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CULTURE SHOCK and my ignorance
| Message Board > General Chitchat > CULTURE SHOCK and my ignorance |
| Stephen | I used to make $4,000-6,000 a month from 1998 to 2000. Most of it cash, playing both friday and saturday nights every week. It was considered chump change compared to the bands playing laughlin, reno, vagas gigs. All hard rock. Is this high or low for this area? A few months ago I asked how much bands were making here. The reply's were vague. Which bands and musicians are making a good living only through music? - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 6:38am | ||
| Sudz | You can make $$$$$$ doing music???!!!!!! Holy moly!!! Nice work! - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 10:13am | ||
| Anonymous | What an idiot. Go back from were you came from. - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 10:15am | ||
| Anonymous | dont know the answer to that one. Wreaker might be in the know. Maybe ask club managers? - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 11:33am | ||
| WHE WHO HA HA HA | money? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 11:40am | ||
| Anonymous | This is CANADA dude - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 11:44am | ||
| The Stalker | cmon man, someones gotta be makin bank here! There's too much talent here to be playing for nothing! Victoria has the highest concentration of musicians I've seen since Milan. - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 11:49am | ||
| ROSS B AY User Info... | Nobody makes anything more than beer money here, even the bigger bands coming from out of town. It's because people start crying uncontrollably if the cover is more than 4 dollars. I mean they get downright inconsolable and despondant over it. I've seen people here commit murder/suicides they get so upset if you have to pay to get into a big show. It's funny. Unless you're in a band.... - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 12:26pm | ||
| Anonymous | That does explain alot. Sounds like having a band here is more of a hobby than a profession. Do local bar/clubs need live bands to make a living? If they do, they could be forced into change. The drawback would be cut-throat competition between both clubs and bands. All musicians would have to work together. Most would be without shows, while a few could make something worth working for. With the slagging and selfish attitudes on this board, I doubt enough people would make this happen. Anything is possible. - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 6:03pm | ||
| BBB | no body cares if they have beer, buds & Butt - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 6:33pm | ||
| Anonymous | Victoria is a small town. Go to Vancouver to pursue your professional dreams. Not enough venues here to make a living. - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 6:40pm | ||
| Anonymous | I earned my retirement through music already. I live here so I could retire, and I'm sick of CA. I am trying to give some helpful hints to BC bands and musicians. I've seen this all before. It's cool if you dont like me or anything I'm saying. Not really my problem anyway. Another question: Are peelers making bank here in Vic? $500 to $3,000 a night? - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 9:39pm | ||
| Anonymous | Is there much difference in Van? It's all B.C. right? - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 9:51pm | ||
| Anonymous | Fuck why all the stupid questions you fucking YANKEE? - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 10:04pm | ||
| Anonymous | Hey I'm only a YANKEE until July 2nd, BROTHER! Because it doesn't seem fair to CANADIAN'S the way business is done here. 80% of the live shows should still be in the garage and the other 20% of hard working musicians cant make a living doing what they were designed to do. I'm only speaking out on this board for the hard working and gifted. A musical GENIUS would make more money here flipping burgers? while musical idiots flood this board and bars so bar owners can sell a few beers? It's cool with me if your happy with it. It's not my personal problem! But it's sad and if given a little support, I believe a change would help a few really great people - "other Canadians" not myself! I will never work here because of money, others need it more than I. I would work for a good cause! - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 10:12pm | ||
| Anonymous | You can make a living doing it if you're good. I know a band that makes enought to live off of not even playing every weekend all around the island. You need to know how to ask for more money. No one says no - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 10:17pm | ||
| laprider User Info... | you can make a livibg in this city you just have to play a lot of styles and be willing to play jazz - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 10:28pm | ||
| Anonymous | Yes, they do. - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 10:29pm | ||
| Anonymous | - You can make a living doing it if you're good. I know a band that makes enought to live off of not even playing every weekend all around the island. You need to know how to ask for more money. No one says no - Fri, 14 Feb 8:17pm Right on!!! There is some fire at last! - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 10:34pm | ||
| Spark | Hey stephen are you for real?? Where did you play? Bands here in vic (playing at soungarden, steamers, etc.) make anywhere from $150-500 a gig, depending on thier turnout. I've NEVER heard of any bar bands making a living solely on thier music,not in B.C. - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 10:35pm | ||
| Anonymous | make em an offer they cant refuse? - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 10:57pm | ||
| Anonymous | Oh offers are many in the refusal department - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 11:00pm | ||
