How Much to Charge for 3 Hour Gig?

[Al Acuff]

Originally Posted by Red_Label

Dang... that would be like playing on Death Row or for an animal shelter on euthanasia day. BRUTAL!!!

If you think it's brutal from a performer's viewpoint singing for sick folks then you don't ever want to find out what it's like to be a cancer patient. And I hope you never do. It's truly brutal.

A little kindness goes a long way.

[Red_Label]

Originally Posted by Al Acuff

If you think it's brutal from a performer's viewpoint singing for sick folks then you don't ever want to find out what it's like to be a cancer patient. And I hope you never do. It's truly brutal.

A little kindness goes a long way.

I hope I never do as well! It's brutal for people like me because I'm passionate and emotional. Thinking about the pain of the dying hurts me emotionally. It's not a lack of desire to ease their pain at all. I STRONGLY desire that. But I struggle with serious bouts of depression and tend to get upset and take on that pain of others when I experience it personally. I've happily done plenty of charitable work. But some things really get to me and I havev trouble shaking them. You completly misread my posts and intentions. I was pretty clear as to why I was afraid to take those gigs.

Btw... half of my wife's family has died young from cancer. And her sister has had breast cancer twice. We live with the spectre of cancer hanging over our heads every day. She has to have multiple tests done ever year. I would rather get terminal cancer myself than watch her go through it (that is fact). So I don't take it lightly. I DREAD it.

[RGWelch]

Originally Posted by PHJim

For local gigs, I still do $100/person. Weddings are usually double or triple that for some reason that I can't explain. ....

My next question here was what everyone is charging for weddings? I don't mean receptions, I'm asking more about ceremonial music. I'm a wedding photographer, and I really enjoy a lot of the music being played. The bands for the reception are one thing, but the musicians who do the ambient music before and at the very end of the ceremony are something I appreciate as well. They get very little appreciation from the audience, as nobody is there for the music, they are just arriving, getting seated for the ceremony, and then exiting after the ceremony. Usually, this will be maybe string players, a harpist, portable piano, but sometimes it's a solo guitarist. Does anyone in this group do those type gigs?

I'm thinking this could be it's own thread, and might even belong in another discussion section to talk generally about how to approach such a performance. But I can answer as to why one can charge more for a wedding. First of all, typically as a wedding professional, you get booked well in advance, and then you have to block out that date. So it's a commitment sometimes months or even a year or more in the future, and if something else comes up in your life, you still really have to make sure the wedding gets covered. Maybe you know someone who can fill in for you, if something comes up that you can't do it for any reason, but they need to be able to do a good job in your place, it's your reputation on the line. If you blow a wedding gig, or get any kind of reputation for being a flake, and you'll not get many more wedding bookings. A wedding is an event where expectations are high, and it needs to go off without a hitch. Professionalism is paramount, even in a more relaxed, low key type wedding situation. Every time you are playing a wedding, you are likely auditioning for another wedding in the future. When I first started photographing weddings, I had some rather stylish attire that I thought was cool, sort of the hip Miami Vice look, T-shirt under a white jacket with the sleeves rolled up. The videographer I was working with always wore a tux, always. He started doing photography, and I found out later he got hired by the family that hired me for their first daughter's wedding...because of how he dressed. I changed my look to be more conservative after that.

[Al Acuff]

Originally Posted by Red_Label

I hope I never do as well! It's brutal for people like me because I'm passionate and emotional. Thinking about the pain of the dying hurts me emotionally. It's not a lack of desire to ease their pain at all. I STRONGLY desire that. But I struggle with serious bouts of depression and tend to get upset and take on that pain of others when I experience it personally. I've happily done plenty of charitable work. But some things really get to me and I havev trouble shaking them. You completly misread my posts and intentions. I was pretty clear as to why I was afraid to take those gigs.

Btw... half of my wife's family has died young from cancer. And her sister has had breast cancer twice. We live with the spectre of cancer hanging over our heads every day. She has to have multiple tests done ever year. I would rather get terminal cancer myself than watch her go through it (that is fact). So I don't take it lightly. I DREAD it.

I guess what I was really trying to say is that playing music is not always about making money. I kinda got off on a tangent. Apologies. Thanks for understanding.

When I was young and starting to perform I made sure that I always charged the going rate. Playing free or cheap can hurt you when you are building a reputation. Once folks know you and your reputation is secure you can get away with playing a freebie now and then for fun or to help people.

We cheer people up. Sometimes that doesn't seem like much but people need it.

As a friend of mine used to say to the manager at the end of the gig, "I'm an artist and I don't care about money so when do I get paid?"

