When the band is on tour obviously they get paid for the actual show but do they also get percentages from all the vendors (food, t-shirts, programs etc)?

I don't recall where but the was a mention that aside from the show money Charlie also gets a percentage of all the merchandise.

Do they (the 4 of them) get an equal 25% share of all the merchandise?

They would certainly get a huge cut of all merchandise. Especially considering it has their brand name, its officially endorsed, for sale on their website and in some cases theyve even designed it (and yes, I'd imagine its a 25% cut)

Even as far back as 1981, the amount they were making on a tour in t-shirt sales was in the millions. The profit margins are absolutely huge.

30-40-50 bucks or more for a t-shirt, you bet the profits are huge!

Didn't Mick say when they do tour they don't even break even till they hit Europe?

"Well my heavy throbbers itchin' just to lay a solid rhythm down"

Most bands can make more money from t-shirt sales than ticket sales.
Like Edith Grove says, the profits found in tour merchandise can be huge.
Any merchandise sold at a gig will see money paid to the band (unless said merchandise is being sold outside the venue on a street corner, by some guy called Vinnie).

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Marhsall
Didn't Mick say when they do tour they don't even break even till they hit Europe?

I've heard the opposite, that they make their money in the US, and that Europe is breakeven at best.

Thanks for the insight everyone.

Yeah, I figured they could live off the merchandise sales alone.

I thought that since Michael Cohl took over in 89, the Stones were basically guaranteed a set minimum figure, regardless of how the tour went?

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treaclefingers

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Marhsall
Didn't Mick say when they do tour they don't even break even till they hit Europe?

I've heard the opposite, that they make their money in the US, and that Europe is breakeven at best.

thats not what it means. It takes a while for a tour to break even simply because a lot of the overheads are paid in advance for the entire tour. So the tour doesnt go into the black until say, 30 or 40 shows or whatever. It just happens that it starts in the US.

A tour thats grossing $550 million for 150 shows isnt merely 'breaking even' anywhere.

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DGA35
I thought that since Michael Cohl took over in 89, the Stones were basically guaranteed a set minimum figure, regardless of how the tour went?

They are.