Acoustic Dude
Joined: 26/02/07
Posts: 31
Loc: Bournemouth, UK
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How much to charge as a solo act?
#819185 - 16/03/10 11:07 AM
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Hi all
I know this sounds like a daft question, but I am about to hit the local bars
and pubs in Bournemouth after many years out of gigging. I played for over 20 years but
that was a drummer in a band. I haven't gigged for nearly 6 years and this time, i am
going out as a solo acoustic act (guitar and mandolin). My question is, how much is the
going rate for a solo acoustic act? I know London would be better for rates, but
Bournemouth is a kicking town for live music too. I don't want to under sell myself!!
I would appreciate any thoughts on this.
Cheers
AD
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paulprogram
Joined: 26/02/06
Posts: 55
Loc: Liskeard, UK
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Re: How much to charge as a solo act?
[Re: Acoustic Dude]
#819225 - 16/03/10 01:36 PM
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Depending on the playing times... about £100-120 for two hours and a few encores
-------------------- www.variousassortments.co.uk - www.myspace.com/variousassortments
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The Bunk
Joined: 29/12/07
Posts: 670
Loc: Surrey
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Re: How much to charge as a solo act?
[Re: Acoustic Dude]
#819247 - 16/03/10 02:17 PM
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...as above, maybe a little more towards £200 shouldn't be too much to ask. Depends on
the venue too...
...love the avatar by the way. One of my top five albums. Is
that where the mandolin comes in??!
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Acoustic Dude
Joined: 26/02/07
Posts: 31
Loc: Bournemouth, UK
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Re: How much to charge as a solo act?
[Re: Acoustic Dude]
#819268 - 16/03/10 03:05 PM
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Yes, i was thinking between £100 - £150 so thats cool.
Yes, the Avatar has
something to do with the mandolin, well spotted!! I certainly have a few Steve Earle songs
in there, 2 of which I play on Mandolin. The Galway Girl and Johnny Come Lately. The man
is a genius...
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Ed_J90
Joined: 03/12/07
Posts: 899
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Re: How much to charge as a solo act?
[Re: Acoustic Dude]
#819764 - 18/03/10 03:07 PM
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One man shows, are usually 150-200 pounds in UK still....
-------------------- J90
Sonic Visions
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The Bunk
Joined: 29/12/07
Posts: 670
Loc: Surrey
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Re: How much to charge as a solo act?
[Re: Acoustic Dude]
#819775 - 18/03/10 03:21 PM
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..Dude - if you're ever up London way, let me know. I'd love to see that. Earle is a
legend. I'll join you on an acoustic on any of his stuff..!
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Ramirez
Joined: 24/10/06
Posts: 384
Loc: Llithfaen, Cymru
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Re: How much to charge as a solo act?
[Re: Acoustic Dude]
#819780 - 18/03/10 03:34 PM
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Woopee! Steve Earle is ace. I met him once, we were playing the same festival. Managed to
give him a copy of our album and get a photo taken with him.
I think you
should do Copperhead Road with just a mandolin and a bass drum. That would be
unbeatable.
Aled
--------------------
Bill Withers while Tom Waits, and Stan Getz
Edited by Ramirez (18/03/10 03:35 PM)
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Ed_J90
Joined: 03/12/07
Posts: 899
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Re: How much to charge as a solo act?
[Re: Acoustic Dude]
#819841 - 18/03/10 07:00 PM
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Start gig with copperhead 
-------------------- J90
Sonic Visions
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Ian Savage
Joined: 16/12/07
Posts: 611
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Re: How much to charge as a solo act?
[Re: Acoustic Dude]
#819849 - 18/03/10 07:40 PM
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If you've got a halfway-decent demo of you doing your thing, I'd be tempted to tout it
around a few local venues, offering yourself at, say, fifty quid a night as a 'promotion'.
Promote the hell out of it yourself (get friends and family down to swell the numbers if
needs be), the venue owner will take a load more over the bar than they usually would
(hopefully), then up your price to a ton at least (more if you're providing the PA
yourself).
That's the way I've done it, anyway.
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grab
Joined: 08/07/07
Posts: 2626
Loc: Cambridge, UK
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Re: How much to charge as a solo act?
[Re: Ian Savage]
#819960 - 19/03/10 09:46 AM
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I'd say £100 as the low end. But yeah, *do* have a demo. For demo purposes, it's quite
likely that just a webcam mic would be adequate for guitar and vocals, so long as it
demonstrates you doing your thing with a decent level of skill.
And having your
own PA will greatly expand where you can play. Not many pubs have their own PA; and if
they do, they're usually music pubs where they'll have several bands on a night, none of
whom get paid (or don't get much if they do). But if you can set up a PA and play well
for 2 1/2 hours, no reason you can't ask £200 a gig, especially if you give them a couple
of gigs at a lower rate (don't go below £100 if you're doing everything) to get to know
you.
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Ed_J90
Joined: 03/12/07
Posts: 899
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Re: How much to charge as a solo act?
[Re: Acoustic Dude]
#820163 - 20/03/10 12:02 AM
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Surely having own PA is a must I cant believe people still wouldnt automatically have one?
