The fee to hire the Queensrÿche bands is now public...

[labrekk]

The saga continues, but now we have some new infos (at least for me). Tate's band costs less than $10,000 per gig, while LaTorre's charges more than $20,000.

Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson also accused Geoff Tate of "continu[ing] to harm the QUEENSRŸCHE brand" since the Tates' original lawsuit was filed in June 2012. "The newest self-titled QUEENSRŸCHE CD release by the [Todd La Torre-fronted version of the band] entered the U.S. charts at #23 and continues to get 9-out-of-10-star reviews and is still selling very well on a weekly basis around the globe," Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson wrote. "In comparison, Geoff Tate released his own QUEENSRŸCHE CD in April of this year titled 'Frequency Unknown' and depicted as F.U. on the cover, which entered the charts at #82, received very bad reviews around the world, and has slowed to almost no more weekly sales. [The Todd La Torre-fronted version of QUEENSRŸCHE's] new CD even outperformed the last two CDs of them with Geoff Tate, selling more in a month than the 'Dedicated to Chaos' CD has since its release in 2010, and charting much better than both that album and the previous one, 'American Soldier'. Thus, the return to the classic sound [Tate's former] bandmates have made with the new CD and live shows has been met with overwhelming success."

They added: "Geoff Tate also chose very poorly in hiring live musicians that have shown that they are not capable of representing the correct performances of the QUEENSRŸCHE music legacy, and he was constantly replacing them. He has been offering his low-quality version of QUEENSRŸCHE to the promoters at a much reduced rate, as low as $10,000 per night, when, in fact, [his former] bandmates have done their best to keep the authorized QUEENSRŸCHE at an average of well over $20,000 per show this entire year. However, this becomes harder and harder with Geoff Tate's sub-par band and cut-rate pricing that continues to be damaging to the QUEENSRŸCHE brand and legacy no matter who ultimately wins control after trial."

http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/queensryche-trial-delayed-until-january/

 

[labrekk]

Damn typos...

The fee is NOW public...

 

[Jasonic]

$20,000 a night is why QR tour stops will continue to take place at Casinos and State Fairs near you!

In other words, keep an eye out for the wealthier suburbs in your community who has family festivals paid from tax payer $$$$$

 

[labrekk]

$20,000 a night is why QR tour stops will continue to take place at Casinos and State Fairs near you!

In other words, keep an eye out for the wealthier suburbs in your community who has family festivals paid from tax payer $$$$$

You have a point I think...

 

[Rycher]

Queensryche drew 5,500 people to the local McHenry, IL fest. With presale tickets at $10, that's a total of $55,000 plus 250 VIP seats for another $6,250. Day of the show tickets were $15, so there was likely a little additional profit as well. Deduct the promoter's expenses and he likely made some money on the show....and McHenry is not a rich suburb at all.

 

[Metal_Camden]

both bands still in public pissing contests. lol

 

[Jasonic]

Queensryche drew 5,500 people to the local McHenry, IL fest. With presale tickets at $10, that's a total of $55,000 plus 250 VIP seats for another $6,250. Day of the show tickets were $15, so there was likely a little additional profit as well. Deduct the promoter's expenses and he likely made some money on the show....and McHenry is not a rich suburb at all.

Yes, but let's get realistic......

QR did NOT draw 5500 people.
The festival itself did.

If QR were playing House of blues that night instead, they MAY have drawn 1000 people.

That's exactly my point. They have chosen the nostalgia act route of doing casinos and festivals where a $20K guarantee is a drip in the bucket as opposed to their now peers (IE - BOC, Kansas, ZZ Top, Styx, etc, etc) who probably get double that for such appearances.

Heck, even my company for their annual family picnic goes through a talent buyer and pays $10K for a TERRIBLE cover band.

 

[Jasonic]

....and McHenry is not a rich suburb at all.

Well, regardless, the "talent" is paid out of reserved tax payer $$$ for such events, as well as ticket sales.

 

[AeonicSlumber]

$20,000 a night is why QR tour stops will continue to take place at Casinos and State Fairs near you!

In other words, keep an eye out for the wealthier suburbs in your community who has family festivals paid from tax payer $$$$$

$20,000 a night for a multi-platinum band is ridiculously low. That means each guy in the band gets 4 grand BEFORE having to pay the booking agent, manager, lighting guy, tour manager, merch guy, sound guy, and bus (rental fee/gas/AND bus driver) + hotel fees.

