A question of wealth.

[MirrorInTheSky]

Ok, all of this talk about ticket prices and so forth has me wondering about the wealth of the members and their pay structures. Does anyone know how wealthy any of the members are? And as far as payment for albums and tours, do they split it 25% each? Does Mick get more for being 'the boss'? I would imagine that Stevie and Lindsay are fairly well off since they get the royalties for writing their own songs. It seems that Stevie would be the most well off considering the success of her solo material, and I'm sure she received a windfall this past year or two with the Dixie Chicks version of Landslide being the most played country song of the year. Any thoughts?

[ShangriLaTroubl]

No-one really knows for sure, although we do know they make A LOT of money....they don't make their money based on the ticket prices though. They are given a nightly guarantee from their promoter , ya know like THIS IS WHAT YOU WILL MAKE EVERY NIGHT, kind of thing, and in turn depending on how much they demand that indirectly drives up the ticket prices, as do a lot of other factors.

Also I may be wrong, but I don't think Mick IS in fact the "boss" anymore. I did read that he was taken from that position many years back. There's so many details that come into how much they make, songwriters get seperate songwriter royalties, etc etc...it's a lot....but I would say, Stevie is the wealthiest as well....although it does depend on who spends the most money...She is worth many many millions, as they all are..

Chris

[madformac]

Difficult to guess at. I think I read somewhere that the 3 concerts at Earls Court last year grossed about $4 million, which would be substancially less after expenses.

I also believe I read somewhere Lindsey and Stevie earned around $9 million upto the end of the Australia leg. So I would hazard a guess the main members would recieve upto maybe $50,000 a concert each.

I would expect Mick and John to get the same or close during a tour, unlike recording an album unless of course songwriting credits come into it too. Again I remember Mick mentioning once that touring pays the bills for him. Fleetwood Mac have to tour for him to make money, in the studio he is just paid as a drummer.

Hard to tell really without being their accountants.

[ShangriLaTroubl]

According to Rolling Stone, and other articles they were guaranteed $750k per night for the first 40 dates , thats nearly 190k per member each night...for the first 40 dates...although they did say that number went down after the first 40 dates...
Rolling Stone mentioned that Fleetwood Mac "gave" the 2nd leg of the US Tour to the promoter, so they probably earned little money for those 30 dates...(of course little to them is diff to me.)

I would say after the first 40 shows they were probably working on a 300k per night guarantee, which if that is correct, by now each member (if it were split evenly) would have earned around 12 million each by the end of this tour

Also according to Forbes they were given a "lucrative" advance from WB for Say You Will.
Chris

[dissention]

Mick and John can't make more than $50,000 each per show. Stevie and Lindsey make quadruple that amount per show, at least.

[chiliD]

Originally Posted by dissention

Mick and John can't make more than $50,000 each per show.

And, why would that be?

[HomerMcvie]

I'll bet the live show guarantee is divided equally, because that's still a hell of alot of dough. Stevie and Lindsey get their songwriter royalties, and Lindsey gets producer royalties, so they're making considerably more in the long run.
I could be wrong( ), but it IS Mick and John's band. I know S&L could refuse to tour unless they got a bigger share, but I doubt that's the case.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by chiliD

And, why would that be?

I think it is because without them, Stevie in particular, neither Mick nor John would get the huge demand they have had with this record. Also, Stevie has a very savy, very manager - arguably one of the best there is. I am sure he negotiated her to get the most money per concert, his point being without her the demand could not sustain the 727, the suites, etc. - he would be correct in the sense that she is the most popular in terms of drawing a huge arena crowd. Please do not read into this that I am saying the other three are not talented, not worthy, etc. They are and I love them. I am just saying that they all have managers/agents and they have them for a reason, which is to represent their interest in the most effective way. Representation of that interest in that world means more per night, etc. BUT, they could have put all of that aside and divided it four ways a la the cast of Friends when then negotiated their per episode compensation. Or, they could have had a standing agreement for the pro rata share for all FM shows since Tusk, when the managers first appeared. So, who knows.

Also, some money must be paid to CM for "The Chain," "Don't Stop" and "World Turning" if she retained rights. I think the other songs they sing that she did not write may be sung without remuneration to CM.

