Nashville bands don't get paid a penny

[AlexVonHaig]

Most of the bars on Broadway have 4-5 bands per day. I haven't heard all of them but every one I have says they don't get paid so, if you like what you hear, put a buck in the bucket. Same for bartenders and servers. Great business model if you can get away with it.

Anyone here in a band that has, does or will play for tips?

[Rocker4Real]

That's why it's difficult to make any money as a musician on the local level. So many are willing to play for free. You'd think it would be different in Nashville, but I can see the owners telling musicians that it's great exposure to play there.

[Van Ailin']

That's why it's difficult to make any money as a musician on the local level. So many are willing to play for free. You'd think it would be different in Nashville, but I can see the owners telling musicians that it's great exposure to play there.

And also there are SO many musicians there that they need a place to play. The bars have a great supply/demand scenario.

[DangerZone]

Ace hired Gene’s Nashville band cause they were cheaper

[HueyRamone]

Ace hired Gene’s Nashville band cause they were cheaper

Cheaper than richie scarlett?

[Tommy2Tone84]

Ace hired Gene’s Nashville band cause they were cheaper

Cheaper than richie scarlett?

Cheaper or not they are much better

[DangerZone]

Ace hired Gene’s Nashville band cause they were cheaper

Cheaper than richie scarlett?

I think you mean THE EMPEROR

[Tommy2Tone84]

Do original bands get paid at the club level? Musicians aren’t historically known for their business acumen and club owners know they have musicians over a barrel. Didn’t the Hollywood club owners invent the pay to play scheme?

[Rocker4Real]

Do original bands get paid at the club level? Musicians aren’t historically known for their business acumen and club owners know they have musicians over a barrel. Didn’t the Hollywood club owners invent the pay to play scheme?

Some owners will refuse to pay bands that play all original material. Most bands starting out are eager to get out and play and will do it for nothing. If they start to become a draw at the club level, they should negotiate a cut of the door or a fee.

[FreddyFender]

I don't know the pay-scale, but I do know some younger people out there putting in their 10,000 hours. One of my friends kid plays 2-3 full sets a day most days. Every so often gets asked to go out on tour (paid). Some are out there on their parents dime, others are tending bar, waiting tables, selling drugs etc.

People out there aren't looking to pay rent playing bars/clubs, they're looking to meet the right people and break into the industry.... either as a working musician, original artist, songwriter, studio musician, etc.

[Charles Bukaki]

I was listening to a podcast (Your Favorite Band Sucks, highly, highly recommended) where both hosts live in Nashville and say the scene is so saturated that even karaoke shows get commandeered by aspiring singers wanting stage time.

[Tommy2Tone84]

Do original bands get paid at the club level? Musicians aren’t historically known for their business acumen and club owners know they have musicians over a barrel. Didn’t the Hollywood club owners invent the pay to play scheme?

Some owners will refuse to pay bands that play all original material. Most bands starting out are eager to get out and play and will do it for nothing. If they start to become a draw at the club level, they should negotiate a cut of the door or a fee.

Some club owners barely pay cover bands in my experience. It sounds like it’s the same in the stand up world. That’s why so many famous comedians started their own clubs in New York.

Many musicians are just bad at business. But the system, whether it’s the clubs or record labels is also gamed against the artist.

[tooth]

Nashville is so much fun. NFL, NHL & AAA Baseball all right there with the music, food & everything else!
The people I've spoken with claim that, to work in Nashville Music, you gotta have a proper skills & education level to even be considered. No self taught, no play by ear etc. Like you need to know every song, on every instrument & be able to sing & if not, here's the charts & you best sight read. Then, you need to audition & network & expect to not only not get paid, but spend cash promoting yourself. You need cash to work in music.

[windycitycane]

One reason I would never live in Nashville as a musician.

Would much rather live in a smaller town and get paid.

[Zinny]

What if some musicians/bands just like to play?
Like Sunday league soccer. Just for fun.
If there’s no demand for seeing an unknown band, why would they get paid? I don’t see the same debate regarding amateur sportsmen.

[BangThyDrum]

From what I understand is that the bands that play on Broadway in Nashville usually play 4 hours straight (no breaks). The clubs will pay the bands $150 (on average sometimes more) and the rest are tips. Sounds like a pretty shit deal to me but I guess these guys do it to hone their skills, make connections in hopes to landing a great touring / recording gig.

