Working is hardly working these days!

Frank Parish · Post by **Frank Parish** » 21 Apr 2012 9:42 am

All of a sudden it seems so many here are not wanting to pay for the steel player and the bands size is down to 4 and even 3 pieces in a lot of places. I had a guy call me yesterday and says his regular steel player is out on the road (Jimmy Buffet I think) and says since they work for the door and probably never make enough to really make anything he will pay the band $30 each out of his pocket. Well isn't this just sweet! I knew when he called this was going to be a joke but I took the call anyway because I don't want to be hard on the guy but I can't do that. I figured on Mapquest that place is almost 50 miles from my house and with me driving a full size van that gets 16 MPG it cost about $23.50 in gas so that leaves me with $6.50! I could get a ham sandwich and a beer with that ha ha! So I think it's time to get the drums out because at least I will get more work, geez!

Mike Archer · Post by **Mike Archer** » 21 Apr 2012 10:05 am

I feel your pain Frank
steel players are treated like red headed step children most of the time and NO BUCKS
im not able to play much anyway my back is like a tooth pick....could break any time
these days im lucky if somebody blows the car horn when thay go by the house hehehehehe
Mike

Steven Finley · Post by **Steven Finley** » 21 Apr 2012 11:25 am

I know what your saying, I was recently offered
a job 1 hour,$100, problem was the job was 150 miles
a way 3 hour drive there,they want the band set up by
2pm,in afternoon,cause dinner crowd comes in at 4pm
then they want the band to play 6to7pm,so you have 3
3 hours to club,4 hours to hang out before you play
1 hour to play plus pack up time plus 3 hour drive
back home,this is around 14 hours of your time,and
$60 gas money leaveing you $40 total for 14 hours,
thats not even half of MINIMUM WAGE,people must think
steel players are stupid,to think they would work for
such a INSULT as this.
I know I wont!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mike Archer · Post by **Mike Archer** » 21 Apr 2012 11:35 am

you are so right Steven some places are just not worth the drive and gas costs
im like most everybody I love to play but
I cant aford to pay to do it thats just not right
mabe things will get better I hope so a lot of folks are suffering because of the music mess
gas hikes and pay decreases
Mike

Bud Angelotti · Post by **Bud Angelotti** » 21 Apr 2012 2:37 pm

Brain storm alert -
A steel guitar orchestra

Like about 50 steels, all playing at once.
We could charge whatever we want! It would fill the concert halls!
Seriously though, the instrument is under appreciated which is probably why it's under paid. What we really DO need is a steel guitar hit like sleepwalk was. Like Deliverance and the Beverly Hillbillies was for the umm banjo.

Dave Hopping · Post by **Dave Hopping** » 21 Apr 2012 3:31 pm

@ Frank and everyone else-
The IRS allows you to deduct something like 50 cents a mile for driving to and from gigs.I figure THAT'S what the real cost of driving is,so Frank's hundred mile round trip for a thirty dollar gig puts him $20 in the hole before he even opens his case.Add to that the fact that doing a gig is as much work as an 8 hour day at most jobs,especially when you count load-in,setup,takedown and load-out,with more loading and unloading at home.So you've put out the time and energy of a good hard day's work.And paid to do it.Would anyone even consider doing that on their regular job? We could and do talk about how the money's gone from local live music and where it went,but my wake-up call came when I realized that the less I gigged the further my fixed income lasted.

Bud Angelotti · Post by **Bud Angelotti** » 21 Apr 2012 3:56 pm

Plus - Take into account time and petrol traveling to and from practices. You know I make jokes but - Just do it for love and it won't be a problem. Really.

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 21 Apr 2012 8:14 pm

So why did I retire from band work after more than fifty years? They still want a steel guitar but don't want to pay for it.

Jim Bob Sedgwick · Post by **Jim Bob Sedgwick** » 22 Apr 2012 5:11 am

Frank Parish wrote:All of a sudden it seems so many here are not wanting to pay for the steel player and the bands size is down to 4 and even 3 pieces in a lot of places. I had a guy call me yesterday and says his regular steel player is out on the road (Jimmy Buffet I think) and says since they work for the door and probably never make enough to really make anything he will pay the band $30 each out of his pocket. Well isn't this just sweet! I knew when he called this was going to be a joke but I took the call anyway because I don't want to be hard on the guy but I can't do that. I figured on Mapquest that place is almost 50 miles from my house and with me driving a full size van that gets 16 MPG it cost about $23.50 in gas so that leaves me with $6.50! I could get a ham sandwich and a beer with that ha ha! So I think it's time to get the drums out because at least I will get more work, geez!

Where can you buy a sandwich and a beer for $6.50?

