Big Bands Make Big Money.
You always wanted to be rich and be a rockstar. These top band certainly earn some big bucks from playng rock music. So how much does your favorite rock and metal acts make per show? Billboard has published a list of the latest earnings from shows by a number of acts that goes some way to revealing those acts’ earning potential.
As MetalSucks notes, the figures on the list are gross earnings, and don’t take into consideration costs such as the venue’s cut, fees paid to opening acts, band expenses such as their crew, vehicles and fuel, etc, or profits that bands make from merch sales (depending on the band, merch sales can account for huge profits). Yet, it gives a fascinating insight into the pulling power of certain bands, and the kind of money that can be made from shows at club, theater and arena levels. Here are some highlights:
Artists: “Hell & Heaven Metal Fest”: Kiss, Limp Bizkit, Korn, Rob Zombie, etc.
Venue: Mexico City, Mexico – Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
Date: Oct. 25th, 2014
Gross Sales: $2,117,316
Attendance/Capacity: 38,598/59,800
Ticket Prices: $54.86
Artists: Aerosmith & Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators
Venue: Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Date: Aug. 22nd, 2014
Gross Sales: $1,156,730
Attendance/Capacity: 10,550/13,908
Ticket Prices: $149.50, $49.50
Artists: Black Sabbath & Reignwolf
Venue: Hamilton, ON – FirstOntario Centre
Date: Apr. 11th, 2014
Gross Sales: $1,069,020
Attendance/Capacity: 13,446/13,933
Ticket Prices: $114.69, $26.61
Artists: Tool & Failure
Venue: Portland, OR – Moda Center
Date: Mar. 06th, 2014
Gross Sales: $802,900
Attendance/Capacity: 13,627/13,641
Ticket Prices: $75, $55, $40
Artist: Nine Inch Nails, Soundgarden & Oneohtrix Point Never
Venue: Clarkston, MI – DTE Energy Music Center
Date: Jul. 26th, 2014
Gross Sales: $632,729
Attendance/Capacity: 14,080/14,080
Ticket Prices: $99.50, $20
Artist: Judas Priest
Venue: Laredo, TX – Laredo Energy Arena
Date: Nov. 04th, 2014
Gross Sales: $78,281
Attendance/Capacity: 1,577/5,290
Ticket Prices: $56.50, $36.50
Artists: Mastodon, Gojira & Kvelertak
Venue: Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom
Date: Nov. 01st, 2014
Gross Sales: $43,300
Attendance/Capacity: 1,825/2,000
Ticket Prices: $30, $25
Artist: Finch, Wounds, Maps & Atlases, Helen Earth Band
Venue: Minneapolis, MN – The Nether Bar At Mill City Nights
Date: Oct. 13th, 2014
Gross Sales: $2,794
Attendance/Capacity: 155/177
Ticket Prices: $20, $17
It appears that older rock acts are still making the big money, with Black Sabbath and Aerosmith pulling in over $1 million a show (Aerosmith’s earnings were no doubt helped by the fact that Slash was also on the bill).
Meanwhile Finch’s show at The Nether Bar in Minneapolis gives an idea of what bands can expect to earn at a club level. We’re scratching our heads as to why Judas Priest only brought an audience of 1,577 in a 5,290 theater when they performed in Texas on Nov. 4th. Perhaps it was down to issues with promotion, or the fact that the gig was on a Tuesday night.