To be honest, I doubt they even make money at all with those numbers.

 

[Rycher]

I'm sure Jack White's Great White and a local Metallica tribute band that were also on the bill generated the largest percentage of sales over QR......

QR over saturated the markers for years, playing 2-3 nights at the HOB almost every year. So they've now backed off and are playing fests and fly in shows to generate income until things are sorted out. I don't think it is a bad strategy for now. They have to get the new lineup in front of people and tests are one way to do it. How many people from that area would spend the money to see them at the HOB (ticket, parking, fuel cost, drinks in a large city) when they can see them at a local fest for 10? Band makes money, promoter likely made money, village makes money on food and beer. Fans enjoy the show. Win win all around.

 

[AeonicSlumber]

Queensryche drew 5,500 people to the local McHenry, IL fest. With presale tickets at $10, that's a total of $55,000 plus 250 VIP seats for another $6,250. Day of the show tickets were $15, so there was likely a little additional profit as well. Deduct the promoter's expenses and he likely made some money on the show....and McHenry is not a rich suburb at all.

With rare exceptions like mega once-in-a-lifetime acts that get huge fees to headline fests, most touring bands actually get paid less than their actual guarantee to play fests because they know more people will come out to see them than a regular show. Not to mention you're assuming that 55 grand went entirely to Queensryche and didn't get divided amongst all the bands playing + go to the fest expenses like crew, etc.

Band makes money

See above post dude. Totally doubt it.

 

[DarkOne]

How does that compare to the touring bands out there today?

Steve in Philly

 

[Diabolik]

Yes, but let's get realistic......

QR did NOT draw 5500 people.
The festival itself did.

If QR were playing House of blues that night instead, they MAY have drawn 1000 people.

That's exactly my point. They have chosen the nostalgia act route of doing casinos and festivals where a $20K guarantee is a drip in the bucket as opposed to their now peers (IE - BOC, Kansas, ZZ Top, Styx, etc, etc) who probably get double that for such appearances.

Heck, even my company for their annual family picnic goes through a talent buyer and pays $10K for a TERRIBLE cover band.

you never told me Ghost in the Ruins played your company party?

 

[AeonicSlumber]

How does that compare to the touring bands out there today?

Steve in Philly

It depends what you mean by "touring bands". A touring band can get a fee of anywhere from $0.00 to seven figures.

If you mean bands at the level of Queensryche, it can range from $5,000 a night to maybe a couple hundred thousand dollars a night depending on the act. Dream Theater probably gets somewhere in the ballpark of $75k to $100 a night.

 

[AeonicSlumber]

you never told me Ghost in the Ruins played your company party?

"This one goes out to Rob in Accounts Payable - see you Monday about that decimal error... Anyways 1,2,3..."

 

[Creeps]

I *heard* their last appearance in Tampa (LaTorre) packed the place and tickets were around $40-ish. Not sure on the numbers that showed, but I'm sure they sold more than 500 tickets which would make $20k alone.

I'd pay $40 to see them before seeing Geoff for free.

 

[Metal_Camden]

$20,000 a night for a multi-platinum band is ridiculously low. That means each guy in the band gets 4 grand BEFORE having to pay the booking agent, manager, lighting guy, tour manager, merch guy, sound guy, and bus (rental fee/gas/AND bus driver) + hotel fees.

To be honest, I doubt they even make money at all with those numbers.

If a band is not able to pay its members anything, on a tour @ $20G's a night, then they are doing something terribly and severely wrong. I just don't understand the logic here. Merch fees get paid through merch, which is usually a TON by itself for a large band like that. Manager gets fees from royalties on deals, or monthly fees, which are both aside from a performance guarantee. Booking agent will take a percentage. Buses are usually worked into a bottom line @ say $1,100 a day for an XL slide out Prevost, on the luxurious side of things. Hotels, food and all the perks are in a rider that is on top of a guarantee......... so, just saying, I don't see how they cannot be making a boat load of money. If it was split down 5 members evenly, Lets just take $10Gs off the top of each show for expenses (which is already absurd), each member is walking away at $2G's a night, BEFORE merch. Times that by say 25 shows, each member is making a yearly salary of $50,000 just one one tour... now go all over the world on several tours.

