How much do "big name" club touring musicians make?

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mooncobra":2dfe46xy said:
doesn't EJ do a lot of session work and have all sorts of signature products out like EJ strings, pickups, picks, pedals, guitar, amp, martin acoustic, etc.

that's what I was thinking
 
I have always been stunned about how Joe Bonamassa affords the gear he has. The guys has millions of dollars worth of gear that he owns. It has never added up in my mind, his popularity and his gear collection.

Also, Graham Bonnet tells a story of trying to get Alcatrazz with Yngwie back together for a very lucrative tour of Japan. Yngwie's wife/manager turned down the tour and said "Yngwie makes $1,000,000 a year just walking down the street."

I have no idea how true this is but between all his sig gear and the back catalog and touring, I don't know.
 
I have thought about this topic a lot. I live in New Zealand and am quite surprised the number of "smaller" bands that tour here. Bands like Exodus, dragonforce and behemoth come down here and played at a place called the kings arms (which is basically a pub)...apparently the capacity is 600 but I would be surprised if it hold anywhere near that inside the actual bar (maybe if you include the outside bar then it might)......at $53 a ticket (so $31800 if all tickets are sold) less venue hire, promotion costs, flights, accomodation etc etc etc seems like a hell of a long haul to make a few K each

But hey I suppose its better than having a real job :lol: :LOL:
 
Chubtone":3hiiu188 said:
I have always been stunned about how Joe Bonamassa affords the gear he has. The guys has millions of dollars worth of gear that he owns. It has never added up in my mind, his popularity and his gear collection.
Also, Graham Bonnet tells a story of trying to get Alcatrazz with Yngwie back together for a very lucrative tour of Japan. Yngwie's wife/manager turned down the tour and said "Yngwie makes $1,000,000 a year just walking down the street."

Regarding income Bonamassa is in a very different league than club musicians. The man is selling out 10 to 20 k people venues with tickets somewhere between 100 to 250€. Having his own label and machinery behind all that means huge money making.

As for Yngwie some tales tell that he is having a bad time income wise but himself and wifey put some effort in showing something else to the public. IDK
 
I remember assisting with booking for colleges and such during the era when post grunge and nu-metal was popular. One that sticks out to me was an attempt to book Staind. This was back in '99-ish when the first singles started coming out from the first album. They had released the first couple of songs ("Just Go" and something else, name escapes me now) and had started to get picked up on local radio. The band's management wanted $10k for a show (as "headliner") at that time when we inquired. Less than a year later when "Mudshovel" hit, blew up the airwaves, and the band got added to a tour as opener for a bigger (at that time) band (Godsmack I think?), we inquired again and the fee spiked from $10k to $25k. What a difference a handful of months and hit single can make.

In recent years, I was in talks to join an established band that was independently signed. Radio play, managed by the agent of another well known band, endorsements by the truckload, big name festivals and tour dates, etc. That being said, they weren't major label, but none of them work either. The band is their job and the sole source of their income. When it was all said and done, those guys pulled in about $35k - $40k each per year, but they never stop. The expectation was that you wouldn't work and the band would be your job as well. Granted, my wife works as well, so the money wouldn't have been an issue, but I'm not 21, and I'm too old (38) to drag my ass out on the road constantly and deal with that lifestyle and drama for only $40k/year. I'm too old for that %$^&... :lol: :LOL: I'll gladly take my current paycheck and have music as a hobby than deal with that non-sense.
 
TheWhiteShadow":tqayh1dq said:
A bit off topic but I think relevant. This article shows how an AHL hockey player with a million dollar contract will take home 200K after expenses. Interesting article nonetheless.
http://www.thehockeynews.com/news/artic ... -you-think

This is also interesting, Dave Lombardo on his salary. There's a youtube video of him breaking it down but I can't find it. He makes ~70K touring with Slayer.
http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/dave-l ... th-slayer/

I can't imagine Johnson would be making south of 100k? Seriously? As mentioned with the sig. gear, a few festivals a year and steady touring pulling in 5-10k a night in small venues? Probably owns his own tour bus by now.. but yes I do think the Faster Pussy cats, LA Guns and Johnson's of the world have made their money in the past and now are just "comfortable".

