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

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

Haha Like a giant fire breathing dragon as a back drop!

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.

Fo sho! Sometimes I would think that the percentage is even more than one of the best Front of House engineers. as long as we are talking like 15% and a band that can actually husstle some merch

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.

I don't really get what you are saying here, but it could just be me. To my understanding most Managers will take a monthly fee and then a percentage of the income from royaltees on cds or anything that has to do with the record label paying the band. Cds on tour would go towards the record sales, thus manager getting a cut off of that, but im almost sure that soft printed items are the bread and butter of the musicians today. I dont think that most managements will take a cut off that, since usually the bands are 100% responsible for the printing costs and selling of that, unless its a deal where the label pretty much owns the band and then print their merch for them. However, I would hope to never do that, and keep soft printed items (basically anything that is not the MUSIC) 100% to the band. Afterall, thats what's keeping several smaller bands afloat! Take Periphery for example. Their merch store is HUGE. They even have a saying on their facebook page, 'Periphery: A shirt store that also makes music'. :lol:

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.

werrrrd! I want to share a bus, hahahaha

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? :)

HAHAHA isnt that what most of this forum is? LOL All in good fun!

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.

True that! I suppose I was just thinking of gigantic bands for the most part.

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.

Haha its all good man, It made for good discussion! lol. given all the drama with both bands, I would say they are lucky they are getting what they are. You can still make a living off of that, easily, if you dont want to tour in luxury and have a ton of production costs. It's amazing to see how bands that were once in their prime, have something happen, and their stock like gets cut in half or even worse. I would say that (on a smaller scale than QR) Stratovarius is a prime example of this. All that stuff that happened with Tolki deffinitelly had an effect on the band. I am just glad they continue to put out good music, and plan on continuing! Sometimes it's nice to get a new flavor of a band when they have a few changes, ya know?
 
Cam - don't you have some more planning to do? :)

Re:Queensryche - they sold out a 6000 seat venue in Dallas just a few years ago on the Mindcrime II tour, with no opening act.

That said, TateRyche couldn't even get enough ticket sales to play whats normally a 600 ticket sellout at Trees, and had to move to a tiny venue down the street lat year..

I'd pay $25 to see Queensryche with LaTorre as headliners for a tour show.
 
$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.

To a CURRENT multi platinum band it is ridiculously low. 20K a night is pretty damn good for Queensrÿche now days. I can't see a scenario where a promoter brings in enough revenue at a QR gig to pay a lot more than 20k per night.