money

Hi folks. So here's my situation. I am in a band that is playing shows 3,4, and sometimes 5 times a week. Basically touring. I worked in a music store, but I had to quit my job because they wouldn't give me time off for shows.

So here I am, with rent, cell phone, and college loan bills sneaking up on me. And not even a MUSIC store will hire me because of how often I would have to miss work for shows.

Any (legal) clues as to how I can make a few hundred a month and still be in this band? I'm trying to do guitar lessons on our off days and doing t-shirt designs, album art, and myspace layouts for bands we play with too but its not quite cutting it.

dude i feel one on that one, im broke right now just got laid off from work and also have bills to pay.

Hey Matt,

Welcome to life as a musician. This becomes a problems with almost all serious musicians who make music their day job.

It sounds like you have several side projects, to make a few bucks (this was my suggestion). I think guitar lessons would become your bread and butter if you have the personaily for it. I would suggest that your band start charging more per gig if your really in that much demand and playing that many shows. Exposure is part of the game.

The only other side to this is your bills, got to trim some of that. Look for a cheaper place to live, Get a cheaper cell plan, etc

Sorry I'm sure this was not much help. I'm happy that things are going good for you musically

Don't you need a licence to teach in America?

Maybe. I'm not sure. That sucks though matt. Personally I'd try to find a place you can crash in for free, like make a band apartment, or live with a family member or something. therefore cutting rent considerably. All this is basically not much help, and basically copied from Tele once I wrote mine and read his lol. You could also pawn off a lot of stuff you don't need [old clothes, toys, whatever you may have and don't need].

Sorry I couldn't help much.

good luck man.

Ozz

@ Matt,
You are a very talented artist. Why not come up with a way to make some money off of your talent? I know you are going to ask "how"? Not sure, do portraits, greeting cards, tatoos, anything you can think of.
Phip

Matt how much do you clear per gig? I'll look at your your band's myspace page and I see you got some 10 gigs this month alone. I would guess that your charging around $500 a pop.

I had a buddy who's uncle was in a cover band and they played ever fri, sat, and most Sunday nights and few times durring the week around the Ames Iowa area and they were getting $500-700 a gig.

By the way I'd buy your EP if you got it for sale if it would help ya out. I know some folks at work who i think would be really into it.

Yeah you definitely should start selling some of your CD's if you're not already. Man if you really want to continue playing that many shows a week you should consider finding a roommate. If you're tied to school then there's not much you can do that won't affect that.

I have learned from penny pinching, take it from a real cheapskate and former transient,

1.buy 5 for $10 shirts, shop at a thrift store(I do),

2. move into a friends or find a roommate, if you live in a decent neighborhood consider a cheaper apartment.

3.Buy food from a 99cent store or Dollar Tree. Don't eat from a restaurant. Eat less.

4.Cut off unnecessary commodities like extra phone, and little things like Big Macs(they are expensive).

5.You could buy a prepaid phone or only use a land line.

6.Most Helpful I think is to:


look up gigs on CRAIGSLIST you can play at a party or work for one day washing windows.

Dude I am the prince of penny pinching(my uncle is the King) and I have no shame because at the end of the day I sacrifice for what makes me happy.

@Jazzmav: Licenses are required for public school teachers and legitimate schools. Teaching one on one would be like tutoring.

hey, here's a thought that just came to me...........At weddings they always hire a band or DJ and a photographer and all that crap. But I never heard of them hiring an artist to do a portrait of the bride and groom either there at the wedding or a few days later. Think you could do something like that? Prob could make some good bread doing that. and it would prob work out with your evening schedule.
Phip

@ League, exactly why I would think they need a licence, otherwise any perv could say they're a teacher, huh?

Phip, that's a really good idea!

Find a sponser dude. Now a days that is the best and probably one of the only ways to go if you want your band to survive. Also, consider taking out a loan for a little more than a few thousand dollars and pay it back over say, 3 to 5 years.

Anything but a loan man! You're too young to be in debt!

Debt destroys futures in America

@Jazzmav that's the way it is here in the U.S. nobody cares until it happens then we go out on a bloodthirty pitchfork attack.

groupies, lot's and lots of groupies

Wow I didn't expect to get so many responses on this! Sweet!

@telecrater: We actually don't make much from the shows, usually enough to order new merch, fix our van, pay for gas etc. But yeah I agree I think I can manage if I put more effort into my side-projects. Especially lessons. And maybe we can get some rich groupies? Oh and we are selling our CDs for 8$!

