The Steel Guitar Forum

If a plumber makes a 1/2 hour house call he charges $100..even if he comes from 1/2 mile away...Tim, you are driving 20 miles in your own car, with $10,000 worth of equipment and working 4 hours for $100...so you are working for about $15 an hour, without any benefits..not a good deal IMHO

Playing steel isn’t my main gig. I’m an Engineer at Caterpillar. Plus, I’m not playing alone ..I’m in a 6 pc band.

$100 minimum for clubbin’ is not bad at all, especially in a 6 - 7 piece band.

If a Union was there to establish reasonable pay scales, standards for musical competence, and otherwise fair treatment for members, only outlaws would work for free

Unionizing club musicians would make herding cats seem easy.

Many good musicians play cheap or for free because they want the adulation. - You know - it's the ego thing - big frog in a small pond.

(If it were "love of the music" - then just play at home. Maybe even have a few other like minded musicians over.)

Also, the bar attending public doesn't have any musical taste to speak of. When they hear that a "good band" will be somewhere, they go, not because they expect a good band - they are looking for a good crowd + better prospects for prospects. Mediocre is music good enough. And there are just plenty of mediocre musicians available that will play for the ego boost.

Not saying that "feeding the ego" is a bad thing in of itself. The consequence of this, however, is right in front of you. - Play for $75 -$100 (or free) or forget it.

If we all boycotted the clubs in a bid for better pay, they would just go all DJ. They can do without us. (There are exceptions of course - especially with the bigger venues. I'm talking, in general, about the smaller local gigs)

The bottom line for me is...
Ya gotta get out and play gigs.
Get a good day job and don't worry about band pay.

Pete Burak wrote:The bottom line for me is...
Ya gotta get out and play gigs.
Get a good day job and don't worry about band pay.

If there is no money, there is no incentive for standards of excellence and professionalism. There is no joy playing in crappy bands. Not for me anyway.

Fred Treece wrote:

Pete Burak wrote:The bottom line for me is...
Ya gotta get out and play gigs.
Get a good day job and don't worry about band pay.

If there is no money, there is no incentive for standards of excellence and professionalism. There is no joy playing in crappy bands. Not for me anyway.

The weekend warriors I work with are usually top notch in every way.
Even when I play with friends who are not very good, I always have a good time.
I had a bad expierence with a keyboard player who would get all bent out shape over $40 bucks (he claims to be a full time Musician). He was fired.

Good for you, Pete. Life is short, after all.

Pete Burak wrote:
The weekend warriors I work with are usually top notch in every way.
Even when I play with friends who are not very good, I always have a good time.
I had a bad expierence with a keyboard player who would get all bent out shape over $40 bucks (he claims to be a full time Musician). He was fired.

What Pete said? Me too.

Fred Treece wrote:Good for you, Pete. Life is short, after all.

In my world, Life is soooo loooooong!
Fred, with all due respect, have you played a gig as a Steel player yet?
I coulda swore you told us you bought your first Pedal Steel Guitar, a Stage One, in 2017.

Unionizing club musicians would make herding cats seem easy.

Fred, has anyone ever told you that you have a gift for overstating the obvious?

Pete Burak wrote: Fred, with all due respect, have you played a gig as a Steel player yet? I coulda swore you told us you bought your first Pedal Steel Guitar, a Stage One, in 2017.

Pete-November 2016 on the Stage One. I did a grand total of 4 gigs on steel last year...and I killed! Lol
The band I have been with for 10 years pays me exactly the same to double on steel/guitar and sing as when I was just doing gtr/vox (with an occasional appearance on lap steel). Pretty lucky guy if I say so myself.

And now you know way too much about me.

Barry- hey somebody’s gotta do it.

Fred, What I'm hearing you say is, you have never played a gig as a Pedal Steel Guitar player.
That helps me to better understand your posts.
I am glad you have made the switch to Steel!
Let it rip Man!

Rippin’ away, thanks Pete!

As Red Rhodes used to say... Don't give up your day job !!

Tim Harr wrote:Playing steel isn’t my main gig. I’m an Engineer at Caterpillar. Plus, I’m not playing alone ..I’m in a 6 pc band.

Tim , a little off subject but We heard that CAT is in trouble up there and talking about moving the plant. Any Truth in this? .. I'm from Southern Il but worked the entire state including the Peoria area.

I guess I was luckier than most when it came to pay. I was on salary of $200/show and we played normally 2-3, 90 minute shows per week.That being said, I just love to play on stage and have volunteered my services more than once. It's not always about the money to me.

Anybody ever play "The Golden Dove" in northern Mn? Sheesh what a dump. Played a classy coat & tie steak house in coopersville michigan, where the owner thought he was doing you a big favor by letting you play there. He use to point to you when you could take a break. He'd time out your breaks, exactly 15 minutes, then he'd pull the plug on his piped in muzak, when it was time to go back on the bandstand. BOTH.....were $50 a night gigs I played an upscale wedding reception at a snooty uncomfortable country club where the brides daddy got drunk, passed out, and driven home by his wife for the night. Guess who had our pay? Took 2 weeks to git it from him. Had the good, had the bad jobs, but i've never cut another players throat over a few bucks. But i've sure had it done to me.

Got a call yesterday, made a $100 for a Steel Session today. Overdubs, recorded direct to computer using headphones, 30mins. from the house. Fun gig original tunes, and now I’m ready for The Phoenix Show. I still can’t believe these Youngsters hire an Old Coot to play on their records.

Did 60 gigs mainly as a week end warrior in 2017. Average pay 350 USD even with 10 of the gigs unpaid. Guess I'm glad to live in Norway when it comes to paying gigs, even thoug it is very expensive here.

We drove 200 miles one way last Thursday to play for 15 minutes (for free). It cost us $170.00 just to be able to do the show. It worked out for our advantage. It was for the Michigan County Fair Board Assoc. The only way you get to do the gig is that you have to be chosen by them months in advance. We actually gained about six county fair jobs from the 15 minutes we played.

Kevin Fix wrote:We drove 200 miles one way last Thursday to play for 15 minutes (for free). It cost us $170.00 just to be able to do the show. It worked out for our advantage. It was for the Michigan County Fair Board Assoc. The only way you get to do the gig is that you have to be chosen by them months in advance. We actually gained about six county fair jobs from the 15 minutes we played.

A real live audition! You will reap rewards many times over, Kevin. If you have done county fairs, you know they can be some sweatin’ hard work. But they’re also a lot of fun, great exposure, and decent pay if you get accommodations thrown in.

Sorry, Pay To Play doesn't strike me as a relevant way to break into the business. Just my 2⍧.

What is the definition of "Pay to Play"?

I'm so glad I have a day job lol .... 20 years of this BS was enough for me... now I play at my house, when I feel like it, and what I want ... no bar owners, no drunks, no driving, loading, unloading, setting up etc ... did enough of that...