My band are going through a bit of a break after a fairly intense few months of gigs but we're going to reconvene after the summer.
There's a big consensus amongst us though that we're not particularly enjoying run of the mill gigs, well, here in Liverpool anyway.
Aside from the odd few venues who still have the old school approach we're finding that to get anything fairly high profile we need to go through promoters. Sometimes it works, most of the time its a ball ache and they're on at us to get early ticket sales or they start getting a bit shirty. Most of them don't do any actual promoting either, they just want the bands to do the work.
Yes, i get that there is some responsibility on us but in the end we still rely on dragging the same friends and family down and i begrudge them paying 7 or 8 quid a ticket to line a third parties pockets and we get nothing in return - not that we do it for money.
All in all its making it more like a business than about the music and playing which is what we do it for. Its becoming less enjoyable. And we're getting fed up of the "routine - ness" of turning up ridiculously early for a sound check, then hanging around all evening, then all night, to go on late when half asleep and knackered and just wanting to get home - thankfully the nights generally over run so we're not expected to play as long as we planned anyway (we're not teenagers any more, bless!)
So we've decided to start doing something that is not the norm. Our own nights (or days even). We would feel more enthusiastic promoting something that we had more control over. And we're not interesting in making money. We just want to create a good, enjoyable event, or 'show', that people can turn up, stay right through and enjoy. Not necessarily all music. More like a private party.
Also, venue wise we're looking at doing things in non music venues. Seems mad but there's a barber shop i go to which would be a great setting for a show. Would look nice filmed too.
There's great KEXP radio sessions/ videos on youtube where they play in a bike shop. Something like that.
Just wondering if anyone else has done something along these lines and what sort of 'events' you've done. How have they been received and attended?
Is this sort of thing a bit difficult, obviously i know dedicated live music venues are licensed and have the correct permits and regs in place (well you would expect them to anyway) etc. so there may be some red tape issues if its somewhere else.
Comments
Been uploading old tracks I recorded ages ago and hopefully some new noodles here.
I'll be interested in following your progress and hearing how it goes. I might even try and do something similar up here in Edinburgh.
Good luck.
http://i67.tinypic.com/m75l68.jpg
http://i66.tinypic.com/2qn2v08.jpg
Cheers,
cam f
PS is that Vyrny Dam in the latter pic?
When we played there it was eerily quiet, we started off inside the dam in a stairwell playing the bride up the 'aisle', then at the signing ceremony in that tower at the top.
Fun gig, good sound, easy money
Haven’t viewed this thread for a while so only just noticed this. I will definitely get in touch soon to run a few ideas we have past you. Thanks for the offer of help much appreciated.