Info on the estimated costs of putting on a GnR show?

[Tomorrows]

Can anyone give any informed guesses on how much money it costs for GnR to put on one show?

It looks like they use some expensive stage effects, props and technology. Eight highly skilled musicians. Plus a travelling road crew and late fees!

[pilferk]

I'd guess in the neighborhood of 500k and 750k (and yes, I know that's a big range..but some of the costs are variable so it's a big ballpark you're playing in).

Keep in mind, that's all the costs.? Some of those costs, given multiple shows (even at multiple venues...equipment is transportable obviously and lease agreements for long term break down to a lower "per day" fee), could be spread out a bit over the shows.

But we're talking about band guarentee, an arena facility (not a small gig like the Hammerstein), lighting, soundboard, various equipment, techs, security, roadies, production costs, advertising costs, utilities, etc....everything for a  "one off" arena show.

Now, if they were on a tour:  I'd say the costs "per show" break down to about 300k to 400k, maybe just a tad less.

[Luigi]

Bigger events with more bands should be less..... wouldn't you say?

[pilferk]

Bigger events with more bands should be less then... wouldn't you say?

More and less, if you take my meaning.

More because you're paying bigger band gaurentees for more bands, more roadies, and more "band specific" personell.?

Less because you're able to spread some of the OTHER costs (production, sound board, facility charge, security, utilities, advertising, etc) over "more bands" and charge a higher ticket price, so your profitability will probably go up.

[Tomorrows]

Bigger events with more bands should be less..... wouldn't you say?

There are things that would keep the price high though - setting up the whole stage for GnR in a short amount of time (usually like an hour) must take a lot of people.

[Jonx]

Alot, considering the fact that Axl has a stylist on tour with him whos only job is to make sure his braids look right.............. so alot!

Jonx

[Tomorrows]

Plus what does transporting and setting up an oxygen chamber from place to place involve?

[russtcb]

Bigger events with more bands should be less then... wouldn't you say?

More and less, if you take my meaning.

More because you're paying bigger band gaurentees for more bands, more roadies, and more "band specific" personell. 

Less because you're able to spread some of the OTHER costs (production, sound board, facility charge, security, utilities, advertising, etc) over "more bands" and charge a higher ticket price, so your profitability will probably go up.

The only tour I ever heard the average cost of was Pink Floyds Division Bell Tour in 1994. When they played here in Detroit I had a buddy who worked the stage and had a long talk with their tour manager who averaged everything out for him.

I know it was a long time ago, but that tour cost $485k each night to put on. He said that was after everything from the cost of the actual equipment, stage, lights & new instruments to local and travel stage hands to venue rentals and so on. Everything.

He said the biggest varible on the road was the bands take of the tickets due to what city and venue they were playing. At the end of it all they estimated that the North American Tour cost an average of $485k to put on in each city.

GNRs stage isn't the same by any means and I know they don't use quadraphonic sound or anything. That together with the 12 year economy change would probably even out. So my official guess would be about $550k or so at this point.

[Jimmy?]

Plus what does transporting and setting up an oxygen chamber from place to place involve?

  i wonder....... 

[Luigi]

Less because you're able to spread some of the OTHER costs (production, sound board, facility charge, security, utilities, advertising, etc) over "more bands" and charge a higher ticket price, so your profitability will probably go up.

That's what I'm talking about, thank you 

[pilferk]

The only tour I ever heard the average cost of was Pink Floyds Division Bell Tour in 1994. When they played here in Detroit I had a buddy who worked the stage and had a long talk with their tour manager who averaged everything out for him.

I know it was a long time ago, but that tour cost $485k each night to put on. He said that was after everything from the cost of the actual equipment, stage, lights & new instruments to local and travel stage hands to venue rentals and so on. Everything.

He said the biggest varible on the road was the bands take of the tickets due to what city and venue they were playing. At the end of it all they estimated that the North American Tour cost an average of $485k to put on in each city.

GNRs stage isn't the same by any means and I know they don't use quadraphonic sound or anything. That together with the 12 year economy change would probably even out. So my official guess would be about $550k or so at this point.

Just a few things about the particular tour you're talking about:

Floyd was probably getting a HUGE band gaurentee per show....more than I think GnR would command at this point.

