Wedding Band Bassist questions.

[tspallone]

Hi, I'm thinking about jumping into the wedding band scenario and had some questions that I wonder if active wedding band bassist would be so kind as to come forth and share their experience.

Frankly, this is a money thing. I'm not looking to do this for nothin'. I can play in a bar band for that.

But, give me a real life scenario as to what YOUR expectations are. Do you do one gig a week? Two? Are you booked EVERY single week or at least consistently enough? What's your take-home pay? Are you living off this or do you supplement your income and, what, specifically do you do for that?
Can you refuse a gig if the band you are part of books a gig where you have a conflict? Do they have backup players for each position?

Teach me; I want to learn.

Thanks.

 

[sm49341]

Seems to me all your questions are legit concerns but I woud imagine every band would have there own unique answers and policies.

 

[rufus.K]

I think they pay you in bridesmaids

 

[jive1]

Considering you started a thread that you had a nightmare that you were in a band, this may not be the gig that you seek.

I'm the BL for a wedding band, and we do about 6 gigs a year including private parties. We're kind of niche in that we aren't a typical wedding band, we do alot of Ska, Swing, Alt, and Funk as well as the some of the usual suspects. The guys in my band make $300 and up, and earn every penny. I make significantly more, and I earn every penny. Because this band doesn't work every weekend, it's supplemental income. The guys can refuse a gig but most would rather get the money and not risk losing a spot to someone else. One of the horn players in my band plays with one of the top agency bands around here, and he can refuse gigs, but there's also a chance he'll lose the gig to someone who is more available. The money is too good and too steady for him to risk doing that often.

The thing to keep in mind is that the slots are competitive, and there's some real bad@$$ musicians holding those slots. My band is nowhere near the top of the league, but I have guys with music degrees and experience with national acts working with me. It's not like being in a bar band. My wedding band has a songlist of close to 300 songs, and we play at least 150 different songs a year. Some bands have even bigger catalogs. In addition to the reception, we might also do the cocktail hour or ceremony, and that might require a substantially different repertoire or instrumentation. We might learn a song to only play it once. We also don't rehearse that much, so people are expected to nail their parts on their own and perform at a high level at the gig. It's really helpful to be able to read charts unless you want to learn every song by ear and commit it to memory. It's also not a low pressure gig either, you are expected to perform at a high level for someone's special day. And while a flub at a bar gig is easily passed over, a flub at a wedding may be replayed over and over again in someone's video. Trainwreck a tune at a bar, you laugh it off and start over. Trainwreck on a bride's first dance, expect the worst. Weddings are often all day affairs for us, so even if the band doesn't start until 8, don't be surprised if you have to set up at 1 before the caterers arrive and sit around in a suit for hours.

I also do weddings/privates with other bands, and their situations/scenarios aren't that much different than my band. I know alot of musicians who are attracted to doing weddings because of the money involved. But, not all of them have the skills required, or are willing to do the work that needs to be done to pull it off effectively.

 

[tspallone]

Thanks for the insight.

Agreed that for this type of gig, a person would need to be of professional presentation as opposed to the bar guy looking to get loaded after playing.

I think you're answering my question of, if you can't do it even as a quasi-financial support (meaning, say, HALF of what you feel you'd like as a household financial income), don't do it at all. For $1,800 a year to nail 300 songs in a tux and hang around all day on a weekend (to play Boogie Oogie Oogie and the like)......kinda puts the No-Go on that!

Which begs the question, if not doing it full time, how is a person, or band, expected to show up and nail it out of the blue? Like the bench player called in after sitting around for games on end. How do you expect that player to execute perfectly when they've been sitting around all season. Practice is practice, performance is performance.

Do people hang around all year (or every 2 months) and when called to a hall to play every "wedding" song under the sun, just pack their gear, put a tux on, plug in and execute perfectly? How can a person maintain that level of readiness? I've certainly had my share of "cramming" for a gig but, seems like a lopsided situation.

