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#235396 by t-Roy and The Smoking Section
Thu Jul 17, 2014 3:06 pm
http://live.wsj.com/video/cover-band-ro ... 96B05F62F0




OAKLAND, N.J.—Rock 'n' roll is here to stay, Danny & the Juniors sang more than half a century ago. Rockers on the bar-band circuit aren't so sure.

Bar-band gigs started getting less reliable about a decade ago, when the music business wobbled and club owners hurt by recession reduced their budgets, industry experts say. Tighter drinking-and-driving laws and costly licensing fees haven't helped.

Sterling Howard, 67, owner of Musician's Contact, a referral service, has helped rockers get gigs for 40 years, and he has never seen it so bad. Young men don't go to bars as much in the hopes of meeting women, he says, while some people prefer open-mics or even silence to a loud band playing Bad Company tunes.

"People are watching their own drunken friends, which is maybe more entertaining," Mr. Howard says.

By Mr. Howard's estimate, Top-40 cover-band gigs have declined 80% in the past 15 years. Unemployment among musicians broadly is up sharply: to 9% last year from 5% in 2006, the National Endowment for the Arts says, based on government data.

Nor is pay keeping pace with the times, artists and booking agents say. A band making $400 or so a gig in the 1980s doesn't make much more now. Inflation has eroded pay.

Some cover rockers make good money, especially those willing to live on cruise ships or play in tribute bands impersonating rock stars.
#235399 by gtZip
Thu Jul 17, 2014 3:55 pm
The cover circuits started to fall apart in the 90s - a little ahead of the general music industry shakeup even.

Heck... if you're single and living in a van, how much money do you really need? :wink:
#235405 by GuitarMikeB
Thu Jul 17, 2014 10:29 pm
The downfall actually started in the late 80s - when all of a sudden clubs started booking 3 or 4 bands to play a set each instead of one band for the night. They figured they could get 3-4X as many people in that way (each band's fans/friends paying cover charges) AND pay the bands less than 1/3 or 1/4 of what a full-night band would get.
#235411 by Cajundaddy
Fri Jul 18, 2014 2:02 pm
We will probably forever be a cover band as that is where the greatest demand for our music lies. We rarely play bars so have been unaffected by changes in that scene. There is one place we played regularly for over 10 years who generated their own crowd, paid us well, and appreciated what we do. All we had to do is show up, play the show and collect a nice check at the end. No ticket sales, no marketing, no bringing your own crowd, just show up, smell good and play well.

Landmark birthdays, car clubs, Harley clubs, race tracks, street fairs, block parties and reunions make up the bulk of our gigs. Gotta go with what works for you...

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