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NYE Gig

PostPosted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 11:42 pm
by stosostu
I have a NYE gig doing sound for a black tie ball, does this mean I have to hire a tuxedo?

Re: NYE Gig

PostPosted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 12:51 am
by Kurt
Bugger that. Perhaps a "f@#$ off, I'm mixing" shirt would be appropriate.

stosostu wrote:I have a NYE gig doing sound for a black tie ball, does this mean I have to hire a tuxedo?

Re: NYE Gig

PostPosted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 2:13 am
by mylesgm
Bow tie, sock suspenders and a g-string?

Re: NYE Gig

PostPosted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 2:57 am
by AlCraig
Why not? Would it kill you? You'll have a better chance of hooking up.

Re: NYE Gig

PostPosted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 10:21 am
by stosostu
I doubt that any of the high maintenance women that attend this sort of gig would be all that interested in 'hooking up' with a sweaty sound guy madly trying to find why the singers mic just went dead.........

Maybe the TR hoodie is appropriate?

Re: NYE Gig

PostPosted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 12:01 pm
by Thirteen
Not a tux, but nice dress blacks are appropriate. And it is true, you never know who you might meet, being well presented may get you more jobs.

Re: NYE Gig

PostPosted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 1:28 pm
by stosostu
I think some of you are taking this far more seriously than it was intended.....

Re: NYE Gig

PostPosted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 6:31 pm
by Chris H
stosostu wrote:I have a NYE gig doing sound for a black tie ball, does this mean I have to hire a tuxedo?

..............well they had to hire a PA system?

Re: NYE Gig

PostPosted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 11:17 pm
by Chinagraf
Wear on 'o them t-shirts with the tuxedo printed on the front. Nothin says class like they do. Also good for weddings.

Re: NYE Gig

PostPosted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 11:47 am
by Sammas
I'd wear a tux.

You'd fit right in at the bar. :D

Re: NYE Gig

PostPosted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 1:52 pm
by Lucas
While we're on the topic of NYE...

For whatever reason I've not worked a New Years gig for years and years... I'm wondering what kind of fee is considered appropriate?

The gig is on an outdoor stage, mixing monitors for 4 or 5 acts. Load in at 9:00am. Load out...who knows.... I'll probably end up doing half the stage guys work as well me thinks...

Re: NYE Gig

PostPosted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 2:35 pm
by stosostu
NYE is not like any other night of the year, every venue wants a sound system. My usual fee for a 4 hour pub gig is $500, this Saturday I get meals, drinks (though I make it a policy not to drink on the job) and $1000.00. I am mixing a seven piece with drums, 2 x brass, keys, guitar, bass and vocal doing the American Standard Songbook. I do FOH and monitors and some basic lights, from 9.00 pm till 1.00 am for that fee. Load in the day before, 1 hour sound check on the day, four hours mixing, of which at least an hour will be playing CDs while the band has a break, load out on Sunday.

Re: NYE Gig

PostPosted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 4:28 pm
by Lucas
Interesting......

I've been working on getting my fees up over the last year and I'm getting closer to the mark. I will have to strongly consider a price rise next year. Might have to start with New Years.....

Re: NYE Gig

PostPosted: Thu Dec 29, 2011 11:56 pm
by Kurt
To me NYE is just another night, I charge the same as any other night..

Re: NYE Gig

PostPosted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 12:28 am
by gigpiglet
i always charge more (as a TM of FOH guy)
usually in the order of double or triple
i manage bands too - and thats the "loading" that they get... so why shouldn't the crew?

Re: NYE Gig

PostPosted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 5:09 pm
by stosostu
In reality, what I got paid on NYE is what I believe we should get every night. 4 hours set up and sound check, 4 hours gig, 3 hours pack, 1 hours travel, plus supply of $20k+ of gear. I reckon that's worth $1000, but in reality I actually lose work during the year because my standard $500 is 'too dear'.

Re: NYE Gig

PostPosted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 6:50 pm
by Kurt
20K of gear isn't worth much to rent, you can rent a $60k car for under $100. It also has a much higher likelihood of being damaged or written off. On the other hand it also has a much higher chance of being in use 7 days a week.

When I did crewing work I was getting $20 per hour, operators got $50 per hour. Travel was paid at 50% (100% to the driver)

so
Gear rental: $100
Loader: $140
Travel: $20
Operator: $200
Total: $460


$500 seems about right. Anybody can buy and operate a little PA, given a bit of talent and a bit of instruction. It's not like a trade where yo do a 4 year apprenticeship or a white collar job where you might do 4+ years at Uni. Even if you do a one year course at the institution of your choice to be a qualified knob twister, why is your time suddenly worth as much as a plumber, mechanic or accountant?

stosostu wrote:In reality, what I got paid on NYE is what I believe we should get every night. 4 hours set up and sound check, 4 hours gig, 3 hours pack, 1 hours travel, plus supply of $20k+ of gear. I reckon that's worth $1000, but in reality I actually lose work during the year because my standard $500 is 'too dear'.

Re: NYE Gig

PostPosted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 9:28 pm
by Lucas
Danger money...

Re: NYE Gig

PostPosted: Sat Jan 07, 2012 10:49 pm
by Kurt
Haha, true, I did overlook that!

Lucas wrote:Danger money...

