Had a good chuckle today.

So the band I started 16 months ago is in a group text chain. I've always had specific goals for this band that specifically disinclude Dive Bars and Gin Mills (you know, the $300/night gigs). We have played a few (5 to be exact) to build a small following and craft our sets, but the 2 year plan is to be hitting the higher paying rooms, Fairs and festivals, and private gigs. We do know that we need that following to get to the next tier though.

So far, all of the "band" expenses, such as promotional materials (stickers, custom picks with our logo, retractable banners, 8x8 stage scrim, website, shirts), as well as the PA system (currently 2 cheap Column arrays that work nicely in small rooms, Yamaha 12 channel analog mixer, EV and Yamaha monitors, and all of the signal and power cables, power conditioners, etc), and the lighting rigs (2 tress of 4 par 64s and 2 par 56s, all LED), have come from my pocket. I've never asked the band to pitch in on for anything. I look at it all as an investment in our future. A band needs proper Promotion, Marketing, and Branding to get to the tier we are looking to be playing in. It's my Job, as Band Leader, to do this work. I'd estimate I have about $2k invested so far.

Which brings me to my laugh out loud moment today...

We have recently been talking about IEM's as a solution to stage volume, as well as monitor mixing, as everyone's taste for the monitor mix is a little different and have 3 800w monitors on stage definitely increases the SPL's in the room. We are hindered, in our current setup, by the fact that the analog mixer doesn't give any control to monitor mix aside from the 1 aux send dial, and the fact that it is only 12 channels (of which only 6 are XLR-in's). To do IEM's properly we need many more inputs (for drums, amps, vox) and at least 4 aux sends, so a digital mixer with preset capability is the obvious way to go.

In our group chat, I mentioned that I will have a digital mixer to demo for a few weeks, later this week (it's for permanent install in a facility I'm the technical director for, and I've been given permission to use it with the band for learning purposes during rehearsals only). One of the band members responded by "do we really need a digital mixer? The one we have does just fine". I reminded him that we don't want to be in the small room, dive bar, gin mill circuit, and that private gigs and outdoor shows will require us to use a much better and bigger PA setup than we currently possess. (Side note - we recently played outdoors at my towns green, and the setup I own was at its' limit, as evidenced by the cracking sounds and audience complaints of "we couldn't hear you that well from the back because of the traffic going by" as we were breaking our gear down). He responded with "yeah, I guess you're right. I'm just saying, a little bit I have to shell out here and there is ok, but I'm not made of money". I said "I completely understand".

Next, another member chimed in with "yeah, this band is costing me a lot of money".

HUH???

He is the newest member, and the "greenest" of us. No pro-level experience, only played in garage type jam bands loosely over the past 10 years. The rest of us have a decade or more gigging professionally, and pro-level gear. I believe he was referring to buying his own equipment (he bought a new acoustic guitar for $1k, a Drop pedal, and an a/b switch for his pedal board since joining). Like I stated before, the "band" expenses have all come out of my pocket since day 1, and I have not asked anyone to contribute a dime towards them.

TL;DR? Do you consider purchases of instruments and accessories for your own use to be "band" costs?

(I know the most logical answer, but I'm wondering if there are some who feel differently)