Jeremy

I suppose a person could make a living doing it. I don't see any of the "top name" people that "made a career out of it". Maybe I'm missing someone. It's be interesting to find out just how much of BE, BC, JH, RM, JD, PF, LG, JDM or others' money was made "playing in bands" "on the road, and how much of their money came from Production Companies, Teaching, Sales/endorsement of manufactured goods and guitars, let alone in real estate, consultation, or "other trades", even putting their "recording" on the "music side", I'll bet it's a less of the former, and more of the latter. (I hear rumors that some are even dabbling in "sheep breeding" ( Julian? )

I'l relate this to my "career" hauling equipment, asphalt and rock to construction jobs briefly.

Most of "the guys" I work with try to survive soley on their "day gig". When it rains, their sitting home for the most part. The only ones that "make it" are ones like me that have "other skills.

I can say with no reservation that I am among the most capable and best skilled of a handful of people that can deliver trac hoes and other construction "stuff" in a downtown or hillside setting in a metro area regardless of traffic or weather, day or night, legal or otherwise, and get away with it EVERY time. That WILL guarantee me a job when they are plentiful OR scarce ( though the jobs aren't as "good"). I AM among the one percent of guys with my skills that ARE working at all. I now haul paving equipment to jobs that few companies will try to do in the "West Hills" ( No relation.)

The other guys employed where I am are starving. Out of the 8 guys "under me" half are homeless. Two have telephones. and two or three can actually pay their car insurance. I think it is because they are somehow thinking that "Construction" and their dedication to it, will somehow "see them through".

The Construction Muse is as heartless as Persiphone or Calliope. I think her name is Betty. (She's slightly overweight, and has tatoos.)

I made conservatively, 6500$ last year playing music gigs. I haven't made any less than that any year that I remember. Sometimes more. On Every Single Gig. I made more than Union Scale, (such as I last checked). This while being employed full time.

This year is the only one in 15 years that I've "toyed" with the idea of "Hooking up" and doing "tours'. The ones I've been looking into, and could "cut" pay about 700$ a week.

Like my current "day job" I'd have to pay my own Blue Cross.

There are a precious few people that ever "made it" in Construction without having "other ways of making money". In my case I've made about 15 grand a year in appreciation of the house I bought 7 years ago. That's more than any musician I know of here in Portland made "pickin". Maybe even a few "Artist"s that "came from here". I don't know what Skip Parenti, Van Coffee, Lynn Paulson, Donny Herren or even Colin made last year. Nor am I more than passingly interested in it.

I made about 42k, and paid every bill I had with money left over for strings, bike gas, and chrome. I played three nights a week averaged.

I guess it is what YOU make it.

I don't think I exactly enjoy doing what I do all the time, but I dearly enjoy being able to do it where and when I know few others could.

EJL

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Eric West
'78 Pro III Sho-Bud
'75 MSA Red Baron
'63FLH 90cid Panhead
-Peavey: When it's *not* about "The Sound"-
Some people play music out of love for it. Some for the money. I play it mostly out of Spite.
-Me-

"At my age, sometimes I run out of Adrenaline, but I've still got plenty of Gall.." -Me-

[This message was edited by Eric West on 03 May 2003 at 12:51 PM.]