Skitch
Pioneer Member
This conversation occurred the other day as I was getting my haircut, with both of the other parties knowing that I am a drummer, with chicky-baby stating that the drummers are usually the person in the band who gets paid the least, you don't really see the drummer; just a bunch of misconceptions regarding drummers and it stated as matter of fact by someone who has never played a musical instrument outside of a car stereo.
It really kind of shocked me and I did attempt to dispel all of this as bunk as it really depends on the situation as to who gets paid how much and for what. My examples were Tommy Lee, who has always been a full member of Motley Crue and most likely gets paid the same as the other three guys. We may call it band but they know it as a partnership similar to a law firm's senior partners.
Then Vinnie Colaiuta probably negotiates a figure as a sideman because, well he's a sideman and not an actual member of the band in legal terms. He's hired by an artist who does get paid more but I doubt that Vinnie gets paid less just because he's a drummer!?
Ringo Starr probably had songwriting credits so that figures in as well.
In country music, the artist hires a band who make considerably less than the artist.
Then only bands in which I have ever heard of the drummer getting paid less is in latin bands in NYC because in those bands, every member plays percussion.
So it really does make a difference as to the specific situation.
I did use some other examples, which I won't divulge here, who are managed by a management company. My statement was that if "the rock band" plays a show for a fee of $100,000, the five members don't split it up into $20,000 each and go their own way. The money is sent to a management company, who takes their percentage out (say 15%), then the booking agent gets a percentage (say 10%). So before the band even sees their net, 25% is already deducted and let's not forget the income taxes as well. All this to say each band member get's paid a set salary by the management company who disburses these salaries and it is most likely not $20,000 each because this is a production and there are other expenses such as the transportation coast for both band and equipment as well as stage setting and the like as well as the instrument techs who set up, maintain and break down the instruments.
The members of "the rock band" are in a partnership and the company they are a partner in has to have operating capital as well.
ANYWAY, I digress..........
Have any of you ever been involved in such a conversation? How did you handle it? Maybe I'm making too much of it but this kind of thinking really upsets me because, if left unchecked, this kind of thinking becomes "common knowledge".
I probably should have used Neil Peart as an example since he pretty much wrote no music but wrote 99% of the lyrics Geddy Lee sang.
Your thoughts--------
Mike
http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com
http://www.drumcavedave.com
http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.facebook.com/mike.mccraw
http://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemccraw
http://twitter.com/mikemccraw
It really kind of shocked me and I did attempt to dispel all of this as bunk as it really depends on the situation as to who gets paid how much and for what. My examples were Tommy Lee, who has always been a full member of Motley Crue and most likely gets paid the same as the other three guys. We may call it band but they know it as a partnership similar to a law firm's senior partners.
Then Vinnie Colaiuta probably negotiates a figure as a sideman because, well he's a sideman and not an actual member of the band in legal terms. He's hired by an artist who does get paid more but I doubt that Vinnie gets paid less just because he's a drummer!?
Ringo Starr probably had songwriting credits so that figures in as well.
In country music, the artist hires a band who make considerably less than the artist.
Then only bands in which I have ever heard of the drummer getting paid less is in latin bands in NYC because in those bands, every member plays percussion.
So it really does make a difference as to the specific situation.
I did use some other examples, which I won't divulge here, who are managed by a management company. My statement was that if "the rock band" plays a show for a fee of $100,000, the five members don't split it up into $20,000 each and go their own way. The money is sent to a management company, who takes their percentage out (say 15%), then the booking agent gets a percentage (say 10%). So before the band even sees their net, 25% is already deducted and let's not forget the income taxes as well. All this to say each band member get's paid a set salary by the management company who disburses these salaries and it is most likely not $20,000 each because this is a production and there are other expenses such as the transportation coast for both band and equipment as well as stage setting and the like as well as the instrument techs who set up, maintain and break down the instruments.
The members of "the rock band" are in a partnership and the company they are a partner in has to have operating capital as well.
ANYWAY, I digress..........
Have any of you ever been involved in such a conversation? How did you handle it? Maybe I'm making too much of it but this kind of thinking really upsets me because, if left unchecked, this kind of thinking becomes "common knowledge".
I probably should have used Neil Peart as an example since he pretty much wrote no music but wrote 99% of the lyrics Geddy Lee sang.
Your thoughts--------
Mike
http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com
http://www.drumcavedave.com
http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.facebook.com/mike.mccraw
http://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemccraw
http://twitter.com/mikemccraw