Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Calculating Stage Value

I've decided to share my views on how to determine the stage or performance value of your band.
Occasionally I am asked to critique a band performance and give a score. With price verses performance as only one of the ten criteria with which I calculate a total score, the following formula will be shown only for the purpose of identifying whether you are charging too much or too little. Most often, bands charge whatever the venue is willing to pay them for the gig. However, I think that with a little more knowledge of calculating your value, that knowledge will foment the confidence that will help you to begin to demand more money. Whether you actually get more or not is entirely up to you. The following formula requires honesty. For the most accurate depiction of your bands score, have each and every member calculate their own number using this formula and then, to get an average score, divide all scores added and divide that number by the number of band members. The formula may not seem like a very accurate way of determining stage value to you and that's okay. But when I use it to test the current bands that I book for, it proves itself every time and serves as a witness when compared with the monies they receive on a regular basis.
Just two more quick notes. Bands rarely charge too much and get away with it consistently but, frequently, and almost too frequently, bands charge too little. Some bands play for fun and don't need to get paid a lot. However, some do it as a living and it is these bands that would really benefit from the "raising of the bar" by those that are under-pricing. Here we go.


In my book there are 5 basic levels of musicianship.

  1. BAD          These guys will be your last minute fill-in's. The "never agains!"
  2. POOR       These are they that don't have any ability to improvise, play by ear or solo well.
  3. AVERAGE    Average musicians hold their ground but don't stand out either.
  4. GREAT         Great musicians improvise well, solo well, learn songs easily and stand out.   
  5. STELLAR    These are the ones that are an inch away from leaving you for a touring band.
Now, take each band member and assign them a score based on their level of musicianship.
Score them (25-BAD) (50-POOR) (100-AVERAGE) (200-GREAT) (300-STELLAR)
Example;   Paul/Drums   Peter/Guitar   Mary/Bass  Tim/Vocals  Leroy/Keyboards
                         50                    100                100               50                    300    T= 600


These scores represent your worth in dollars. Hold on!
Now I calculate transport, set-up and tear-down price by adding $25.00 for each person.
Example;   Paul-25       +Peter=50    +Mary=75     +Tim=100    +Leroy=125   T= 125.00
(Venue's don't recognize that this should be an added expense but it certainly is. Your time has value. Perhaps this item would be more respected if playing didn't seem like such a party opportunity (gulp, gulp, glug, glug) for ya.)


Now, add $50.00 for each of these qualities if the majority of the band members possess them.
Remember that in a four piece band, 2 is not the majority but 3. Not $50.00 to each band member, just $50.00 total per quality.



  • Tightness with other members (musically)
  • Professionalism (on and off stage) 
  • Members dressed in accordance with music style and or venue clientele (baseball caps are for baseball players)
  • Crowd interaction (not just the singers job)
  • Showmanship (not standing room only)
Next, add $50.00 if you've never had an audience member say, "I can't hear the guitar" or "can you turn it down?"


Finally, Add $200.00 if you'll guarantee the venue that 10 of your friends will show up and each drink $20.00 worth of Pabst. (just Kidding) But seriously, for some reason venue's do find value in how many Facebook "likes" and/or "friends" you have. I'm not touching on that one but, always use whatever you can to your advantage.
Remember that this formula is what I use to determine if a band is out-pricing their performance only. Trio's should multiply their total point score x 1.25.


In order to calculate your value as a wedding band (if your repertoire allows for it), multiply your total dollar value by 1.4
In order to calculate your value as a corporate event performer, multiply your original total value by 1.8.
Have fun.
I would be very interested in your feedback.  musicmenu@mail.com
Don't forget to check out the new website at www.musicmenuonline.com


