Piano Bar vs. Guest Entertainer
It was good to hear from a few of you this week. I understand T. is putting together a demo and audition for a few talent agencies, and I think our friend M. should be on a ship by now.
I was emailed a question this week from M.B.:
Could you please tell me how the work as a guest performer differs from the standard piano bar work? I am not talking about the living/lifestyle conditions, but what the performance entails and how it differs. Many thanks.
That’s a good question and I can definitely answer that.
We just got a new piano bar performer this week, as a matter of fact. He’s one of the best piano bar performers I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing. His lounge is packed every single night with standing room only. If you want to go see him, you almost have to take a number and wait in the next room over for a space to clear. I think he’s the most popular act on the ship.
The piano bar gig is very specific on ships. On every ship I’ve seen, there is a dedicated piano bar lounge that includes a piano, a microphone, a bar and several dozen seats. On my current ship he lounge is out in the open, right in the middle of everything on deck 5. On my last ship is was a little room off of the casino on deck 4.
The piano bar entertainer performs 6 to 7 nights a week, 3 to 4 hours a night. They must sing and play piano. They take requests and banter with the audience all night. Often, the passengers get to know the piano bar entertainer on a personal level that is not often possible with the other entertainers on the ship because of the interaction and the amount of time they perform each night. Some passengers come to the piano bar every single night, and by the end of the cruise, the piano bar entertainer is often the most popular entertainer on the cruise.
I’m not certain what they get paid, but I understand the compensation can be lucrative. Bear in mind though, that these entertainers work an awful lot by cruise ship standards. Singing 4 hours every night can really get to your vocal cords. I don’t know how they do it.
What is sung and played in the piano bar is mostly up to to the piano bar entertainer. Sometimes you have a piano bar not unlike the pop/rock piano bars on land – like Jelly Roll’s in Orlando or Howl at the Moon in many other cities. More often than not, though, the piano bar on ships will be more like a cabaret of jazz songs, or R’n'B hits, or musical theatre. Our current entertainer plays primarily old school R’n'B and contemporary musical theatre songs. The personality and repertoire of the piano bar is entirely controlled by who’s playing in there.
Being a guest performer is another gig entirely. Guest performers perform on the main stage, not the piano lounge. While the piano lounge usually seats 25-75 in a casual atmosphere, the main stage seats 500-700 in formal theatre seating. Guest performers put on one 45 minute performance, usually twice a night for 2 separate seatings (i.e. 7:30 and 9:30 pm).
My current position on the ship is a guest entertainer. I, and the group I perform with, put on two separate shows during the week – Tues. & Fri. We typically have a run-thru in the morning and two shows each night. Sometimes we only have one show Friday night, as it’s the last night of the cruise.
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Are guest performers on contract also? We have an accoustic show that I’m interested in booking on ships,also how much does the md have to do with what I would be playing? Is all PA supplied?
1/30/2009
Hi John –
Yes, guest performers are on contract with the cruise line, but the MD usually doesn’t have anything to do with your set lists. The MD may be your point man for scheduling in your room, but if there’s any question on material or whatever, guest performers typically deal with the cruise director (the head of the entertainment department).
Check out these two articles:
Who’s My Boss?
Provided Backline Equipment
1/31/2009
Good info here, but there is a lot more to be said. Im a headliner on 7 cruise lines and I’ve been a normal ship board musician too. That job sucks, the piano bar guys play 3-4 hrs a night 6-7 days a week like this article said. They get paid about 600-700 bucks a week, sometimes less on cheaper cruise lines. But Royal Caribbean, Princess, Cunard all pay in there and you’ll find thats standard, you’ll never get less than $550 and never more than $800. But the CD sales is more $$ for you so make damn sure you have atleast one ready to go. So, thats 18-28hrs behind the piano for 700 dollars. Now the headliners or guest entertainers as they’re called make a lot more and work alot less. We are somewhat celebrities or extreme talents as they say. Average weekly pay is $2800 week. You’ll never get paid less than $2200, and rarely over $3000. Unless you’ve got a big name, or are in serious demand or are a proven entertainment slam dunk, like me, then you can get $3500-$4000 if your lucky. But most of the time they know that they don’t need to pay that so they always try to cut your balls off at $2800. But thats okay if your working 40 weeks a year. The guest ent plays one night a week (on average), 2 shows that night. So thats an hour and a half to 2 hrs a week behind the piano (or whatever you do) for 2800. But you really got to be damn good to hold these gigs. Plus you’re on the ship for a week or two, tops! Maybe even a couple days. The piano bar guy has to live in that microcosm of power hungry management and deal with the heriarchy of big headed brits who love the “class system”, for up to 4-6 months. And they have jobs to do on board, like safetly drills and stuff (sometimes not). The guest in is a passenger, with a dining room table (on some cruises), and freedom to go and do anything they want. But, you know what, we’ve earned that. Being a piano bar guy is easy, learn a few hundred songs, take a seth riggs vocal course and you’re in as long as you’re drug free. A headliner has to be in the top 2% of his field and sacrifice and dedicate themselves unlike any other.