Now, if you're able to read charts at the gig, thats a different story. I wouldn't mind THAT. lol

 

[jive1]

I think you're answering my question of, if you can't do it even as a quasi-financial support (meaning, say, HALF of what you feel you'd like as a household financial income), don't do it at all. For $1,800 a year to nail 300 songs in a tux and hang around all day on a weekend (to play Boogie Oogie Oogie and the like)......kinda puts the No-Go on that!

Which begs the question, if not doing it full time, how is a person, or band, expected to show up and nail it out of the blue? Like the bench player called in after sitting around for games on end. How do you expect that player to execute perfectly when they've been sitting around all season. Practice is practice, performance is performance.

It's easy, we all play with other bands regularly. That's what keeps us in shape and our chops up.
Nobody had to learn all the songs in the catalog as most of us already knew a bunch of them from playing in other bands. In the acts I work with regularly, I'm probably playing over 150 different songs anyway, so it's no big deal to me.
Everyone can read charts. Everyone knows how to learn a song quickly. We rehearse anywhere from 20-30 songs in a session, no sweat. We don't waste time, and the players appreciate that. We're more likely to play Reel Big Fish or Big Bad Voodoo Daddy than Donna Summer, and the guys have fun with that.

$1800 may not seem like alot of money, but that's the average take home for 18 bar gigs as a side man. You would have to gig twice a weekend for a 2 months to make that in the bars, while we make that in 1/3 of the amount of gigs. $300 is also the least that someone makes. If the reception pays more, or the players are doing a cocktail hour or ceremony, they'll make well over $300. In that case, a single wedding gig nets them more than playing every weekend at the bar for a month. As the BL, I have made more at a single wedding than I have with a bar band playing every weekend for a summer. I have no problem finding players, and most folks would happily replace themselves for bar gig to do a wedding. As a musician, time is our most valuable asset aside from our talent, and this band lets them make more for their time than their bar gigs (and sometimes their other wedding gigs).

For some folks, my band is a stressful gig with a lot of work. I can fully understand that. Unless you come in with a large repertoire, the necessary chops, and an ability to read and learn, it's not worth it.
For the guys in my band, it's some of the easiest money they can earn while having a fun time. If you already have the chops, large repertoire, and the ability to pick up tunes quickly, it's not overwhelming or difficult at all.
As a BL, I love being able to concentrate on the show without being concerned with filling bar stools and selling alcohol. I also appreciate there being enough margin for me to take an extra cut for booking the gig and lugging the PA.

Like I said, it's not for everybody.

 

[sleeplessknight]

Like so many things, Ed Friedland has the book for you Check out "The Working Bassist's Toolkit", which will have extensive, readable, instantly-relevant advice to this and questions you didn't even know you had.

 

[tbirdsp]

I think limiting yourself to "Wedding" band is a mistake - I believe jive1 would agree. There are all kinds of private event gigs that pay well and aren't weddings (although weddings are our highest paying gigs). My main cover band probably does a 50/50 mix of bar gigs, casinos, and private/corporate/wedding events - this includes some small town festivals. We really don't change up our set list much for these events either - it's pretty varied anyway. Might add a few standard songs for a wedding and maybe learn one or two the couple wants.
We played a fashion show/shopping expo deal on May 14, I played a high school graduation party with another band May 21, upcoming is an alumni banquet on May 28, bar gig June 3, bar gig June 10, small town festival June 11, another festival June 25. Note I usually make 150-200 for our bar gigs, and that is after paying for sound/lights.
We are all "weekend warriors" though - the money is nice but we don't really rely on it. The others all have good day jobs and I have a military pension, only one kid, and a wife who is a RN.

 

[denhou1974]

$1800 may not seem like alot of money, but that's the average take home for 18 bar gigs as a side man.

Maybe in your town.

I played with a wedding band. The gigs paid about $400 each but breaking down by the hour it was way less than what my bar gigs pay. There were many 12 hour days and lots of time standing around doing nothing.

I'm in a band to pay music. Not spend hours and hours at a gig only to play 12-15 songs or hours charting/learning material that never gets played.

YMMV.

 

[tbirdsp]

denhou1974 does have a point - most weddings (and some other event gigs) will want you set up early. That can mean a lot of sitting around.

