Band Splits

[pbasspecial]

I wondered what everyone’s thoughts are on how bands split the money they make from gigs and jam nights, etc?

I recently walked away from one band that I played with for the last 6 years when I realised that he singer/guitarist had been creaming off the top for quite a while. We weren't even gigging all the time and he had a full time job so it’s not like he desperately needed an extra £50 every 3 months! He lost a decent bass player over it. 

So, I just discovered last night that the jam night I’ve been playing at for the last 3-4 years haven’t been splitting it equally either. The singer and guitarist (2 people) have each been getting £75 whilst myself and the drummer have been given £50 each. I’ve recently been picking up and dropping off the singer and his gear in my car too!
The drummer and I play for 80% of the evening, we are really good musicians, backing any and every type of musician, doing songs we don’t always know  whilst the other 2 open the jam and close the jam with 3 songs per set, drinking beer and smoking fags outside.   They aren’t as strong as us musically either.  Without sounding arrogant, they are lucky to have us in the house band. 
Am I wrong to be annoyed by this?!

I enjoy the evening and thought of myself as friends with the other 2 but it now feels very sneaky. I’m naturally very fair and transparent as a person and believe in financially splitting things equally. I’m guessing this is not the case with all musicians!
I don’t want to walk away but it sticks in my throat and feels like people are taking the P. 
What do you guys/gals think?

Edited March 9, 2023 by pbasspecial

[skidder652003]

That stinks. Is one of the people getting more dosh supplying something like the PA or backline?

The only reason why I could imagine someone getting a little more would be for supplying extra kit or petrol money, perhaps.

We split all our gig money equally despite me and the drummer owning and paying for the PA.

The guitarist changes his strings every gig so thats an expense for him.

I have on occasion taken an extra fiver for me and the drummer for petrol if we've driven the others a fair old distance but thats about it.

 

I'd certainly be asking questions as to why the Jam night guys are pocketing an extra £25 each night, that seems well excessive.

 

 

Edited March 9, 2023 by skidder652003
righteous fury!

[pbasspecial]

They have a PA but to be fair it’s not great and the drummer has a better one if needed. 
£50 x 25 weeks is an extra £1250 in their pockets between them every year. 
 

[Doctor J]

Anything the band do as a whole should get split evenly. 
 

I think it's fair that any extra work someone in the band does for the band, for example, music recording and production or "content creation", artwork or other promotional work, songwriting, driving, etc and should be recognised and a little extra agreed for them by all.

 

Some gowl sneaking money out without the knowledge or prior agreement of all of the rest of the band? Nah, that's not on at all.

[Len_derby]

Appalling behaviour. I’d be out of that jam night straight away and persuade the drummer to come too. It’s even shares for the bands I’m in. 

[Doctor J]

1 minute ago, pbasspecial said:

They have a PA but to be fair it’s not great and the drummer has a better one if needed. 
£50 x 25 weeks is an extra £1250 in their pockets between them every year. 
 

I assume you provide the bass amplification and the drummer provides a kit, so that's a moot point, I would say.

[pbasspecial]

Totally agree. 
 

It was their jam night originally but myself and the drummer have made it so much better over the years that it should now be a no brainier about equality. 

[mr4stringz]

You’re not wrong if it’s how you feel.

 

But my own feelings are no, you’re well within your rights to be annoyed, especially as it wasn’t clear to you at the onset what the split was. Needs a frank conversation I’d say…

[Dr.Dave]

All that matters is that everyone is open and honest. It doesn't need to be equal so long as everyone's happy with their agreed lot. 

[pbasspecial]

1 minute ago, Dr.Dave said:

All that matters is that everyone is open and honest. It doesn't need to be equal so long as everyone's happy with their agreed lot. 

I agree about openness and honesty. At the start it wasn’t exactly equal splits but I thought that after lockdown we were all then on equal splits. Obviously I was wrong! 

[lemmywinks]

Allow yourself to be underpaid and it's always going to happen unfortunately, depends if you're happy doing it I guess. I'd can the jam night stuff personally but again if the positives outweigh the negatives then it might be a bridge you don't want to risk burning, probably at least tell the singer you can't ferry him about.

 

We've always done things straight down the middle, if someone does more driving for out of town gigs then they get extra.

[Burns-bass]

It’s a few quid. I’d have a chat and figure out what the deal is. The guy *may* be ripping you off, but there could be an alternative explanation.

 

In my band, we split everything equally. I bought the PA but we’re paying it back from each gig. 

This happpenned because we all sat down and agreed. At the end of the payment terms we all own the PA. Happy days.

[Lozz196]

In my view everyone gets equal unless there`s a specific reason for this not to happen. I think the way @Burns-bass is doing it is the right way.

[thebrig]

My blood is boiling just reading this. 😡

 

I always believe in total equality, unless someone is doing something above and beyond what the other band members are doing.

