Function band ! Can you actually make a living ?

[fiatcoupe432]

Hey guys , 

I have reached a point where I'm really unhappy career wise and wish to switch. I was wondering how many of you make a living playing in function bands for weddings parties etc? Any advice ? Does it take a long time to be established ? I'm sure there are loads of bands out there and wwlanted some advices(especially from those who make a living out of it)on what makes you stand out

[JoeEvans]

Maybe the question is more, do you have an opportunity to get into an existing band? Or are you looking to start one? Very different scenarios, earnings-wise...

And alongside that, are you already able to reliably perform the bass parts for maybe 500 popular tunes? Or would learning them also be part of the project? That would also have a major bearing on potential income.

Edited July 4, 2023 by JoeEvans

[fiatcoupe432]

2 minutes ago, JoeEvans said:

Maybe the question is more, do you have an opportunity to get into an existing band? Or are you looking to start one? Very different scenarios, earnings-wise...

Thank you for your reply Joe 

Good question and to be honest either way. I guess the earning scenario is that a new band charges less while the established one will charge more right? 

[JoeEvans]

Yes - how much you can charge but also when the money starts coming in, people book wedding bands anything up to a year in advance, but you ideally need some good reviews and event pics to be able to get the bookings. So for a new band you're probably looking at 18 months of work to build up to a reasonably full diary. You'd also need to spend out up front on web presence, ideally a decent video, maybe website.

It's doable though, my partner decided she was going to get into DJing, went out and bought some decks, disappeared into the bedroom for a fortnight to practice, came out and started booking gigs. She quit her day job not that long after and now does wedding and events gigs for her main income. She was already a working musician so the transition wasn't totally radical, to be fair; it's more about thinking it through properly and doing the right things.

[Bassfinger]

We go about 2 grand a gig for the 5 of us, so 400 snifters apiece. 

 

When we do gig we can get the top cash, but getting enough gigs to live on might be tricky, certainly round these parts.

 

You'd need 2 or 3 a week minimum at those rates to earn enough coin to live on, and 5 or 6 to be comfortable and I can't see there's enough demand for it.

[nilorius]

About 10 years ago, i had no job at all and have to earn some money for living. I knew a lot of popular songs and had no problem to learn any needed. Lead mussicians knew me as a bassist, but here in Latvia You try to earn as much money as possible and gig in as few people band (drummer, bassist not needed). It was pretty hard and i had to react on every call from band leaders who needed a biger band for party. Also the whole musical style was not my type so as soon i found a normal job i abandoned that mussicial type of life. Now i have a project of good potencials building up, full freedom for me and no stress at all, perfect for job/band life. The last way You can earn a good money as mussian, when You concentrate on one band who gets lucky to become popular and can make a big concerts and take good deals of business world, too.

[diskwave]

The good money was always about keeping it small and making it sound huge, not in volume but the soundscape...You gotta sound like the record as they have no interest in the band whatsoever, they just wanna hear a good sound that they know.

 

Back in the day a 'four piece' with a top notch keys player with one hand on strings and the other on a Fender Rhodes/piano and everyone singing backing vox, which was an absolute must, could make it work...but you had to be good and the keys player usually got a bit extra.

 

I did it for a while in the 80's but setting up hrs beforehand and hanging around for hrs will wear you down. Anyway good luck with the endeavour....Playing in a smart environment doing good music against a packed floor full of people dressed up and having a good time is a cool way to play music....Last and final time I did it was a recent dep at a big do at a Hilton Hotel...Low ceiling, heaving ball room, twas a very good nite indeed. 

Edited July 4, 2023 by greavesbass

[musicbassman]

I would definitely avoid a start-up band if I was you, @fiatcoupe432, because unless the others were already top notch players with plenty of experience and contacts the band won't be up to speed very quickly.

If you're going for a job with an already well established band who have plenty of well paid work then there's going to be some pretty fierce competition for the job. Having excellent chops and loads of experience is a given, so maybe you can offer backing vocals as well? - always handy.

If a functions band is a completely new scene for you, bear in mind that this sort of band is just part of the scenery at most functions and there's often a lot of hanging about well out of sight for many hours after setting up. Sometimes you're treated extremely well by the hosts, other times you're just regarded as 'staff' and have to remember your place. 

