How much do major bands charge to play?

34,698 Views | 22 Replies | Last: 11 yr ago by spadilly
Philo B 93
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Spin-off from the Rolling Stones and ZZ Top threads......

How much do bands charge concert promoters to play?

I googled and found a few clues, but I'm wondering if anyone has any facts.

Google search says ZZ Top is in the $250-500,000 range while Rolling Stones and U2 are in the $2-3 million range.

How much for Coldplay, for example? Or the Eagles or Slash or REO Speedwagon or Loverboy? I'm curious about any band anyone knows about.
AggieOO
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coldplay is easily over a million.

i haven't looked into booking costs in a number of years, but most people wouldn't believe what a lot of bands charge. And obviously it varies if it is a date during a tour vs. a one-off.
Head Ninja In Charge
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AG
A group of us tried to get Kanye West to come perform on campus in 2005 and his managers said it would run $50,000. This was pre-George-Bush-doesn't-care-about-black-people Kanye.
Professor Frick
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AG
Childish Gambino charges 100k.

I know this because he says so in half of his songs.
AggieOO
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Jay-Z was a million when we booked him for the World Basketball Festival, and he played all of about 35 mins.
easttexasaggie04
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AG
Wonder how much Creed charges?
scoodogg
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AG
I was told that Dwight Yoakam charged $100,000 for a benefit concert recently.
62strat
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AG
If a band is on tour, the venue pays the band?

I was under the impression the band is paid a certain % of ticket sales.

Or are you talking about a one-off, private show?
TennAg
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the venues are just rented usually, unless they have in house promotion...

when my wife was in the business, I think eminem got about 350k base for each date, that was about the top end at the time not including percentages.
BurnetAggie99
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Went to a private party and they paid Randy Rogers Band 37,000 and Pat Green $45,000 to play.
Tristan Ludlow
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AG
George Strait is supposed to be $1 mil and I have heard he splits it evenly with his band
Whos Juan
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quote:
I was under the impression the band is paid a certain % of ticket sales.

It'll be different depending on the way the show is set up. Most times, an act will get a guarantee + a high percentage of ticket sales after the talent buyer has recouped expenses.

For example, Chumbawumba is guaranteed some $27, a pack of smokes and a meal from Carl's Jr. On top of that, they also get 90% of gross profits off ticket sales. Tickets cost $3 each and 100 people show up thinking they're about to see Right Said Fred. So out of that $300 earned from ticket sales, you deduct the following:

$27 guarantee
$6 for smokes
$6 for Carl's Jr.
$20 for the bingo hall you rent out
$15 for the mexican you hired to do sound
$100 for your promoter (most likely yourself, unless you're retarded)

So $300(Net Profit) - 174(Expenses) = $126(Gross Profit)

from that $126 GP, Chumbawumba gets $113.40 and you get $12.60

If you're booking a festival or something where you'll have several bands playing, then you normally just go with a flat guarantee and not worry about a gate deal. It's just much easier that way.
BillOnCapitolHill
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Money for nothing and the chicks for free...
TennAg
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don't forget that chumbawumba has to pay their booking agent about 15% of that gaurantee and back-end.
Mucho austin
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"Chumbawumba... soundtrack of my life!!" - FU

[This message has been edited by Mucho austin (edited 10/26/2012 11:34a).]
SteadicaTm
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Easiest way to get bands to perform on the cheap or free is to have a small party for charity. My buddy threw a party at his house and got Carrie Underwood. I think they raised $25,000.

rbtexan
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S
quote:
George Strait is supposed to be $1 mil and I have heard he splits it evenly with his band


The $1 million may be correct...the latter part I seriously doubt. He certainly never did that in the past.
Two Gun Corcoran
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Once booked Lyle Lovett for $74,000 flat for 90 minutes. (There's a good Ag doing okay for himself) Most club-level artists operate much the way Who's Juan just described.

As for the major arena acts, that stuff is above my pay grade. As I understand it, however, an act like U2, who would almost be a guarantee to sell out, would charge something to the effect of 120% of the gate and the promoter would make up the difference on ancillary revenue streams such as % of concessions, merch, various service charges, etc.
The Milkman
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quote:
Easiest way to get bands to perform on the cheap or free is to have a small party for charity. My buddy threw a party at his house and got Carrie Underwood. I think they raised $25,000.



If thats all it takes to get Carrie underwood to come to my house sounds like I need to start throwing some parties...
62strat
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call up mark lanier in houston, his annual parties have seen Sting, Bon Jovi, Miley Cyrus, rascal flats, dolly parton..

R E L
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Most of it depends on how much the band wants to actually play the gig. Standard for any decent band (won some awards in the last 10 years, relatively decent album) you are looking at $30,000-$100,000. If the band really doesn't want to do shows they will jack the price up into the hundreds of thousands to make it worth it for them. This of course does not include the more infamous bands who will be a quarter of a million and up.

If you want a band that has state/regional fame you can probably land them for $5,000-$20,000.
PooDoo
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About 10 years ago our industry association paid Three Dog Night $20k to play our convention banquet. LOL
dahouse
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Aaron Watson played our wedding in 2006 for either $5k or $10K, can't remember. I think he charges $20K+ now.

Cody
Fightin Texas Aggie c/o 04
spadilly
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S
I worked for church 7 years ago. We contacted Third Day about playing for one of our events and it was around $30K
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