How much for a New Year's Eve gig?

[molan]

Our band has been approached by a large(ish) restaurant for an NYE gig with an offer of £1,000 plus a couple of drinks and a decent meal.

There are 7 of us so that's £145 per person. I thought this was Ok really - it's less than my old functions band used to play for but it feels like average prices have dipped over the last couple of years.

However some of the band feel this is a rubbish rate and that we should ask for double.

I don't have details of get in/out times and length of sets required & I know this will make a difference but just wanted to guage general thoughts about the going rate for an NYE gig.

[bassicinstinct]

[quote name='molan' post='922114' date='Aug 11 2010, 10:56 PM']Our band has been approached by a large(ish) restaurant for an NYE gig with an offer of £1,000 plus a couple of drinks and a decent meal.

There are 7 of us so that's £145 per person. I thought this was Ok really - it's less than my old functions band used to play for but it feels like average prices have dipped over the last couple of years.

However some of the band feel this is a rubbish rate and that we should ask for double.

I don't have details of get in/out times and length of sets required & I know this will make a difference but just wanted to guage general thoughts about the going rate for an NYE gig.[/quote]

[i][b]At least [/b][/i]double what you would expect from a non- New Years gig IME.

£1000 for a 7 piece band on NY Eve sounds more than a tad mean to me.

[OliverBlackman]

standard payment is 1200 for a 7 piece, New Years gig is traditionally 1.5 the normal payment.

It depends how many offers you think will come your way?

[2pods]

A lot will depend on the hours and set lengths etc.

We always charged double for Hogmanay, but were expected to start about 10.00 and finish about 2.00 with a couple of breaks.

[garethox]

We're getting £600 from a small pub and we are a 3 piece.... I reckon £200/band member is reasonable to expect for NYE.

[molan]

[quote name='garethox' post='922136' date='Aug 11 2010, 11:09 PM']We're getting £600 from a small pub and we are a 3 piece.... I reckon £200/band member is reasonable to expect for NYE.[/quote]

That was my start point actually

I thought about asking for about £175 each as a mid way point but maybe that's still a bit light - I'll get negotiating!

Part of the problem of course is that there are so many of us so £200 each is £1,400 minimum.

I've also just discovered they want us to provide PA so that's another £150 or so.

[TimR]

I don't think that the number of people in the band is relevant. Unless the restaurant specifically want your band they would probably be happy with a three piece.

Are you pros? What would you normally get for playing there on a Sat night? A lot of people think that NYE is a golden ticket to charge lots. A lot of clubs/pubs make practically no money in Jan/Feb and need the Christmas/NYE events to make enough to cover this.

I'll echo the comment above. It's mid August now, only 4 months to NYE how many enquiries have you had or are you likely to get? I had the same argument with my band over £160 each plus free meal (on a normal Fri/Sat we would have got £80 each and a staff discount), they turned it down and I spent NYE that year watching F.....g Jules Holland on TV.

[Cat Burrito]

I'm stunned (but in a good way) by these amounts. I did one NYE gig back in the mid 90s & I don't recall getting much of anything. We're not really a party band though

[garethox]

[quote name='TimR' post='922219' date='Aug 12 2010, 12:52 AM']I don't think that the number of people in the band is relevant. Unless the restaurant specifically want your band they would probably be happy with a three piece.

Are you pros? What would you normally get for playing there on a Sat night? A lot of people think that NYE is a golden ticket to charge lots. A lot of clubs/pubs make practically no money in Jan/Feb and need the Christmas/NYE events to make enough to cover this.

I'll echo the comment above. It's mid August now, only 4 months to NYE how many enquiries have you had or are you likely to get? I had the same argument with my band over £160 each plus free meal (on a normal Fri/Sat we would have got £80 each and a staff discount), they turned it down and I spent NYE that year watching F.....g Jules Holland on TV.[/quote]

It is relevant sometimes...we know landlords who figure the band fee on number of band members. Don't ask me why though!
This particular pub we'd normally get around £200 so a good mark up for NYE for us, perhaps certain members of your band didn't want to gig on NYE? That's happened to me in the past........

