How much do local bands usually charge on performance?

I've been in a band for several years. When we first started, we booked gigs for tips. Often, the proprietors would comp food.

Progressively, we get the cover charge of most of it. $100 to $150 per musician for a few hours for a local gig is now common. A percentage of the bar is not uncommon. Weddings and travel run it up pretty quick covering travel, lodging and number of days related to the gig.

You can check to see how much a reasonable fee would be to charge by going to:

gigcalc.gehwokka.com

There is an interactive calculator there which helps bands determine a reasonable price to ask for their services. Obviously bands can only charge what the market will bear but gigcalc can give you an idea about what your costs are and what a minimum fee would be to recover those costs. The page doesn't retain any information about your band or gig either.

Join the Musicians Union, AFof M. There you will find out what a fair rate is locally or traveling, they will help you get it, go to bat for you if you get stiffed and a number of other benefits not the least of which is meeting fellow musicians with the same problems. It ain't that expensive, one gig should cover the dues easily.

PS. To help avoid getting stiffed make sure your agreement spells out that you get paid in cash in the intermission. By the end of the night the organiser will be too busy and pissed and will keep you waiting around for hours when you should be packing and leaving. Also at the end of the night your have delivered the product and there's no way you can take it back so you are vulnerable . There's a book called "Bulletproofing your business", worth reading.