first gigs -what to charge...if anything?

rickster · Post by **rickster** » Wednesday Apr 01, 2009

I know there are a lot of factors ..but , can you just tell me what you were charging when you first started playing in your first bands?

MeYatch · Post by **MeYatch** » Wednesday Apr 01, 2009

start high, negotiate down, if need be. If you plan on playing there again some day, don't play for peanuts, or at least let them know its a one time only deal. Otherwise you'll never get paid decent money.

RobTheDrummer · Post by **RobTheDrummer** » Wednesday Apr 01, 2009

If you are a relatively unknown band, I wouldn't shoot too high. However, let them know what your band is about. Be honest with them. Don't tell them you are something and show up as something completely different. Let them know a fair price, and it also depends if there is in house sound or not. We do shows for peanuts sometimes, but hey you gotta pay your dues.

VENTGtr · Post by **VENTGtr** » Wednesday Apr 01, 2009

As with all, it really depends. In this case, on the place.

Do they charge a cover?
Do they offer a guarantee?
What size place is it?
Is it a place with which you're familiar and like?
Do you think you'll draw based on people you know coming?
Do they normally have bands and, if so, what kinds of crowds?
Do they pay on a scale (First time the door, etc. then up from there.
Just be careful of what Mitch mentioned. Once you're there for one
amount, it can be a nightmare moving from that spot).

There are places we play that maybe don't, and can't, pay a lot, but
we like them, have a great time playing there, etc. That being said,
with all of us so far apart, we're traveling to an extent to get wherever
and there are places we like that we simply can't afford to play. We'll
bring in the people, they just aren't all that setup to pay well (20 year
olds should never manage a bar, especially taking orders from their
grandparents on how. But, what a fun place).

Play some smaller places, get tight, maybe build a bit of a rep where
you have some places to which you can refer if booking people ask
where you've played, etc. Try to look at the early shows as much as
learning experiences and that as part of your compensation. Not to say
you should undercut yourselves payout-wise. Absolutely not. Just, again,
keep in mind the size of the place.

Don't know where you live, but if you can, go see some bands play.
While there, talk to them, talk to an owner/booking person and see
what you can do to get into the place, or when.

I never like asking people how much they make at a place (Though I'm
often ask, and often told. BUT, that's me. I'm funny that way). If you
know people who play a venue, especially if they're "newer" there and
don't mind, as them.

REALLY, you're just goin' to have to embark on that joy o' joys that
are booking calls/visits. If that person is goin' to be you...ya sorry
bastard...you'll learn a lot and are about to be very frustrated. Be
ready to make a lot of calls, then again, and again, and again, to a lot
of the same places. If a show doesn't pan out and you're handing out
squat to the guys at the end of a night, you're going to feel very low. If
there's a light crowd, more than likely, the owner of a place may look
at you like it's your fault, even if it's the latest STORM! of the
CEEENNNNTURY!

Just keep in mind, IT HAPPENS. To EVERYONE. There are places that
you'd THINK are killer money-wise, but the economy's hurting them as
well to some degree, so you may have to work with some places. You'll
figure out where, why, how and when in time.

Other thing. Don't short change yourself too much! My/our favourite band
around plays for a 1 Dollar cover. They did so at first because they didn't
think they deserved more (They'd use the tally to buy drinks for the people
there to see them). They kind of got stuck in that rut and are too hard on
themselves about venturing other places.

You're goin' to get screwed over at different points. Of that be sure. Just
try to keep it to a minimum, and don't let it mess with the love of doing
the job...which it is. Hold up your end and expect others to as well. You
very well may lose people along the way, but, once you get the right crew,
EVERYTHING is SO much easier and more fun.

Guess that doesn't answer your question though...does it?

rickster · Post by **rickster** » Wednesday Apr 01, 2009

I'm going to print this out and put it in my guitar case...I think I may need to refer back to it in the future..Thanks for the look ahead.

As far as seeing other bands...in the last month or so Ive seen,

Bad Daze
Sunset Strip
Crow In The Snow
Blackout
Get the Led Out

This Friday were going up to check out Kitty Whip in ebensburg

VENTGtr · Post by **VENTGtr** » Wednesday Apr 01, 2009

Nah man, that's jes why we're all here. Thanks to you bringin' up alot
of great topics as of late.

Feelgood · Post by **Feelgood** » Wednesday Apr 01, 2009

How much are you worth to the bar?

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Wednesday Apr 01, 2009

Charge them $1M that way when ya work it down to $1500 it seems fair...

PanzerFaust · Post by **PanzerFaust** » Wednesday Apr 01, 2009

My first gig we got off easy....

We only needed to pay the bar $50 plus what we had drunk in beer....

So it was a little under $500.00 we paid the bar for our first gig....

But then again I might not be the best person to ask..... haha.....