With rare exceptions like mega once-in-a-lifetime acts that get huge fees to headline fests, most touring bands actually get paid less than their actual guarantee to play fests because they know more people will come out to see them than a regular show. Not to mention you're assuming that 55 grand went entirely to Queensryche and didn't get divided amongst all the bands playing + go to the fest expenses like crew, etc.

I'm pretty sure that's the exact opposite of how that works. I have never heard of a large band that has charged less for a festival gig, especially if its a one off / exclusive.

I *heard* their last appearance in Tampa (LaTorre) packed the place and tickets were around $40-ish. Not sure on the numbers that showed, but I'm sure they sold more than 500 tickets which would make $20k alone.

I'd pay $40 to see them before seeing Geoff for free.

there were a TON of people there. Had to have been over 500 tickets. Pretty sure it was in the 600-700 range after walk up.

 

[Jasonic]

you never told me Ghost in the Ruins played your company party?

We may as well have. Not like anyone watches the hired talent anyhow.

 

[Jasonic]

I don't think it is a bad strategy for now. They have to get the new lineup in front of people and tests are one way to do it. How many people from that area would spend the money to see them at the HOB (ticket, parking, fuel cost, drinks in a large city) when they can see them at a local fest for 10?

Exactly!!!!

People will always go see "bands they remember from high school" at a family event where they can bring the lawn chairs and kids, and have a beer or two.

Would they go see them at their own show? Absolutely not!

But QR are playing in front of THOUSANDS of people at these types of shows that they wouldn't be if they immediately did a full blown tour on their own.

Even if 5% or 10% rekindle their interest in the band and buy the new album, it was worth it! Maybe they would come out next time around.

If not, they still got paid a good guarantee.

So yes, Win-Win all around. it's a very good move on their part.

 

[AeonicSlumber]

If a band is not able to pay its members anything, on a tour @ $20G's a night, then they are doing something terribly and severely wrong. I just don't understand the logic here.

No argument here, but it happens quite alot with some big bands that blow their earnings on production costs.

Merch fees get paid through merch, which is usually a TON by itself for a large band like that.

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. The merch guy might get salaried by the band like any other member of the crew, rather than assign the merch guy a cut of merch sales. Most of the time though indeed the merch guy just takes a cut of merch sales.

Manager gets fees from royalties on deals, or monthly fees, which are both aside from a performance guarantee.

Almost all managers in the music business get paid by getting a cut off non recoupables from the band, which includes gig fees. In fact, there are management companies that send employees on tour with their bands just to audit the band's income on tour and take their cut. There are other managers that take 100% of the band's earnings and then salary the band on the back end because they believe (and in many cases- they are right) they are the only party responsible in dealing with the band's revenue. Also I'm not sure what you mean by "royalties on deals" but that sounds alot like non recoupables to me, which includes gig fees.

Booking agent will take a percentage. Buses are usually worked into a bottom line @ say $1,100 a day for an XL slide out Prevost, on the luxurious side of things.

Depends on the deal the agent works out with the promoters, but since the band posted its standard rate, so subsequent costs are usually under that rate. That's why alot (but not all) bands may charge a buyon to the opener, which is to cover some of those costs ( and in exchange the opener might get bus share). Of course it's penchant on a deal by deal basis.

Hotels, food and all the perks are in a rider that is on top of a guarantee......... so, just saying, I don't see how they cannot be making a boat load of money. If it was split down 5 members evenly, Lets just take $10Gs off the top of each show for expenses (which is already absurd), each member is walking away at $2G's a night, BEFORE merch. Times that by say 25 shows, each member is making a yearly salary of $50,000 just one one tour... now go all over the world on several tours.

It's definitely possible, I don't have Queensryche's books. But I'm a bit cynical about that number and breakdown personally. But we'd just have to agree to disagree I guess?

I'm pretty sure that's the exact opposite of how that works. I have never heard of a large band that has charged less for a festival gig, especially if its a one off / exclusive.

I was saying that one offs and exclusives are exceptions, but indeed most of the time bands take a hit on the fee to play fests. Actually, you know this is probably the case when they have off fest dates around the fest itself - usually the band compromised on the terms because of the potential to play to more people and makes up on the loss by playing additional shows. Exclusive shows are exclusive because the band got offered a good enough deal that it doesn't it shouldn't need to play other shows and doing so would hurt the promoter.


Of course none of this is one size fits all, and I do apologize for making it seem like it. I was trying to keep it real though - IMO QR's numbers definitely seem low to me given how big the band is.