Recently, I started a Friday/Saturday job at an upscale restaurant....the main and closest competitor to the place I worked for 14 years.

Starting the third week, I noticed that the lounge was filled with piano players. That week, a place that featured a piano bar...sometimes three players a night doing back-to-back two hour sets...changed to a DJ, got rid of the piano and let the rotating players go.

Now, all 5 have asked for work. I get $150.00 for thre hours. Two have offered to do the job for $100.00 and three have quoted $75.00.
All three are more than adequate, experienced players/entertainers.

I've known three of these guys for over 20 years. Three of them only do music for a living. They worked this other place for over 10 years.

I'm not dropping my price, which is below the fee I charge for private parties. The "glut" of out-of-work piano players may cost me a job.

I'll let you know what happens.

R.

I feel for you, Russ but everytime I hear this happening I think of the guys around Dayton who have overcharged and gouged musical clients/venues for years.

(I'm not saying you overcharged, I don't know if you did or not...)

Those guys screwed it up for a lot of people, IMO.

Mostly, this is a sensitive sector of our economy adjusting itself.

When demand declines, supply increases ergo price per unit drops

That's first semester macroeconomics 101, I'm afraid...

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Bill in Dayton

Russ, let 'em have the job. You don't need it. I guess they know what they are worth.
Quite frankly, you are worth WAY more than $150. a night.
Later, when the guy calls you to come back, you can quote $200. or $250.
DonM

Russ, keep your price, but you may lose the job. And if you do, I doubt the owner will be calling you back - unless these guys are not as good as you say they are. If they have a following of ten years, it's a good bet some of that following will... follow.

Tough times lead to tough decisions.

If they were just breaking in, that's another story. I had to play for what I could get the first year (2007). The 2nd was appreciably better and this year is much greater. I'm already booking 2010 at an increase. If I ever get marketing tools together, I'll increase my earnings even more. Maybe one day I'll catch up to Dayton Bill

The trick is to get in as many facilities as possible and weed out the ones that will take 'anyone' and pay accordingly (ugh). (I'm really not interested in playing for places that you have to beg to get back and the so-called 'AD' is an idiot). I hopefully will narrow 2010 to a 100 or so. Currently I do about 175 (1 to 12x per month).

Not sure what to suggest Russ. I agree with both DonM and Cass - you're good and proven, but times are rough.

There are 7 upscale restaurants that pay $150.00 per night. There used to be 8 until a sax player came in with sequences last year at onwe of them and offered to do the job for $75.00.

That $150.00 price has been constant for about 15 years. There are 200 players chasing those 7 jobs, offering to do them for little or nothing.

This place is new. None of these guys have been serious competition in the past. If the place wants them at that price, I'll just go to one of the three that have contacted me in the last 3 months, including the top one I spent 14 years at.

I really believe in a free market economy. I feel that, if a player of lesser ability gets a job purely on the basis of price reductions, he/she can have it. If they're better than me, they deserve the job at a fair price. Usually, these "low dollar" offers do little but piss me off.

We'll see what happens.


Russ

Russ:

Bummer! Times are indeed bad. My 401k is a mere shadow of it's former self. I'll be looking for work too. Thankfully, I'm not a performer... just a songwriter who sings.

I'm not sure what I'd advise you... but my gut feel is exactly the same as Mason and the others. Stick to your guns but the situation sounds rough. Alot depends upon your relationship with the owner and your loyal fan base. Keep us posted. I wish you the best.

Dave Rice
http://www.ShowCaseYourMusic.com/DaveRice

Cap'n ... I am PRETTY SURE you are not in this for the money, but you shouldn't be underselling yourself either ...
I would stick to my price, and if I lost the gig, I lost it ...

As for your 'following', which I am sure you have, I wouldn't bet too much money that they are going to stop going to this restaurant just because you are not there ... UNLESS you land a gig in an equally good restaurant... Unfortunately restaurant goers are there PRIMARILY for the food ... good music adds to the ambience, but the vast majority are there because the food is good ... BAD music MAY keep people away, good music MAY help them stay, but music is NOT the reason people choose a restaurant ...

t.

its a buiness just like any other. If yopu were selling a product and your competitor sold a similar product at a chaeper price the only way to stay competitive is either to lower your price too or distinguih your product from the competitors in such a way as to justify the price.

What is unique about the way you entertain the customers that your competition is not able to do right now?

Get a stripper with you, you'll see your competitors go down fast...