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Gig Venues In Aberdeen.


CraigO

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It depends on what role the engineer is playing and what level the artists are at.

The Taylored chaps, being PA hire, have public liability insurance, fuel, van insurance/ tax/repair, staff costs, maintenance (necessary and legal requirements) etc. They also don't have any way to supplement their income (merch), don't usually get riders or PDs etc. although I've not spoke to them for a while, they were working in the medium-sized venue (up to music hall sort of size) so taking all that in to account, I reckon they probably do make less.

I'd say a PA hire company is completely different to comparing the income of an engineer to that of a band's, but even so, like I said previously, up until Music Hall-size venues (and even then, not in every case), their staff will be walking away that night with money in their pockets, whereas I'd be very surprised if band members are doing the same, and if they are, with a comparable amount of money. Obviously PDs really only apply to touring so we can rule that out, and though merch is an income supplement, it's worth pointing out that for a lot of bands playing the Tunnels, Lemon Tree, etc, it's simply another way of covering costs as opposed to making profit personally.

Unless you're a successful function band or something along those lines, or are putting your own show on (with the proceeds not going towards covering other band expenses), then house engineers are always going to be pocketing more than local acts, even if what they're pocketing isn't very much for the hours worked.

I can't think of an example I'm personally aware of in low-to-mid-level (by that I mean Cafe Drummonds, The Tunnels, most things at the Lemon Tree) touring bands where crew aren't making more personally from live shows than the bands that hire them.

Like I said, I'm not complaining or suggesting that engineers/crew get paid too much or shouldn't be paid for some things at all, it's just unfair to suggest that they're generally pocketing less than the acts! There are obviously exceptions to this on both sides, but the general rule of thumb is that until you get to a certain level, crew will take home more money than you. Again, not saying that it's a bad thing! It makes sense to a degree.

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It depends on what role the engineer is playing and what level the artists are at.

The Taylored chaps, being PA hire, have public liability insurance, fuel, van insurance/ tax/repair, staff costs, maintenance (necessary and legal requirements) etc. They also don't have any way to supplement their income (merch), don't usually get riders or PDs etc. although I've not spoke to them for a while, they were working in the medium-sized venue (up to music hall sort of size) so taking all that in to account, I reckon they probably do make less.

House engineers have a much easier time of it and probably do make more than individual band members, but since most individual band members run at a loss (taking into account expenses such as rehearsals, strings/sticks, cables etc) that's not saying much.

Touring engineers are somewhere in the middle, depends on the level of the band.

You could also argue that the sound engineers are more talented than many of the bands going about and they get paid for putting up with and dealing with bands, not to mention the sound engineer will generally be working for longer than the individual bands too. Its an apples and oranges situaion, yes the sound engineers may get paid more at this level but they're doing a different job, a pilot gets paid more than a taxi driver. You couldn't pay me enough to sit and listen to some of the bands that play in Aberdeen and as such that's part of what people get paid to do, as a band you're playing something you like or you wouldnt be playing it, as a sound engineer you amy well be working with something you hate, just a thought.

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Guest idol_wild
You could also argue that the sound engineers are more talented than many of the bands going about and they get paid for putting up with and dealing with bands, not to mention the sound engineer will generally be working for longer than the individual bands too. Its an apples and oranges situaion, yes the sound engineers may get paid more at this level but they're doing a different job, a pilot gets paid more than a taxi driver. You couldn't pay me enough to sit and listen to some of the bands that play in Aberdeen and as such that's part of what people get paid to do, as a band you're playing something you like or you wouldnt be playing it, as a sound engineer you amy well be working with something you hate, just a thought.

Without that band that sound engineers "may hate", they wouldn't have a job in the first place.

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I don't think I've ever had a job that didn't have unpleasant tasks associated with it.

If a band can tune their instruments and can play well enough to pull off what they're trying to play 99% of the time then it's rarely unpleasant. As long as there's something there to work with you can at least try to make a silk purse out of it.

You can't polish a turd though.

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