TimR Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 [quote name='molan' post='922765' date='Aug 12 2010, 02:11 PM']Wow - so this one bought a few major issues out of the woodwork then! Looks like the band have now split based on the responses to an NYE gig Views were so polarised that it made one key member decide that he'd had enough, this prompted others to raise a few things as well so it looks like not only are we not doing the NYE gig but we aren't going to be doing any more gigs together now. . .[/quote] Ouch! That's a bit rough. My conversation went a bit like: OK we're in a function band but no one wants to do summer because that's summer holiday time so that's weddings and summer balls out then and no one wants to play Christmas and NYE either. When exactly do you expect to do these functions then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 wow, indeed..give us your gigs...joking..!! Sounds like you had a few underlying things that were going to surface pretty soon...!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 we'll take that rugby club gig though Seriously, sorry to hear.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted August 12, 2010 Author Share Posted August 12, 2010 [quote name='TimR' post='922785' date='Aug 12 2010, 02:24 PM']My conversation went a bit like: OK we're in a function band but no one wants to do summer because that's summer holiday time so that's weddings and summer balls out then and no one wants to play Christmas and NYE either. When exactly do you expect to do these functions then.[/quote] We had EXACTLY the same conversation - we've turned down 6 gigs over the summer becuase of this. Two of us are trying to rescue something from the wreckage (with the guy who said he'd finally had enough) and there were some tensions kicking around between a couple of people so maybe it'll be a good thing in the end. Spent a lot of hours rehearsing for it all to fall apart! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 Good luck. The most important thing I've found is that the band are all doing it for the same reasons. If just one person is doing it for the money it all falls apart. Similarly if the person driving the band wants to be out every weekend and the others only want to be out when they've got nothing better to do. A lot of the time bands form for a bit of fun and some things are assumed and never discussed. Also people change over the years, get girlfriends/married/new jobs/kids etc. They EXPECT the band to change with them while the others can't understand why the person who has changed has to commit less. Its always best to have these discussions as soon as you feel things are drifting rather than hope they'll get better. We ended up agreeing one gig a month. Some months 2 or more gigs, some none. Then I joined another band to fill in the dates when the others didn't want to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 (edited) Keep a diary and a band diary online We decided on 2 gigs a month but everything is up for grabs, if we fancy it. We decided on limited functions as we can't be bothered with them Not fussed about xmas gigs and the only guy who needs the gigs logs his deps in the diary anyway Basically if we fancy the gig, we do it... but we aren't keen on taking all gigs, we have to vet them, pretty much. As it stands atm, we don't use deps...and I wouldn't really want to with this band. Edited August 12, 2010 by JTUK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fingerz Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 If the band is professional musos then it needs to pay well to keep them on board, and so as they can survive the normally quiet January, If not, then who cares! If you can all justify it (each members personal evaluation), then go for it and have a good knees up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jezzaboy Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 Jings, some of the dosh you guys get for NYE is fantastic! Want to become our agent? We usually get about £60 each doing pubs, so if I was offered £150 for a NYE gig, I`d take it. But then again, I don`t drink much and it`s better to be gigging than sitting in the house. I`d rather do a charity gig than sit in on a saturday night. Jez Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave_bass5 Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 [quote name='jezzaboy' post='923180' date='Aug 12 2010, 08:54 PM']But then again, I don`t drink much and it`s better to be gigging than sitting in the house. I`d rather do a charity gig than sit in on a saturday night. Jez[/quote] My thoughts as well, unfortunately not all the band feel like this (understandably i guess) but we never turn a gig down. Not played a pub in over 7 years though as we feel we can get more money doing clubs and functions etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumnote Posted August 12, 2010 Share Posted August 12, 2010 (edited) This is one of those how much will the market pay jobbies, ie how much will the venue be prepared to pay/or can afford to pay for you. On milleneum night we got £2000 [less commission] for a three piece, but I know bands and DJs who asked for so much they didnt work. When we added a girl singer, and playing in the WMC we didnt really get any more money, because the venues had a budget they were not prepared to compromise, and to make up the difference we would have had to charge 1/3 more, people wouldnt pay it, so we lost out money wise. In the end we went back to being a three piece. I remember one venue, new entertainments comittee, eh up lad, we pay £60 a man, its that or nothing. We said, how much would 3 plumbers charge called out at 6pm on a Saturday who got home at one. He was lost for words. What you have to do is work out how much you will bring to the venue, do you have a loyal fan base who will come and pack the place out, or will the place be packed out anyway. You are in a better position to negotiate if you are in the former position, than if you are playing to a bunch of drunks who only want old lang syne and dont care if there are 3 or thirty of you The best thing I have found is go and talk to the promoter in a reasonable manner, and say I know things are tight, but there are 7 of us, its going to be a long night, we are all profesionals or whatever, and I would really appreciate it if we could work to £X per man. If you can go to that or meet me half way it would be great, if not, I will do it [assuming you have a band] for the original fee. One of the things in a negotiation is not to let the other party think hes been screwed, if you want a long term relationship. Do you want another couple of hundred, and let the bloke think hes been seen off and not book you again, or do you compromise a bit, and get the bloke to be your friend and book you again next year Edited August 12, 2010 by bumnote Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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