Interestingly, if you look at Stevie's Enchanted and TISL ticket prices, you can get a general sense of what it takes for Stevie to go on the road in similarly high style. She has a private jet. She has the suites. She has a smaller band, but it still is pretty large (three guitarists, two percussionists, two back up singers, etc. ) - I think those tickets topped out at somewhere around $80 on average. I know this is a few years later, they are playing at times larger arenas, etc. But, it is a fairly accurate general assessment.

My guess is of the $650,000 - it gets broken down like this:

Stevie $300,000
LB $250,000
Mick $ 50,000
John $ 50,000

But, we will never know - it is fun, however, to speculate however

also, it is important to remember that not all of the per concert remuneration goes to the artist. The manager/agent has their take, Uncle Sam gets his take, etc. So, if my numbers are correct for this hypo. LB would take home about $100,000 or so per concert.

[Patti]

Well, strand, assuming those numbers are correct, $100,000 for a day's (night's) pay, is none too shabby!

Patti

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by Patti

Well, strand, assuming those numbers are correct, $100,000 for a day's (night's) pay, is none too shabby!

Patti

I'd take it any day of the week I was just noting the initial amount is not reflective of what they actually take home just like my salary is not what I take home (DDAAMMMNNNIIITTTTTTTTT ) - so that $650 a night pays more than just the four.

Also, I wonder of Stevie pays Karen J. and if LB pays Ray L. If so, their pay (prob. at least $1,500 a week plus per diem) comes out of the take home amount. Many times, the associates fees are not taken out of the star's take home and instead charged to the tour.

[Cour]

Here are some quotes from John Run, a ledgie who is in the business and has posted about the earnings of the band members for the SYW tour. John's information has always been accurate. I don't ever see Stevie being paid more money than Lindsey or Christine as a member of Fleetwood Mac, no matter how wonderful her solo career is at the time FM tours.



1. "FM is touring because they want to be together. They do not need the money, with maybe the exception of Mick. Over the last 8-9 years he has finally begun to recover from 30 years of excessive spending and bad business decisions.

Stevie and Lindsey when all is said in done with this tour and all of its associated revenue streams they will have grossed upwards of 15 mil each 2003 and 2004 combined. That far exceeds what Stevie made from TISL's revenue streams. It also far exceeds Lindsey's earnings from any single music project from any other time in his career.

John and Mick will probably realize 10 mil in that time. Again the height of their take from music.

So yes lots of money involved. They have made more money than most of us over an 15 month period (May 2003-August 2004) than most of will see in a lifetime. To put this in perpesctive a person could earn an average 100,000 a year from their job (the averge income in the US is 43K) for 45 years and earn 4.5 mil in their lifetime from work.

They don't need to do it. They are doing it because they get paid well and they can demand to get paid well, however in the end if there was no desire to do it, they would not be there. Enjoy the music. It is a good time to be a Fleetwood Mac fan!!


One post script. Stevie did not earn 5 mil from the Dixie Chicks Landslide. There was probably a 250k flat fee paid to record it and then another 2 million in royalities both from album sale and airplay royalties. The average number 1 song earns about 1.25 mil in songwriting airplay royalities. What may have helped landslide earn a little more was its crossover success. Heavy airplay on country formats, AC, HAC, AAA. That is a lot of airplay. Also her versions of Landslide still earn royalty money.

The songs to date that are believed to have earned the most royalty money are Yesterday and believe it or not I will Always Love You which has earned its song writer Dolly Parton upwards of 8mil."




2. "To the best of my understanding the way it is working on this tour is the band is guaranteed 600,000 per show by concerts west. From that guarantee the cost for production, venue, travel, and personnel must be paid. On average 300,000 per show. Buckingham and Nicks each have a guarantee of 100,000 per show. McVie and Fleetwood 50,000 per show. After the guarantees are met then the rest is profit to be split among the band, promoters, mgmt, and bonuses to backing players, crew,etc. If a show grosses 1,000,0000 the band is getting about 200,000 additonal per show. There has been only one show, Grand Forks that did not break even. With 71 US dates that is a lot of money! Europe and AU are probably a little different, but needless to say those will be 27 more profitable nights for Fleetwood Mac. 30 more outdoor shed dates in the summer of 2004 will add to the money for all. Sheds are less expensive to play which means more profit!"




