Evening all.
I'm posting this question as I am genuinely interested in your experience of booking gigs and how you feel the current climate is. I am essentially a weekend warrior, so I'm not talking about you cats who have the cream gigs. I play in a few bands, locally in the Midlands and have noticed a huge change in venues' attitude towards booking live bands. It used to be that we could go out as a 4/ 5-piece or more, depending on the style of music and get plenty of gigs and maybe £100 a head. Over the last few years, I have experienced more and more venues that are booking solo artists with backing tracks for a sub £200 fee, above a full band. We played a festival in the summer, and all the acts before us were solo with backing tracks. I get why the promoter does it, as it's cheaper for the venue/festival. I felt it looked awful as an audience member. A lone individual with a music stand and an iPad on a stage the size of an articulated lorry. I just worry about the live band experience and what will happen to it. I'm not against backing tracks; they have their place. It just feels a bit poo