And, as @JoeEvans says, if you're able to play several hundred standards straight off in any given key that can also help..........

 

Edited July 4, 2023 by musicbassman

[dmccombe7]

Don't be fooled by the idea of playing as a profession in a function band will be all a bed of roses.

Its hard work and one of the main reasons i've avoided function bands over the many years.

Weddings can be full day events and altho i enjoy playing i'm not sure i'd enjoy all the hanging around. Many function bands need to set up the gear before the function starts altho they won't be playing till a good few hrs later after the meal and after the speeches etc. 

Then you have to retain a lot of songs and for me it was mostly songs i wouldn't normally listen to or enjoy.

I have friends that make a living from wedding bands and they make great money circa £3k - £5k depending on event and occasion. 

They typically play once a week in summer and one band in particular is in the top 10 UK wedding bands. However some of the band play other solo gigs to earn additional cash.

At £3k split 5 ways at £600 each minus van hire and tax etc you'd need guaranteed 1-2 weekly gigs to survive. You also have to consider accomodation if travelling a distance for the venue.

I'm not saying it isn't possible but its a big step to walk away from a steady income to rely on a maybe. Serious consideration required.

Personally playing is my hobby and that's all i want it to be. I dont want to be playing as a job, that would remove the enjoyment for me. 

Wish you every success if you decide to go down that route but please make sure you have given this some serious serious thought before jumping.

Cheers

Dave 

[nilorius]

5 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Don't be fooled by the idea of playing as a profession in a function band will be all a bed of roses.

Its hard work and one of the main reasons i've avoided function bands over the many years.

Weddings can be full day events and altho i enjoy playing i'm not sure i'd enjoy all the hanging around. Many function bands need to set up the gear before the function starts altho they won't be playing till a good few hrs later after the meal and after the speeches etc. 

Then you have to retain a lot of songs and for me it was mostly songs i wouldn't normally listen to or enjoy.

I have friends that make a living from wedding bands and they make great money circa £3k - £5k depending on event and occasion. 

They typically play once a week in summer and one band in particular is in the top 10 UK wedding bands. However some of the band play other solo gigs to earn additional cash.

At £3k split 5 ways at £600 each minus van hire and tax etc you'd need guaranteed 1-2 weekly gigs to survive. You also have to consider accomodation if travelling a distance for the venue.

I'm not saying it isn't possible but its a big step to walk away from a steady income to rely on a maybe. Serious consideration required.

Personally playing is my hobby and that's all i want it to be. I dont want to be playing as a job, that would remove the enjoyment for me. 

Wish you every success if you decide to go down that route but please make sure you have given this some serious serious thought before jumping.

Cheers

Dave 

Yeah !!!

Cheers.

Nils.

[spencer.b]

1 hour ago, Bassfinger said:

We go about 2 grand a gig for the 5 of us, so 400 snifters apiece. 

 

When we do gig we can get the top cash, but getting enough gigs to live on might be tricky, certainly round these parts.

 

You'd need 2 or 3 a week minimum at those rates to earn enough coin to live on, and 5 or 6 to be comfortable and I can't see there's enough demand for it.

Wow thats 60-120k a year , you must be doing alright mate, I play bass for a living and get by and my mates with very high profile pop gigs don't get near the upper ranges of that , only really west end and film session guys or successful artists that make that kind of money in my experience 

[Trueno]

7 minutes ago, dmccombe7 said:

Don't be fooled by the idea of playing as a profession in a function band will be all a bed of roses.

Its hard work and one of the main reasons i've avoided function bands over the many years.

Weddings can be full day events and altho i enjoy playing i'm not sure i'd enjoy all the hanging around. Many function bands need to set up the gear before the function starts altho they won't be playing till a good few hrs later after the meal and after the speeches etc. 

Then you have to retain a lot of songs and for me it was mostly songs i wouldn't normally listen to or enjoy.

I have friends that make a living from wedding bands and they make great money circa £3k - £5k depending on event and occasion. 

They typically play once a week in summer and one band in particular is in the top 10 UK wedding bands. However some of the band play other solo gigs to earn additional cash.

At £3k split 5 ways at £600 each minus van hire and tax etc you'd need guaranteed 1-2 weekly gigs to survive. You also have to consider accomodation if travelling a distance for the venue.

