What venues do you play?

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SurfGuitar101 Forums » Surf Musician »

What venues do you play?

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elreydlp Joined: Sep 04, 2009 Posts: 1800 Temecula, CA	Posted on Apr 22 2011 03:52 PM You're welcomed! Hey, I could have said THIS one! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0N4nyYS5aA Top
Noel Joined: Mar 15, 2011 Posts: 8528 Back in Piitsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I grew up.	Posted on Apr 22 2011 04:06 PM dubtrub wrote: Holy cow! Sounds like maybe we aren't getting gigs because we don't charge enough. Our fees are negotiable but no where near a $1200 to $1500, more like a hundred bucks an hours with a two hour minimum. Does that sound reasonable? So far we've only played three benefit shows and haven't got around to the negotiations. We did get $276 in the tip jar at one show. I used to consult. There was such a thing as charging too little. It was seen as a sign of both inexperience and incompetence. You can always come down from a high price, but may not get a chance to be taken seriously if your initial price is seen as amateurish. Having said that, some (many?) club owners are notorious for paying too little and trying to keep the money anyway. — This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got. Last edited: Apr 22, 2011 16:07:44 Top
dubtrub Joined: Sep 22, 2007 Posts: 245 Bakersfield CA.	Posted on Apr 22 2011 05:05 PM Noel wrote: I used to consult. There was such a thing as charging too little. It was seen as a sign of both inexperience and incompetence. You can always come down from a high price, but may not get a chance to be taken seriously if your initial price is seen as amateurish. Having said that, some (many?) club owners are notorious for paying too little and trying to keep the money anyway. Sounds reasonable enough. It seems that other bands are in my area are real reluctant to discuss fees so I haven't been able to establish what would be considered a reasonable/normal figure based on the average going rate. I guess I've been out of the business far too long. So what are some ball park figures that other bands are charging? Or, is that violating some ethical code by asking? — Danny Ellison aka dubtrub Last edited: Apr 22, 2011 17:05:43 Top
Noel Joined: Mar 15, 2011 Posts: 8528 Back in Piitsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I grew up.	Posted on Apr 22 2011 05:44 PM All I remember from my childhood was Dad got scale for pickup work until his reputation allowed him to get more for himself and the other musicians he brought to the gigs. Of course, to get even scale meant belonging to the musician's local. From other sources I know it wasn't unknown for blues or jazz musicians to have to lay a gun on the table to ensure they got paid. — This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got. Last edited: Apr 22, 2011 17:46:54 Top
dp Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 3546 mojave desert, california	Posted on Apr 22 2011 09:17 PM you can guestimate by visiting a venue and seeing if they charge a cover and what size crowd you can expect...2 drink minimum that sort of thing... also, it sort of depends on you and your bandmates' minimums... $100 per hour per player...$50 per player? $25 per hour? Minimums for me are usually based on things like gasoline, food, lodging and other travel expenses at least... also there's cost of all the cocaine and m&m's and vodka and heroin needles and all that... Top
casey Joined: May 18, 2006 Posts: 521	Posted on Apr 22 2011 10:08 PM Around here (Richmond, VA) a lot of bands will try to get $100 per member for a typical 3hr club/bar gig, but a lot also play for a lot less. Generally we won't play for less than $50 each. You have to be realistic; if at the end of the night the venue has lost money by hiring you he probably won't do it again. Supply of bands far exceeds the demand for live music in this town. If you want more lucrative jobs its probably best to work through a booking agency and aim for corporate or wedding jobs. Top
elreydlp Joined: Sep 04, 2009 Posts: 1800 Temecula, CA	Posted on Apr 22 2011 11:38 PM We're $150 each for a two-two-1/2 hr. gig. We have trio and duo configurations and hold pretty firm to those prices. We have a few regular gigs we do for less, but make it up in tips, food, and drinks. We did a gig for a while where the pay was crap, but the tips were good, the food was outstanding, and the wine was expensive-but free to us. I can live with that once a month. Top
TRCat Joined: Jul 04, 2008 Posts: 65 Loudoun County, VA	Posted on Apr 23 2011 06:37 AM We're a 5-piece band and as such charge a minimum of 250 GBP for 2x 45min sets. As for venues, it varies from pub gigs to renting a village hall and promoting our own show. Next wknd - royal wedding wknd, we're booked to play the night of the wedding at a beer fest. The beer tent opens at 12 and we don't go on until 8pm - It could be really good, or really ugly! We play traditional surf and mix in the classic instrumentals - esp the "jammy" ones that we can extend beyond the 2:15 the avg surf song runs. To date, we've received nothing but positive feedback - primarily because NOBODY plays Surf. I can't tell you how many times I've heard that its great that we're not "YATCB" - yet another typical cover band! Good luck and remember to "sell your uniqueness" - Surf! Top
