Labor Day reality check: Musicians continue to face low pay, long hours for ‘labor of love’

Would you work 12 hours for $10 or $15? Unlikely. But many musicians toil for low wages simply to showcase their art and grow their audience. Their plight is the subject of Local Spins’ Labor Day column.

 

Editor’s Note: A version of this column first ran on Labor Day three years ago, and Local Spins continues to spotlight the same issues on this holiday annually because it clearly strikes a chord — and a nerve — with musicians: It’s one of the website’s most shared and viewed posts every year, sparking comments from across the globe. For the Grand Rapids area, which has become a hotbed for live music and the arts, the issues merit serious attention because talented performers certainly deserve to be compensated fairly if we want this musical momentum to continue. But there are plenty of varying opinions on this subject, so check out some of the comments from previous years below and offer up your own views. – J.S.

 

On Labor Day 2016, consider this startling fact:

I know plenty of hard-gigging West Michigan bands that are paid less for performances today than rock groups of a similar ilk who played bars and parties in the ’70s and ’80s.

I’m not even talking about part-time musicians who are mostly in it as a hobby, but rather, immensely talented players who strive to do this for a living – playing five or six nights a week for what often falls well short of minimum wage when one considers the hours devoted to loading in, sound-checking, performing and tearing down again.

And this doesn’t even count all the hours of practice and rehearsals, or the time spent in the highly creative – and taxing – process of writing original songs.

Ultraviolet Hippopotamus percussionist Casey Butts once put it this way when describing the Grand Rapids band’s cross-country touring experiences.

“On an average day, we wake up at 9 or 10, drive three to five hours to play shows, another three to five hours to set up and sound check, then we play three hours and take an hour to tear down. On average, we’re usually making about $10 to $15 a day after paying for hotels, gas and expenses. Sometimes, we’ll work 12 hours a day and walk out with $10 in our pocket,” he says.

“It’s despicable, but at the same time, we all know that. You do it because it’s what you love to do – travel around the county and play music for people. I’ll take that over working in a kitchen any day of the week. But it’s tough, especially when you have families and house payments. People think it’s the 24-hour party. But that’s not what it’s like at all.”

Speaking of restaurant kitchens, that reminds me of the old joke about the difference between a musician and a pizza: A pizza can feed a family of four.

But this is no joke. Several years ago, I wrote about a popular local band that played three energetic gigs in three different locations on a single night, racing between venues, loading and unloading equipment, entertaining diverse audiences. Because they officially only got paid for one of the three performances (selling merchandise and CDs at the other two), their take for the night totaled $212 and five pitchers of beer. Split five ways, that’s $42.40 and a pitcher each, not counting the fact that the drummer had to replace various drum heads for about $82 before the marathon began.

And it was, indeed, a marathon: They loaded in for their first performance at 2 p.m. and arrived home at 2:30 a.m.

An extreme example? Maybe, maybe not.

KEEPING A VIBRANT MUSIC SCENE THRIVING … AND SOLVENT

Of course, musicians themselves likely share part of the blame because they’re so passionate about their art and adore the process of creating music so much they’re sometimes willing – especially when it comes to young, up-and-coming bands eager to strut their stuff – to settle for scant wages just for the opportunity to get some exposure.

But as local singer and musician Mick Lane of the Conklin Ceili Band points out bluntly and somewhat humorously, “You can die from exposure.”

Don’t get me wrong: A fair number of upstanding West Michigan venues and corporate-sponsored events pay a fair wage for top-flight musical entertainment, while others don’t. Some simply haven’t kept pace with inflation over the past three decades. Put it this way, according to a standard inflation calculator, a band paid $300 for a performance in 1980 should be earning more than $850 for that same gig today – which I’m guessing is a rare occurrence.

I understand that it’s a competitive landscape for bars and live music venues these days and profit margins are slim. Many advertise and help promote band performances, provide food and beer, and otherwise give musicians a platform for their art. (And some musicians probably don’t do a great job of helping their cause when it comes to promoting their own shows.)

Still, there’s a disconnect when artists in one of America’s fastest-emerging music scenes – boasting an astounding trove of talent – have real difficulty getting by as musicians and can’t even afford health insurance. Many take other jobs or depend on spouses to make it work. Despite that, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more generous bunch, with a host of West Michigan bands regularly donating their time for benefits and worthy causes.

And while one working musician told me he longs to raise the bar “to respectful levels so we don’t have to hang our heads in shame,” others are willing to play for free just so they can open for national acts in front of fervent crowds at clubs, festivals and amphitheaters, even if it’s counter-productive to efforts to “raise that bar.”

DOESN’T COMPELLING MUSICAL ART DESERVE A FAIR WAGE?

It’s a tough situation. Clearly, the love and passion for music keeps these artists going, but most deserve better: They deserve to be acknowledged – and paid a reasonable wage – for the compelling art they produce.

In a landscape filled with karaoke, pre-recorded music, Pokemon Go and a zillion other entertainment options, we’ve somehow devalued live local music in the new millennium.

Ultimately, audience habits are as much to blame as anything, with fans often willing to pay $80 or $100 or even $200 per ticket for a touring pop act, but balking at a $3 or $5 admission for a night of bracing entertainment by a hard-working local band.

So every year on Labor Day, I encourage you all to hug some musicians you know and tell them you appreciate what they do. Better yet, gladly pay those cover charges throughout the year, buy their CDs and T-shirts … and toss a few extra bucks into the tip jar.

UPDATE: The 2016 West Michigan Labor Fest takes place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today (Monday) at Ah-Nab-Awen Park in downtown Grand Rapids, with musical performances by Mick Lane, Mustang Band, Rochelle & The Spoilers, Krystal Kleer and Slug Spoon, with a vintage car and motorcycle show, children’s activities and rides, food vendors, a beer tent, local arts and crafts and more. Get more information online at westmichiganlaborfest.com.

                                                                                                                       — John Sinkevics

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