| Anonymous | Waters, Gazzas, Coopers place, China Beach,and a few private clubs that keep changing names. People or bands that support me in some way getting high paying gigs and recording sessions are: Nita, Tracy G (DIO), Cycle of Pain, Power Symphony, Black Mass,Nina Hagan (my brother was also her PR), Katherine H (warner), the list is kinda long due to the fact I never signed term agreements, that means lots of temp work all the time. Oh, I got paid very well by George Lawton the singer for some leads. It is common for each band mate to make from 60,000+ per year if they are very good. At least within the califoria, Arizona, Nevada clubs. Milan Italy seems to be about the same as here. There are some insanely Great power metal bands that have to have other income other than the band. They tell me the best pay is the US and Japan. I found out about Victoria through Nita who met the lead singer from SNIF on some US tour. So I'm guessing SNIF has had some high paying gigs, although I have no idea, I have never met them. - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 11:00pm | ||
| Andrew | The only band that I know that makes a living playing solely from their music here in Victoria, is "Burning Jupiter," but they just play famous covers at Darcy's every thurs-sat. Well, I know the lead guitarist makes all his money only from playing. - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 11:02pm | ||
| Booker | It's all about the draw, if you can't draw it doesn't matter how good you are. The music industry in Victoria is all about (and only about) draw unless you can do a mediocre draw that produces large bar attendance but it has to be substantial enough to make it noticeable and worthwhile for the bar. Unless the bar has another type of draw (i.e. food service, accountable regulars) the focus will be on paid through the door and booze sales. Victoria is dubbed: Land of the Newlywed and Nearly Dead. Of course there are Victoria's younger residents but study has proven that the $$ is in Top 40's and Hip-Hop/Rap. Why do you think so many live music venues have gone under or have not produced? I could go on. - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 11:03pm | ||
| Wreaker of Havoc User Info... | Gallows End makes about $1500 a show but we dont usually like to tell anyone cause thems git jeleous. Its hard on bands like ML7, Hoosegow, Shivs etc. that have to pay and beg to play. - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 11:13pm | ||
| Anonymous | Who is Burning Jupiter and where is Darcy's???????? Never hearda either. - Fri, 14 Feb 2003 11:13pm | ||
| Zippgunn User Info... | Hmmm. If I read your thread right it seems you were making $500-$1000 PER NIGHT all by yourself which means that if you were in a 5 piece "hard rock" band (covers or originals, I wonder?) you guys made anywhere between $2500 to $5000 PER NIGHT as a band. Nobody makes anywhere near that in this backwater except big ticket national acts playing the biggest theatres or the odd club. Rock cover bands can make around $500 a night and an original band can do that on a good night, but it only happens once in a while. Living in Victoria means ekeing out an existance as a musician any way you can, either by diversifying (playing in a whole lot of different bands, teaching, playing the odd studio date, running a recording studio etc.) or constant touring (for example on the dreaded cruise ships).Staying true to an original musical vision is really tough. And since we're on an island, playing in Vancouver won't make you any dough either; it gets eaten up in ferry fares etc. Most of the long term pro's in this town are happy to make $100 a night steadily. - Sat, 15 Feb 2003 2:13am | ||
| Chris Logan User Info... | It's all about the draw. For us big guarantees are out of the question, simply because we don't sell enough at the bar to pay out big if no one shows up. On the other hand, we don't take a percentage from the door, just a flat fee, so if you bring a lot in at the door, you walk out with a lot. Those are the economics from our end. - Sat, 15 Feb 2003 4:28am | ||
| jay brown User Info... | I know quite a few bands that make that kind of money, but they dont do it here and they never will. We just dont have the numbers here to draw those kind of crowds on a regular basis. It's a small city and you'd play yourself out fast here and then you'd be stuck with empty rooms and no money. The only way for a band from here to make that kind of money is to go elsewhere and play for people that appreciate it. - Sat, 15 Feb 2003 5:22am | ||
| Brendan | Let me be so arrogant as to sum up Victoria for everyone (in my own humble opinion). If you want to make a living playing here, be one of the few kick ass session musicians in town who play live and in the studio whenever they're needed. Or, play in a cover band with a regular gig. Playing original tunes will not pay your bills. As for Vancouver, the cost of living here is so much lower that you can afford to have a flexible job to live off of while still playing music. Then, the cash flow from your gigs can go to one of two places - financing for the band, i.e. recording, promo, etc, or to bankroll a descent beer fund. So far, those are the only ways I can see Victoria working for people. However, I am also an ornery, stubborn, strong minded fuck who gets off on playing original tunes, no matter what the cost. In the end, fortune favours the bold, and at least some try. - Sat, 15 Feb 2003 5:31am | ||
| Spark | Now my opinion may be based on the fact that I've never been in an exceptunately successful band but there is no way a cover band could make per individual $3000 a month. The bar would be paying the band $15,000 a month. No way!!! And if they where an original act, they would have to have atleast a one hit wonder under thier belt! - Sat, 15 Feb 2003 10:31am | ||
| Anonymous | He was probably playing with the Perish on one of their 100 stop tours. - Sat, 15 Feb 2003 4:19pm | ||
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