re: breweries and such

Edgewood NM

Description

Any musician who has been playing live gigs for any length of time knows that we hardly get a pay raise for our work. Bars, breweries, clubs and the like are still paying the same amount they have always paid for the musicians that do the work. All over the country it's the same. An average of $50 per player if you're lucky is the norm. Yes, some pay more some pay less but it is what it shouldn't be. Because once the gig is over and you figure your "earnings" and subtract the gas, food, time to load in/set up... pack up/load out. You might be looking at a 10 hour work day. No-one gets paid to drive to work or to drive home. No-one gets paid to learn something new (practice). But we all should get paid a minimum wage for the time we are "working" the venue. Here in NM as in other markets the musician's union doesn't help all that much. It should. It could be said that if we all bonded together and demanded fair pay for our work it might happen. But then again there will always be those who will play for a free beer and pizza and the venues most likely will book them. Because it's free entertainment. It doesn't do anything good for the rest of us.