SLMC

Davin Romano · Joined: 19 Apr 2008 Posts: 22 Location: L.A.

I've searched the FAQ and poked thru a lot of threads, but haven't seen anyone talk about fees much. I have some great dj's that are all with the same group, they charge 500/hour for the regular dj's and the hot ones are 900L/hour.

But with live acts, is there a norm, or is it really all over the board? I've been quoted 2000-10000 for an hour from a number of performers, and I dont want to cut myself short by only being able to afford the low ticket ones.. I am a new venue and willing to fork out some cash to keep a weekly crowd happy, just trying not to break the bank too hard in doing it.

As with my art gallery downstairs from my jazz bar, I'm not in SL to make any profit out of it. I dont even care if I make my tiers back.. but if the venue tips and art sales help fund the performers fees, that would be cool.. I"m just here for the beer, man Smile

and to help everyone creative have another avenue to showcase their talents.

Norris Shepherd · Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 2:06 pm Post subject:

I'm going to reply to this for ya Dave.. but to EVERYONE ... PLEASE KEEP THIS THREAD ON TOPIC. Wink

I just want to avoid another long / emotional / counter-productive / and bad-vibe-inducing discussion on musicians rates, paid vs not paid, tips only vs whatever... this thread is to be about 'Standard artist fee structure/estimate'.

And yes, musicians fees are probably all over the road. Best way to find out for sure would be to ask them or their management.

(assume all numbers are 'plus tips')

0k -- lots of musicians starting out, and some others will play for tips only. Once they start getting paid though, it is harder for them to accept tips only gigs when they can get paying ones.

1K -- people who have played a few shows and have some people who come to their gigs usually ask this.

2k - 5k -- people who are pretty established and have people coming to their gigs regularly might ask this.

5k - 10k --- i think it's relative few who get this on a regular basis (could be wrong though) Big fan groups.. big attendance to shows...

10k + --- small handful who can probably get this amount for a show (again .. I could be way off)

A venue owner would probably have a better idea of this topic though...

.. .once again.. this thread is NOT a place for discussion anything other than 'Standard artist fee structure/estimate'.

Please stay on topic.. related items/discussions have been beat to death many many many times.

/me takes off his teacher voice.

Zak Claxton · Joined: 16 Oct 2007 Posts: 2008 Location: Podul/33/243/154/

There's a wide range.

Norris, was that on-topic enough? Laughing

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hexx · Joined: 28 Nov 2007 Posts: 221 Location: Rastafairy Beach

Dunno if there's a general standard, but I always pay 5K. Simply because I think that's a fair price for an hour's worth of excellent vibes. And think of all the happy smiling faces in the crowd - priceless, to say the least!

WTF is General Standard and why is he messing with the artist fees? Wink

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Jojamela Soon · Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 3:24 pm Post subject:

I usually pay between 2-3K unless someone wants a specific performer and is willing to cover the fee difference.

I put on an average of 13 shows a week, thankfully a couple of them are tips only (tho I do try to tip them between 500-1K)

I'd pay more, but would have to cut way down on the number of shows so it's a dilemma.
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Davin Romano · Joined: 19 Apr 2008 Posts: 22 Location: L.A.

thank you Norris... I like that you described the differences as you did.. What I am wondering, is if say an artist in the 2-5k range, should I assume they will draw a small crowd as well as what I bring? I'd never ask a performer to bring their own crowd, but an extra 10 people would be nice if all my promotions brought another 10-15 even.

and hexx, thanks also, I do think it is a worthy spend to provide entertainment. As with what I've done with the arts and various galleries, its fun to me just meeting people around the world with like interests.

Zak Claxton · Joined: 16 Oct 2007 Posts: 2008 Location: Podul/33/243/154/

Norris Shepherd · Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 6:27 pm Post subject:

Hey Davin.. and um.. sorry for calling you 'David' in last post.. Embarassed

I really don't think you should assume/presume much of anything. Some artists charge more and should charge less, and some probably charge less and should charge more.

Best bet would be to check the artist in question out at one or two of their shows. The odds are if they have 40+ people at all their shows.. .they will draw people wherever they play.

If they have 4 or 5 people at consecutive shows... then that's probably what they draw... or they booked in a slot where there are 35 live music shows at that time. Smile

Or references.. talk to people who follow live music, or venue owners. Those would probably best be private discussions though.. not for the public forum.

ka-klick · Joined: 12 Sep 2007 Posts: 242 Location: Central Iowa (USA)

Norris is right on there, on all this. I'd say someone commanding $L10k + should be expected to bring a real crowd with them (most times). Other than that level I'd say overall that most folks who've been established will draw a few in from fans/LME/other groups, but it really can be all over the map depending on many factors:

1. Day/Night - Time Slot
If either SL concurrency is low or the events slots are bursting, it can be tough to draw a crowd - probably plan on low attendance if you have the bad luck to be up against one (or more) of the $L10k + crowd.

2. SL "Weather" (has to do a bit w/ concurrency). If folks can't TP to your location it's going to be a slim night.

3. Fatigue / Flavor of the Month: There's a sort of honeymoon for new folks, and the ups and downs sort of smooth out after a while, but if you're not the NKOTB sometimes it's an uphill battle, even if you try and keep it fresh.

ticious · Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Posts: 2119 Location: Chicago

I have a biz partner who once summed this up VERY well. The fee paid for any given gig is nothing more than a reflection of the relative bargaining skills of the musician (or their manager) as compared to the bargaining skills of the venue representative. Add to this the fact that 'base' fees or 'average' fees change constantly and any FAQ purporting to suggest reasonable fee amounts becomes pretty worthless.

At the end of the day, Davin, you need to determine what your budget is and who you want to stage (best way to do this is by attending shows, especially some of the big open mics and showcases) and go from there.

Many of the artists you choose will be happy to play for the fees you can afford, even if what you can afford is substantially less then they normally ask so don't be afraid to counter. Many artists will not feel they can play for less than their nornmal fee and this is why they established it a the level they did. BOTH are valid and honest positions and should be respected. Some muscians may be rude or condescending to you when you say their fee is outside your budget. Forget them and move on, they are a tiny minority (and from what I've seen, the kind of folks who aren't respectful in negotiations don't stick around long). Make you booking and fee decisions based soley on your budget and your goals for your venue and I guarantee you, if you run your show well (post proper notices, provide good atmosphere, etc.), you will fill your line up with quality acts.
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