[keyofgee]

my limited Nashville Broadway experience. I say limited because once I found out how it was for the most part, I wanted nothing to do with it. Even though I am down there almost every weekend or so, I am not apart of that scene. But here is the rundown for the most part of how it works on Broadway playing in bands. Networking. You have to network. Nashville is like LA was in the 80's. The mecca for every good and bad musician in the world to flock to. Broadway is the tourist area. Heavy with tourists. So almost every bar on Broadway uses the playlist from the "Broadway setlist". If you are ever there and bar hop. It's like the same band and set list is the same everywhere because for the most part it is. Popular songs bring ppl in. Originals Don't. So you, like every other person playing there is playing the same crap. you may "honky tonk" you shook me all night long" but so is every one else. It is available on line. Complete charts (cheat sheets) for what ever instrument you play. There is even a Spotify Broadway setlist of about 500 songs you can listen to and run the charts with. There aren't really bands there on Broadway either. Everyone is a "Music Director" or MD for short. The MD has a group or network of individual artists that they had played with and can depend on them to show up on time and play. There is not much if any rehearsing. You have the charts. If you can read them and understand cues and tempos, why bother learning something. Just read the numbers off the charts. Most guys that have been in the network for awhile will get flat rates. there is a fb page where MD's look for musicians. It may say something like, I need a violin player tonight at "Club redneck". from 10 pm to 2am. We use the Broadway setlist and pay is 75 dollars. This goes on everyday. on the same page you will see almost daily someone making their dream journey to Nashville to make it big and ask for advice there. Nashville, like LA was, cut throat. There will be musicians replying back saying "Stay home, we don't need you", too many musicians here already fighting over one strip and only a limited number of openings. There is also a underground network that's alive of actual bands. They play other places like the exit, the end, and other places. I went into printers alley and watched Shinedown's guitar player play free bird solo like the record to maybe 10 ppl. Nashville is for tourists and they didn't care about the Shinedown's guitar player in an alley in a hole in the wall but to me that was a real place to be. we played Bowies many times before it shut down, it was on off Broadway, meaning if you turned the corner on Broadway, there was bowies on the same block but "off broadway". . They we always gracious to us and they always paid there bands 165 dollars at least. Most people playing on Broadway stay there. For years. Trapped in that cheese grater until you're burnt out or been burnt enough. They run from show to show every day. Some times two or three gigs a day. every day. I wont mention any names because he is a popular MD and wanted our help a few years ago, we extended it and then he just cut us off, but that's the business, his name was brought up again to us about needing some extra instruments on one of our latest recordings and we said no. Did he miss out on anything? nope, just a couple hundred bucks but it wouldn't affect him. I see his posts, the weekends, he is running from place to place on Broadway every night to stay alive. Its just not for me. But it works for him and a lot of ppl so its all good. There is also a group of bands that really have very little do to with Nashville even though they are out there. Like us. So, it works for everyone. my advice for anyone going there. Network and stay off Broadway gigs. but if you have to gig on broadway. Seek out the top MD guys and become someone they can depend on. Its a small chance but they may know someone that needs a touring musician and you need to be avail and known to be counted on. it does happen. If you are a drunk, drug addict, have a huge ego, an asshole, etc. good luck getting anywhere. Nashville is clicky and you will be blacklisted before you wake up with a hangover.

[Rocker4Real]

That's a shame many places on Broadway have bands that play typical boring covers. I'd like to vacation there sometime. I'll have to do a little digging to find clubs with interesting bands.

[keyofgee]

That's a shame many places on Broadway have bands that play typical boring covers. I'd like to vacation there sometime. I'll have to do a little digging to find clubs with interesting bands.

printers alley is a good place to go see off the beaten cover band playlist path..but I will say this...2 blocks off of Broadway in any direction and you may get robbed or worse. its right in the middle of crime. And if its late at night, you may still get robbed on broadway or a downtown car garage. Never travel alone there.

[CrankerBait]

The guys making money in Nashville, aside from the obvious stars, are the top tier of session musicians. My friend's brother has been doing this for almost 30 years. Plays guitar and lap steel on plenty of major artists' albums. Was in Dolly Parton's touring band too for a while, I think.