So, I hope this is helpful, I know everything there is to know about the cruise line industry, especially entertainers. But, I gotta go.
Thanks!
Ryan
8/24/2009
This is a really informative website…Bravo!
I am thinking about opening a piano bar in my city. Very much along the lines of Don’t Tell Mama and Brandy’s in New York. I noticed that having the right musician is key for success. Not sure yet whether my city has this pool of talent. Hence my question….do piano bar musicians travel from city to city? And are there any agencies or group that I can turn to for recruitment?
Thanks
Allison
9/17/2009
Hello!! just a quick question tho..
Where would i audition for jobs like this? i live in london so was just wondering where i would find out about where the next one is?
10/19/2009
What if you want to be a piano bar “gal”? Are there such things? (I look like a guy…if that helps)
11/17/2009
@Win – Sure!
11/20/2009
Hi and thanks for all the interesting and very good information. I’ve heard that a non-famous Guest Entertainer can earn $3000-5000 and a more famous one can earn above that. Is that true? I guess it depends on what cruise company you works for. I also wonder if anyone has got any contact info to booking agencies or direct to the cruise lines to send promo material to. Thanks a lot! /P
12/29/2009
I was reading the comments Ryan Ahern. I got a link to his website and saw his performance. I thought he was a terrible pianist. And he gets paid that much? I don’t know the cruising business, but if this is the quality of the entertainment on cruise ships, the people who hire these terrible acts should be fired.
I used to have my own entertainment agency booking entertainers mostly in New York, Las Vegas, London and Monte Carlo and has been retired now for a number of years. But I still know when an act is good or not.
1/19/2010
This is in reply to Edward Sutter.
I have been a sideman for a number of years and played with very mediocre guest ents to very talented ones. I think its a little harsh to say Ryan’s playing is terrible as the video is not the best quality to hear another musicians work, I have played his show on the side and I think in terms of most guest ents on ships, he is good, with a Liberace style, not the Bill Evans kind of playing that I prefer, but good for the audience.
I am surprised to hear how much someone makes to play very little amount of time on stage, and I have seen much worse talent on stage with some companies that I thought would have much better talent.
Guest Ents also tend to play similar set lists with some variations here and there but the audience doesn’t really care. I think for the cruise ships, audiences are trapped, they didn’t really pay to see any particular show as most normal audiences would on land, rather they’ll accept whatever it is on stage. Thus many outside the cruise ship circle might not be able to understand how guest ents are selected. Probably because they have connections to those who hire! Talent helps as well. So basically, there is no set path in how talent is selected. Just send in the demos and hope for the best!
1/25/2010
I’ve played for Ryan Ahern, and yes, he’s got one of the strangest shows around. Weird mix of stuff completely unknown to the audience, and showy but not interesting obscurities.
The fact that the guy makes as much as he does is infuriating. The fact that he brags about it by name is unconscionable.
Shame on you, Ahern. You’re a lame pianist! And you wear too much jewelry.
2/6/2010
Hi,
I’m looking at potentialy working on the ships as a piano bar entertainer singing/playing, just getting my rep up to scratch and wondering what to prepare myself for…Do the ships require the use of backings with the songs?….as my performance is all accoustic.
Thanks
Maryanna
6/30/2010
I currently work as a piano bar ent. and am in the process of becoming a guest ent. I just wanted to say that in my experience everything I’ve read is basically correct with one large exception. As a piano bar ent. the salary is more like $1000/week to start and a nice large (by cruise ship crew standards)cabin to yourself. Every line is different, but I am able to get short contracts — 5 weeks max. I cannot sing for 4 hrs a night 7 days a week for months.
And yes, there are female piano bar ents, and some lines allow you to use backing tracks, but I don’t know of any who require it.
8/27/2010
Great info, thanks James!
8/28/2010
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