Steven Finley · Post by **Steven Finley** » 22 Apr 2012 7:32 am

Club owners and bar owners are the lowest form
of animal that crawls the face of the earth,do not
let them take advantage of your talant,skills and
investment in equipment,while you recieve nothing
and they reep all the rewards,if they will not pay
for you to play,then sit home and practice and play
for yourself,its time we quit getting used as suckers
and stooges,they want some fool to play for free,then
let them buy thier own guitar and they can play for
free and be thier own flake!!!!!!!

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 22 Apr 2012 7:58 am

Don't hold back Steven; tell us how you really feel about it.

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 22 Apr 2012 8:09 am

Did you hear about the steel player who won the lottery?
He says he'll keep working until the money runs out.

Brad Malone · Post by **Brad Malone** » 22 Apr 2012 8:41 am

All of a sudden it seems so many here are not wanting to pay for the steel player and the bands size is down to 4 and even 3 pieces in a lot of places. I had a guy call me yesterday and says his regular steel player is out on the road (Jimmy Buffet I think) and says since they work for the door and probably never make enough to really make anything he will pay the band $30 each out of his pocket. Well isn't this just sweet! I knew when he called this was going to be a joke but I took the call anyway because I don't want to be hard on the guy but I can't do that. I figured on Mapquest that place is almost 50 miles from my house and with me driving a full size van that gets 16 MPG it cost about $23.50 in gas so that leaves me with $6.50!<<

What you say is very true...in most areas of the country it was true 30 years ago...transportation costs, drinking rules, time involvement and low pay make playing out a waste of time..however there will always be people that like to work for nothing.

Brad Malone · Post by **Brad Malone** » 22 Apr 2012 9:02 am

The IRS allows you to deduct something like 50 cents a mile for driving to and from gigs<<

Dave, I just checked..they now raised it to 55.5 cents a mile, so that would put Frank $25.50 in the hole on just the driving part of the gig.

Roual Ranes · Post by **Roual Ranes** » 22 Apr 2012 6:43 pm

Demand for steel or cello is now about the same.

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 22 Apr 2012 7:33 pm

I won't mention the all expenses paid trip to Tropical Norfolk Island - with considerable wages as well -- I have this gig coming up in a month !! bugger - but I won't mention it in case I break this feeling of pessimism!!!!

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 22 Apr 2012 7:34 pm

Roual Ranes wrote:Demand for steel or cello is now about the same...

... as for theramin.

Bud Angelotti · Post by **Bud Angelotti** » 23 Apr 2012 1:46 am

and thats why we need a steel guitar hit ! A song folks will remember and can whistle. You can't whistle any Robert Randolf stuff. I sounds great however you can't hum it walking down the street.

Tony Farr · Post by **Tony Farr** » 23 Apr 2012 5:05 am

I worked for this guy at the same place for about a year, never got above 30 bucks. 100 milesround trip, big van 15.9 miles per gallon. The crowd there runs around 40 to 50 people. at 5 bucks each , owner gets 30% of that then takes out another 20 bucks to give away as door prize, so what's left for the band. About a double 00 goose egg. So bad, the night I quit the guitar player and drummer quit.

Dave Hopping · Post by **Dave Hopping** » 23 Apr 2012 6:50 am

Most of the older guys around here(I'm one) can tell stories about when pay-to-play meant YOU got paid to play,but it sure isn't like that now,is it? If y'all could do something about making things the way they ought to be,what would that something be?

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 23 Apr 2012 7:10 am

Dave, if things were like they ought to be, they wouldn't be the way they are.

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 23 Apr 2012 7:11 am

--- Yogi Berra?

Barry Blackwood · Post by **Barry Blackwood** » 23 Apr 2012 7:12 am

Yogi Barry …

Shorty Rogers · Post by **Shorty Rogers** » 23 Apr 2012 8:29 am

Frank, I turned that one down a couple of times. I must live a little farther away as I figured it would be about 65 miles one way. He suggested that it would be good to get some picking in with a band, but I'd rather pick along with recordings than spend 2-3 hours driving to subsidize a club owner who is either too cheap or too marginal to pay a band. Doyle works it because he lives down that way. He doesn't have to drive an hour plus each direction. I would think there are other steelers out Dickson way who would be a lot closer: Cass, Gary Carter, maybe Little Buddie, to name a few.

I've worked on Lower Broad for tips that actually came out less than $30, but the main reason for that is to be seen by other players and artists. Didn't sound too likely with this gig.

Frank Montmarquet · Post by **Frank Montmarquet** » 23 Apr 2012 8:34 am

A song folks will remember and can whistle.

Old Gray Whistle Test.

The Steel Guitar Forum

Working is hardly working these days!

Working is hardly working these days!

me too

so right

Re: Working is hardly working these days!

After expenses ..Wokring for nothing

IRS allows 55.5 cents a mile.