What is the going rate for solo pub singers in Dublin?

CabbageThing

Hello

What is the average rate for a pub singer with acoustic guitar in Dublin city center playing for 2 hours?

Thanks

stratman89

about 200 euro?

jamesbrond

They'll give you a few pints these days. No payment, unless you are a name.
You can rent out the like of whelans for gigs yourself. If you can bring the people in you'll make some money.

stevood

110-150. Unlikely you'll get more than that around Dublin.

200 for 2 piece then

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

stratman89 wrote: »

about 200 euro?

jesus, i know 4 piece bands that would play for that. no joke!

stratman89

i know djs that are getting 150 a night, no problem.

Skulduggery

I play the one man band scene and you can get €150/ night, some places will pay €180/night. The problem now is that because of how badly the pub trade is doing, some are not bothering with music anymore.

Sorry CabbageThing, I missed the Dublin City Centre thing, I play in the midlands. Not sure if theres any difference though, but would have no experience of the Dublin scene.

odonopenmic

I wouldn't get out of bed for less than 100 :cool:

I reckon that's around the going rate per head for a city centre acoustic set. As for these lads who play for pints, or 50 a head, good luck to ye but you wouldn't get me doing it! I think it's as much about valuing the service you provide - you, in what you're asking for, and the pubs, in terms of what you bring, i.e. punters who will stay with them for the night and drink their beer.

I'm a tradeswoman, music is my trade, don't expect me to provide it for free, or chicken feed.

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

odonopenmic wrote: »

I wouldn't get out of bed for less than 100 :cool:

I reckon that's around the going rate per head for a city centre acoustic set. As for these lads who play for pints, or 50 a head, good luck to ye but you wouldn't get me doing it! I think it's as much about valuing the service you provide - you, in what you're asking for, and the pubs, in terms of what you bring, i.e. punters who will stay with them for the night and drink their beer.

I'm a tradeswoman, music is my trade, don't expect me to provide it for free, or chicken feed.

could not agree with you more, on everything you said! in a 4 piece cover band, most gigs are at least 100 a man. did the whole 50 a night job when i started playing in my first band, we took every gig regardless of how much we got paid, and then a 30-40min drive to and from the gigs with 4 cars filled with gear and band members!

CabbageThing

Thanks lads , I was thinking around the €100 mark. For a pub to throw someone just a few pints is a disgrace. A pub with a bit live music is gonna pull in more tourists than a pub with just sky sports on in the corner

DrFroggies

Tell you another thing i noticed when i started is that other performers strongly advise against offering too low a price, the general consensus being that (as someone here already said) you're accepted value is the one you put on yourself etc, i'd imagine also that there's a danger if too many people offer low prices they could bring the accepted price down.

But i do know of a couple of bars in Dublin City centre offering as low as €60 which is cheeky.

Anyway the reason i mention the other performers thing is that one guy i spoke to before i started out myself mentioned that in the city centre some of the performers (in his circle at any rate) swap numbers so that if for any reason they can't perform on a regular night they can organise a replacement - now i never did this myself - but i'd imagine that it'd be pretty hard to convince someone used to earning €100 - €150 to cover your slot in an emergency when you only get €50 or free pints etc. Saying that i don't know how prevalent the whole slot-swapping thing really is but it is something i try to keep in mind.

Ps.
So yeah €100 would be a good bottom number to work up from though saying that i haven't played in a few months so maybe prices are dropping - hope not though!

RedFoxx

I did that whole thing with a friend for a while and got 100 each. and the place wasnt getting alot of people. i think as long as your actually good you shouldnt look to do it for less than 200 even as a solo. 150 is the lowest id go for a solo 2 hour slot. think about it. usually you have to provide the PA in many places, transport, probably no free drinks. setting up, stripping down. any less than 100 is a disgrace

derekohara

jamesbrond wrote: »

They'll give you a few pints these days. No payment, unless you are a name.
You can rent out the like of whelans for gigs yourself. If you can bring the people in you'll make some money.

If they only give you free pints you should avoid them. That's the typical greedy publican and they shouldn't be entertained. If you accept free pints only, you're making life hard for your fello musician to make his living. Nobody can compete with just free pints. 100 should be the rock bottom with a negotiation that when the pub starts to get bussier it goes to 150 minimum!!