Why do we bother??!

[Damonjames]

Ok, so I'm tired and grumpy because I was out gigging last night and feel the need to rant.
I'll start by saying that I love the guys in my band and I love what we do, but after last night I'm wondering why we bother. We played a fair way away from home in a pub we were playing for the second time, played till after midnight and got the princely sum of £150 between 5 of us AND we provided PA.
Granted the place was small, and it wasn't packed but after only a few hours sleep before the kids got up, I'm asking myself why I bother. Barely got enough money to cover the fuel to get there and back let alone maintain my gear and am wondering if I'm the only one who feels like this??

[Lord Sausage]

[quote name='Damonjames' timestamp='1416132878' post='2607091']
Ok, so I'm tired and grumpy because I was out gigging last night and feel the need to rant.
I'll start by saying that I love the guys in my band and I love what we do, but after last night I'm wondering why we bother. We played a fair way away from home in a pub we were playing for the second time, played till after midnight and got the princely sum of £150 between 5 of us AND we provided PA.
Granted the place was small, and it wasn't packed but after only a few hours sleep before the kids got up, I'm asking myself why I bother. Barely got enough money to cover the fuel to get there and back let alone maintain my gear and am wondering if I'm the only one who feels like this??
[/quote]
Depends what you do it for! Love or money!

[Japhet]

My take on it has always been

I play for nothing because I love it. I get paid to lug the gear around. Seems to work for me.

[Lozz196]

[quote name='Lord Sausage' timestamp='1416132979' post='2607095']
Depends what you do it for! Love or money!
[/quote]

Pretty much it for me.

[Damonjames]

I should clarify, I dont espect to make a living out of it, but 30 quid just about covers the said cost of lugging gear around....

[gary mac]

Bet you will be back out there next week, doing the same and maybe coming away thinking, wow that was an excellent gig, brilliant crowd, really enjoyed myself and to top it all, got a few quid for new strings

[Hobbayne]

I would rather play a great gig to an enthusiastic crowd for peanuts than a sh*t gig to one man and his dog for a lot more.

[rogerstodge]

Used to be the same for us until we said " from now on we want £400 per show or we don't do it".
We still do approx 90 gigs per year.

[paulbass]

The joys of gigging as you get a bit more established and gain a following maybe you can put your fee up a bit. A lot of these pubs are finding it hard at the moment and i feel its getting worse...at least you got a gig and at the end of the day half a loaf is better than none at all

[gjones]

The money is in weddings and corporate gigs, not pubs. But that may be a road you don't want to go down.

[Tuco]

I dont think the 'main' band I was in for 2 years made £150 in the whole of that time period.

[RhysP]

No you're not the only one who feels like that, which is why I stopped gigging.
It became a complete waste of time & energy for f*** all.

[Mykesbass]

I bother because despite the many gigs like the one you just had which leaves me feeling a bit hacked off for 12 hours there will be others where the band play brilliantly & you get a great response from total strangers. Then you get a real buzz for days.

[chris_b]

Presumably you knew it was a £150 gig and [i]x[/i] miles before you left home?

I wouldn't do a 3 piece gig for that money.

The economics of a 5 piece band have never worked in pub gig land.

[jazzyvee]

[quote name='Japhet' timestamp='1416133108' post='2607098']
My take on it has always been

I play for nothing because I love it. I get paid to lug the gear around. Seems to work for me.
[/quote]

+ 1

[Muzz]

We do mostly weddings and functions where the money's very much worth it, if we're filling up the calendar with pub gigs we go out as a trio which increases the number of gigs we can do because the cheaper ones are then still viable money-wise. A wedding as a trio is even better... I also enjoy the different skill set and vibe needed for a trio, even from a four-piece.

[jazzyvee]

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1416135567' post='2607141']
The money is in weddings and corporate gigs, not pubs. But that may be a road you don't want to go down.
[/quote]

I've done my share of those in the mid to late 90's and whilst yes they do pay more than your average pub gigs etc, I never found them to be as rewarding as your average pub/club/venue gigs.
I've always had a day job so gigs have never been to earn a living from music even when I was combining touring and working.

Edited November 16, 2014 by jazzyvee

[bubinga5]

if you have a full time job, and can pay the bills, why not do it for the love of music and playing. ? depending on your circumstances of course. sounds very frustrating for you though Damon.. Keep your chin up dude..

[JTUK]

Our min charge is £50 per man for a pub within 25 miles.
If we want to go further..and that is because the pub is worth it,
We start at £10 per man fuel and we have to see the benefit of it
as we can't pay kitty and P.A at those prices.

We are a 5 piece and at those prices, we ARE doing it for the fun of it.
We have also found you need to pick your pubs..and gigs in general
otherwise you can get jaded...IME.

[JTUK]

As for party functions, we have priced to get into London, but even at £1500
for 2 hours, the parking, congestion charges and general all round hassle makes you think twice.
If I don't clear £300..inc the P.A share, I will be VERY pissed off...so weddings and corporate
pay well, but sometimes you'll earn that as well.

[Dad3353]

Some folks will climb to the peak of a mountain or tall hill and jump off with a hang glider. It costs them fuel and gear do do that. How much are they paid..? They're not, it's their hobby. Some will go scuba diving, with bottles to lug and wet-suits to pack away. How much do they earn for such a week-end..? Nothing, it's what they do for fun.
There are all sorts of reasons for going out gigging. If it's to make a bit of pocket money, that's fine. Does it cover expenses..? Sometimes.
On the other hand, if it's jealousy because the bar staff are getting a wage, there's not much to stop anyone working behind the bar instead of going on stage. It's just a different choice, that's all. Is it worth it..? Often, yes. Sometimes, no.

[Len_derby]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1416140056' post='2607217']

you can get jaded...IME.

[/quote]

This, for me is an important point.

If you're not in a position to be discerning about which gigs you take, in my opinion, you've got to make sure the 'batteries get recharged'.
That might be through taking a break, shaking up the set list, changing the gear around etc.

What works for me is going to see an act that inspires.
A couple of us went to see Ian Siegal and Jimbo Mathus last week and we were buzzing for days about it.

I think you've got to go back and dip the bucket in the well now and again.

[spike]

the way I look at it, I go out and have a good time on a Saturday night and end up with more money than I started with.

[spacey]

Playing general "rock covers" has always been the worst pay, same old tunes week in week out.
I gave up on rock music years ago and now stick to genres that pay more and are more in demand.

[chrismuzz]

I got alright money doing covers, but I'm much happier doing originals for nothing