 

In your case, it seems that you are all taking gear and equipment along to the jam nights, so you should all get an equal split.

 

Personally, if this happened to me, I would be asking some serious questions.

[chris_b]

My bands split the money equally, as do some band leaders. Some "pay the band" and I don't get involved in those cases. The guys I play with are pretty open, honest and fair. 

 

Being paid less in a band seems like they are undervaluing and conning you. That would make me leave rather than a disagreement over the cash.

[pbasspecial]

Glad it’s not just me being annoyed by the greediness of their actions. I have one more jam with them before I go away on holiday and after that I think I’ll ask the drummer if he wants to set up one with me and another singer/guitarist I know and split the money equally 3 ways. 

[asingardenof]

Yeah, we split ours equally among the five of us

[Waddo Soqable]

Equal shares in everything I've been involved with pretty much, even when I've been filling in as a hired gun on numerous occasions I've been cut in equally as if a band member . 

Can't think of any decent excuse to do otherwise, unless it's a job you're doing for an agreed fee of X amount or something . 

[LewisK1975]

Yep as other have said above, as you're all bring gear for the Jam night, it should be equal split.

 

The only time I've ever been involved in a non-equal split was a band where the drummer owned the van and we all rode in it to and from gigs.

 

He took Fuel money and we split the remainder equally, seemed fair to me.

 

Sorry to say it - but IMHO your jam night colleagues are taking the P1ss.

[uk_lefty]

Old bands was always an equal split unless we were doing a wedding or function where one of the guitarists set up the PA and stayed on as a DJ after the set, we'd give him a larger share even though he was embarrassed to take it. 

Present band splits cash as follows: 50% of fee goes into the band kitty to pay for cables, PA kit, etc. The other 50% gets saved up until it's a decent enough amount to bother sharing out. All gig fees are displayed in the band calendar so you can keep track of it. Originally I thought the kitty was excessive but... I joined in December 2001, in May 2002 we played in Amsterdam. Gigs already played paid for all four of us to go on the Eurostar, two nights in a hotel and ALL food and drink while we were there. Couldn't complain with that! 

[Lozz196]

In my last band all monies went into the band accounts, thus enabling us to buy more merch, pay for flights/ferries/hotels/recording costs.

[Steve Browning]

Back when I was in a name band, the money (the net profit on tours) was split 7 ways, with the two original guys getting two shares each. All out in the open and perfectly fair.

 

Later, when playing in a busy band based in Brighton, we put the money in an account and we all got a fixed amount for gigs and rehearsals. We split any profit 5 ways at the end of each month.

 

Currently, there is an equal split after expenses. In my world, no-one gets more than anyone else. I wouldn't ever sign up to anything else.

[Al Krow]

My bands split gig monies equally and always have done. We may pay musicians depping who have done nothing to build up the "brand" or put anything into securing the gig a different amount - but that's a rate for the job as a "session" musician that we agree with them upfront and it's up to them to decide whether they want the work or not.

 

Whilst it's not something I'm planning to do, I've wondered whether it's actually unreasonable:

• If bands are prepared to pay agents a commission for getting gigs, is there anything unreasonable about incentivising band members to get off their ars*es and maybe get half the commission rate you'd pay an agent for putting the time in to getting a gig?
• The same, if one of the band  spent (say) £1k on a PA and transports it to/from gigs that the rest of the band benefits from? 
• Or if you're in an originals band and have written most of the songs the band are playing?

I guess regards the above, it's going to boil down to open an honest communication and, in particular, letting bandmates know that is the deal that they're getting into when the join the band.

 

1 hour ago, pbasspecial said:

I agree about openness and honesty. At the start it wasn’t exactly equal splits but I thought that after lockdown we were all then on equal splits. Obviously I was wrong! 

 

56 minutes ago, pbasspecial said:

Glad it’s not just me being annoyed by the greediness of their actions. I have one more jam with them before I go away on holiday and after that I think I’ll ask the drummer if he wants to set up one with me and another singer/guitarist I know and split the money equally 3 ways. 

 

I guess if an uneven split was the premise on which you joined the band and you've never discussed it since, then everyone's going to assume the status quo is ok unless told otherwise? If you were fine with it at the start and you're not any more then my approach would be to have a chat with the two getting paid more and letting them know you're not happy with the situation anymore / asking them why it's ok if they are wanting to be a band where everyone is equal and to be putting in equal effort?

[Dr.Dave]

I don't think band splits always have to be equal. If someone offers you a gig and will pay you £x but you're fully aware that they'll personally be making more than  you will then you're free to either accept or decline. The higher up the chain you go the more common an arrangement this becomes.  

[Mykesbass]

I did a gig and only knew the band had been paid £700 as the best man asked me about paying as I arrived. I got £100 as part of a 4 piece. Queried it with BL and never got asked to do another gig.