-------------------- J90
Sonic Visions
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grab
Joined: 08/07/07
Posts: 2626
Loc: Cambridge, UK
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Re: How much to charge as a solo act?
[Re: Ed_J90]
#820651 - 22/03/10 11:27 AM
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Yeah, but for folks starting out, even a small PA is a big deal. Yer
acoustic-guitar-slinger might want to start gigging but doesn't have the gear yet,
especially if they're just taking the step from folk clubs and open-mics to proper gigs.
Or starting out on their own after being in a band, when they'd always relied on another
band member to provide the PA.
For the OP, if it's an acousticky gig and
you're in small pubs, you can get quite a long way with a little guitar amp and mini-mixer
for vocals and guitar, if you've got no PA. Not going to sound as good (unless you've got
a pretty trick acoustic amp), but it's better than nothing, especially if it's more for
sound reinforcement. I'd rather hear a good version of Steve Earl through a practise amp
than a bad version of Bob Dylan through a PA. 
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James Perrett
Joined: 10/09/01
Posts: 9645
Loc: The wilds of Hampshire
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Re: How much to charge as a solo act?
[Re: Ed_J90]
#820658 - 22/03/10 11:43 AM
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Quote Ed_J90:
Surely having own
PA is a must I cant believe people still wouldnt automatically have one?
It depends where you are. I find
that city pubs that put on regular music tend to have a house PA whereas more out of town
venues tend to expect you to bring along a PA.
Cheers
James.
--------------------
JRP Music - Audio Mastering and Restoration.
http://www.jrpmusic.net
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Acoustic Dude
Joined: 26/02/07
Posts: 31
Loc: Bournemouth, UK
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Re: How much to charge as a solo act?
[Re: Acoustic Dude]
#821846 - 26/03/10 09:12 PM
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Just to clarify, i do have a brand new PA system. I bought the QSC K8 speakers. I'm
going to run my acoustic guitar, mandolin and vocals through my Korg D1600 MkII then out
to the speakers. Got my first gig in two weeks so looking forward to that! I do play
Copperhead Road on Mandolin but I haven't included it in my set as i prefer playing Galway
Girl and Johnny Come Lately. I've also got Someday and Telephone Road in the set so i
can't do any more Steve songs! I've just worked out Colarado Girl from his Townes album
but thats not his song so I can get away with that! If I could go out as a Steve Earle
tribute, i would!
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James Perrett
Joined: 10/09/01
Posts: 9645
Loc: The wilds of Hampshire
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Re: How much to charge as a solo act?
[Re: Acoustic Dude]
#822265 - 29/03/10 09:24 AM
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Quote Acoustic Dude:
Got my first
gig in two weeks so looking forward to that!
Why not spill the beans and tell us where it is?
Cheers
James.
--------------------
JRP Music - Audio Mastering and Restoration.
http://www.jrpmusic.net
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Acoustic Dude
Joined: 26/02/07
Posts: 31
Loc: Bournemouth, UK
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Re: How much to charge as a solo act?
[Re: Acoustic Dude]
#822922 - 31/03/10 12:59 PM
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Its in Harry's Bar, Durdle Door in Lulworth, Dorset on April 8th. Got some more interest
over the weekend to play in Bournemouth so I hope the gigs to be coming in thick and fast!
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GlynB
Joined: 26/09/03
Posts: 3896
Loc: Lancashire, UK.
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Re: How much to charge as a solo act?
[Re: Acoustic Dude]
#825322 - 09/04/10 12:36 PM
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Presumably you're doing all covers in your set?
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Acoustic Dude
Joined: 26/02/07
Posts: 31
Loc: Bournemouth, UK
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Re: How much to charge as a solo act?
[Re: Acoustic Dude]
#825476 - 09/04/10 09:31 PM
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No, I have 3 originals in there. I could do two sets of originals to be honest but I want
to do mainly covers with some of mine thrown in. If I get a name for myself around the
local scene, then I can start throwing in some more originals.
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GlynB
Joined: 26/09/03
Posts: 3896
Loc: Lancashire, UK.
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Re: How much to charge as a solo act?
[Re: Acoustic Dude]
#825985 - 12/04/10 10:22 AM
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Quote Acoustic Dude:
No, I have 3
originals in there. I could do two sets of originals to be honest but I want to do mainly
covers with some of mine thrown in. If I get a name for myself around the local scene,
then I can start throwing in some more originals.
I think that's a good approach.
if folk enjoy your
covers performances and the audience builds, they'll have the patience to not just 'sit
through' your originals, but even enjoy and request them...assuming they're good enough to
sit alongside the classics.
Then you end up in the very pleasant situation of
being paid to perform your own material, albeit sandwiched between covers.
I'd
be wary of doing too many covers of relatively obscure songs and stick to well known
stuff, if you're planning to include originals. That way the punters who don't like yours
won't have to wait too long for something more familiar.
--------------------
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Exalted Wombat
Joined: 06/02/10
Posts: 4197
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Re: How much to charge as a solo act?
[Re: GlynB]
#825997 - 12/04/10 10:59 AM
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Be careful. Audiences want to be entertained, not educated. Dilute what made you popular
at your peril!
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