After he watched a gig at the at the Appledore Social Club that was sparsely attended, Paul of Marsh & the Reluctant Friends fame sent us this message lamenting the lack of opportunity for new bands.
Hi Folks…. My Sunday Sermon.
My generation of musicians grew up and cut our teeth on live support slots. Thursday Friday and Saturday nights would have three four and sometimes five bands on the bill. Back then venues, including pubs, would have their own PA systems and house engineer… to this day I have never owned my own PA. You never saw bands setting up their own front of house gear. Live music has been squeezed and squeezed for all sorts of reasons and we have lost that spirit of learning the trade in front of a large audience by playing 20 or 30 mins before the main acts come on. AND GETTING PAID!
This worked for the venues too. The youngsters brought with them a new audience which kept up future ticket sales and bar receipts. Social media has given artists a forum to share along side millions (yes millions) of other acts the world over to followers and friends. A poster goes up online for the gig and you reach same audience week in week out. We have absolutely lost the concept of chasing a new audience. Pubs and clubs are having a hard time (twas ever thus) and audiences are dwindling so we all need to encourage more punters wanting to hear live music.
My thoughts this morning are along the lines of every time we play a local gig we could book a 20 or 30 minute support slot for a young or new act. It doesn’t take long in small communities for these acts to get known and audiences grow. Your audience gets to hear someone new and the punters the support bring get to hear you… and they will fill seats earlier in the evening, so bringing more beer sales.
I don’t want to be accused of harping on about the good old days because I’ve have many nights playing to one man and his dog then watching the place fill up as the other acts came on but… we need to do something. Venues and bands need each other. Open mics and sessions have their place and are fun but… weekends should be band nights. With packed audiences!
COVID has knocked the shit out of all sides of the industry so it’s only going to get tighter for us all. Bands, venues and audiences come and go but the music was here long before us and hopefully long after us.
I went to a really nice gig this week. Two sets of all original material. No audience. Heartbreaking.
Sermon over. It’s only rock’n’roll but I happen to like it….