Re: NYE Gig

PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 10:01 am
by stosostu
Kurt, next time you want a PA and lighting system, don't ring me I am too dear for you...:lol

You seem to have a fairly low opinion of live sound operators, Anybody can buy and operate a little PA, given a bit of talent and a bit of instruction Whilst I don't have the TAFE certificate, I do believe that my 20 years of doing this stuff makes me as qualified as most plumbers and electricians. I also assume that you include studio personnel in your opinion of "qualified knob twister", and you won't get many of them for $20.00 or even $50.00 per hour. BTW most plumbers and electricians charge $80.00 to $100.00 per hour these days. I spent 12 hours on this gig, inluding set up, sound check, the gig, load out and travel, so even at your cut price of $50.00 per hour, that comes to $600.00.

I doubt that you could hire the equipment I supplied in my "little PA" for $100.00, or any other PA system suitable for a 7 piece band, in a room holding 250+ people.

Mine includes,

PA
24 Channel desk, 2 x 2, 15" and horn JBL and 2 x18" JBL subs, 6 x 15" and horn Foldback bins, 4000W FOH and 2500W monitor amp, 4 x Shure SM58, 4 SM 57, 3 x Sennheiser e604, Shure Drum mic set, 3 DIs, mic stands, cables, 50 metre 24 x 8 multicore, live rack with compressors, reverb, delay, graphics, etc

Lights
2 x iColor with stands, 4 by Par 64 LED with stands, DMX controller and cables

I had a quick look at PA hire places and a similar setup would cost between $400 and $700, per day depending on where you are, and that is pickup, not delivered and set up.

Plus, there's always Danger Money............

Re: NYE Gig

PostPosted: Sun Jan 08, 2012 10:27 am
by Kurt
Don't get all upset, I have a PA about the same size as yours and charge a bit less than you. Unlike you, I think the price is about right. A big difference is that I no longer have to move my gear, I've been resident in one venue for about 4 years. If it all turned to shit, I lost my permanent gig and had to go mobile again, I'd sell up and get out of live sound, I'm too old for that shit!

During the week I work as spanner fetcher in a mechanics workshop (helping out family) where the labour rate is $110 per hour. The mechanic has $100,000K+ worth of equipment and several thousand per month rent to cover. I have spent less than half that getting set up, have no rent to pay. My fee works out to around half his. Makes sense doesn't it?

I am "in the middle" of doubling my subs to four double 18s (running off two Crest CA12). (I paid a cabinet maker mate about half what he's worth to build me new boxes) When it's all said and done my price will still be the same, it's about what the market will bear.

stosostu wrote:Kurt, next time you want a PA and lighting system, don't ring me I am too dear for you...:lol

You seem to have a fairly low opinion of live sound operators, Anybody can buy and operate a little PA, given a bit of talent and a bit of instruction Whilst I don't have the TAFE certificate, I do believe that my 20 years of doing this stuff makes me as qualified as most plumbers and electricians. I also assume that you include studio personnel in your opinion of "qualified knob twister", and you won't get many of them for $20.00 or even $50.00 per hour. BTW most plumbers and electricians charge $80.00 to $100.00 per hour these days. I spent 12 hours on this gig, inluding set up, sound check, the gig, load out and travel, so even at your cut price of $50.00 per hour, that comes to $600.00.

I doubt that you could hire the equipment I supplied in my "little PA" for $100.00, or any other PA system suitable for a 7 piece band, in a room holding 250+ people.

Mine includes,

PA
24 Channel desk, 2 x 2, 15" and horn JBL and 2 x18" JBL subs, 6 x 15" and horn Foldback bins, 4000W FOH and 2500W monitor amp, 4 x Shure SM58, 4 SM 57, 3 x Sennheiser e604, Shure Drum mic set, 3 DIs, mic stands, cables, 50 metre 24 x 8 multicore, live rack with compressors, reverb, delay, graphics, etc

Lights
2 x iColor with stands, 4 by Par 64 LED with stands, DMX controller and cables

I had a quick look at PA hire places and a similar setup would cost between $400 and $700, per day depending on where you are, and that is pickup, not delivered and set up.

Plus, there's always Danger Money............

Re: NYE Gig

PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 11:17 am
by stosostu
I'm not upset at all, Kurt. Its just business, I get what I get and if I needed to I'd drop my price, but I'm getting enough to keep me busy at my current price. I don't want to be out there hauling cabs every night of the week anyway. After all, it is more of a part time (hobby?) that pays for a game of golf and a beer or two. The NYE gig meant hauling all my gear up to the 2nd floor in a service elevator then hand trucking it into the ballroom, then back again for the load out. If the gear was in situ it would have been a whole different ball game.

A residency would suit me fine, but there aren't many of them in Adelaide. Most times the bands have a side of stage rig and they only call me for bigger shows.

it's about what the market will bear.

That is exactly what it is all about.

Re: NYE Gig

PostPosted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 5:44 pm
by Kurt
Here in Canberra most of the venues have a PA in house, whether owned by the venue or contracted like me. For me it is my main income, which sucks on the odd week when there are no gigs booked. Generally I do Friday and Saturday nights. It pays the bills (mostly) but I'll certainly never get rich/pay any super/own a house/buy a new car doing it.

stosostu wrote:I'm not upset at all, Kurt. Its just business, I get what I get and if I needed to I'd drop my price, but I'm getting enough to keep me busy at my current price. I don't want to be out there hauling cabs every night of the week anyway. After all, it is more of a part time (hobby?) that pays for a game of golf and a beer or two. The NYE gig meant hauling all my gear up to the 2nd floor in a service elevator then hand trucking it into the ballroom, then back again for the load out. If the gear was in situ it would have been a whole different ball game.

A residency would suit me fine, but there aren't many of them in Adelaide. Most times the bands have a side of stage rig and they only call me for bigger shows.

it's about what the market will bear.

That is exactly what it is all about.