3. "The numbers posted are for there 70 US dates and do not include the 15 dates they played in Europe in November and December.

My understanding of the money breakdown. The cost per show was around 600-700k. This included a 250k guarantee to the band. (Which is why concerts west got the deal. Clear Channel was only offering a 200k guarantee) The remaing 300k per night was profit. A good chunk of which went to Concerts West. However based on a 300k profit the band was splitting another 100-150k per night in addition to the guarantee. The range there depends on how much the band was giving back as profit sharing to its additional players and 80 or so tour personnel. Rough estimates on what the band made for 70 us dates. Lindsey and Stevie 8-9 mil. Mick and John 5-5.5 mil.
A good 6 months of work. The 15 dates in Europe, the dozen dates down under and 30 dates in the US this summer stand to gross them another 40 million. Profits will be a little less in in EU & Aus, but a little more if they play sheds. So the band members stand to bring in 9-15 million each for there 130-145 dates of touring

No they don't include merchandise. That is a whole other segment. Most likely that works out to paying the promotions company they contract with to coordinate its design, production, and sale. After costs that company takes it share and the rest is usually split evenly among the band. It is a signifcant chunk of change to you and I, but in terms of the other money we are talking about not all that much. Probably adds another 500k to each of there total takes.

Stevie and Lindsey get more because their agents got them more during negotiations with Concerts West and the band. Nothing to do with songwriting royalties per se. Has to do with the fact Stevie and Lindsey are the front men for the tour and without them there would be no million dollar per night grossing tour. The 50,000 per show guarantee is the most money Mick and John have realized from long term touring ever. This practice is common with established bands. Henley and Frey make more when the Eagles tour. The only money Christine now makes from Fleetwood mac are for songwriting royalities and album share payments "

[strandinthewind]

EEK - I thought the $650 or $750 per night was split (in some manner) amongst the FOUR and then each one of the four pays the people they are obligated to, like their managers. If the four are guaranteed only $300 or so a night with a percentage of the overage, then that is diff. But, using the figues from John Run (thank you John Run!!!) Stevie and LB are still making around $100,000 in take home a show. Not bad either way

[dissention]

Originally Posted by chiliD

And, why would that be?

I don't know, you seem to know the answer, enlighten us mortals.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

EEK - I thought the $650 or $750 per night was split (in some manner) amongst the FOUR and then each one of the four pays the people they are obligated to, like their managers. If the four are guaranteed only $300 or so a night with a percentage of the overage, then that is diff. But, using the figues from John Run (thank you John Run!!!) Stevie and LB are still making around $100,000 in take home a show. Not bad either way

Exactly. Take $300,000 and look at the four members. Does anyone honestly think that they're going to divide it up and give Mick and John almost the same pay as the two stars? Hell no. The reason Mick is always pushing to go on the road is because that's how he makes his money; he barely makes anything from the studio albums because he doesn't produce and he doesn't write. Same for John. I would think that Stevie and Linds make about $100,000 per show, and Mick and John make $50,000 each.

[dissention]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

I think it is because without them, Stevie in particular, neither Mick nor John would get the huge demand they have had with this record. Also, Stevie has a very savy, very manager - arguably one of the best there is. I am sure he negotiated her to get the most money per concert, his point being without her the demand could not sustain the 727, the suites, etc. - he would be correct in the sense that she is the most popular in terms of drawing a huge arena crowd. Please do not read into this that I am saying the other three are not talented, not worthy, etc. They are and I love them. I am just saying that they all have managers/agents and they have them for a reason, which is to represent their interest in the most effective way. Representation of that interest in that world means more per night, etc. BUT, they could have put all of that aside and divided it four ways a la the cast of Friends when then negotiated their per episode compensation. Or, they could have had a standing agreement for the pro rata share for all FM shows since Tusk, when the managers first appeared. So, who knows.

There's absolutely no way that Stevie makes more than Lindsey on this tour. Never. I don't think his manager would go for it and I don't think he'd go for it.