[JTUK]

The number is relevant IMV as bands with more members can/should cover certain songs better
just by virtrue of more sounds, if nothing else.. but for the booker, this might make the difference in chosing that band over another at a given rate...but if you start introducing members fees per head, then the price can go silly.

The booker wants entertainment..he may want this band but his start=off fee is £1000 and only you can say how much scope there is in that.
Larger bands always have to contend with earning less per head but I would want to work at £250 per head for NYE
if I was bothered

What you want and can hold out for and what you get can be two different things. Depends on your mind-set. will you definitely gig that night or only for a gig you think is worthwhile?

factors for me would be... how tough a gig is it...2 hrs and down the road is worth a lot more to me than a 4 hr round trip drive and 3 hrs gigging with a set up time of x..etc etc ...

Also, these are difficult times..

I think £1000 for a restro is ok, how it is split is your problem, really.

[wateroftyne]

I agree with a lot of the above. £200 each is a reasonable start, which might be tricky for those in larger bands.

[molan]

I must admit that the band views on this have been really split.

Couple of us think it would be fun to be out playing on a NYE instead of sitting at home watching Jools.

One person said he'd much rather be doing exactly the reverse!

Two people saying £175 minimum.

The gig is tops of 40 mins drive for anyone so not a big hassle in that regard.

I have a distinct feeling that some ban members have aspirations above the band's capabilities and that this is going to be an ongoing battle. . .

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='molan' post='922268' date='Aug 12 2010, 07:49 AM']Couple of us think it would be fun to be out playing on a NYE instead of sitting at home watching Jools.

One person said he'd much rather be doing exactly the reverse![/quote]

I assume that you're already looking for a replacement?

[dave_bass5]

You need to be careful as while you (or certain band members) might think your worth £2000+ the venue might not, or not be able to afford it and will look elsewhere IME.

NYE gigs are generally longer than normal gigs so you have every right to up the money, and most venues will appreciate this but they will also have a budget.

Our rule of thumb is each member must clear £300 each and thats never been a problem. As we work through an agent he also takes a 15% so we need to go out for around £1500 minimum
We tend to play social clubs on NYE, mainly as these are the gigs we get offered but if we were to ask for more we wouldn't get booked.

Im not one for going out and getting hammered on NYE, nor do i want to stop in and watch the Wicker man again so im happy to be out earning good money.
I also have a band member who would rather not play out but he knows it wont stop us and we will find someone else so he does it.

Edited August 12, 2010 by dave_bass5

[Rumblebass]

It's a tough call Barrie, in my 13pc Soul band days, we doubled our fee for NYE (£4k), but this was at an established venue which we'd played many times & always packed out. The same venue coughed up £10k for Millennium eve! If nothing else comes in, & you want to be out NYE, I'd take the money & play. If you hold out for more, you run the risk of ending up with nothing as you've already said. Put it to the democratic vote & go with what the majority of the Band want. (Mind you, this WAS always easier when there's 13 of you!)
Hope you're well anyway,, long time no see!

All the best,

Grahame (FBB)

[molan]

[quote name='Rumblebass' post='922364' date='Aug 12 2010, 09:38 AM']It's a tough call Barrie, in my 13pc Soul band days, we doubled our fee for NYE (£4k), but this was at an established venue which we'd played many times & always packed out. The same venue coughed up £10k for Millennium eve! If nothing else comes in, & you want to be out NYE, I'd take the money & play. If you hold out for more, you run the risk of ending up with nothing as you've already said. Put it to the democratic vote & go with what the majority of the Band want. (Mind you, this WAS always easier when there's 13 of you!)
Hope you're well anyway,, long time no see!

All the best,

Grahame (FBB)[/quote]

Cheers Grahame - are you back out giging again?

[TimR]

[quote name='molan' post='922268' date='Aug 12 2010, 07:49 AM']I must admit that the band views on this have been really split.

Couple of us think it would be fun to be out playing on a NYE instead of sitting at home watching Jools.

