[atlantaprog] Re: cj's/9 lives

Doesn't 9 Lives have a predetermined formula for band payments?  Like the
first $100 to them, then $3 of a $6 cover that goes to the bands, or
similar?  Sounds like either their formula is very severe or they tried to
stiff you...  sucks either way.

It's been a while, so I don't remember exactly what the arrangement was, but at the end of the night, they told us that the guy who was supposed to pay us had left and that we'd have to come back the next day. Then the next day they told us that if you don't get paid the night of the show then you don't get paid and it's your own fault. I guess that's something for everyone here in a band to keep in mind!

What's the typical payment arrangement for private functions, like parties
or college Greek events?

Just like most gigs, each one is different. Sometimes they're set up through booking agents and sometimes they call the band directly. A lot of bands are exclusive with one agency, so they never book their own shows. The amount really varies all over the place. I know of bands who have played these things for free or for small amounts of money just to play in front of a couple hundred people. I also know of bands who charge several thousand dollars a night.

I used to tour with a band as a hired gun. I was paid a flat rate of $100 for each show, so I don't really know what the band was paid each night, but I think their minimum was $5,000 and they played at a lot of those types of functions - it seems like I saw a couple of times the shows paid around $7,500 or so. Although that's a lot of money, that cost had to cover paying each band member (6 of us), the road crew (sound and lighting guys, etc), the office staff, hotel rooms for everyone (and we usually stayed in pretty nice hotels), gas, keeping up the trucks and the gear, etc. So there was a lot of cost involved too. In fact, one show, the road crew got stoned and drove all of our equipment to the wrong state, so we had to rent all of the lights and equipment and someone to run them - but each of the band members still got paid and we still had hotel rooms, etc. so I suspect that night was a financial loss.

With McFly, we don't make THAT much, but we make enough to do this for a living. Then again, we don't have as many expenses. We set up our own gear, we don't have a driver or a sound guy or a light guy or an office staff, so in the end, we do OK.

-Wade

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