What is your asking price?

Hello All-

This question is for non-union, freelance, self-contracted musicians. What is your asking price when a sit in gig is offered to you, assuming that it is asked of you? What factors go into coming to that figure, ie. cartage, driving distance, etc.? Is it an hourly deal or a lump sum?

Please pardon the crassness of the question, but I am in the middle of this type of situation personally and in terms of contracting a sub. I just wondered if there was some consensus among the wise and experienced of this elite board.

Take Care All. F.S.

It would depend on the type of gig, but assuming it's a typical job/casual thing (wedding, etc.) I would say $200 to $300 for the night, on average.

I?m not sure I understand your question.

Are you asking us how much you should ask to do a certain gig, or what you should offer a sub?
Price is a function of a few things: your minimum to leave the house being high among them. Local rates, and availability of qualified subs, are others. You should have some idea of the going rate for these events from local word of mouth. You could check the Union, and see what scale is for the kind of event you are considering.

Other factors ? what kind of gig is it? Will it be fun, or will it be work? What requirements come with it? Is it a lower budget 4-hour jazz gig at the World Stage, or is it a corporate affair put on by folks with deep pockets and a party planner with a very large bug up her backside? I might do a local jazz gig for $100.00 in a smaller room. A wedding ? nah. I?d hold out for more $ or stay home.

Distance, attire, time required to be on site, parking and difficulty of load in are also factors I consider.

Price is a lump sum, once all the variables are assessed.

If you want to hire a good sub,who?ll go in cold, nail it, and leave people thinking well of your professionalism for not letting the band down, then don?t skimp on the money. I had a guy offer me $125.00 to do a gig for him that he was making $$250.00 on. When I found out, I asked him about it and gave him a chance to make good. He did not. He told me to take it or leave it. I left, and he didn?t get a sub.

I usually have a flat rate of 1 million dollars. If the gig is in Canada or with a Canadian artist then they can pay me in CAN dollars. If the gig is in the USA or elsewhere in the world (and the artist is american), then I charge in USD. If the artist is in the Yukon, then I charge in gold nuggets... like when I did a top 40 gig last year in Whitehorse... they told me that it was 1.2 million in gold, but it turned out to be only $3'000 CAN... so I was ripped off in that case, but I know more about gold now.

I have been rethinking my rates lately because my phone hasn't been ringing... but there are a good handful of artists in the world that can afford my rates, so I'll hold out for a gig with them (sting, prince, michael jackson, justin timberlake, madonna, elton john, U2, ozzy, metallica, david bowie, dr.dre... the list goes on).

Really, why settle for anything less? Never sell yourself short... at the end of the day only YOU can play drums like YOURSELF... that is worth something (if you are a good drummer!). We don't play drums to get rich... but it would be nice, wouldn't it?

[img]tongue.gif[/img]

If someone paid me in Canadian money, i would drop kick that Loonie (or Toonie if it was a BIG-TIME gig) all the way to Winnipeg. Well, actually, i think the Canadian dollar may be worth more than our's soon so maybe i had better pocket it afterall. Still can't use the damn quarters in the pop-machines, though [img]graemlins/cry.gif[/img]

If I like the gig I do it for free. I work my ass off all week in a job that pays well so making a ?100 quid for doing the thing I love doesn't seem worth it and....more importantly I get asked back to the gigs I like all the time because I don't cost anything and I clearly love it.

If I don't like the gig or it's studio work (which is usually a pain in the ass)I charge as much as I can get out of principle or I don't bother.

when you say 'sit in' gig, what does that mean? club, corporate?
what the guy above mentioned in fees is reasonable, chances are, whomever called you has an idea of what they want to pay or what the gig allows for.

all depends on the gig...but a lump sum is what is expected. Cartage is only if its stated or if its a session and distance is not a factor..gas $ can be but if you agree to do the gig, you agree to get there...but these are the things that you have to bring up to the Md..yknow?

Here are some ballpark figures for ya....

Corperate gig $200-$500
Jazz/blues gig $75-$100
New Country gig $100-$200
Top 40 chicken wing gig $100-$150
Jam night $75-$100

If its outa town make sure accoms are included..and ask about gas on top of the price or you can combine it to nice rounded off number.
Ask about a rider or perks (diner or drinks) ...this will make the gigs more worth while. It also depends on if its a reading gig or not..then I charge more. You should find out what others charge as well to avoid overcharging as losing the gig. The prices I gave are standard prices in Toronto,Ontario........dunno what they are in US but dont think there is a big diff.
In regards to a sub...pay em what they are worth plus gas and ?. I always try to get an amazing sub and someone who will nail the gig!!..If you gotta pay a bit more...so be it as long as the gig is nailed!!...It also makes you look good and very professional.
Hope this helps ya out......
Good luck...
Cheers!

