[Dixielandjazz] How Not to book a Senior Center gig

Tue Jul 11 10:37:26 PDT 2006

Hey Folks:  Here is an ad for a sax player in one of the wealthiest
communities in N. California, where a bed in a senior center will cost
$3000.00 a month and up.

LW.  We have one here that starts at $6000 but doesn't pay particularly well 
but better than most.  The only saving grace is that they use bands on off 
nights like Tuesday.

Now they are booking a five piece band for
$75.00  maybe 100.00 if the leader is ripping off the sidemen for a
leaders fee :))

LW. Leaders have expenses that the side men do not have. Sound systems, 
advertising, photos, demos, charts and the list goes on and on.  That is 
nothing compared to the extra time a leader puts in.  An extra $100-150 or 
so is not much compared to what a leader has to do.  If someone risks their 
money and time they have a right to expect, at least in this country, 
something for their effort and maybe even a lot.

It is bands that work like this that are killing the live music
business, I have booked solo artists in this same venue for $200.00 for
a one hour performance on many occasions.

LW - If you booked him did you charge a fee?  If you did then why is the 
leader ripping off the musician if he takes $25.  If you didn't take a fee 
then that isn't real good either although I have handed off jobs to friends 
too but they sometimes will throw me one.

I have a friend who sings Karaoke at these places and makes $30,000 a year 
doing it so why do
bands keep giving it away.  And yes he sings here once a month for
$300.00 for one hour and they love him

LW sounds like he has a class act

and he has been going back there
for five years once a month.

LW just because one can do well doesn't mean that a group can command the 
same price per man.  I work a duo quite often and make more than I could if 
I were a single but when I take a 5 piece group I make less and the guys 
make less than I pay in the Duo.  I have a friend that does well as a 
single.  He plays almost every day somewhere and gets about $75 for an hour. 
He has no equipment to move or other people to call.  He just opens a book 
and starts playing. The average band just can't command per man what a 
single does.  Maybe some can but not around here anyway.  That guy who gets 
the $300 would be doing well if he got it every day but at the end of the 
year does the guy who makes $75 every day end up with a better bottom line 
than the guy who gets $300 every so often?  I have one of my students who 
makes a living from music and he tries to get $200 or more for everything he 
does but he too plays a $75 lunch gig on Fridays.  As I see it you charge 
what the traffic will bear for your market.  Friday afternoon he takes the 
$75 or sit at home.  That's the choice everyone makes but playing a $50 gig 
on Saturday night is plain stupid but lots of musicians around here do it.

Musicians often kill their own market just by being and thinking like
amateurs their entire careers.  This gig at that price will probably
not even pay for the gas to get the musicians there and back.
Cheers,

Tom, I really agree with your last statement but there are a lot of reasons 
why musicians have shot themselves in the foot but this is one of the 
biggest.  The trouble is that everyone is caught in this net not just them 
and all prices are lowered because of it.

Larry Walton
St. Louis

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <tcashwigg at aol.com>
To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Sunday, July 09, 2006 12:51 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] How Not to book a Senior Center gig

Hey Folks:  Here is an ad for a sax player in one of the wealthiest
communities in N. California, where a bed in a senior center will cost
$3000.00 a month and up.  Now they are booking a five piece band for
$75.00  maybe 100.00 if the leader is ripping off the sidemen for a
leaders fee :))

It is bands that work like this that are killing the live music
business, I have booked solo artists in this same venue for $200.00 for
a one hour performance on many occasions.   I have a friend who sings
Karaoke at these places and makes $30,000 a year doing it so why do
bands keep giving it away.  And yes he sings here once a month for
$300.00 for one hour and they love him and he has been going back there
for five years once a month.

Musicians often kill their own market just by being and thinking like
amateurs their entire careers.  This gig at that price will probably
not even pay for the gas to get the musicians there and back.

Cheers,

Tom Wiggins

Subject: How not to book a Senior Center gig

 Alto or Tenor player needed for 7.21 gig (lafayette / orinda / moraga)

  Date: 2006-07-08, 8:26AM PDT

  Looking for an Alto or Tenor player for a gig on Friday, July 21,
 from 4;00- 5:00 pm in Moraga. We'll be playing for Senior's before
their dinner social. We'll be a five peace group (two horns, guitar,
bass and drums) playing "American Songbook" standards out of the Real
Books. Pay is $15.00 dollars a man. You must be able to read and play
heads with other players and improvise over the changes of the tune

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