A few days ago Janice and I were looking for some old photos and ran across some of our contracts from our bluegrass band gig days. That caused me to reflect on the prices over the years - relative only to my experience.

In the 60's while in college myself and another guy booked (and recorded) talented garage bands...mostly to frat houses and small clubs. Typical amount was $200-$300.

In the 70's I played in several bluegrass bands and we booked clubs and various events for $300-$500.

In the 80's, 90's and very early 2000's Janice and I played in a couple of BG bands that worked regularly (too regularly for our tastes) for yep $300-$500 (three sets) with the only exception being weekend long festivals.

In what other situation would payment for services have remained so constant over 35 years? Anybody have similar experiences?