my last band (Jan 2k4 - Aug 2k4) made a grand total of $130 total for nine shows. We used $100 of that to print up t-shirts, a dozen of them, and four went to the band members and there are still two sitting around. So, for nine shows, you could say I made a Chinese food dinner. Such is the life of the ugly ones, but I'd have it no other way. Unless, you know, I could make money. Then I'd have it that way.

Somewhere between $400 and a boot-in-the-a$$.

Bongoman - Does CRS stand for can't remember sh*t?

i think so TB - but i can't remember? well - we were playing this club i talked about - our home base bar - it was our 3rd gig there and this drunk sez.. hey - you guys are great - what's the band called..? i look at him stupidly with mouth open thinking about if it's worth talking to him about the new venture and that we just got together... and if it's worth telling this guy.. and the drunk beside him - sez HA - you can't remember. HUH and then i struck me!
well - it is said that your true name is given to you by your peers in the clan... i guess two drunks at the bar who are still there at the end of the 2nd set (or not ABLE to leave) will do in a pinch - so i go back to me mates and tell them the story - it's a hit - then you start telling people at gigs what the band's called - and most people over 35 get it with a chuckle. it works for requests too what - we just played that didn't we?
hey Rob - the hole in the wall place is our home bar - it's call
My Place it had the big sign out front obove the club that was shatered during a storm, just the tubes are showing - the owner tied on a big bedsheet - spray painted My Place on it and then covered over the light tubes - it's still there 1.5 years later.. ya gotta love it.
i always want to tell the owner - man - if i could get 20 - 30 people to follow us araound - then - i'd rent a hall and charge a cover - i don't need you dude.. haha

St. Louis ain't much better, girl. The original acts are relegated to these dark, tiny venues and mostly only friends of the bands show up (whoppie!) and its usually a door deal. Cover bands do a bit better, like $300-500 per night, but it depends on the noteriety.

We've played numerous shows and we've only make a couple hundred bones. And that's even with being the headliner on a couple of shows. We're an original heavy/industrial metal band within a southern rock scene so we have that going against us. Shows with national acts, we don't get paid a dime for because it's good exposure. It's alright for me though, I didn't join a band to make money, I joined because I wanted to make music. We're trying to get signed, that's the next big step for us...

Bah...

Getting signed is over rated.

I'm usually asked to pay.

I swear, it seems the money's worse now than it was 25 years ago.

the band i was in back in the early 70's got about 350 for 2 1/2 hrs of covers and the clubs were always packed back then,the last cover band i was in (92) we would average 150-300 for 3hr of covers.in the 70's there were about 4 bands in the tri-county area,now there's about 40 and there is a lot of mediocrity in the mix causing the audience turn out to keep getting thinner

Yeah Bongo, our home bar happens to be the whole in the wall place too. It's called Break Time - used to be a biker bar, but most of the bikers moved on to another place up the road leaving just locals and young people looking for live music, something other than country around here. I'd rather play at Break Time than any other place in my area. I might drop it for a gig in Dallas/Ft. Worth tho. But thats about a 55 mile drive. (I know, I know...)

Give me my home stage any night!

so far the best deal we have gotten was $100 for the band. I work in Athens, GA. and there is a thriving music scene here...if you play jam music, bluegrass, or mopey college music, you are good to go.

We play rock/metal, and our one big show in Athens payed $0. At that bar, whatever door money they take in past $120 gets split evenly between the (3 or 4 bands) playing that night.

Atlanta area does a bit better, but $100 for the band seems to be about the going rate for original acts. Some places (like the Masquerade) will let you sell your own tickets, but you have to give them $5 for each one you sell...you keep whatever you sell them for above that dollar amount.

We obviously are in this for the sake of playing music, cause it sure as hell ain't the money...but I will take it any day. Just give us a stage, a crowd of at least 10 people or more, and let us play. We play for free at our practice space, so any money is bonus. Truth is, I would do it for free though.

We're trying to get signed...

My primary band (Velvet Freeze) signed a record deal last October. It hasn't made much of a difference in my life so far. It's a feather in the cap, but that's it at this point. Until that changes, I'll keep with the cover band.

Here in North Carolina we get about 25-60 for the band cause its always a big 4 to 6 band show. You may only have a 30 min spot counting setup time! Its not bad though like most I don't play for the money.

i chatted with my friend who is a co-owner of a bar here and they pay a band anywhere from $200 - $800 a night depending on how many people they bring in. sometimes they even throw in a little extra.

the biggest crowd draw is a 70-80's funk/pop band because they get EVERYONE dancing, all ages (over 21).

Usually it's 50-100$ for me. Things here are not for granted, though. It happens, some times, the money is THAT little that i dodn't even bother to ask for them. But it depents on where you play at. I once got paid 300$ for 20 minutes of playing (so did the rest of the band, 6 musicians). There are places here (Greece) that pay at least 200$ a night (playing 4 times a week) for bass players. Of course, it's popular music and the working hours tend to be a normal 8 hour (11- 7 a.m.). If you choose to play your music (meaning that you either have no family or you have a day job as well), you make 0-100$ a night (usualy 50-60).