AHL is interesting.. obviously being Canadian and a hockey fan (my poor Ottawa Sens :( ) I am always amazed at some of the shit salaries the guys in the AHL will make compared to the NHL. It is a major drop unless a guy is still being paid out his 6 mill a year contract and has been buried in the minors because he is a slug or needs development. Then again, making 80k a year to play hockey would be awesome!
 
Chubtone":3vovyz16 said:
I have always been stunned about how Joe Bonamassa affords the gear he has. The guys has millions of dollars worth of gear that he owns. It has never added up in my mind, his popularity and his gear collection.

Also, Graham Bonnet tells a story of trying to get Alcatrazz with Yngwie back together for a very lucrative tour of Japan. Yngwie's wife/manager turned down the tour and said "Yngwie makes $1,000,000 a year just walking down the street."

I have no idea how true this is but between all his sig gear and the back catalog and touring, I don't know.

I SERIOUSLY doubt Yingyang makes a million a year walking down the street...or doing ANYTHING else for that matter. They just don't want to tour with Alcatrazz, but to be fair, Alcatrazz with Yngwie is worth way more money than without him. Graham and the boys would have to give him a huge share IF he'd even consider it, could never be a fair and equitable split. It's like when Dokken got back together in the 90s and Lynch said Dokken were offered X to tour Japan, but were offered X times 2 if George were in the band. So should George make twice what the other guys make in that situation ? Because they can't get X times 2 without him...
 
paulyc":a2r7si8l said:
Chubtone":a2r7si8l said:
I have always been stunned about how Joe Bonamassa affords the gear he has. The guys has millions of dollars worth of gear that he owns. It has never added up in my mind, his popularity and his gear collection.

Also, Graham Bonnet tells a story of trying to get Alcatrazz with Yngwie back together for a very lucrative tour of Japan. Yngwie's wife/manager turned down the tour and said "Yngwie makes $1,000,000 a year just walking down the street."

I have no idea how true this is but between all his sig gear and the back catalog and touring, I don't know.

I SERIOUSLY doubt Yingyang makes a million a year walking down the street...or doing ANYTHING else for that matter. They just don't want to tour with Alcatrazz, but to be fair, Alcatrazz with Yngwie is worth way more money than without him. Graham and the boys would have to give him a huge share IF he'd even consider it, could never be a fair and equitable split. It's like when Dokken got back together in the 90s and Lynch said Dokken were offered X to tour Japan, but were offered X times 2 if George were in the band. So should George make twice what the other guys make in that situation ? Because they can't get X times 2 without him...

Not only that, but you would have to add on a $ premium per night for Yngwie to put up with a 60 year old Bonnet yelling into his in ear monitors off key.. that guy is WELL past his vocal prime.
 
Kapo_Polenton":37p2yzoi said:
paulyc":37p2yzoi said:
Chubtone":37p2yzoi said:
I have always been stunned about how Joe Bonamassa affords the gear he has. The guys has millions of dollars worth of gear that he owns. It has never added up in my mind, his popularity and his gear collection.

Also, Graham Bonnet tells a story of trying to get Alcatrazz with Yngwie back together for a very lucrative tour of Japan. Yngwie's wife/manager turned down the tour and said "Yngwie makes $1,000,000 a year just walking down the street."

I have no idea how true this is but between all his sig gear and the back catalog and touring, I don't know.

I SERIOUSLY doubt Yingyang makes a million a year walking down the street...or doing ANYTHING else for that matter. They just don't want to tour with Alcatrazz, but to be fair, Alcatrazz with Yngwie is worth way more money than without him. Graham and the boys would have to give him a huge share IF he'd even consider it, could never be a fair and equitable split. It's like when Dokken got back together in the 90s and Lynch said Dokken were offered X to tour Japan, but were offered X times 2 if George were in the band. So should George make twice what the other guys make in that situation ? Because they can't get X times 2 without him...