Adios,


D. Carl Larson
Music Menu







Sunday, January 15, 2012

The Music vs. The Booking Agency

  When I started the Music Menu, supporting great local live music was my goal and still is to this day. I believe and have great hope that the day of the traditional booking agency is coming to an end. I do not see Music Menu as a traditional booking agency however. Traditional booking agencies cause everyone in the live music industry to lose. In addition, they lower the quality of music, they set limits on the availability and access of music and lead venues into believing that in order to get quality music, they have to pay a excise tax for it. It's truly a false paradigm that agents, musicians and venues are all complicit in promulgating.
The bands want agents in order to get work. The venues want agents to tell them who's good enough to occupy their stages. The Agents want bands that will leave the booking of gigs entirely up to themselves and the agents also want venues to believe that "exclusively represented" bands are the only good source of live entertainment. The agents have to convince the venues of this in order to justify their representation fees of 15-20% of the show price.
Day in and day out, I am amazed to see venues hiring bands that come along with a 15% gratuity for being "exclusively represented". A band does not become more valuable to you just because a third party is promoting interest of them to others. This fact proves that venues that use traditional booking agents do not get a higher quality of music by using bands represented by them. They are guaranteed however, to pay an unnecessary "lobby tax" on music.
Unlike the Music Menu, traditional booking agents are not Music Critics. They simply pursue booking for those that pay them to do so. When an agency is promoting a band to a venue, it doesn't have the venue's best interest in mind, it has it's own interest in mind; selling the bands that pay them to do so. So, the bands are sort of slapping the venues in the face as well. For some reason, the venues do not know that there are a zillion bands out there that are really talented. But lets not leave it up to the agents to go out and critique local talent, their too busy 'Lobbying' for their bands. Sounds like D.C. to me.

  The equation.

Venue A has 8 bands a month                            
Venue B has 8 bands a month
Venue A pays an average of $1,000.00 per band  
Venue B pays an average of $1,000.00 per band.
Venue A's bands have an "exclusive agent"          
Venue B uses his own time to pursue gigs
Venue A pays a 15% gratuity to the ghost agent  
Venue B pays no gratuity tax
Venue A hires bands that are worth $850 but pays $1,000
Venue B hires bands that are worth every penny of the $1,000


Venue A pays a tax of $14,400.00 to  an "exclusive agent" every year               
Venue B realizes that in order to out-compete venue A, he can start hiring the same quality
bands as venue A for $150.00 less each night.
The agent got paid $14,400.00 for making 96 phone
calls or $150.00/call.    CHECK OUT THE FAT CAT!                                     
Venue B just saved $14,400.00 a year because their competitor, Venue A used an "exclusive agent"


If you wanna find out what makes the Music Menu a popular option to "exclusive representation" send us an email @ musicmenu.com

Doug Larson
Music Menu




Wednesday, January 11, 2012

110 Great Minnesota Live Bands (w/links)


Attention Venues: To find out each listed bands live performance critics rating send email to
musicmenu@mail.com
<----------Please Join this Site

American Roadhouse                              americanroadhouseband.com
Annex                                                     myspace.com/annexcentral
Arch Allies                                              archallies.com
Arrows at Dawn                                     myspace.com/arrowsatdawn
Bad Romance                                        myspace.com/badromanceband
Big in Japan                                           biginjapanband.com
Big City Band                                        bigcitylive.com
Bear Creek Band                                   bearcreekband.com
BKS (best kept secret)                          bksband.com
Black Rainbow                                      facebook.com/blackrainbowband
The Blue Drifters                                   bluedrifters.com
Brian Kinney Band                                briankinneyband.com
Brian Mac                                             brianmacband.net
Canyon Cowboys                                 canyoncowboysband.com
Chain Lightning                                     chainlightingband.com
Cherry Gun                                           cherrygunband.com
Crankshaft                                            crankshaftmusic.com
Crimson Edge                                       crimsonedgeband.com
Dan Ristrom and the Big Throwdown    danristrom.com
Davina and the Vagabonds                   davinaandthevagabonds.com



Get your band listed in our
catalogs and you are
Guaranteed 2 bookings a year!






