Grateful Dead Music Forum

A lady called the Los Angeles musicians union to inquire about the
cost of booking a five piece band with a singer for a wedding...

The AFM rep says "Off the top of my head, roughly two thousand
dollars"... She says "WHAT? FOR MUSIC ?"...

The rep responds, "Ma'am... I'll tell you what. Call the plumbers'
union and ask for six plumbers to work from six to twelve o'clock on a
Saturday night. Whatever they charge you, I'll work for half of that."

She said, "I get your point.

mttourpro wrote:A lady called the Los Angeles musicians union to inquire about the
cost of booking a five piece band with a singer for a wedding...

The AFM rep says "Off the top of my head, roughly two thousand
dollars"... She says "WHAT? FOR MUSIC ?"...

The rep responds, "Ma'am... I'll tell you what. Call the plumbers'
union and ask for six plumbers to work from six to twelve o'clock on a
Saturday night. Whatever they charge you, I'll work for half of that."

She said, "I get your point.

That's effing rich! I also love folks that bitch about paying a $5-10 cover charge at a bar, basically about $1 for each person playing when they pay, that much or more for a movie ticket or a pack of cigarettes. It's bad enough in the rock world but a lot worse in the bluegrass world - you'd be surprised how many people expect you to show up and entertain them for $0. I'll have to use that plumber's story the next time I get one of those folks

But musicians, especially aspiring musicians, should enjoy playing music more than a plumber enjoys plumbing.

Am I the only one that's insulted that a DJ qualifies as live entertainment these days?

Octal wrote:But musicians, especially aspiring musicians, should enjoy playing music more than a plumber enjoys plumbing.

I may consider playing a free gig if all my equiptment is given to me, I am given a ride to the gig, someone unloads all the gear, sets up all the gear, after the gig someone tears down all the gear and loads it back up and then drives me home (or to the hotel), and I can stop playing anytime I feel like it. My point is it's not the playing that is the work.

bpg21 wrote:

Octal wrote:But musicians, especially aspiring musicians, should enjoy playing music more than a plumber enjoys plumbing.

I may consider playing a free gig if all my equiptment is given to me, I am given a ride to the gig, someone unloads all the gear, sets up all the gear, after the gig someone tears down all the gear and loads it back up and then drives me home (or to the hotel), and I can stop playing anytime I feel like it. My point is it's not the playing that is the work.

LOL, dude! I've said - I don't get paid to play, I get paid to for getting to and from with my gear!

I can't begin add up all the back pay from doing 20 years of free community theatre. Most times the musicians were paid but the actors weren't. "A labor of love" was the rationale.

Wait a minute...plumbers DON'T enjoy their work???

I wouldn't get too up-ity about this.
Any time I've ever had to call a Plumber, Electrician, Doctor, Lawyer, etc... it was because I and/or a family member was in serious immediate need for professional services by someone who is trained/certified/licenced/bonded/expierienced/etc...
No one needs a musician.
imho, If your making any steady money at all playing music, you should get down on your knees and thank your maker, no?
wts... I agree that any wedding planner will tell you to budget 2-grand for entertainment.
Over the years I've gone from hating weddings to loving weddings... good pay, usually afternoon/evening/home by bedtime-hours, good food/drink/etc...

It always kind of blows me away at the end of the night... I've just had an amazing night and then somebody hands me money.

Granted, I made a lot more money playing crappy music. But I don't care... I'm never going back.

No one needs a musician? I beg to differ. Music is my fuel.

Yes but wedding receptions aren't much fun w/ a bunch of plumbers and musicians aren't too handy w/ leaky toilets. There is definitely a need for both.

I didn't mean that in a bad way...
More like, no one yells out, "Is there a Musician on board!?!" or like, "Oh Maan, Now I have to call my Musician... This is gonna cost me"... type of way.
Nothing serious ... Jus' funnin'.

... I won't slave for musicians pay.......

You know, the thing is that there are plenty of people out there that not only think they should pay little to nothing for a band to play their wedding, graduation, etc, but they tend to be the same people who are demanding in requesting songs and wanna come up and sing or whatever--as if they'd just butt in on their plumber while their in the middle of a job too!

No respect I tell ya.