 

[friskinator]

denhou1974 does have a point - most weddings (and some other event gigs) will want you set up early. That can mean a lot of sitting around.

Oh yes. You haven't experienced boredom until you've been stuck at a country club in the middle of nowhere with no wi-fi. I had that happen more times than I can count. By the time the show started, I didn't feel like playing due to sitting around since early afternoon.

Wedding gigs definitely aren't for everyone. Yes, the payout per gig is better than a bar gig, but they demand much more time and cause more stress. I did them for a few years before I decided it wasn't worth it.

 

[jive1]

Here's my math.....
A 4 hour bar gig that pays $100 a man usually takes 6 hours due to an hour of setup and take down on each end. Comes out to $16.6 per hour not including drive time.
A 3 hour wedding that pays $300 a man can take up to 12 hours of your time. Comes out to $25 an hour. Even if there is a lot of waiting around $25 an hour is good pay for grabbing lunch, staring at your phone, getting dressed, organizing your charts, etc. As the BL for some gigs, the hourly pay is better than my day job as a computer programmer.

I'll take the weddings just about every time. The more musicians who think it's not worth it, the better for me.

 

[PauFerro]

The way it works for me is that I do about 2-3 weddings a year in my jazz gig. I partner with a rock band so I can take a piece of their booking since I handle all the email and communication traffic that happens with the client throughout the year. Since I am quoting on the jazz gig, I might as well throw in a rock band for more money, right?

Where I keep my guys working and keep growing in my own musical ability is with repeat corporate, festival and occasionally, restaurant gigs. This is how you improve as a musician and eventually, stop rehearsing unless you are orienting a new player to the scene in order to increase the supply of musicians in your town.

So, I wouldn't focus entirely on weddings. Focus on other types of playing and get that band busy so they are up to the required standard for a wedding.

Also, one reason people charge so much for weddings is that the bride or groom is AT YOU ALL YEAR with strange out of the blue requests. Can you dress a certain way? Can you play this song that no one has ever heard of? Can we see your playlist, and then gut 1/2 of your songs? Can you set up for 20 minutes in Texas and then move to a ballroom in Argentina for the last part of the event??? Can you drive to the site which is an hour away so we can talk about where you set up? Can you attend a rehearsal of the evening? Can you act as MC for such and such a portion of the night?

So, I find ways of limiting these requests. When I quote on a gig, often they don't even know what the timing is of the various events of the day (reception, ceremony, cocktail hour, dance, speeches). So, I give them a typical range of times we can play for a set price, and agree to learn 2-3 custom songs if they are not in our repertoire. Any songs over 3 are billed at $50 a song. No one ever goes over 3 songs (bride, groom, daddy-daughter). I ask them to send a picture of the area we will play and simply make sure there is a wall outlet. I also let them know that this is the base price, so if there are an other special requests there may be an extra fee involved. Otherwise, they will run you ragged.

So far, i haven't had any bridezillas but I know they are out there. That is another thing to contend with.

 

[arbiterusa]

I've done this. The pay is good to great. You can do a few a year, or one every weekend, that depends on you. Good friend of mine in the Bay Area was doing this and making a six figure income, about four gigs per weekend every weekend. That's hard to do and maintain, and requires an insane attention to detail and Nazi-like scheduling and discipline.

You will have to be MUCH better than the average band, you will have to have complete instrumentation and everyone had better be able to read. And jive1 is right - this is not a gig where you can make mistakes. Ever. The only thing I've played that was more demanding than weddings was live TV (Comedy Central pilot...money and stress all in one!). Not only will everyone have to be a pro player, but they have to be friendly, outgoing, and be able to deal with EXTREMELY intoxicated people who can be absolute you-know-whats with grace and without blowing their cool. There will be drunken guests coming up on your stage and grabbing microphones. And instruments. While you're playing. And while you're not. If your first reaction is to shove them off the stage and give them a beatdown (perfectly natural reaction if you ask me) this is not a gig for you. You will likely be playing music you hate, tunes you've played a billion times, and be able to handle being bored out of your mind and, as others have said, there is a lot of sitting around and waiting - and you're not supposed to do that in sight of the guests.

