Half pay for travel / days off...

[RoadieRumours]

Do you think it's fair to be paid less for a non-gig day on tour (travel day, day off etc.)?

[Randell G.]

After really considering the pros and cons, and taking into account the state of the touring industry today .... I voted yes.

I mean c'mon, we ALL want to be payed fair and square. We ALL like to see that we are being taken care of and that we feel like the gig is looking out for us, but i see getting something in terms of pay when its a day off, ALL your travel expenses are being taken care of, and your probably gonna either relax to some degree or other things ..... getting paid for a day when your not really working is not so bad as long as its not some insulting major cut in pay.

Touring is fucking expensive nowdays with more of us sitting at home instead of out there road hopping, we should all be thankful to have a gig in the first place. Trying to push for even more money for any number of reasons can not only backfire , but can very well strain an already close to limit tour budget meaning less jobs for our brothers and quiality of the gig. If anything i see more selfish and ill-placed attitudes toward milking every last cent from the gig itself nowdays then ever before. If your getting a good salary paid to you for work days along with expensives covered and a per diem PLUS getting compensated for off days .... stop being so fuckin greedy and enjoy your gig. There are plenty of crew guys out there just as quialified as you who didn't get the gig.

No offence to anyone , but goddamn some of you band techs are way over greedy.

[busskier]

No, I do not agree with 1/2 pay for travel or days off !! My view is based on the fact that we are required to be there and that restricts are possibility of making money, can you gig with another artist or company on those days - probably not, so you should be paid for your time away from making money elsewhere. I have always told my clients in the past that shows are free I just charge for down time.
peace

[peterarsen]

Travel day, rehearsal, show day, whatever, it doesn't matter. If I'm doing something, anything, for a client that makes me unable to accept other job offers, it's full pay.

[stigroadie]

Sorry it's a big 'NO' from me, put a show in, whatever? If I'm away from home you pay me my rate, gig, travel, day off, thats it. If you are going to get me home at 10 am I might cut you some slack but as others have said if I cant work for someone else you are paying me.
What are we now? Charity workers?

[David Preston]

As for pay on 'travel/off days,' I regard myself as an artisan, self-employed, selling my skills and accumulated experience. If I am on a 'daily rate' the artist gets me for the day, I am available all day, and night, for work... within reason. I don't mind getting the acoustic out for an impromptu song-writing session back at the hotel, but I have to have reasonable sleep hours and I show responsibilities as to when I get back to the hotel or bus to get my head down. Working out an hourly rate for some days is very revealing! As I am not available for other work, I think it is fair to ask for the same rate of pay for travel days, and I make it clear to my artist[s] that they are welcome to ask for work from me. I do make exceptions for young, not too well off acts I like working for or deals with artists that offer easy dates but have a tight budget, [these can be the most rewarding shows!] I love this job, I love the travel and people, as far as I am concerned we actually get a low hourly rate, [not as bad as when I was a student nurse!] but we have the right to get a daily rate for time in service. Just be aware we are mostly lucky sods, doing a fun job! Try working as an 'A' grade care assistant, from 11pm 'till 7am in an elderly care ward on £1.23 an hour!

[yomama]

Most of my travel days have been longer and more stressful than the gig so...
HELL FUCKIN' NO!!!

[Heinzling]

No thanx please. First and foremost I would like to state that most so called Day offs are actually Travel days. And a 20 hour busride is no fun. I prefer the old Gig myself.
Another problem is obviously that you unable to make a Budget for a tour. You only know how much you earned after the tour. Sod that. If I dont know in Advance, I am not coming.
Some tours these Days are bloody hard and hours are long. Its only fair if the bands pay for some leisure time. I dont feel sorry for the promoters and Rental company bosses in their Ferraris and Mercs.
And remember.
Its only a Day off if you go into the same Hotel Bed in the evening you woke up in in the morning. Otherwise its work and you pay.

[barry branford]

Randal G. What planet you from? Are you a Promoter in disguise? There may be a few tour out there that may deserve the odd financial break, but not many. I was asked to accept less than my usual rate by the lighting company on the last Rolling Stones tour because production had "beaten them down on price". The tour made over $400 million dollars.
Nearly all tours I know of make money. The ones that dont, its a promoter or record company who made plenty on other tours who loses the money. Anything you choose to give up has been fought for by the people who have come before you. Accepting less money would be doing a disservice to them and everyone else who considers themselves professionals. While your at it why don't you offer to share hotel rooms or better still sleep on the bus on days off

[Paul Barker]

Pretty simple really, all depends on the day rate and how many shows there are. Ive had bands before on toilet tours years ago where I said I wanted £150 a gig, which they said they couldnt afford, but would I except £110 a day, which worked out more than the per gig rate?!?!?!

Bottom line is, when Im offered work and the talk of pay comes up, I look at the period of time it involves, then what the total budget / wage is for that tour, then work out my average pay. Some tours I do pay per day, some per week ( once you hit a new week its a weeks pay even if the tour only has 1 day left to run ), or even per show.

I guess what you are on about really is the tours that pay say £150 - £200 a day and then try to only pay like £75 - £100 for a travel day / day off etc... That personally is bullshit. As is said above, they are employing you for your time, away from home and not being to work for anyone else. You do not dictate the schedule of the tour and how many shows they do a week. That is their choice and they should well be aware of the costing involved.

One act I used to work for toured about 12 - 14 months every other year, only doing 3 ( max of 4 ) shows a week. They finally realised that no matter if there was a show or not, it cost £x to be on the tour per day and then started doing 5/6 shows a week.