One person said he'd much rather be doing exactly the reverse!

Two people saying £175 minimum.

The gig is tops of 40 mins drive for anyone so not a big hassle in that regard.

I have a distinct feeling that some ban members have aspirations above the band's capabilities and that this is going to be an ongoing battle. . .[/quote]

That's exactly what happened to us. The next year I bought up the subject in June and we had a discussion about exactly what people wanted and expected. I said I wasn't happy that certain people didn't want to be playing on potentially the best night of the year. I'm in a band to play and turning any gig down is ridiculous. OK, I want to get paid a realistic amount but some gigs pay well some don't and you take the rough with the smooth. We came up with a figure. Bearing in mind that the keys player said he would play for free and the sax wanted lots. You can't please everyone, but I said we could gig without sax if she didn't want to play - besides its more money for the rest of us .

So when the agent asked us that year I was in a better position to negotiate a price with the agent. Some still moaned even though I'd got them what they had asked for. We did the gig and everybody said they would definiately do it again if asked.

This is CASH as well I don't even get £175 for working a 10 hour Satuday O/T in my day job after I have paid TAX.

[Rumblebass]

[quote name='molan' post='922373' date='Aug 12 2010, 09:43 AM']Cheers Grahame - are you back out giging again?[/quote]


No I'm happily retired from all things bass at the moment Barrie. All of my guitars & equipment have been sold. Who knows, I may get the urge again, but it would have to be something very special to tempt me back. All the best to you, and next time I'm Down South on the Electraglide, I'll give you a shout.
Cheers
Grahame

[geoffbyrne]

Friends of mine (Likuid Blue - 5 piece - in Loughborough) got £4500 for a NYE gig in London about 5 years ago.

G.

[davidmpires]

This is kinda funny we had the same conversation in my last band.

I usually take time off around xmas and NYE so any corporate functions we can do are always up until the week before xmas, after that I'm with my family and like to spend xmas and NYE with them. So to start I wouldn't be playing anyway, in the unlikely event that I would be here, I'd want at least double of what i normally get paid. We were getting £100 a head so £200 plus drinks and dinner sounds ok.

mind you I always said that I know people willing to play but they never wanted replacements.

[Adrenochrome]

If you like the venue, and have good fun playing there without hassles then I'd take it.

[molan]

Wow - so this one bought a few major issues out of the woodwork then!

Looks like the band have now split based on the responses to an NYE gig

Views were so polarised that it made one key member decide that he'd had enough, this prompted others to raise a few things as well so it looks like not only are we not doing the NYE gig but we aren't going to be doing any more gigs together now. . .

[JTUK]

My attitude is all about how well they look after us. I don't really want the money so I am more inclined to not want to bother.. so need to be bribed accordingly..

I hadn't really thought about this NYE..but I can see us doing our local pub as it is always such a good gig to do.
Good laugh, like the locals and top totty..
And for that, I'll happily take anything over £100, thank you..!!

I think it more important to do the pre xmas parties anyway...for totty factor if nothing else

[molan]

[quote name='JTUK' post='922766' date='Aug 12 2010, 02:11 PM']I think it more important to do the pre xmas parties anyway...for totty factor if nothing else [/quote]

My old band used to play an annual rugby club gig for precisely this reason, lol.

We got about half our regular rate but the crowd were brilliant and there were two girls who would repeatedly 'flash' the band after they'd had a few drinks. . .

Their, huge, rugby playing partners used to think it was hilarious & even encouraged them to do this.

One of them really fancied our sax player & would regularly wait for a song with lots of horns in it & then stand right in front of him, bend over & flip her skirt up in the air, distinct lack of any obvious undergarments - made for some 'interesting' sax noises from the poor guy. . .

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='molan' post='922765' date='Aug 12 2010, 02:11 PM']... so it looks like not only are we not doing the NYE gig but we aren't going to be doing any more gigs together now. . .[/quote]

Whoah sh*t! That wasn't in the script.

Sorry to hear that. Is it terminal?