Diamondback                                      diamondbackband.net
Dirty Horse                                          www.myspace.com/dirtyhorse4
Erins Alibi                                            www.myspace.com/erinsalibi
Fat Cats                                              www.myspace.com/thefatcats1990
Fleetwood Mac Attack                        www.facebook.com/TheFleetwoodMacAttack
4 on the Floor                                      www.myspace.com/the4onthefloor
Free & Easy Band                               freeandeasyband.com
The Frets                                             thefrets.com
Good for Gary                                    www.goodforgary.com
The Good the Bad and the Funky        www.goodbadfunky.com
Groove Stew                                      www.mikefugazzi.com
Hair Metal Mania                                www.hairmetalmania.com
High and Mighty                                  www.high-mighty.com
High Octane                                        high-octane-mn.com
Inukshuk Pass                                     www.inukshukpass.com
Jaded                                                 jadedrockers.net
Jam Factory Band                               www.thejamfactoryband.com


Just send us an email request
to musicmenu@mail.com










Jason Dixon Band                               myspace.com/jasondixonline
Jeff Loven                                           jeffloven.com
Jelly Project                                        facebook.com/thejellyproject1
Jonah and the Whales                         jonahandthewhales.com
Junk FM                                            myspace.com/wearejunkfm
Kentucky Thunder                             kentuckythunder.net
Kick The Dog Band                          kickthedogband.com
King Tuesday                                    kingtuesday.com
Knight Crawler                                  myspace.com/knightcrawlerusa
Knockin’ Boots Band                       knockinbootscountry.com
Leon Laudenbach Band                    leonlive.com
Lightning Creek Band                       lightningcreekband.com
Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials           myspace.com/liledblues
Lisa Wenger                                     lisawenger.com
Moaning Lisa’s                                myspace.com/thelisasrock
Menace                                            menacerocks.com
Metro Mix Band                              metromixband.com
Midnight Radio                                myspace.com/midnightradiorocks
Moose Knuckle Brothers                 myspace.com/MooseKnuckleBros
Mr. Bones                                       mrbonesrocks.com
Nasty Habit                                    nastyhabit.net
Northern Comfort                           northerncomfortband.com
North Country Bandits                    myspace.com/northcountrybandits
100 Watt Jones                              100wattjones.com
Outside Recess                              outsiderecess.com
Pandemic                                       pandemicfever.com
Plan B                                            myspace.com/planbblues
The Prodigal Sons                         myspace.com/prodigalsonsoftheironrange
Redneck Hippies                          redneckhippies.net
Ring of Kerry                               ringofkerry.us
The Rythm Roosters                     rhythmroosters.com
Rocket Science                            rocketsciencerock.com
Ronn Eastons All Star Soul Revue  ronneaston.com


















The Roy Rogers Band                  theroyrogersband.com
Ryan Daniels Band                       myspace.com/rdsos
Scarlet Haze                                myspace.com/scarlethaze
Sell Out Stereo                            selloutstereo.com
The Senders                                thesenders.net
The Shaw Brothers                     shawbrothersrock.com
Shirts and Skins                          shirtsandskinsband.com
69 Cents Band                           69cents.com
Soultight Commitee                     soultight.com
Square One                                thesquareoneband.com
Soul Tree                                   soultreeband.com
The Soupbones                          thesoupbones.com
Steel Orchid                               steelorchidrocks.com

Please let us know if you must be
removed from this list
musicmenu@mail.com

Stockcar Named Desire             stockcarnameddesire.com
Strange Daze                             strangedaze.com
Sum of All                                 sumofallrocks.com
Sweet Papa Dave                      thesweetpapadaveband.com
Theory of Relativity                    theoryofrelativityband.com
Thirtytwo Headshots                  32headshotsrocks.com
Toxicity                                      myspace.com/toxicitytribute
Tool Tribute                               myspace.com/tributetotool
Trailer Trash                               trailertrashmusic.com
Tribute to Rage                           myspace.com/tribute2rage
TroubleShooter Band                 troubleshooterband.com
Unhinged                                    myspace.com/thebandunhinged
Unleaded                                   theunleadedband.com
Voodoo Butter                          voodoobutterband.com
Vintage Raggs                            vintageraggs.com
Whiskey Tango                          whiskeytangomn.com
White Iron Band                        whiteironband.com
WobbleBox                               wobbleboxband.com
Zed Leppelin                             zed-leppelin.com