It's a measure of professionalism. I've played with a lot of people over the years. Quite a few are good friends. 90-plus percent of them I would not even call for a gig like this. They need to be good players AND superb "customer service" folks, and that's a real rarity with musicians.

ETA: oh yeah, buy a tux, you're going to be using it. And everyone in the band needs one. It's not optional.

 

[DWBass]

I've been in and out of Wedding bands for decades. First of all, you have to be into it. Lots of cover songs and many you'll probably hate to play. Again, you'll have to get past that! You'll be required many times to wear a suit or some type of uniform. Gotta get past that! You'll be required to learn a crap load of songs. Most successful wedding bands roll with a song-list of 200+ and songs can be called out on the fly. Gotta retain every song you've learned. Band must be professional at all times. Be on time. Start on time. Having said this.......the rewards can be plentiful. You can stand to have some pretty good paydays. I have personally made a minimum of $150 per gig to a max of $700 per gig. On occasion more than that. The band, if good and agent booked, can literally play every weekend not just weddings but private parties, corporate parties, festivals, etc.

 

[bass12]

The fun of the gig can depend a lot on who you are playing with (this is always true but especially true of gigs which involve a lot of waiting around). Also, depending on the band you might be expected to be physically active onstage (moving, smiling, looking into it). Having said that, a lot of the wedding/corporate events bands I've seen are awful to look at - just a bunch of old guys looking at if they'd rather be tending to their gardens than playing music. Some bands will allow you to read onstage while others will only allow you to read when there are special requests (songs not normally in the repertoire). I generally enjoy playing weddings. The only thing that I don't enjoy is having to stand on-stage and listen to long speeches that, almost invariably, sound the same as every other wedding speech I've ever heard.

 

[jive1]

Oh yes. You haven't experienced boredom until you've been stuck at a country club in the middle of nowhere with no wi-fi. I had that happen more times than I can count. By the time the show started, I didn't feel like playing due to sitting around since early afternoon.

Been there done that....
On the flip side, I had a wedding gig that was 15 minutes from my house. We had a 4 hour break, and I went home and took a nap. One of the horn players ran to another gig nearby where he was playing the cocktail hour. Since the horn player got to double-dip, he earned a pretty nice payday. I got paid to sleep on my own couch, so I didn't complain either.

 

[garp]

The wedding band business in the New York City metropolitan area is incredibly competitive. DJs have steadily eaten away at the marketplace over the years, but for nicer events, nothing beats a live band, and the better groups are booked solid between now and the end of July.

I started out by subbing. I've yet to encounter a wedding/corporate band where the bandleader will turn down a lucrative gig just because one of the permanent players isn't available.

Versatility is the name of the game. Being able to read charts helps tremendously, and being comfortable in multiple genres can be a great asset. The cocktail hour may call purely for jazz standards, whereas the main reception is chock full of more traditional fare. Due to ahead-of-time requests by the bridal party, as much as a quarter of the setlist can be comprised of tunes I've never heard before, much less performed, so there's usually a lot of homework involved. Sometimes there's a rehearsal, sometimes there isn't.

oh yeah, buy a tux, you're going to be using it. And everyone in the band needs one. It's not optional.

That's my one sticking point. I will not wear a tux. And yes, I've lost a couple of gigs over it. But I emerged with my pride intact. I'll dress nicely and professionally, because that's what's expected. But no monkey suits.

 

[DWBass]

I actually like the long waits and long speeches. Means less playing for the same money. I've done wedding receptions where the band played about an hour and a half total due to the outlined program and speeches and such. Many times there was also a DJ. Didn't matter. We got paid.

 

[DWBass]

My one sticking point. I will not wear a tux. And yes, I've lost a couple of gigs over it. But I emerged with my pride intact. I'll dress nicely and professionally, because that's what's expected. But no monkey suits.

I've worn Tuxes, regular suits, 70's disco style clothes with an afro wig and a pimp hat. Doesn't matter to me.