[Dixielandjazz] Pay Scales

[Steve Barbone]

Dave Washburn in Dallas asked about pay scales, what should a band charge,
and for finite numbers instead of "more than the average band at a Festival
gets."

Its kind of like asking what should a new car cost? Any where from $9,999
for a KIA to $1,300,000 for a Bugatti. Depends upon who the buyer is as well
as how well the car meets the buyer's needs, real or psychic.

Its also a tough question Dave, because contractual obligations should be
held in confidence. Regarding the band fee, it was based upon the average
OKOM Festival Band getting $40 or $50 a man per one hour set, playing from 8
to 10 sets at a 3 day OKOM festival.

For a six piece band that's between $1920 and $3000. Thus you can
approximate "more than that" for the hour and a half gig I mentioned.

Relative to my own situation, For a local gig, 3 hours or less, I charge
anywhere from a minimum of $750 to a maximum (so far) of $7500. Depends upon
the venue, the occasion, the clients, etc. We do not leave the barn for less
than $750 except to do some charity gigs in December, "Real Charity" in
Hospital Wards, Hospice locations etc., where there is neither
entertainment, nor an entertainment budget. And in that case, I use some of
my leader fees collected over the year to pay the sidemen.

I add time/mileage charges if the gig is more than 50 miles from home. If it
involves an overnight, I add 1st class accommodations and meals.

Wiggins was right on about why we hate to quote actuals. Basically because
we then get undercut by competing bands. I wish I had a dollar for every
time a competing band in my area heard about a gig of ours, and underbid us
saying; "We play the same music as Barbone Street and cost less." Two things
then happen. 

1) The lesser band gets the gig and screws it up so badly that we get it
   back the following year.

2) The lesser band gets the gig, screws it up and sours the client on
   "Dixieland" forever and the gig gravitates to another music genre, while
   those band members complain that the market for OKOM sucks.

Point being, in any market, that first the band must satisfy the audience.
Then it should set a goal of increasing its rates yearly. It will only work
that way if the band is in demand. That takes a while, or may never happen
if the band is no good, or does not market and perform for the audience, or
the band doesn't have a good agent.

So what should a band charge? Damn if I know without the specifics of the
band persona. A couple of general guidelines?

1) Not less than union scale.

2) Not so little that is screws up the market for live music in your area.
   This one is really the key. Including ALL forms of live music, not just
   OKOM. That means talk music market with the local pros.

Take Elazar's gig at $25 a man. He got it from busking. It probably doesn't
hurt the music market. There may not be a union visible there. OK, he
created that gig and under the above scenario, he is right to do the gig
because he is building the reputation of his band and its music. Lots of us
got started that way.

The trick is to market successfully from there . . . by building audience
and appearance fees at similar rates. Like by this time next year, he should
at least have doubled, if not quadrupled both his audience and his fee.

If he is then still working/busking for $25, he isn't doing it right.

Cheers,
Steve