At Music Menu, we make it easy
for you to find great local
entertainment.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

MN Music Menu's Top 15 Local Live Bands of 2011

  Over the past twelve months I have watched a lot of live bands performing in a number of different capacities  including but certainly not limited to solo gigs, duo's, trio's and full bands as well as different stages such as festivals, street dances and theatre shows. As a local music critic, my favorite way to observe a live performance is in a dive bar atmosphere with intermediate ambient sound, a good beer in hand and with a generous amount of passion being exhibited from on stage. I am also a musician who plays drums and likes to sing and I know that there are a ton of factors that determine the amount of passion being displayed while on stage. However, passion is engagement, it's physical interaction between people who are often hundreds of feet apart, sharing a musical moment in time. It's body language, and it counts just as much or more as musicianship, band tightness and continuity of style. With all it's importance, passion is by far the least pursued and portrayed aspect of live performance locally today.
  All of this of course is a segue to the topic at hand. The Music Menu's Top 15 list of live bands that, among other great attributes, are 'passion filled' performance groups. These bands 'bring it' as performers, musicians and personalities that are appreciated on and off the stage. Some of the things that I look for when critiquing live performances are continuity of stage dress, band tightness, appreciation for their audience, off stage demeanor, sound quality, PASSION, individual musicianship, songwriting, originality, genre range, crowd interaction and price versus performance. Without going into any further detail of what each criteria means to me, suffice it to say that the following bands have all these characteristics and it is my pleasure to introduce them to you. The bands are listed in order based on continuity over a given number of witnessed performances.
The list is as follows;

#15 East Fillmore

for your listening pleasures.
Blues
St. Paul, MN.



#14 Flashback

70's Rock
Burnsville, MN.

Tony Hernandez














http://www.flashbackbandmn.com/fr_home.cfm


#13 Downtown Sound


Classic Rock/Country
New Prague, MN.
Jim Reeder












http://downtownsoundmusic.com/


#12 Outside Recess


Classic Rock
Maple Lake, MN.













http://outsiderecess.com/

#11 Menace


80's Rock
















http://menacerocks.com/

#10 Better Off Red


Classic Rock
Plymouth, MN.
John Ryan












http://betteroffred.bandvista.com/



#9 Big Bob Scoggin


Variety
Minneapolis, MN.
Bob Scoggin













http://www.bigbobscoggin.com/

#8 The Shaw Brothers





Classic Rock/Country
Prior Lake, MN.
Trent Shaw
http://shawbrothersrock.com/

                                                                                                           

















#7 Sweet Papa Dave Band


Blues
St. Cloud, MN.
David Hart
http://www.thesweetpapadaveband.com/


#6 Sell Out Stereo


Classic Rock
Minneapolis, MN.



















http://www.selloutstereo.com/


#5 Chris Brooks & The Silver City Boys


Modern/Classic Country
Minneapolis, MN.
Chris Brooks
http://www.chrisbrooksband.com/fr_home.cfm


#4  Modern Condition


Progressive Rock/HipHop
St. Cloud, MN.
http://www.myspace.com/modernconditionmusic


#3  Leon Laudenbach Band



Blues/Rockabilly
St. Cloud, MN.
Leon Laudenbach












http://www.leonlive.com/






Leon Laudenbach & Mark 'Sparky' Anderson performing the Headwaters Blues Opry 2011.






#2  Redneck Hippies




Classic Rock, Blues, Funk
Eagan, MN.
Kevin Gagnon
http://www.redneckhippies.net/

















#1  Gilman's Crossing



 Gilman's Crossing is;

Ray Gilman-      Guitar/Vocals
Ben Craig-         Bass
Pat Swedzinski- Vocals/Guitar
Brian Sherry-     Drums

http://www.raygilman.com/


Well, that completes our list for 2011. Please check out all these band links and keep supporting local live music. Happy New Year!
D. Carl Larson
Check out the Music Menu blog site here- Music Menu Website
Check out the Music Menu band site here- Music Menu