How much does it REALLY cost to book your favorite band?

[jrny84]

Not sure if this has been posted before, but found it interesting. Sorry if this is a repeat, as it is a 2014 article.

*These figures represent what a specific band charges for a single event.

http://lambgoat.com/blog/472/How-much-d ... for-a-show?

Some Notable Rock Artists:
Aerosmith | $1,300,000+
Eagles | $999,999+
Jon Bon Jovi & Friends | $850,000+
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band | $500,000+
Fleetwood Mac | $500,000+
Kiss | $350,000+
Journey | $300,000+
Van Halen | $300,000+
Don Henley | $300,000+
Toto | $250,000+
Heart | $200,000+
Chicago | $175,000+
REO Speedwagon | $125,000+
Styx | $125,000+
Pat Benatar And Neil Giraldo | $125,000+
Cheap Trick | $100,000+
Boston | $100,000+
Foreigner | $100,000+
Beach Boys Originals | $75,000+
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts | $65,000+
Dennis DeYoung-The Music of Styx | $50,000+
Kansas | $40,000+
Gregg Rolie - Original Lead Singer Santana | $25,000+
Night Ranger | $25,000+
Lou Gramm - Lead Singer Of Foreigner | $25,000+
Starship Starring Mickey Thomas | $25,000+
Don't Stop Believin' - Journey Tribute Band | $10,000+
Journey2Boston | $10,000+
Journey Unauthorized | $7,500+

[JohnH]

Have to laugh at those tribute band figures, no way in hell are they getting that.

[Gina3008]

Hey, could this possibly have been from a commercial and at the end we read (or hear):
"Steve Perry, Priceless"?

I know, I know, but I just couldn't resist.

[Deb]

Have to laugh at those tribute band figures, no way in hell are they getting that.

Wouldn't surprise me at all for DSB, they bring in quite a crowd. I've only seen one show live but I enjoyed the hell out of it. IMO Juan is the closest vocal your going to get to a Perry sounding Journey these days, especially on the Frontiers and ROR era material and completely nails Oh Sherrie.

http://youtu.be/jXFITU2Hh0c

[Jeremey]

Those numbers are likely one-off "quotes" – in the case of a lot of tribute acts, otherwise known as "wishful thinking."

One of the most popular tribute acts in the country is "Who's Bad," a Michael Jackson tribute act. When MJ died, their price went from about $3,000 for festival gigs to about $10,000 and maybe as high as $25,000 for private parties. That was a really unusual circumstance, they were well positioned to take advantage of the popularity of MJ after his death. These guys were (and still are, from what I've seen) one of the most popular tribute acts in the country.

The best Journey tribute act, in 2015 with the hype of Journey on the downswing, can probably get $10,000 for that rich guy's July 4th party or some corporate event ...

So that's maybe once or twice a year ... while getting festival gigs in the summertime in the ballpark of $3-5,000 ... and regular club dates that can range anywhere from $2500 - $3000 with backend deals. Keep in mind, that's the best of the best, guys like DSB and whomever else is at the top of the Journey tribute food chain right now.

But there's maybe 10 tribute acts in the country that have the demand, reputation, and experience to demand those kinds of figures. And those guys make really a fraction of their revenue from private parties – a lot of their revenue is brought in from backend deals where the promoters can sell tickets for $30-$50 in a small theatre and the band gets a percentage of box office. Guys like Who's Bad, a few Beatles tributes, Super Diamond, Australian Pink Floyd, Zoso, etc.

These kinds of lists can set up some pretty unreasonable expectations for bands who may get discouraged or overestimate their own demand and worth. For every $5000 gig, there's 5-10 $2000 gigs, and if you want to work regularly, maybe even less. I had a few bands approach me looking to help with booking and gigs that claimed they wouldn't pack their trailer for less than $5,000 – and no one had even heard of them before.

This also depends on geography – New England or midwest events may pay a lot more than the south or west coast, because the supply is lower in those areas.

Bottom line is, ask for twice what you think you're going to get, and be prepared to settle for even less if you just love to perform.

[No Surprize]

Jeremy, great post. And when I first looked at it, I couldn't believe what I was reading. I can see some of the established bands getting whats posted. Sounds reasonable. TOTO though LOL. No fucking way they could ask for $200,000 grand and get it. Boston, Foreigner getting 100,000 grand still? Styx asking for 125,000 without Young? Don Henley without the Eagles asking 300,000 grand, no fucking way.

[Final Frontiers]

I saw the Ultimate Thriller tribute show for my birthday once. They were at our local Hard Rock casino. I'd never been in the concert hall before. It was much bigger than I expected. The tickets were $32-$49 and the place was PACKED. Old people, young people, black and white. The King is still very much missed .

The Ultimate Thriller show boasts having a choreographer and principal dancer who worked on MJ's Bad, Dangerous, and History tours, plus MJ's personal recording engineer and audio supervisor. It was a very good show. So, I would imagine the money they made- made it worth their while.

http://www.theultimatethriller.com/