They play arenas. Do the math. I took my son to an arena that holds 20,000 and looked pretty packed. Our seats far away and up were around 50 bucks before fees. They had an AMEX $250 per seat section near the stage and I think some standing tickets were around $80.
In a few touring cycles they literally went from playing basements to sheds/pavilions to arenas.
There are some metal message boards frequented by promoters and bookers who discuss these numbers. I read a thread recently that discussed the particulars of Bret Michaels asking price and what he actually gets for example. There are also a few current band members and a couple guys who have bigger names than they do careers who post on message boards and discuss touring life.
A lot of the gigs that pay well are casinos and festivals that already have a built-in audience and budgets. I remember when my local town had a festival that happened to have an 80s singer perform and the papers said “20,000 Turn Out to See ****** ***** Concert,” But I doubt more than a few hundred went to see the performance. They just happened to be there. And I’m pretty sure the “city” granted some crazy amount of money to the promoters. And places like casinos obviously have a different looking ROI than clubs or bars. There might be an 80s hair band that will play a bar for 5 grand but then play a casino for 30 and a fair for 20.
Katy Perry number sounds low, but I don’t know where they set her ticket prices.
For some acts, I think these numbers might be for one-off/fly-ins. If they are touring bands, and a show works for their route, I think they might take less to get a gig on an off day. For example, let’s say they play in Detroit tonight and Chicago 3 days from now. They might take less from a promoter to play somewhere in Ohio on one of the off-days. They are paying for a bus/driver/ (or whatever overhead/expenses) anyway. So they might as well take $7500 instead of $0, rather than holding out for a 10 grand offer that isn’t coming.
On the other hand I know musicians who do the opposite. I really want to see someone who is coming nowhere near me this tour. He goes on twitter and says “Hey, if I’m not playing your city it’s because we didn’t get any offers or the offers weren’t high enough this time. We don’t exactly choose where to play. We get offers and accept it if it works.” This is someone who has been “underground” for about 20 years and after years of playing bars, now he gets plenty of overseas offers, festivals, yacht parties, etc. So, it’s probably not worth it to him at this point to play a random Midwest bar for shitty money.
He was at a local venue (bar) last year. I didn’t go, but I admit I was curiously considering it. It was the same place where I saw Link Ray (surf guitar legend) perform a short time before he died. For an octogenarian he rocked.
Depending on the act, there might be other costs. When Chuck Berry goes on tour, he has no entourage, just a suitcase, a guitar w/case, what he’s wearing, and whats in his pockets. The promoter has to provide stuff like a drummer, a drum kit, a rhythm guitarist w/ guitar and amp, a bass player w/guitar and amp, a pianist w/piano, microphones, mic stands, cords, public address system, amplifier for CB to plug his guitar into.
Frankly, if I were booking Chuck, just to be on the safe side, I’d have a cord to go between CB’s guitar and the amp handy.
Speacking of Chuck Berry, he’s 88 years old. Something morbid I’ve wondered: when you book a celebrity that old, is it possible and-or routine to insure the event in case of their death or medical inability to honor the contract? And are there extra medical or other items on the riders that are age-health related (doctors in attendance, oxygen backstage, etc.)?
Not necessarily. My wife got his photo and autograph at DragonCon last year, and got to actually pose with him for the picture, and talk with him.
I assume it varies with venue. Blues performer Koko Taylor died in 2009. I saw her at Moondogs seven years earlier. Her backup band played a while, then she came out and did two songs. Then she took a break. I was in the backroom with her and was a little worried. She insisted she was OK and eventually did another song.
The local fire company is right next door to the bar. The plan was to run next door if she collapsed or had more shortness of breath.
Yes, there is insurance that pays if for some reason the show can’t go on because of medical reasons or weather for example.
And your wife’s good looks had nothing to do with it?
n/m
I hate to tell you how much I read Sarah Palin gets paid to make a speech.
This is hilarious!
Only $40,000 for Alan Parsons? A bargain, especially if it includes his whole ensemble.
$60K for Alice Cooper? If I win the lottery, I am so there!
I see Rush isn’t even on the list. This does not surprise me. I can’t see any amount of money convincing Neil Peart to show up and hang out with a bunch of random joes at a private show.
[Bolding mine.]
Shoot. Even if we don’t win, maybe we could start a pot? 
First, no doubt folks are right and the list isn’t accurate. But stipulating that it might be close in many cases, the price is a function of at least two factors, one being popularity, and the other being how much an artist does or doesn’t like to do private shows.
Keep in mind that the price might be just for the talent. You might still have to hire sound & stage, backline (all the instruments they don’t bring with them, sometimes a LOT of stuff), and everything else in the rider. It’d be interesting just to see some of the riders!
Well, I bet Crosby and Nash would be $100K, and Stills & Nash would be $100k. They’re worth a LOT more with all three of them, and toss in Neil Young for the big prize. Not that you’d get to chat with Niel.
No kidding! That’d be a rockin’ show, assuming he can still stand.
My sentiments exactly! He was my top pick on the list, overall. Then again, it’d sure be great to hire Leon Russell and Dr. John. But seriously, Belew is an incredible talent. One of the best acts I’ve seen was the King Crimson Discipline tour, in a small venue in Ann Arbor, back in the day. I’m sure he’s still got it.