Anton Fig lives in NYC. Gigs don't pay in NYC, so he's not playing for less money than anyone else would get to do the same gig. I doubt he does anything for free- maybe after doing someone's CD and getting paid a grand or two he might play a showcase for them or something...but would you ask him to play for free? It's disrespectful to do that...

Quote:

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Originally posted by cjbdrm:
No offense, but the 'hobbyists' playing gigs for free or for very little money make it harder for the 'pros' trying to make a living- or at least get paid what they're worth. It sets a precedent.

I've got a day gig out of necessity, but I would never play for free. My talent is worth something. I'd rather stay at home than be exploited by a club owner or bandleader. That's the one thing I don't miss about working in NYC. (That's another sore subject...)

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I'm sorry, & no off AW, but I clearly have to go w cjbdrm on this one.

Anyone who does this for a living will find this laughable if not completely unfeasible at that, to say the least.

Please tell us where you work so we can come in w some Tommy Aldridges & whack some sense into ya [img]wink.gif[/img] [img]tongue.gif[/img] J/K.
Besides that, I've never met a businessman/woman or corporate-world ["day job"] person who didn't do most things for $.

We are in this for the love of it - but we also have to earn a living AW.

I recently had an old college buddy of mine who went on to be a doctor & does [very] well locally. He found my # aft all these yrs of being out of contact, & wanted me to play w he & our old friends/bandmates from back then at a local nice restaurant / nightclub in town...for a nice dinner, free drinks, & good times/reminiscing.

I did not take offense to this of course, & I'm not "above" doing it, because it would be great to hang w them & have a good time aft all these yrs. But I would never expect this from a stranger wanting me to play their gig, as THEY do it for a living / the $, so they darn well better not expect anything less for me. That attitude can cause quite a few musos to get completely ripped off & taken advantage of - & usually DOES.

I understand Anton's sit - he chooses to do this: A] because he has long had a well-established name in the business, & B] he does those because he respects the players as musicians & friends, & wants to play w them because it's either prestigious, on a limited budget, & quite frankly music he really wants to play & musos he respects & wants to play w; an understanding, possibly the principle of "favor[s]" [which works BOTH ways]. In this way he benefits his own name & career by carefully choosing whom to do this for. It makes him look good. Not that that's why he's doing it [just to "make himself look good]," but it is an act of small sacrifice & humility which can go a long way between people of integrity - I said, people of INTEGRITY. In this way it "helps" his career/name as an honorable person & businessman.

These are called gratis. & besides that, he "ain't doin'" Letterman's Show for free. That is his well-payg "day job." So it is similar to GaryL's sit, except for one large factor - it is all music - it all revolves around him being a pro muso. But imagine if Letterman turned to Anton & said, "hey I really appreciate ya doin' this every day of your adult life for free, pal" [while I & some of the CBS staff make 5 to 800,000 to close to a mill per episode]... wth

So you see, AF can afford to do a gratis here & there - but I guarantee you he tries to keep it hush-hush within his circles amongst his peers, as he wouldn't want to be expected to do this all the time. It's just professional courtesy.

Another reason one would want to gratis is because it could potentially turn into a paying sit down the road. But these are personally selective & one must make the call & go w their gut on that one - but this clearly doesn't apply to everyone nor every situaton.

I can understand your sit - you wanting to do it for fun [since you don't do it exclusively for a living], & because it's "good biz" if it involves other people you work with...but I certainly hope there's less like you than more. [img]wink.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/hmmm.gif[/img] [img]tongue.gif[/img] [img]cool.gif[/img]

I guess I could sum it all up by just asking - you wouldn't go to your day job for free, would you? [Even tho many unfortunate folks on the "lower ladder rung" are darn close to it...minimum wage, what a joke...]

This is "America," for Pete's sake, the "blessed land, flowing w milk & honey" & all that jazz [or lack thereof! ;cp]...I find it very disturbing that most people have to scrape day to day just to keep their nostrils at water level - paycheck to paycheck.

In the few sits where I was in charge, I certainly would not insult my own integrity or someone else's by asking them to perform for no money. Might as well slap 'em in da kisser & insult their "mama's army boots" while i'm at it. ;c)

OK "rant" over, altho not really a rant, per se. No harm done...Thx for letting me have my say. :cp

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ March 09, 2005 02:25 PM: Message edited by: fuseU1 ]</font>