Las_Barracudas Joined: Apr 24, 2011 Posts: 1087 Surf City, NC	Posted on Apr 25 2011 08:31 AM Surf alone is kind of a tough sale most anywhere (excluding S. Cal). As some others stated, mixing the sets with other genres may help. You'll probably never get the same amount of gigs that Classic Rock cover band gets, but most that play Surf / Instro do it because they love the genre. It's kind of a niche thang. As far as venues go we try and work with them on an individual basis. A small bar of the beaten path just can't generate the same revenue on their best night as a larger "prime time" venue so we always consider this when quoting a performance price. Sometimes the smaller venues turn out to be the best shows though! $50 a man is about our minimum. Also, you may want to consider working with some other bands doing "split bills"? Two bands playing different genres, maybe Surf & Rock-A-Billy or Surf & Americana, etc.. Getting off the ground is always the tough part. Imo you just have to be willing to suck it up and accept gigs for less than you would like to or play some less than awesome venues. Spreading the Gospel of Reverb ain't no walk in the park! — METEOR IV on reverbnation Last edited: Apr 25, 2011 08:32:15 Top
Noel Joined: Mar 15, 2011 Posts: 8528 Back in Piitsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I grew up.	Posted on Apr 25 2011 09:01 AM Las_Barracudas wrote: Getting off the ground is always the tough part. Imo you just have to be willing to suck it up and accept gigs for less than you would like to or play some less than awesome venues. Even Benny Goodman, before he became the "King of Swing", played some clubs inside wire cages to protect his band from bottles and other debris thrown at them. Lots of bands toured in their cars, played impromptu sets at roadhouses for gas and food money, and scrounged around for a floor to sleep on or just slept in their cars. It seems this has alwaysd been the lot of the full-time musician who isn't in a house band, and sometimes even then. — This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got. Top
killbabykill34 Joined: Apr 03, 2010 Posts: 3201 Jacksonville, AL	Posted on Apr 25 2011 09:18 AM Noel wrote: Las_Barracudas wrote: Getting off the ground is always the tough part. Imo you just have to be willing to suck it up and accept gigs for less than you would like to or play some less than awesome venues. Even Benny Goodman, before he became the "King of Swing", played some clubs inside wire cages to protect his band from bottles and other debris thrown at them. Lots of bands toured in their cars, played impromptu sets at roadhouses for gas and food money, and scrounged around for a floor to sleep on or just slept in their cars. It seems this has alwaysd been the lot of the full-time musician who isn't in a house band, and sometimes even then. This pretty much sums us up. Playing for gas money and merch sales...a free meal on a good night...and hopefully someone nice enough to put us up on their floor for the night... — THE KBK ... This is the last known signal. We offer Sanctuary. www.thekbk.com http://www.deepeddy.net/artists/thekbk/ www.reverbnation.com/thekbk www.facebook.com/thekbkal Top
dp Joined: Feb 26, 2006 Posts: 3546 mojave desert, california	Posted on Apr 25 2011 07:12 PM TRCat wrote: We're a 5-piece band and as such charge a minimum of 250 GBP for 2x 45min sets. As for venues, it varies from pub gigs to renting a village hall and promoting our own show. Next wknd - royal wedding wknd, we're booked to play the night of the wedding at a beer fest. The beer tent opens at 12 and we don't go on until 8pm - It could be really good, or really ugly! We play traditional surf and mix in the classic instrumentals - esp the "jammy" ones that we can extend beyond the 2:15 the avg surf song runs. To date, we've received nothing but positive feedback - primarily because NOBODY plays Surf. I can't tell you how many times I've heard that its great that we're not "YATCB" - yet another typical cover band! Good luck and remember to "sell your uniqueness" - Surf! 250 GBP = US$ 413 = EU 283 Top
thealderking Joined: Feb 12, 2011 Posts: 54 Right Behind You	Posted on Jun 20 2011 12:18 AM I totally agree that having a crossover style will make a big difference. My stuff is more "horror surfabilly" and both the psychobilly and punk/horror punk crowds here seem to be digging it. You may have luck with the rockabilly and psychobilly fans in your area. They really love retro styles and really appreciate that kinda thing. If they like you they are loyal to the end too! — Psycho surfabilly! www.thealderkings.com Top

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