Gig prices?

[cosmic gumbo]

Live music is only for losers who can't afford to hire a DJ. Pump up the jam...

[jack_gvr]

Is there another thread ...?

dunno - probably... on some other forums, undoubtedly...

Have any of you guys been in a position where all the songs requested you couldn't play?

Yes, there is no end to the obscure tunes people will think of when they get on a roll and start the request game.

There really do have to be a lot of requests for something to convince me to get my tail in gear and actually learn it. There are a few tunes I have sitting around (on the frequently requested list) that I just haven't ever gotten up any enthusiasm for - "My Way" comes to mind.

But some items become predictable, and if you can get four or five in a row, it can make somebody's evening.

Also, I can play a few things now that I wouldn't have been caught dead playing when I was younger - that's a factor in the request thing, too. Like, consider how it's popular among some musicians to make a big deal out of refusing to play "Chica from Ipanema" - like you've insulted them - well, hmm. And a buddy of mine used to include in his act pretending to shoot himself when "Piano Man" was asked for -- big laughs all around. See, he got some mileage out of it anyway, cuz then he'd go on and play it, but do something creative with it. (But nobody ever actually insisted on Melancholy Baby, in my life - that's a joke from the distant past, now.) Anyway, being a serious musician is one thing, and being an entertainer is another, and sometimes the line is not necessarily always in the same place; Liberace was the highest paid musician in history - you can decide whether you want to starve with principles, or how much to compromise for the sake of giving up your day job. It's an interesting question that comes up often enough in a musician's life. I had a day job and I like what I'm doing better - and if somebody wants the "3rd man theme" and I can make them happy, I'm available, yes. I could finish the thought with a pungent metaphor, you get the idea.

[gehwokka]

I was googling for information on this very topic and found this thread among the results.

For years I've played in bands where we struggled to determine a fair price for gigs. I can say with some confidence that we ALWAYS undervalued the gig and settled for less than what we should have been paid.

Now that I'm older (I'm not saying I'm wiser, just older), I recently revisited this topic with a fresh approach. Although there are many factors involved in pricing a gig, you can get a BASELINE by visiting:

gigcalc.gehwokka.com

The site is free (ad-supported, so clicking ones that are interesting to you is appreciated) and should help in determining a price to start with (AT LEAST). You don't even have to register or anything...

It's a work in progress, so if you find it useful I'd find it helpful to hear your feedback (and if you DON'T find it useful, then I'd really LOVE your FEEDBACK!)

thanks,

gehwokka