I'm not saying it isn't possible but its a big step to walk away from a steady income to rely on a maybe. Serious consideration required.

Personally playing is my hobby and that's all i want it to be. I dont want to be playing as a job, that would remove the enjoyment for me. 

Wish you every success if you decide to go down that route but please make sure you have given this some serious serious thought before jumping.

Cheers

Dave 

All of this is the same as my experience. I thought about quitting my day job or working part time, but in the end the day job was easier… and it was 9-5, mon to fri.

I quit the band when we had a meeting one early January, and every single weekend for the entire year was booked. The BL was supposed to leave one weekend per month free… but he was obsessed

[spencer.b]

I'm not sure about making a living just from a function band tbh , even busy bands aren't out much more than twice a week, most weddings are Saturdays, also I've seen people talk in this thread about an even split and sure it does happen but most big function bands I've worked for are definitely not doing that .

I play for a living and do a few weddings and functions but also jazz gigs , gigs as a hired gun for artists , original projects etc and I play upright too and read and I'm London and even then it's tough, but it hasn't taken the enjoyment out of it at all for me , still checking out new music , transcribing licks and on basschat all the time

[franzbassist]

I've known a fair few, very good players, make a go of it.  None have lasted more than about 18 months as it's hard graft on a personal and professional level, and even with good agencies/management it's hard to keep the volume of well-paid gigs flowing.  It can also be quite seasonal work.

 

EDIT: I played in a very good function band for many years and every one of us had a full-time job.

 

 

 

Edited July 4, 2023 by franzbassist

[warwickhunt]

Reverse calculate the numbers; how much do 'you' need to live on now and in the future.  Base it on per annum, ideally calculated by putting all of your other income streams and EVERY outgoing into a spreadsheet (I downloaded one from some money saving site), be sure to assess your fuel costs if you need to start travelling under your own steam.  Divide your necessary income by 52 and that is how much you are going to need to generate EVERY week to make a living.  Be sure to bear in mind that had you done this 4 years ago, your mortgage interest would have been 0.5% not 5% and your heating costs would be 50% of what they are now... do we know what 4 years in the future will bring? 

 

I've no idea what number you will have come up with (are you single, married, family; where do you live for housing costs) in your calculations but I'll hazard a guess that you will need a minimum of £500 a week.  That could be 1 or it could be 3 gigs every week just to generate enough income to live on. If you don't get bookings, fall ill, you are going to need to do more than that number of gigs.  This work will invariably be every weekend and will entail long days if it is corporate or wedding based, if you want a few weeks holiday or weekends off you are going too need to increase the number of gigs (or increase your fees) to cover this.  Have you also considered tax and NI?  You'd be silly to not declare your income and pay tax and if you aren't paying NI this will affect you state pension!  

 

I know people who play in function bands and generally the bigger/better corporate/wedding bands are run by someone and you are a hired gun.  Bands such as this can't afford to be set up like a bunch of mates where you all phone around and ask who's available for certain dates/locations; the leader/owner of the band takes gigs regardless of your availability and it's tough if you can't make it.  Often these gigs are reading gigs where sets are issued based upon the needs of the client.

 

Consider if you were to take a low pressure job and just play the pubs for £100 per gig... what are your earnings then?

[chris_b]

Richard Briers said of acting: If you want to be an actor. . . . really, really want to be an actor. . . . don't, but if you have to act then give it a try.

 

Most of the professional musicians I know, the ones paying mortgages from music, are also teaching.

 

It also helps to have a partner who is in a good paying job!!

[NHM]

I recently retired from full time work and worked out a spreadsheet of our outgoings to see how much money we needed to survive. With recent inflation, it is about £20k a year for all food/drink, bills, insurances, house maintenance money set aside, car/fuel, dog etc. but as we've paid off the mortgage this figure doesn't include this or rent.

Over the years I've built up a top quality bass rig, with three gigging basses, a main amp/speaker rig, a decent combo for small pubs, a small back-up amp and a small pedal board. I made a decision that once I was happy with the gear, that's it, no impulse purchases and only buying gear to replace breakdowns. My gear is about a £5k investment in total.

