[Killer Whale Tank]

Now, here's a question right out of left field, but I'm honestly curious. :oops:

Are the Hip rich?

Have they become, say, millionaires, selling 500 000 copies of each album, or however much they sell, and touring regularly? The profits have to be split at least five ways, and then there's the whole rest of the operation to consider...

Now I ain't asking for their bank statements or anything. Just a general idea. Especially because the Hip genuinely do not seem very worried about paying the bills; they keep developing and doing as they please, and Downie turns down federal funding for a video to promote his solo record...Downie's also remarked that the band has no pension plan, so they're gonna keep on doing it 'til they drop dead...and in the end I just wonder about the economics of it all.

Any clue?

[sfissel]

I sure hope they're rich. If they're not, what hope is there for me?

steve

[Tiki]

This is a very interesting question, I don't have the answer but I am curious as well. If you think about it, they tour a great deal in Canada which means big venues...and a better chance of big bucks. But god love 'em, the little ass venues they play in the states probably don't pay much at all. Touring costs a great deal when you look into the publicity, crew members, tour buses, etc. They must have a nice cushion but probably no where near as to what they deserve. Thank god the hip are loyal to their fans and travel far and wide to please us!

[Summiteer]

Think there'z a tread aboot this topic in this House of Cardz, I'd say they've got a few bonez buried in the mason jar in their backyardz. Gotta wonder what the Bathhouse set them back? Prime piece O real estate like that,all the equipment....Must be quite the mortgage on that puppy....but they must make a pretty penny when other artistz come by to record.But at the end of the day....their laughing all the way to the bank machine....

[intothenight]

Id imagine not that much. . they don't tour as much as most bands, and have smaller crowds. . .but when I say not that much. . i mean not that much compared to as per say., . what the Dave Matthews Band makes. . or Pearl Jam

They could probably still crush me with their wallets.

[Drez7]

Yeah, I could have sworn I saw Sinclair on the street the other day cleaning winshields and asking for donations. Maybe it wasn't him... :lol:

[Cpt. Trips]

richer then us.

[stuckatcuse]

Anyone have stats on album sales alone? Figure the rip is what $2 or $3 us for the band / album ?

[Stephen Dame]

Id imagine not that much. . they don't tour as much as most bands, and have smaller crowds. . ..

Every two years isn't much? A BUNCH of bands don't even come close to that proficiency.

Smaller crowds? Smaller than who, the Rolling Stones? In the past two years they've done two back to back gigs in Hamilton for 35,000 people over the two nights, played infront of 30,000 at EdgeFest, 25,000 (Which BTW was WAY over capacity for the second consecutive Hip show, the festival may now lose its liquor license.) in Ottawa twice, massive festival crowds in the past two weeks and headlined a benefit show at Skydome with 50,000 folks. There are a lot of succesful bands who can't draw those numbers at home or abroad.

Are the Hip rich: of course... hanging around the music business for twenty years and having had the monster domestic success they've had comes with a few perks.

Are they wealthy? Depends on what they did with their riches... and somehow I don't think this group of guys blew it all on booze, broads and Columbian Nose Candy.

[jen]

Think there'z a tread aboot this topic in this House of Cardz

Yep: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://forum.hipbase.com/viewtopic.php?t=2560&highlight=wealthy">http://forum.hipbase.com/viewtopic.php? ... ht=wealthy</a><!-- m -->

[Killer Whale Tank]

Thanks for the link to that thread. Imagine Gord D just showing up on your doorstep to welcome you to the neighbourhood!?

I remember reading someplace that their total albums sales, lifetime, comes to around 6 million. Assuming $2 per CD for the artist (a total shot in the dark), that's $12 mil to spread among the band, simply from record sales alone. So I guess they're pretty comfortable---but probably not in a league where they can degenerate into lifestyles of bloated excess. :mrgreen:

Two more questions: how much DOES an artist make per CD? And: how profitable are tours, in general? Anyone got the poop on the music industry?

[mmilberg]

Thanks for the link to that thread. Imagine Gord D just showing up on your doorstep to welcome you to the neighbourhood!?

I remember reading someplace that their total albums sales, lifetime, comes to around 6 million. Assuming $2 per CD for the artist (a total shot in the dark), that's $12 mil to spread among the band, simply from record sales alone. So I guess they're pretty comfortable---but probably not in a league where they can degenerate into lifestyles of bloated excess. :mrgreen:

Two more questions: how much DOES an artist make per CD? And: how profitable are tours, in general? Anyone got the poop on the music industry?

Generally the way album contracts are written, you receive very little if your album doesn't sell more than 250 000 copies. You make money after that. That means that the Hip probably haven't made much off of IVL, and M@W.

When U2 were at the height of their fame, they signed a contract with Island where they got $3 per CD sold. The rocord company gasped. That was a hell of a lot more than artists usually got and still get.

So I would assume that the Hip got very little for the first 250 000 copies of UTH, RA, FC and DFN and then about $1 per CD sold after that. When their initial record contract expired, they probably were able to get more per CD, but even $2 per CD sold might be optimistic.

Touring and Merchandise brings in the money for most bands, but bear in mind, when you think of a ridiculously rich artist, you're thinking of someone who plays 50 or so 20 000-person shows a year with ticket prices ranging from $30 to $80. How many of those shows have the Hip played this year? Even at the peak of their success. Far less than 50.

The Molson Amphitheatre hold about 15 000. I think the average ticket was $60. That means there was $900 000 in tickets sold. But how much of that went to renting the venue? Paying the electricity bill? Paying to set up, take down, and rent the sound equipment? Advertising? Security? Crew? Then divide whatever they do make by 5.

I'm sure the Hip live well. They probably have their mortgages paid off and drive Mercedes. But they probably aren't much richer than that and they don't have huge bank accounts they can live off of for the rest of their lives.

[robert goulet]

Son of a bitch...that's depressing.

I guess I'll stop taking those lessons....thanks for ruining my dreams. I'm gonna go cry into my bottle of Jack Daniels and listen to Nautical Disaster over and over till I pass out.

[keithtalent]

i heard from a reliable source that the hip got paid $400,000 to play the ottawa bluesfest this year. makes sense, 30,000 tickets @ $30 a pop. i assume they have to pay the crew and whatnot out of this money but that still leaves them a fair chunk for a night's work. i could sure use that kind of pay

[NMAS]

A sold out canadian tour really isn't that big remember, maybe 15 or 16 dates?

Sold out tours in the states for a band like DMB for example is about 40 or 50 dates.
Big differnce in cash made.