RobTheDrummer · Post by **RobTheDrummer** » Wednesday Apr 01, 2009

rickster wrote:I'm going to print this out and put it in my guitar case...I think I may need to refer back to it in the future..Thanks for the look ahead.

As far as seeing other bands...in the last month or so Ive seen,

Bad Daze
Sunset Strip
Crow In The Snow
Blackout
Get the Led Out

This Friday were going up to check out Kitty Whip in ebensburg

Mother fucker, come catch a Slacker Theory show....Shameless self promotion!

rickster · Post by **rickster** » Wednesday Apr 01, 2009

I have every intention of seeing your show Rob.However I dont see your shows listed in the show schedule, or your band for that matter...

RobTheDrummer · Post by **RobTheDrummer** » Wednesday Apr 01, 2009

rickster wrote:I have every intention of seeing your show Rob.However I dont see your shows listed in the show schedule, or your band for that matter...

www.myspace.com/slackertheorymusic

I guess I'm retarded and didn't realize you didn't know where we are playing!

bassgirl · Post by **bassgirl** » Wednesday Apr 01, 2009

rickster wrote:I'm going to print this out and put it in my guitar case...I think I may need to refer back to it in the future..Thanks for the look ahead.

As far as seeing other bands...in the last month or so Ive seen,

Bad Daze
Sunset Strip
Crow In The Snow
Blackout
Get the Led Out

This Friday were going up to check out Kitty Whip in ebensburg

Hey Rickster! I just checked out this thread. See you on Friday.

Lisa · Post by **Lisa** » Thursday Apr 02, 2009

Dave is a great person to take advice from. If it weren't for a talk him and I had here a few years ago, we would have stopped having bands altogether. He knows the area well.

DirtySanchez · Post by **DirtySanchez** » Thursday Apr 02, 2009

I'm not gonna read some of these novellas, and it's probably already been said but here's what I got:

Do what you think is fair and don't sell yourself short.

REDillon · Post by **REDillon** » Thursday Apr 02, 2009

I'm just gonna throw this thought in the mix, when a band UNDER charges that sets a presedence for bars to book CHEAP.

We're not in this business to get rich, far from it, but it's an expensive hobby and for some of us a second job. We're not getting paid for just that 3 hours we're on-stage. We rehearse, buy equipment, use gas to get to gigs, computer time for "cheat sheets" and web pages.

It's a business, a fun business, but a business none the less. No one ever tells their bartenders or cooks, "ahh, we didn't have a good night tonite, so I can't pay you." But bands, the enterainment, get asked that more often than not.

Okay. I'm done. If you wanna rip me a new one, just be gentle.

VENTGtr · Post by **VENTGtr** » Thursday Apr 02, 2009

REDillon wrote: It's a business, a fun business, but a business none the less.

Si.

And thank you Lisa.

BDR · Post by **BDR** » Thursday Apr 02, 2009

Three-fiddy.

"Don't give the Loch Ness Monster no goddam three-fiddy ..."

r:>)

Colton · Post by **Colton** » Thursday Apr 02, 2009

"I gave'm a dollar..."

REDillon · Post by **REDillon** » Thursday Apr 02, 2009

But the Loch Ness Monster is WORTH three fiddy.

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Friday Apr 03, 2009

The most money I ever made was when I played for free on the Boardwalk at Ocean City MD. We had a guitar case full of money in a few short hours. Play what your crowd wants to hear with a good attutude you will soon find out what your worth. Good Luck Deb

metalchurch · Post by **metalchurch** » Friday Apr 03, 2009

Was this an actual gig or did you just set-up at a random place?
I always wondered if it was legal or not to just play on the street or somewhere.
That would be an awesome gig to have really. If you played 5 nights a week for a year you could almost take the next year off if you watched your money and lived responsible...
hmmm...
Yeah, I can imagine how little I'd make playing acoustic Judas Priest or Ozzy at Ocean City. LOL Probably end up writing and playing originals real soon, with titles like "Juss gimme some Ramen Noodles" "Can you spare some change for this old soul" stuff like that.

I'm sure that some people actually make a living by playing like that Deb.
Was this recently, or a while ago?

DirtySanchez · Post by **DirtySanchez** » Friday Apr 03, 2009

metalchurch wrote:if you watched your money and lived responsible...

WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

hahahahaoiuyiioyhifhjkhfdoipauhdfahhhhh!

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Friday Apr 03, 2009

DirtySanchez wrote:
metalchurch wrote:if you watched your money and lived responsible...

WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

hahahahaoiuyiioyhifhjkhfdoipauhdfahhhhh!

Standing on the boardwalk peddlin' his ware's? Open guitar case. Anyone wanna buy some Tupperware

Sorry, I'm sooo baked.

DirtySanchez · Post by **DirtySanchez** » Friday Apr 03, 2009

When I think "watching money and living responsibly", not a single one of my friends comes to mind, and am actually pretty shocked that it came out of Joe's mouth. Honky must be high as a kite.