The popular and not-so-popular media is full of your daily dose of gloom and doom with regard to the economy. Prices of everyday essentials are surging ahead at a truly alarming pace, and the present and previous administrations are fighting like ferrets in a sack to point the finger of blame at one another.
So what is this inflation free area of the economy that I have to share with you?
It's musicians' wages. In the last few days amongst other things I played a fairly important gig about 135 miles away and a small jazz gig which was more along the lines of fun with good musician friends on the doorstep. A little check through the files revealed that comparable gigs were paying exactly the same money over 15 years ago. That's not inflation adjusted figures by the way, it is literally exactly the fees as the mid 90s.
Given that one of the most inflation prone retail sectors is clothing it can only be a matter of time before we start seeing a profusion of naked bands; which makes the two gigs I referred to earlier in this post an altogether different and slightly worrying prospect.
The definition of a jazz musician was: "2 Dinners away from homeless" - London Mid 70s.
ReplyDeleteWe recently did a well promoted double header with a reasonably well known band on the Mod scene, in a great venue in the Midlands. A total of 13 musicians, all grown men (and a girl,) all old enough to know better, and both bands probably put around 20 grands (minimum) worth of gear up on the stage. The PA and lights not included as that was in the house. After the door split, and the usual exes to the venue, we made a profit of £34.00. That was £17.50 PER BLOODY BAND!! One of the guys had travelled up from London, another from Gloucester and so on.
ReplyDelete30 years ago, I played up and down the country at all the working mens clubs, between the bingo, and we were still on 60-70 quid a night as a little trio.
I must need my head looking at!!