Not only that, but you would have to add on a $ premium per night for Yngwie to put up with a 60 year old Bonnet yelling into his in ear monitors off key.. that guy is WELL past his vocal prime.
I think it would be Free Nakori for Bonnet. :lol: :LOL:
 
Bonnet is a nozzle. LOL I remember reading Vai saying that Bonnet and his wife (!) accused Vai of ripping them off for the publishing on Lighter Shade of Green, even though no one else in the band contributed to the track ! lol Solely because he got more publishing on the record than anyone else because of that track.
 
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Didn't Bonamassa grow up in a music store? Pretty sure I went there when I was a kid and my mom and sister had a choir event in that town. Joe has probably had a lot of that gear since before he got big. There was a time when a lot of what's now considered holy grail vintage could barely be given away.

While I hope EJ makes a lot of money for his great music and playing, if the figures being thrown around here are take-home pay after all is said and done, it's not all that bad. I guess he still has to pay his bills at home, but living on a per diem with all travel and lodging covered and probably most meals too, what other expenses does he have on the road that aren't covered by the contracts and gig pay? I know I do pretty well when I'm on the road for business, always staying in nice hotels with all meals and travel covered. That's probably $150 I don't spend at the grocery store at home, while my cars and bike don't rack up miles, wear and tear, etc.
 
Bonamassa's Dad bought & sold guitars across the country for a living.
 
Chester Nimitz":1bwrbh3r said:
Eric wanted Mike to lower his price on the 335 but Mike wouldn't, he doesn't do that for anyone as the market dictates prices.
It was Eric's day off from the Experience Hendrix Tour and he commented he had spent a ton of money on the Tour and didn't have enough to buy the Gibson.

Is this the same retailer who didn't offer you enough for your Les Paul?
 
TheWhiteShadow":2no8kegu said:
A bit off topic but I think relevant. This article shows how an AHL hockey player with a million dollar contract will take home 200K after expenses. Interesting article nonetheless.
http://www.thehockeynews.com/news/artic ... -you-think

This is also interesting, Dave Lombardo on his salary. There's a youtube video of him breaking it down but I can't find it. He makes ~70K touring with Slayer.
http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/dave-l ... th-slayer/

Devin Townsend makes about the same:

http://www.metalinjection.net/shocking- ... -not-a-lot

My understanding with hockey salaries is that quite a bit of what they make goes back to the players union as well. Understandable, given the injuries that can and do happen.

http://nhlnumbers.com/2016/8/12/how-esc ... in-the-nhl
 
toddmogle":310jy8o2 said:
Regarding Eric Johnson:
http://www.celebritytalent.net/sampleta ... c-johnson/
Minimum Fee - U.S. Dates
$25,000-$39,999

Ok, if true, this begs the question which promoter can make such a gig pencil out. Say a min. of $25k. If a place holds 300 and tix are $50 each, a sellout crowd still brings in only $15k. Do food/bev/merch sales make up the other $10k plus some profit? Tough business here.
 
Rick Lee":22y3tttf said:
toddmogle":22y3tttf said:
Regarding Eric Johnson:
http://www.celebritytalent.net/sampleta ... c-johnson/
Minimum Fee - U.S. Dates
$25,000-$39,999

Ok, if true, this begs the question which promoter can make such a gig pencil out. Say a min. of $25k. If a place holds 300 and tix are $50 each, a sellout crowd still brings in only $15k. Do food/bev/merch sales make up the other $10k plus some profit? Tough business here.

I'm not so sure about those numbers either. For one, he ain't consistently selling out 2000 seat venues and I suspect to keep them fresh on tour, they want to play as many dates in a week as they can to maximize profit and keep chops up. Very likely depending on how many seats the venue can hold or tickets they have available for sale, they negotiate a lower price so everyone makes something. I mean, he can either play 3 nights a week and make say 25k or wait for the one show he will actually sell 1,000 tickets to which I don't think will be that many given is style of music unless he hits a festival. I am sure they aim for 25,000$- 39,000$ a show but not sure they always get it.
 
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