[Dixielandjazz] Public Liability

[Russ Guarino]

Musicos,

One of the advantages of belonging to the local musician's union is the
insurance they provide.  I have a $2,000,000 policy at a cost of $255, for one
year.

Russ Guarino, Clarinet Maven

ross anderson wrote:

> G`day To you all !!
> Dear Tom ,
> WHY does any band member have to PAY anything??????
> No wonder "FESTIVALS" expect the "BANDS" to play for bloody nothing when YOU
> offer to get your band members to pay out of their pockets PI insurance !!
> HELLO ??
> I would love to know how much they are getting per head !!
> Ross Anderson, New Melbourne Jazz Band,
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "tom wood" <zenith at ans.com.au>
> To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
> Sent: Thursday, March 09, 2006 9:32 AM
> Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Public Liability
>
> Public Liability
>
> Hi All,
>
> I think I may have been the one to originally start this thread some 10
> years ago.  However since the more recent lawyers litigation and 'class
> action' millionaire cases insurance premium for most of us have almost
> reached resistance level.  In fact from Australia obtaining worldwide PI
> insurance cover normally requires excluding visits to USA.  Where brokers
> include USA I have been quoted a five figure premium.  A local broker
> advised me that for well known groups and rock stars to visit USA the
> insurance premiums are sometimes 6 & 7 figures!
>
> We are playing at a jazz festival in the open this Sunday at Kiama (about
> 100 kms. south of Sydney) and I had to renew our Public Liability Policy.
> The figure quoted was $1500 plus 10% Goods & Services Tax (i.e. $1650) for
> the 12 month period i.e. double what we had been paying previously.  The
> band was not very happy and although legally bound under contract to play
> with a certificate of currency for Public Liability so I approached the
> organisers with our dilemma.  The organisers solved the problem immediately
> supplying the band with 24 hour cover for the Sunday event.  Their cost to
> our band was $110 including GST.  The boys were delighted with the reduced
> cost.  This underwriting covered for $5 million property damage plus Public
> Liability for the whole band (which could include guest players) with an
> excess of $250 on any claim.
>
> I think the efficient and smart way to keep everyone happy, organisers and
> musicians alike with full cover is for organisers to obtain blanket cover
> for their event period and if they have to, charge each band a portion of
> the premium.  This will normally be far cheaper but one has to weigh up the
> cost of gigs per annum requiring PI cover as to whether cover per insured
> event is cheaper.  I would be interested to have any comments from others
> on this matter.
>
> The Sydney Zenith will have played overseas 13 times after our visit later
> this year to the Edinburgh International Jazz Festival.  We have never once
> been asked to produce any proof of PI cover and only had the cheaper local
> Australian cover because the worldwide cover was too expensive.  We have
> had to have tax clearance saying our expenses equated to our gig money but
> never any PI requirements.
>
> Maybe we can visit USA again in 2007 on the East Coast this time and soak
> up some of Barbone Street's  New York area gigs if we can get exemption
> from PI insurance.
>
> Cheers,
> Tom (cannot publish litigatious SZ Tales of Taverns book) Wood
> Sydney Zenith Band Manager/Pianist
> www.sydneyzenith.com
>
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