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Going rate for pub gig for cover band

  • 15-07-2014 10:22am
    #1
    Bill Lee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29 ✭


    I'm sure this has been asked before but what would be the going rate for, say, playing the Porterhouse (Temple Bar) or Fitzsimons or Sweeney's on a weekend night?

    I've started a cover band and my bandmates are expecting me to have this info at our first rehearsal!

    Also, does one just ring the venue and ask for a gig, email them your music, or do you need to drop in a CD, photo, bio etc?

    Any advice greatly appreciated.


Comments

  • #2
    Babooshka
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,142 ✭✭✭Babooshka


    Bill Lee wrote: »
    I'm sure this has been asked before but what would be the going rate for, say, playing the Porterhouse (Temple Bar) or Fitzsimons or Sweeney's on a weekend night?

    I've started a cover band and my bandmates are expecting me to have this info at our first rehearsal!

    Also, does one just ring the venue and ask for a gig, email them your music, or do you need to drop in a CD, photo, bio etc?

    Any advice greatly appreciated.

    Most of those pubs use agencies. You'd have to sign up to one of them to gig in them (and sub them a €50 or more for their fee, welcome to showbiz :) ). You can call the pubs and ask, they will tell you.


  • #3
    The Master
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 14,321 CMod ✭✭✭✭The Master


    Just to add to the above in some of the smaller places it tends to be just a guy or 2 with guitars and they just play for pints


  • #4
    kev_s88
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,641 ✭✭✭kev_s88


    me and a friend play in our local hotel bar every so often, just 2 acoustic guitars and both of us singing vocals. we get roughly €100 each and a few pints thrown our way. Its great for a little bit of extra cash but very hard to make a living out of if thats the route you would like to go down :)


  • #5
    shamsteak
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 103 ✭✭shamsteak


    As Bill Lee said. more often than not it will cost you money to get playing in some of these places. Also true that its very hard to make a living from it. I'm at it nearly 10 years now, and I'm only starting to make something decent I can live on the last year or so.. best advice I can give you is this..Be different, be unique, do something unusual.. Dont go out and play the same C**P 100's of other cover bands are playing and getting away with, just for the sake of gigging.. Don't sell yourself out


  • #6
    micko4
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 289 ✭✭micko4


    You'd want hundred a head minimum for a 2 piece but you can charge a little extra if your good..for starting off drop your rate for the first gig to get your foot in the door and to gain a bit of experience its not easy at the start.


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  • #7
    Bill Lee
    Closed Accounts Posts: 29 ✭Bill Lee


    shamsteak wrote: »
    As Bill Lee said. more often than not it will cost you money to get playing in some of these places. Also true that its very hard to make a living from it. I'm at it nearly 10 years now, and I'm only starting to make something decent I can live on the last year or so.. best advice I can give you is this..Be different, be unique, do something unusual.. Dont go out and play the same C**P 100's of other cover bands are playing and getting away with, just for the sake of gigging.. Don't sell yourself out


    We're a 6-piece band of Brazilians and me who play an extravaganza of samba/bossa nova/Brazilian funk. I'm hoping we'll appeal to those who don't want to hear Sex on Fire or Mr. Brightside. Problem is the amount of members but we'd not be nearly as good sounding without them!


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