Posted on 08.14.12
a few years ago when i was touring on a stupid level (stupid = too many shows to count), i had gone back to a small club that i really loved playing. the owners were great, the crowd was great and consisted of some great fans that were extremely loyal- just a fun place. someone came up to me in between sets and said that they were going to have a private party and wondered if i’d be interested in playing. at that point in my career, i was pretty much up for any show that paid- but especially one that i knew would be a good time with some crowd interaction. so, i was like, “yeah….sure, that would be great!” they then jumped in with the second question that is always asked of a band/artist- “how much do you charge?”
ugh. the uncomfortableness (which is not even a real word). what to say? do i ask how much they make at their job? nope, totally bad taste. it’s a legit question, to ask an entertainer how much they get paid to perform. after all, how else would you hire an act? the truth is, i used to play in bands that got a certain amount of money per show no matter where we played- and it was probably common knowledge after a while how much the band(s) got paid. still, no one really knew how much the members of the band made out of that amount. sure- there was some speculation; if there were 4 members of the band the amount was divided by 4, right? nope- wrong. just like any business, it’s called overhead. agent fees = 10-15%, manager fees = 10-20%, roadies, sound tech, fuel, truck payment, blah, blah, blah. oh, and what was left, yes, was normally divided by the number of members in the band.
back to the gig proposal. no “band” here- just lil’ ol’ me. so, that must mean that total $ > yours truly, right? nope, wrong again. at this point, i had management, and agents, and people working for me. truth is, everything that was booked was booked through my agents and/or manager. still, this was a loyal fan, a great person in my eyes. they just wanted to hire me for a private party and wanted to know how much it would cost them. so what did i do? i excitedly handed them my manager’s business card and said, “give them a call- they’ll take care of all of the details.”
it was a crowded club with a lot of noisy people and music playing in the background, still, all i could hear was the loud chirping of a single cricket as their face had a perplexed look on it as they took the card and turned away.
yep- never heard from them again. actually, the club i heard burned down a short while later, which was a total bummer.
could i have said, “i need x amount of dollars for the show”? sure- but i no longer did that. i had someone that did that for me now. i had someone that took care of things like that. it’s not that i was above any of it, or better than any other artist out there, it’s just how it was for me. the truth is, when i get booked for a show, i need a certain amount of money. the funny thing is, it varies because it completely depends on whether i’m able to piggy-back it onto another show that i’m doing in the area, or if a room deal couldn’t be worked out for the other show- maybe i just need enough for the show to cover the room for a couple of nights, or maybe it was way off the map and i needed top dollar to cover everything and also make some money for living expenses off the road, you know….bills and stuff. it’s all about covering the overhead and making a living. no, i certainly didn’t put that much thought into “how much money do you get” when i was asked. i didn’t have to. i had someone else to put that thought into it. i certainly meant no disrespect to the fan- yet, because of the business end of things, i’m pretty sure i lost a fan that night, or maybe 50…..if they told all of their friends about me seeming like i was “all that”.
like i said, it’s been years since this event occurred. why am i writing about it now? well, for a couple of reasons. i’m pretty sure not a day has passed that i haven’t thought about it. fans are too important to me. the fact that i may very well have “dissed” one into no longer being one, honestly bothers me….everyday. i wish that this person, and everyone, can understand that it’s nothing personal. to just be able to play and not put myself in the middle of the “money” discussion, allows me keep my direct relationship with my fans between them, my music and me.
why else? well, because i’m entertaining the thought of playing some house concerts. basically, me, playing for you and your friends in a private setting, at your house, backyard, or small party. in short, the same thing i was asked by this fan. how much do i charge? don’t worry, i’ll have someone that you can work out the details with. but here’s a bit of a tip that i now share after learning what i consider a career/life lesson- figure out how much you have to spend. if the numbers work, i’m in.
