You've probably all seen this before, but still interesting. Woodstock artiste fees.

[leschirons]

Quite interesting to see who was considered worth what in the day.

Edited February 25, 2018 by leschirons
Spelling error.

[fleabag]

Hendrix $18,000 - Santana $750  

[LeftyP]

I remember going to the cinema at midnight for a special screening of the film when it was released.

 

The film was edited of course so did not give a good indication of how long each act spent on stage.  I suppose the performance length was reflected in the fees?

[chris_b]

I wonder how much of those "fees" were actually paid!

There is a story that the organisers tried not to pay The Who. The band insisted on cash up front so the organisers had to get the cash from a local bank before The Who would play.

[machinehead]

Fascinating reading.

Frank.

[Bluewine]

1 hour ago, LeftyP said:

I remember going to the cinema at midnight for a special screening of the film when it was released.

 

The film was edited of course so did not give a good indication of how long each act spent on stage.  I suppose the performance length was reflected in the fees?

Still, not bad money for the time.

My question, did the bands actually ever see that money?

Blue

[Bluewine]

1 hour ago, chris_b said:

I wonder how much of those "fees" were actually paid!

There is a story that the organisers tried not to pay The Who. The band insisted on cash up front so the organisers had to get the cash from a local bank before The Who would play.

Good call by The Who.

Blue

[Bluewine]

Keep in mind, regardless of the money, performing at Woodstock and if they were in the movie catapulted several bands into "Super Star" status.

Huge return on a relatively small investment

Blue

Edited February 26, 2018 by Bluewine

[nikon F]

18 000 usd in 1969 is the equivalent of about 190 000 ukp sterling depending on what calculation method is used ,,,,this is the lowest figure the others are all much higher ,,,,,,not bad for a few hours work 

[Cato]

9 hours ago, LeftyP said:

The film was edited of course so did not give a good indication of how long each act spent on stage.  I suppose the performance length was reflected in the fees?

That might have been the original plan, but the concert was so chaotic that some sets went on for much longer than planned and others were cut short.

Richie Havens, for example, ended up doing a 3 hour set because the next band weren't ready to come on. He actually ran out of original material and started doing covers and improvisations just so the audience weren't faced with an empty stage.

[EssentialTension]

9 hours ago, fleabag said:

Hendrix $18,000 - Santana $750  

Ahead of Woodstock, Bill Graham was asked to help with logistics and planning. Graham agreed to lend his help only if a new band he was championing, an unknown band called Santana, was added to the bill. Santana was announced as one of the performers at the Woodstock Festival. The band started recording their 1969 debut album

Santana in May 1969 and finished it in a month. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santana_(band)#1967–1972:_Formation_and_peak_years

[ahpook]

"Provenance", my library gland is whispering to me.

Any ideas where this list springs from ?

 

 

 

[chris_b]

2 hours ago, nikon F said:

not bad for a few hours work 

Except, as all gigging musicians will know, it never is just a "few hours work".

If you add up the practice and rehearsal time, the travelling time and expenses and staff costs (all bands got ripped off by their "management" back then), then the true cost of being in a band and gigging emerges. Then you see how little the bands actually got to put in their pockets.

 

[Dan Dare]

Interesting. Back in the day, gig fees were low, relatively speaking, for better known acts as performances were often mainly about generating record sales. All different now, of course, with downloads and the rest of it.

[TheGreek]

Was Woodstock "free"???

I'd be interested to see what the promoters took "on the door" and how much the artistes received as a %age....

Edited February 26, 2018 by TheGreek

[Dad3353]

38 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

Was Woodstock "free"???

I'd be interested to see what the promoters took "on the door" and how much the artistes received as a %age....

Perhaps not quite as simple as all that. 'On the door' revenue was far below the actual cost involved, and artists fees were far from the highest of those (about $300,000 in all, I think...). A certain amount was needed even to get any artists of note at all signed up; several 'big names' desisted (some regretted later, but not all...). In all, and after much wrangling and hand-wringing, it took about eleven years for the debts accumulated to be cleared. None of the organisers left with a bag of money; one had to sign up a million-dollar inheritance to guarantee funds to pay some bands in cash. Profit..? Now, yes, for some, but not a bean-feast for those putting it on at the time (although that's what they'd hoped for..!).

One had to be there. 

[mikel]

14 hours ago, Bluewine said:

Keep in mind, regardless of the money, performing at Woodstock and if they were in the movie catapulted several bands into "Super Star" status.

Huge return on a relatively small investment

Blue

Only in retrospect. Woodstock was, at the time of inception, just a hippy open air festival, it achieved mythical status as it grew and grew over the days.No one expected a crowd of that size. Now it is the stuff of legend. It was CS & N first gig as a band and I recall them saying they were literally s*itting themselves before they went on.

[chris_b]

Woodstock only became "free" when the crowds broke down the fences.

That's when the promoters tried to get out of paying the bands.

[spongebob]

Nearly 50 years on, and that line-up is still awesome, and a real mix.

No figure for one of my faves, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. I know some artists didn't want their Woodstock sets released (Grateful Dead, CCR, maybe more), but the BBB set is available, and it's awesome (as they were).....and I believe they took the stage at about 6am on the final morning!

[bertbass]

11 hours ago, nikon F said:

18 000 usd in 1969 is the equivalent of about 190 000 ukp sterling depending on what calculation method is used ,,,,this is the lowest figure the others are all much higher ,,,,,,not bad for a few hours work 

Actually, I think you might be slightly wrong there.  Hendrix would have received £12,889 and The Who would have been paid £4,475 or possibly, £8,020 if Variety is correct.

[Bluewine]

4 hours ago, chris_b said:

Woodstock only became "free" when the crowds broke down the fences.

That's when the promoters tried to get out of paying the bands.

Yeah, that's the story I've always heard.

Didn't things become a little dicey at your 1970 Isle of Wight Festival not too long after Woodstock. I heard some folks felt the music should be free and started futsing around with the fences?

Blue

Edited February 26, 2018 by Bluewine

[taunton-hobbit]

...........And thus was born Glastonbury.....................

[Bluewine]

15 minutes ago, taunton-hobbit said:

...........And thus was born Glastonbury.....................

In a way I feel a little sorry for you guys in the UK.

Over here in the States our festivals are still "fun in the sun" events with scantily clad free spirited ladies.

When I watch clips from Glastonbury it always looks rainy. As a matter of fact from what I see all your outdoor festivals are rainy.

What gives?

Blue

Edited February 26, 2018 by Bluewine

[EssentialTension]

27 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

Yeah, that's the story I've always heard.

Didn't things become a little dicey at your 1970 Isle of Wight Festival not too long after Woodstock. I heard some folks felt the music should be free and started futsing around with the fences?

Blue

It's all a bit hazy after all these years, but didn't the Edgar Broughton Band (and/or The Pink Fairies) have a tendency to play on the back of a lorry outside of various festivals with banners saying 'Free Festival Now'. Am I imagining this?

[taunton-hobbit]

"When I watch clips from Glastonbury it always looks rainy. As a matter of fact from what I see all your outdoor festivals are rainy."

.....It does rain (a bit) in the UK............

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