Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Approximately how much do bands take home on tours?

Options
  • 28-06-2024 12:27pm
    #1
    Arequipa
    Registered Users Posts: 1,031 ✭✭✭


    Hi,

    I hope you are all well.

    I was wondering how much bands approximately take home after a gig....

    I am talking about bigger bands/ acts..

    - Blur, Pulp or Liam Gallagher at venues like Malahide or St Annes.

    - up another level to Pearl Jam, Green Day at venues like Marlay Park..

    -to the most popular acts like Taylor Swift, Coldplay at the Aviva or Guns n' Roses as Slane.

    I know that they have big overheads and costs...

    • insurance
    • transport of equipment
    • roadies and touring staff
    • costs to the venue, promotor and Ticketmaster
    • pay for the support act
    • travel costs for band, their staff, accomodation...food, drinks,

    So do any of you know roughly how much the band make after tax?

    Is the tax they pay in Ireland especially high and are the costs higher because we are an island?!

    thanks for reading!

    A



Comments

  • Options
    #2
    Toast
    Registered Users Posts: 2,829 ✭✭✭Toast


    They'd pay tax wherever they're tax-resident. Infamously, U2 made that the Netherlands as it was more favourable than Ireland to them.



  • Options
    #3
    Fanirish
    Registered Users Posts: 3,792 ✭✭✭Fanirish


    Bands receive guarantees for each show and festival and these guarantees are based on two major factors and dozens other ones.

    Venue capacity x ticket price.
    so a band like pearl jam receive different guarantees across europe based on venue capacity and ticket price they want to charge.
    The guarantee can be affected if the band is transporting its own specially designed stage like Ed sheeran, Metallica, beyonce, Taylor etc do.
    very roughly a band playing olympia/vicar above to a Slane or stadium might receive a guarantee of between 20-30% of the ticket sales based on a sold out venue.
    Harry styles headlining Slane sold over €8m worth of tickets it was reported his fee was between €2-3m. Similarly when the Rolling Stones played croke park they sold over €7m in tickets and received over €2m.
    Artist agents take 15% commission and then they have to pay for crew, transport, accommodation, equipment etc. they make less than people think.



  • Options
    #4
    Weepsie
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 20,420 Mod ✭✭✭✭Weepsie


    Venues also take a cut of merchandise and they have to include local vat charges in their prices. Some venues charge enough that it's not worth the band selling them . I remember one band asking people to not buy their merch until after the show. They'd sell it cheaper from their bus.



  • Options
    #5
    HBC08
    Registered Users Posts: 3,467 ✭✭✭HBC08


    U2 we're taking home about $4m per show in the Sphere.

    The show was grossing about $8m per show.



  • Options
    #6
    tritriagain
    Registered Users Posts: 1,166 ✭✭✭tritriagain


    U2 only moved the royalty side of the business to Netherlands. It's a misconception that they are tax resident there.



  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    Arequipa
    Registered Users Posts: 1,031 ✭✭✭Arequipa


    thats very interesting...

    €2-€3 mil for a show is incredible... but I wonder how much they actually get in their bank account after all expenses, costs and tax....

    re Pearl Jam .... it is interesting as... they had to cancel their London gigs at quite short notice... due to probably Eddie being ill... so all the tickets are refunded...but does insurance cover such things? or does the promotor or band have to pay out ....



  • Options
    #8
    Arequipa
    Registered Users Posts: 1,031 ✭✭✭Arequipa


    i also wonder with a band like Coldplay, Pearl Jam or Guns n' Roses.... are the earnings shared equally between all band members or do Chris, Eddie and Axl get a bigger cut as front men?



  • Options
    #9
    Padre_Pio
    Registered Users Posts: 5,211 ✭✭✭Padre_Pio


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122315720#Comment_122315720

    Honesly they probably don't end up with much.

    Say a band sells out the 3Arena, 8k people at 100 a ticket, is 800k.

    By the time you've paid the venue, the insurance, the promotions, the management company, ticketmaster, the roadies, the trucks, the cost of equipment, your agent, I would imagine 90% is gone before the actual band members see a penny.

    Most make very little on album sales since streaming and downloads took over so they have no option but to tour



  • Options
    #10
    heavydemon
    Registered Users Posts: 30 ✭heavydemon


    Yeah i remember reading about 20 years ago there was a newspaper article about a U2 tour. They basically only made about 10% from the ticket sales of their world tour after everything was covered



  • Options
    #11
    Seth Brundle
    Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 39,765 Mod ✭✭✭✭Seth Brundle


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122315816#Comment_122315816

    ...and from memory, I think U2 made the most money from touring for any band with Metallica coming in second place. U2 may have only gotten about 10% of the pie but it was a very large pie!



  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    Jambonjunior
    Registered Users Posts: 285 ✭✭Jambonjunior


    Think their 360 tour with the claw stageonly broke even.



  • Options
    #13
    Mike3549
    Registered Users Posts: 987 ✭✭✭Mike3549


    If I remember clearly, U2 was still deep in red after 9 months of their tour. When bands tour with their own stages and stuff, they have to make a number of gigs just to break even.



  • Options
    #14
    Water John
    Registered Users Posts: 21,453 ✭✭✭✭Water John


    The industry model has changed a lot. 30 years ago, the tour was loss making and the album sales the money earner. It's now the reverse. Was listening on radio to the local economy benefit of a concert. Normally it's 3 time the price of the ticket. Say €100 for the ticket, total €300 to the economy. Taylor Swift has a multiple of 13 on the ticket sale price.



  • Options
    #15
    Arequipa
    Registered Users Posts: 1,031 ✭✭✭Arequipa


    You gotta admire Taylor Swift.. she is smart, talented and works so hard…I watched a bit of her Aviva gig on youtube last night and thought she was fab...

    and then she plays multiple, consecutive nights in the same venue....

    You are right about the money she generates in hotels, bars, shops in Dublin...

    I imagine she is taking a handsome sum home at the end of this tour..

    i heard as well that she is quite generous to her touring staff



Advertisement