Are You A Giging Musician?

Bobby Bensley · Post by **Bobby Bensley** » 12 Jul 2002 6:41 pm

Wow Rich it looks like we have been criss crossing paths all my life. In the 60's I was in the Riverside area, the 70's saw me further inland in Yucaipa, The 80 I split between Colorado, Victorville and back to Colorado. 90's - 2001 Was Ft. Collins Co. and now in Brea.

Perry Hansen · Post by **Perry Hansen** » 13 Jul 2002 2:36 pm

Bobby, I agree with you about the big music areas. I played in the San Diego area in the late 50s for 12.00 a night. In fact my band opened up the Westerner in National City. Now here in North Dakota I make a little more. We played an Old fashion Barn dance at a ranch near Turtle Lake last night for 100.00 a man. We won't work for less the 80.00. Course we only work one or two nights a week, but that's all I need.
Perry

Bobby Bensley · Post by **Bobby Bensley** » 14 Jul 2002 11:33 pm

Yes it is a shame, inm many markets in the country a band can't make a living. Especially if they want to play original music.

In LA the young guys who are playing their own music and trying to break into the industry are often times actually shelling out several hundered dollars from their own pockets to play in a Sunset Strip Club like the Whiskey or the Roxy.

They pay for the off cance that an A&R guy might be in the room and hear them. They pay these clubs which then charge $8 - $15.00 at the door and $5.50 cents for a plastic cup of beer. The club makes money on the door and the bar, A Friday night may see 400 or more paid at the door. Then if that is not enough the clubs video tape the shows and sell the tape back to the band for another hundred bucks. So the band pays to play get no pay in return and the club makes bank.

It is really all quite sic and wrong.

On the other side of the coin I can go to Ft. Collins Colorado and pull down $200.00 a night to host an open stage or do a solo acustic show. Go figure.

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Bobby Bensley -JavaMusic A&R

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 15 Jul 2002 6:20 am

I'm getting by gigging with my pedalsteel.
The only country type gig I've had in the last half year or so has been with an NYC performance artist named Samoa.

Before that I had a weekend linedance coverband gig playing for the crowd that's doing its best to prove Darwin wrong

The money was ok but it was getting in the way of some bigger opportunities so I gave it up.

This summer has been a rough one with touring and recording budgets getting hammered around here. I've been keeping busy learning how to play standards (and sub-standards)on the C neck at bars. It always seems to pay off in a big way if I spend my down time gaining a new skill.

Bob

Bobby Bensley · Post by **Bobby Bensley** » 17 Jul 2002 8:36 am

Bob, it is good to know you are still finding work even if it is getting tougher. Hopefully things will turn around and get easier soon.

BTW I new a Bob Hoffner in Ft. Collins Colorado who was a pretty fair Cribbage player.

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Bobby Bensley -JavaMusic A&R