[Neil K Walk]

I usually gripe about how many AGF threads go off the rails and on tangents but not in this case.

My uncle recently died of cancer but he hated my guitar playing. I won't divulge my opinion of him but he was married to my aunt for 63 years and she's the one I'm related to.

When we all met a couple of years ago in the Outer Banks (before my uncle got sick) somebody put a guitar in my hands and every else had a lot of fun. My uncle yelled at me because I was being "too loud" but he was the only one not well-lubricated.

When my uncle passed my aunt was understandably grieved but at 82 years old and in already poor shape from a botched back surgery things tend to go south pretty quick. She's now in the hospital with pneumonia, kidney stones and a bad back and I'm hoping she doesn't fail to grief.

We were planning on visiting her in July and I'm hoping she's back home soon. When we get there I'm going to see if I can scare up a guitar. Their son was the reason I got into playing in the first place. We were never close though (he's older than me and we're complete opposites) but I'm hoping that he's got a guitar on hand.

PS: I'm building up the gumption to try for a local farmer's market gig. I hope it pays a little more than what it would cost to buy a battery powered amp that I'd need to be heard since it's in the middle of a parking lot and the nearest electrical outlet is several hundred yards away.

[MikeBmusic]

Originally Posted by Neil K Walk

PS: I'm building up the gumption to try for a local farmer's market gig. I hope it pays a little more than what it would cost to buy a battery powered amp that I'd need to be heard since it's in the middle of a parking lot and the nearest electrical outlet is several hundred yards away.

Around here farmers markets - if they pay at all - pay $50-$75 for 2-4 hours.

[GmanJeff]

To the OP's question, it appears the answer is highly dependent upon location. I'd also suggest it depends on what a given venue usually pays. If you play a venue which normally hires solo singer/guitarists, they will probably pay whatever they pay such a person, whether you're a solo singer/guitarist, a duo, or a trio. That is, I doubt the pay will adjust according to the number of performers, any more than the revenue the venue can expect will vary with the number of performers on stage - it likely will not vary at all.

[Neil K Walk]

Originally Posted by MikeBmusic

Around here farmers markets - if they pay at all - pay $50-$75 for 2-4 hours.

Interesting. I’ll have to inquire and start my own thread.

[UncleJesse]

Originally Posted by MikeBmusic

Around here farmers markets - if they pay at all - pay $50-$75 for 2-4 hours.

We just made 100 bucks from the event and $70 in tips from the farmer's market around here last weekend. It was a 3-hour gig.

[PHJim]

Originally Posted by MikeBmusic

Around here farmers markets - if they pay at all - pay $50-$75 for 2-4 hours.

But at most of these type of gigs you can leave your case open and make a lot more than $75 for 2-4 hours.

I have used a sign in the lid of my case that says:

BROKEN STRING FUND
Visa or Mastercard cheerfully accepted

[MikeBmusic]

Originally Posted by PHJim

But at most of these type of gigs you can leave your case open and make a lot more than $75 for 2-4 hours.

I have used a sign in the lid of my case that says:

BROKEN STRING FUND
Visa or Mastercard cheerfully accepted

Yes, you can accept tips, but more and more these days (as has been discussed here) people aren't carrying cash. I saw performers in Nashville using Venmo for tips, they had signs with their Venmo ID name. Many of the farmers markets performers I know get more veggies and fruit at the end of the day (stuff that didn't sell) than cash.

[Neil K Walk]

Originally Posted by MikeBmusic

Yes, you can accept tips, but more and more these days (as has been discussed here) people aren't carrying cash. I saw performers in Nashville using Venmo for tips, they had signs with their Venmo ID name. Many of the farmers markets performers I know get more veggies and fruit at the end of the day (stuff that didn't sell) than cash.

...as long as they don't get the subpar produce thrown at them it's all good. It's hard to find good tomatoes.

[roylor4]

Originally Posted by MikeBmusic

Around here farmers markets - if they pay at all - pay $50-$75 for 2-4 hours.

We have a local Farmers Market that pays a free coffee and donut plus tips.

They are looking for performers throughout the season and almost all slots are unfilled. Gee whiz, I wonder why.

[dgt178]

Originally Posted by themissal

Brooklyn NY. Typically 300-400 for our acoustic duo. We don’t do it for the money. We have a decent following, and the bar makes money. If its a holiday weekend and everyone is out of town, and the place is quiet, they know we will smile and take what they hand us. It’s a good relationship.

You are wise to start out “low”. They won’t hire you if you don’t make them money, no matter how much they like your smile or music. If you get a following, by all means have a conversation with them later.

.....YES......this one......^^^^^^^^