MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
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Saw 80s rockers Magnum last night on their latest tour and it got me thinking....
How much money do they make per show?
Cambridge Junction capacity is 850, it's a near sell out tour this year, so say 850 tickets sold at £23.50 (without booking fee) = £20k for the night gross.
What cut do the venue get?
How much does a tour bus + lights + sound hire cost for all the kit?
How much do roadies etc get paid?
Does a band normally split the takings evenly amongst all members on a tour?
Any ideas?
there are many ways that it varies, depending on the contract between the venue and the band....
crew don't get paid much, I'd imagine it works out at pretty much minimum wage but it depends on how many you have and who you work for
PA and Lights all depends whether you have them at the venue or bring your own but if you are canny you can do this for not a lot of money
lots of bands are companies owned by one or two of the surviving members and the rest of the band on wages (again not a lot.. there's a couple of films about sidemen on netflix)
the real profit is the merch table
Some useful info here (US based): https://thetrichordist.com/2016/02/16/the-reality-of-touring-revenue-from-someone-who-has-done-it-for-32-years/
I saw 3 bands (2 of them amazing) last year, in a pub for £5. 2 had 5 members, 1 had 4 . .. there were about 5 people in the crowd, plus the other bands' members. Economics!?!
Whilst I agree with link in footflaps post, it's a bit like saying the Thisisnotaspoon mountain bike racing team just made a net loss for the 10th year in a row*.
Either its so shit they should do something else. Or admit it's not actually all that shit getting to travel, be your own boss and make money from what to most people in the pyramid below you is a hobby.
*a lie, I sold bikes when I lost my job so actually made money that year, kinda.
There's an interesting channel on You Tube call Bus Invaders, where they get tours of band's tour buses. In the States, those large, 12-berth tour buses can cost $1000/day. Often bands have to share with the support band and you also have a tour manager and merch person on there as well.
That link is a good read.
Either its so shit they should do something else. Or admit it’s not actually all that shit getting to travel, be your own boss and make money from what to most people in the pyramid below you is a hobby.
Or they can try to get a better deal from the promoters, ticket agencies & streaming services?
Agreed, but the economics of touring all over the states is worse than the UK due to geography.
E.g. Magnum has back to back gigs each night, nearly all selling out, so will be grossing £20k ish every night for the whole tour.....
> Often bands have to share with the support band and you also have a tour manager and merch person on there as well.
yep 12 on the Magnum Tour bus, only 5 in the band.
Now we need to know what you were doing on the Magnum tour bus Footflaps.
*raised eyebrow emoji*
They are very active on FB...
But if I could sneak aboard I definitely would....