@ozzfan: I don't think I'd be able to crash anywhere that I can think of for free. Mainly because of my large amount of gear. The place I live now is actually about the cheapest house in the entire city, and 3 of the bands 5 members live in it, splitting rent, and we practice in the basement. We even have house shows, and our neighbors are unrealistically cool with us so it's kind of perfect. And I am actually trying to sell some of my pedals and guitars. I just sold and Ibanez rg5ex1 to one of our fans!

@league: That's a good call on the roommate thing, 3 of us live in the same house and a 4th on the way (our keyboardist) knocking rent down to $150 a month! And most of my shirts are free I make a point of asking every band we play with for one and I have amassed quite a shirt collection!

@Phip: Yeah I think I could make a killing from visual art if I really applied myself with it. Probably the best route.

@Guitarslinger: Yeah we're getting pictures taken soon and I'm going to assemble a promo kit to start sending out to anyone and everyone for sponsorships. But I am already $40,000 in debt from college and I have at least 2 years left, so probably no more loans.

Thanks everyone for the ideas! Keep them coming!

Just an Idea, while you have so many gigs, means that your band have pretty much audiences too, try to get sponsors. As you been working on a musicstore, you probably have few connections with another companies, so why not just ask them, never know... even that store where you been working on. "any publicity is good publicity" :P, if you guys show companies your gig calendar it is possible that some companies catch the hook.

Just an idea
Empirism

sounds like im not the only one who left his job for the band. im still holding on with my last salary..

become a drug dealer

um...Matt was looking for legal ways to earn some cash

um...it is legal in some parts of the war

steal money?

w8 thts illegal...soo...become a politician! thts the legal way

I'm gonnna go ahead and say you shouldn't have quit your job before you had an alternate way of paying your bills. That's just irresponsible. Now you will probably ruin your credit, and screwing your ** up. Your bills (student loans, rent) are more important prior obligations you made. I think this is a silly and juvenile question to be asking a forum. Buckle down and get a job, and if you have to play less gigs than do so.

You could start taking fire department tests/Paramedic school. I work 24 on and 48 off. It's great for time off.

teach

have you though about killing people?

i thought about this last night(and this a.m., obviously) for awhile , as i couldn't help but think that i could be of better help, considering we are quite nearly 'in the same boat' .. just some years apart.

i don't know yer age (i'm 43)
but it sounds like early 20's ???
and i dunno about yer 'love life' AKA married, have a kid, etc..

BUT
are you in a large enough town(read as 'Market') to support at least one 'Rigging Crew' --flying cans, running cable , focusing cans, changing gels, flying PA...etc-etc ??
if you are: you could make that money; and if the 'head guy(s)s' are cool enough and smart enough, they have a 'back-line' of 'musician guys' that they call when bigger shows roll in (load-in/out)
a good friend (and client) of mine tours constantly with his "southern roots punk" band but has been able to make rent and keep his wife happy for the last few decades by doing that damn-near nameless job, when he is in town. there are a few local crews here and he latched onto one as a 'part-time' (very part-time) an another as a 'call in' AKA "do you have anything for me this week?"

seriously.

if you are in yer twenties (or so) and not all married (me=20yrs) or have kids to look after (Cin & I opted fer Dawgs, lol) this could be a good 'in' for you.

ANYthing 'concert'-related is most often run by guys who understand the kind of situation yer in; hell, most of 'em i know have 'been there', Dig?

when i was a kid in my twenties...
i was playing, like you: all-the-damn-time/every-damn-where!
working as a Rigger/Runner paid that extra cash yer talking about.
that and
doing security
and just about any music-oriented work available
and sure; i ate tons of pork 'n' beans-Raman Noodles and slept on more floors/couches than i could name , in more towns than i could ever remember......BUT - i did get to RAWK!, like you , at least 3-5 shows a week.

my advice is to hit the bricks and find a music or music related very part-time job.

being a rigger, in yer twenties(guessing), aint so bad...you recover uickly and can make some really good money in ONE night.

wish i had more....

Viva RAWK!
Cs

one word,

Win the lottery.

thats three words bro ... but YEAH!

dude if you wanted to be financially secure you should of become an accountant or something... isnt it common knowledge that all good musicians and artists start of as struggling musicians and artists. that said if you stick with it and stay dedicated to your music (as it appears you are) then eventually the cash will come and if it doesn't then have you considered selling your body to medical science caus i hear you can get good money for a piece of liver or a kidney (caus having 2 just seems wasteful), blood, semen etc.

theres always prostitution lol jk

collect change

recycle canz

lower you teaching prices

etc