[Dixielandjazz] Bidding on jobs

Mon Sep 18 14:43:24 PDT 2006

Great comments Steve and some good guidelines.

My mother always had to have the radio going in the house even though she 
rarely listened to it.  A lot of people are that way.  They don't really 
listen to music and want some noise in the background.  You will never get a 
gig from those people.  When I advertised in the Yellow Pages (bad move) I 
got lots of calls but it was how much do you charge? Oh that's too much! 
clank.  Then there was the other bands calling to see how much I charged.

I try to be somewhat flexible on pricing but any leader has expenses that 
have to be met.  For example some bands charge for a PA and some don't.  I 
don't but it's a minimal sound system.  Bigger costs more and if it's really 
big I hire a sound guy.

I charge extra if there are more than 5 steps with a minimum of $25 per 
flight.  I started doing that after booking a NY eve gig on the top floor of 
an 8 story building and their elevator had crapped out.  Fortunately I was 
young and could make the 16 flights four times and again at the end of the 
gig and still carry stuff too.  Not today kiddies.

I give a price break to charities and Sr. Citizen groups and homes.  It 
usually is the second hour free and I have a multiple booking discount too. 
It depends on what it is.  I played last Thursday for a Kiwanis club dinner. 
It was a Duo and I usually charge $200 for the first hour but their budget 
was $150 and I had been referred to them.  I ended up making $90 which isn't 
too bad for an hour but I had to schlep an amp and other stuff.  I really 
just broke even and didn't get anything extra for the schlep part.  On the 
other hand I now have a new client that I can probably talk up next time. 
If I take less on a job I don't expect side men to take less and I take it 
out of my side.  I usually pay $60 for the first hour on a week night except 
special nights like Mardi Gras and St. Pat's etc.

I try to get $100 per man for the first hour and $25 per man for each hour 
after that.  That way if I have to give the second hour away in the way of a 
discount I can still can pay the guys fairly well and if they take the third 
hour then everybody does OK.
Larry
St. Louis

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Barbone" <barbonestreet at earthlink.net>
To: "DJML" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Monday, September 18, 2006 11:40 AM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Bidding on jobs

> Someone asked a while back about bidding on jobs and no one answered so 
> here
> is my 2 cents.
>
> Barbone Street frequently bids on jobs. From private parties to street 
> fairs
> to concerts in the park. Generally speaking:
>
> 1) We submit our bid and in most cases there is no negotiation. But if the
> client really wants you and you are high priced, they may call back and 
> seek
> a reduction. We ALWAYS hold our bid firm and do not reduce.
>
> 2) We lose as many gigs as we get. Sometimes price, sometimes other 
> reasons.
> There are at least 6 Dixieland Bands in our area who are lower priced.
>
> 3) About half the time we lose a bid because of price, the client comes 
> back
> at a future date and books us at our price. Basically because of superior
> program content. e.g. we lost a booking in Lancaster PA because of price a
> year ago. We just got booked there at our price, because an "angel" gave 
> the
> money to the venue to have us perform. What they got cheaper was not up to
> what they would get with us.
>
> 4) So figure out how to "differentiate" you band from the others.
>
> Problems in Bidding:
>
> 1) If the gig is far away, we charge more because of car expenses. e.g. I
> live 60 miles from center city Philadelphia. So a Philly gig is a 120 mile
> round trip. I figure it cost me 50 cents a mile to run my band vehicle, a
> Jeep Cherokee. So that's $60 it costs me to get to the gig. Therefore the
> cheapest I will work a gig in Philly as a sideman is $160. Same for
> Baltimore. (two hour gig where parking is provided free)
>
> 2) As a band leader, I bring sound etc., and so with leader fee, I have to
> value that gig as a leader at $320 MINIMUM.
>
> 3) My band lives closer to town and so will gig in Philly for $150. But if
> we have to pay to park, we add that.
>
> 4) Lesser bands (in terms of program content, stage presence etc) will 
> work
> cheaper so we are almost always high bidder.
>
> Question:
>
> How badly do you want the gig? Guys living in towns, NYC, Philly, L.A. 
> will
> often take a gig for $40 because they are local, and need every gig to 
> make
> a living, such as it is. So if you have to bid, you may have a real 
> problem
> in competing with a "local" group.
>
> INFORMATION:
>
> Try and find out with whom you are bidding against. Where you think they
> will be priced, and take your shot. You win some, you lose some, but in my
> experience, it does you no harm to be perceived as high priced because
> clients will relate price to expertise and customer satisfaction.
>
> And lower the price for Assisted Living Facilities, especially those run 
> by
> the Churches or Charities because they get lousy entertainment, could use 
> a
> boost, and it will give you physic enrichment. Or Jazz Vespers, etc. You 
> can
> do a ton of those and not disrupt the marketplace.
>
> Cheers,
> Steve Barbone
>
>
>
>
>
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