I haven't spent on bass gear for some time now, so my income from being in a covers band is a healthy supplement to my pension. I'm saying all this because I came at having a fulfilling musical lifestyle by planning what was possible on my budget and then sticking to it, and getting the fun from playing knowing that the money side of things was secure. I've not been good enough to go pro so the issue of going full time has never been one I've seriously considered, but I'm lucky(?) enough to have been in good quality bands for many years so I've had a brilliant time with a lot of really talented and lovely people playing at some fantastic events without it ever jeopardising the family. So I'm an advocate of keep the day job and have a great time in a local band - and any income this generates offsets the tedium of the day job and buys you and the family some nice extras.

[LukeFRC]

18 minutes ago, chris_b said:

Richard Briers said of acting: If you want to be an actor. . . . really, really want to be an actor. . . . don't, but if you have to act then give it a try.

 

Most of the professional musicians I know, the ones paying mortgages from music, are also teaching.

 

It also helps to have a partner who is in a good paying job!!

I was about to say something similar. 

I think this applies across the creative sector - When I went to art school we were taught that we could do what we wanted career wise - as long as we were prepared to work bloody hard, work other jobs to make ends meet and never really expect much more than minimum wage, at least for the first 5-10 years. 

 

What you are thinking about isn't an easy option, and possibly you may end up doing whatever you do now to supplant it for a while... so what about your current career don't you like? Is it the completely wrong thing or just the current job that is grinding you down?  

[White Cloud]

I've been doing this since 2008 but have recently come to the realisation it's becoming a bit of a lost cause. COVID and the ever diminishing economic landscape has hammered a few nails into the coffin. 

 

Times are hard.

[Burns-bass]

I work as a writer and as a musician on the side. Precarious doesn’t really cover it.

 

Guess we have to find something to do that machines can’t replicate!

 

 

[msb]

It’s easier to almost make a living playing music. 

[martin8708]

I think Warwickhunt has pretty much nailed it .

If you’ve paid off your mortgage , have few / no dependants , a partner who is a hedge fund manager , then I would say go for it .

I myself am not 100% happy at work , but it keeps a roof over my head , food on the table and occasional musical treats / purchases.

I would rather put up with the stress of work , than the stress of wondering when my next gig / pay check is going to be .

I do admire those who pursue their dream of living from music / art / acting .

[msb]

I was a commercial photographer , worked for years in established studios and then finally got out on my own and built up a business. Back in the film days , it all sounds wonderful but much of it was shooting grocery flyers with nasty deadlines and last second substitutions. I was paying a mortgage , and rent and still managing a lot of gigs. Late nights , early mornings. I traded one boss for many , and loved the business. 
Now I’m retired. Still gig , the mortgage is long paid. I don’t have debt.
Here in Atlantic Canada it’s a difficult hoe being a full time musician. There’s little studio work , but there’s a thriving bar scene. Many supplement the gigs with teaching. It’s not easy. 
Most have a daytime gig of some kind to manage the bills. It certainly keeps everyone humble.

[fiatcoupe432]

10 hours ago, Bassfinger said:

We go about 2 grand a gig for the 5 of us, so 400 snifters apiece. 

 

When we do gig we can get the top cash, but getting enough gigs to live on might be tricky, certainly round these parts.

 

You'd need 2 or 3 a week minimum at those rates to earn enough coin to live on, and 5 or 6 to be comfortable and I can't see there's enough demand for it.

Wow that is actually good but totally understand that it's not the easiest thing to do nowadays. 

[Bassfinger]

9 hours ago, spencer.b said:

Wow thats 60-120k a year , you must be doing alright mate, I play bass for a living and get by and my mates with very high profile pop gigs don't get near the upper ranges of that , only really west end and film session guys or successful artists that make that kind of money in my experience 

Ah, that what we get paid but we typically do 2 or three a month.

 

As stated, while we do pretty well for those gigs we do play I doubt there's the work out there to give us enough paid employment to make it viable as an occupation. Individual nights are OK, but it just doesn't scale up sufficiently.

 

To earn close to what I was in my proper job prior to retiring a couple of years ago I'd have to play 6 gigs a week at 400 a go right through the year and there just isn't the demand.  Even if there was I reckon being my own roadie six days a week would have a pretty short shelf life - two or three times a month is tiresome enough.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 4, 2023 by Bassfinger