[Dixielandjazz] I miss whoever that was

Sun Dec 23 17:45:20 PST 2007

If your band works different people all the time and each gig is more or 
less independent then there is nothing wrong with building up your prices 
over time.  However if you are trying to get return gigs then if you start 
too low you will have a hell of a time getting more.

I have been working a lot of the Sr. Citizen homes.  The problem is that 
they have a city wide association of recreation directors and if you price 
low to one you might very well be pricing low to them all.  They exchange 
information at their meetings and I can't believe they don't discuss prices 
from time to time at least in a general way.

The piano player that is in my band also works (as a single) many of the 
same places I do for around $60-$70.  He has a hell of a time getting very 
much out of them when he books a group where I walk in and get more for two 
guys than he gets for four or sometimes five.  There are other factors but 
the penalty of playing too cheap or trying to raise prices after you have 
established a price is just plain not easy.

In the business you have to learn to say no and let a potential gig go. 
Many bands are just plain hungry and take everything that comes along no 
matter what the price.

It's a buyer's market or at least it would seem so.  The key to getting more 
money is how hard the client wants to look and if you are what he wants.  A 
lot of businesses and individuals just hate to shop and don't know what they 
will have to pay for a band.  This is why DJ's get so damned much money 
around here.  They think nothing of asking $500 to do a party and they get 
it because people are convinced that DJ's are cheaper.  I can put together a 
pretty good four piece band for that but they don't know that.  DJ's are 
like buying vanilla and there isn't ten cents difference between them.  They 
all play the same records and flash the same cheap ass lights at the dance 
floor.  the better ones might just also talk to the people.  Like McDonald's 
hamburger they offer a uniform product and service.  Bands are notorious for 
not offering uniform products.

The trick is to get your name out there.  BTW sell your name and not so much 
the band name.  BTW Tom gets that much money for two reasons.  One the 
entertainment value of his band, he has a lot of flash and bang for the buck 
and he gets his name out there with a quality product.

You said you played for some an hour and a half.  If you are working for 
($300 ??) a set amount you might try charging more for that extra half hour. 
That would be reasonable to ask.  Lets say you go for another $10 or $15 per 
man for that half hour then you are making $70.  There's nothing wrong with 
a multi tier / service fee schedule.  They want Tux's  then another $15 each 
isn't unreasonable.  I sell a lot of costume stuff such as WWII uniforms and 
Mariachi outfit and I try to get extra bucks for the get up.  I don't always 
make it but sometimes I do and it's often enough that it's like getting a 
pay gig every once in a while.   Don't take the break and sell them 
continuous music for an extra $50.  Come up with add one's.  Sometimes I 
take a gig that isn't what I want but while we are talking price I tell them 
that price doesn't include ........ let's say extra amplification or 
costumes or tuxedos or whatever.  Sometimes they are depending on you for a 
speakers mike or they want you to set up early.  These are extras that you 
can charge for.  If you have to discount have a reason such as multiple 
booking rates.  If someone says you charged Joe Blow $300 why are you 
charging me more well have an answer for that.  If Joe hired you twice then 
that's why or you didn't have to travel as far or some other thing.

Rather than discount try throwing them a bone that costs you little or 
nothing.  (like we'll play in tune ;-)  Maybe it could be advertise their 
event on your web site that if you don't have one now you are going to get, 
Right? Who cares if no one ever looks at your site it's giving them a little 
lagniappe for their money.

I don't know you or what you are doing exactly so don't take this the wrong 
way but you have to be musically solid and have your act together.  In other 
words you have to have a product that is a quality product to sell and then 
you have to market it.  I critique myself all the time but I know that there 
are other products (bands) out there and sometimes they are better and 
cheaper too.  I've said it a bunch but it's not about music and everyone 
could improve in marketing themselves.
Larry
St. Louis
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <JDut953944 at aol.com>
To: "Larry Walton" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
Cc: "Dixieland Jazz Mailing List" <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Sunday, December 23, 2007 2:40 PM
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] I miss whoever that was

> I'm getting $60 each for a five piece band.  We play for one hour or  an 
> hour
> and a half.  These gigs are at retirement homes.  I am using  the five 
> pieces
> for Mardi Gras.  New Years Eve I am using a trio and we are  getting $100
> each for about an hour and a half complete with a 15 minute break  and 
> food.  I
> shouldn't complain should I.  But what Mr. Wiggens said  has lingered in 
> my
> mind and I keep thinking, HOW DID HE DO THAT?  I know  what he says is 
> true, just
> wondering HOW he gets astronomical rates.  Yes I  did read all the
> information about getting gigs and in fact am going to print it  all out 
> to keep and
> refer to.  We are located in East Bay.  But I  believe that he  (Mr. 
> Wiggens) has
> been on the scene for a long time, knows  a lot of people, and my band is
> fairly new.
>
> Thanks.  Carol, Clarinet
>
>
>
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