In addition, they were using 53 truckloads of equipment for each show. (http://www.pinkfloyd-co.com/band/interviews/art-rev/art-sosxtra.html) and their equipment costs, given the decription, would have been A LOT more than any standard arena tour would have.

It was a stadium tour, not an arena tour.

It was largely billed as one of the, if not the, most expensive tour to run in history.? Using some publically available (if somewhat assailable) information, it comes out to about $426,470.59 per show.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_Floyd_live_performances)

So you're starting from a very high number to apply the "infation" projection to.



I stand by my estimation of about 500k to 750k to do a "one off" arena show with all the bells and whistles, or about 300k to 400k per show on a tour, or maybe just a bit less.? I'm thinking that's pretty close...

[russtcb]

The only tour I ever heard the average cost of was Pink Floyds Division Bell Tour in 1994. When they played here in Detroit I had a buddy who worked the stage and had a long talk with their tour manager who averaged everything out for him.

I know it was a long time ago, but that tour cost $485k each night to put on. He said that was after everything from the cost of the actual equipment, stage, lights & new instruments to local and travel stage hands to venue rentals and so on. Everything.

He said the biggest varible on the road was the bands take of the tickets due to what city and venue they were playing. At the end of it all they estimated that the North American Tour cost an average of $485k to put on in each city.

GNRs stage isn't the same by any means and I know they don't use quadraphonic sound or anything. That together with the 12 year economy change would probably even out. So my official guess would be about $550k or so at this point.

Just a few things about the particular tour you're talking about:

Floyd was probably getting a HUGE band gaurentee per show....more than I think GnR would command at this point.

In addition, they were using 53 truckloads of equipment for each show. (http://www.pinkfloyd-co.com/band/interviews/art-rev/art-sosxtra.html) and their equipment costs, given the decription, would have been A LOT more than any standard arena tour would have.

It was a stadium tour, not an arena tour.

It was largely billed as one of the, if not the, most expensive tour to run in history.  Using some publically available (if somewhat assailable) information, it comes out to about $426,470.59 per show.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_Floyd_live_performances)

So you're starting from a very high number to apply the "infation" projection to.



I stand by my estimation of about 500k to 750k to do a "one off" arena show with all the bells and whistles, or about 300k to 400k per show on a tour, or maybe just a bit less.  I'm thinking that's pretty close...

I wasn't trying to be in anyway 100% accurate. I was going off of second hand info passed on over 12 years ago.

[pilferk]

I wasn't trying to be in anyway 100% accurate. I was going off of second hand info passed on over 12 years ago.

Oh, I know.  I was just providing the context on why those numbers might be a bit higher than "the average show" is.

[Tomorrows]

Holy shit that Pink Floyd data is impressive. Godamn. Lot of hard work and co-ordination on the part of a lot of people!

[MR W,AXL ROSE]

dont forget Pittmans $5 per show wages 

only kidding chris,we love ye really 

[SLCPUNK]

dont forget Pittmans $5 per show wages 

only kidding chris,we love ye really 

Since he is never plugged in that saves roughly 10 bucks on electric cost as well. .......

[pilferk]

dont forget Pittmans $5 per show wages?

only kidding chris,we love ye really?

Since he is never plugged in that saves roughly 10 bucks on electric cost as well. .......

Lord knows I've never passed by (knowingly) a chance to take a piss at Pittman, but.....

After Rio, the ONE thing we can say for sure is that his keyboards are actually plugged in this time...at least while the Dizzwald is on the piano (and actually, with the fx, more often than that).  We also know that Pittmans Mom is AOL's sound tech.

[Crashdiet]

Well my best friend owns a sound production company and has worked alot of 12-15 thousand seat events... anyway. He told me a show the size of GNR's if they were on tour would only cost about 50-100K per night depending on a large number of things.... this of course does not include the band's pay... only the cost of production (ie speakers, power amps, lights, crew's wages, etc etc). If it was a one off show the cost would be much more. probably double.

[1badapple]

shit, all i know is that if i ever win the lotto, i'm renting a club and having a private party with musical guests: Guns N Fucking Roses. i'll fork over a million if that's what it takes.

[speak_truth]

How much does GNr get paid to get on stage, let's say rir ?