geoham Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 (edited) Hi, Hope some of you from the London area can give me some advice. My 6 months old originals band have been asked to play at showcase in London, at The Enterprise, Camden. Apparently for ITB, a large agency with many well known acts on their books. We'd be travelling from Scotland, and I'm rather skeptical compared to the rest of my band. Does anyone know this venue? Looks like a pub to me, I've got doubts that a large agency would use it for a showcase. Any advice appreciated! Edited March 28, 2015 by geoham Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK Jale Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 It is a pub... not a bad one... gigs are held in the room above. PA is okay-ish. I played there once in a previous band and it was a normal Camden gig - ie parking is near-impossible within a mile, punters were variable and somewhat jaded, and our singer made the classic error of being flattered into taking the "headline" spot, which meant that all the other acts had vanished by the time we got on, so we played to even less people than all the bands before. I'm old, but to me "showcase" sets of the same alarm bells as "exposure". Personally I wouldn't be keen to travel from south of the river let alone Scotland, but it MAY be an ok night, and as an originals band your outlook might be different to mine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 The cynic would say this is a low cost way to fill up a pub venue in a poor evening .......which is one thing, but the other is as above..London is a terrible place to get gear to because of the parking etc etc and the congestion charge and you;ll understand why everyone uses public transport and borrows gear... Work out how much it will cost you and how much you'll make from it... and how many people you'll play to. FWIW, I wouldn't be playing London for less than £1500 and that sort of money is available for themed/original bands in the Uni's...but no where else for an unknown band, IMO. Look at it VERY carefully... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Tread with caution, this thing happens all over the London scene, bands get there, play to each other - aside from the headliners who play to the bar staff - and that`s about it. Anywhere that puts exposure or industry in their spiel to attract bands usually places those words in instead of fees and audience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Man Riva Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 [quote name='geoham' timestamp='1427552898' post='2731691'] Hi, Hope some of you from the London area can give me some advice. My 6 months old originals band have been asked to play at showcase in London, at The Enterprise, Camden. Apparently for ITB, a large agency with many well known acts on their books. We'd be travelling from Scotland, and I'm rather skeptical compared to the rest of my band. Does anyone know this venue? Looks like a pub to me, I've got doubts that a large agency would use it for a showcase. Any advice appreciated! [/quote] How did the gig come about - i.e. did you contact the agency, did they contact you etc? Or was it via the venue itself and they've told you the agency will be in attendance? Do you have an understanding of the purpose of the gig - i.e. the agency is suitably impressed by you and are looking to see you play with a view to adding you to their roster/getting you more gigs? If it were me I'd be more excited by it if the invitation had come directly from the agency rather than the venue - ITB are a decent agency. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grandad Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 I'm afraid, from my experience over the previous 10 years or so, I have nothing positive to say regarding showcases. If I want to do a free show it will be for a good cause. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scalpy Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 It's not necessary. Make money being a band anywhere in the country and then they'll come looking for you. Not that you'd need them then, you'd be making more money without them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Stu Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Ask who it is from ITB that's going & whether you can make direct contact with promo stuff beforehand. Sounds more like one step removed from pay-to-play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toneknob Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Are they going to do promotion, cover expenses? (don't hold your breath), provide backline to your spec? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 [quote name='KK Jale' timestamp='1427556198' post='2731721'] Personally I wouldn't be keen to travel from south of the river let alone Scotland... [/quote] +1. I wouldn't schlep all the way from Lewisham to Chalk Farm for a pub gig! A frustrating time guaranteed for all! Sorry for the negativity, but you have to stop this from happening! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number6 Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1427571645' post='2731915'] +1. I wouldn't schlep all the way from Lewisham to Chalk Farm for a pub gig! A frustrating time guaranteed for all! Sorry for the negativity, but you have to stop this from happening! [/quote] Lewisham on the DLR to Bank and then onto the Northern Line.....be there in a jiffy 😊 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan670844 Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 I hate to be controversial....... but the London music scene is f@@cked, its mostly a bring your own fan base, in shoddy venues with poor sound, that are usually empty, apart from the other bands and their mates. There are some exceptions to the rule, but in the main that is it... don't be fooled into anything different. You would be better off doing some research and find venues that have people in them that really want to see new live music. That you didn't bring along yourself. There are a couple of places in London but not many, better off looking elsewhere like Bristol, Newcastle, Brum, Cambridge, Cardiff, Oxford. There are much better venues in towns and cities elsewhere, where you stand more of a chance of building up a genuine new fanbase. The London scene needs to reinvent itself. In order to do that a lot of these sh*tty venues need to die..... it is happening but it is a long and protracted painful death!!!! Better off to find a promotor who likes your stuff before you venture down here, then you will get into the better venues and stand a chance of collecting a few new faces.... in fact without promoter support you are really wasting your time and will end up broke and annoyed. Arrgh everything needs to change, music is a credible career and in order for it to thrive everybody needs to make money, bands, venues and promoters. No one does.... most especially in London. You will shell out a lot of beans for no gain I think... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoham Posted March 28, 2015 Author Share Posted March 28, 2015 Thanks for the advice guys. I've already asked many of the questions suggested and am strugging to get clear information. The gig came about via a friend of our singer. His band are making their way from Stornaway (which is a long journey from Glasgow never mind London) and they asked us to join them. From what I gather the guys are pretty well connected and clued up, so I'd like to think they wouldn't be wasting their or our time. On the other hand, the purpose of the gig is still very vague to me. I'm personally looking for something like an email from ITB saying they've heard our CD and would like to hear us live. I feel like a bit of a kill-joy, but I personally don't have the disposable cash to splash out, never mind the two days off work I'd need. Thanks again, George Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molan Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 [quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1427565209' post='2731805'] Tread with caution, this thing happens all over the London scene, bands get there, play to each other - aside from the headliners who play to the bar staff - and that`s about it. [/quote] Been there, done that, massive waste of time and energy Although the bar staff were very friendly and liked it when we took requests Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 [quote name='Number6' timestamp='1427572745' post='2731928'] Lewisham on the DLR to Bank and then onto the Northern Line.....be there in a jiffy [/quote] Errm... I don't do public transport, especially not with gear! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muppet Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Showcases used to be (and maybe still are) five bands minimum where you all turn up early with your gear, sit round for ages until sound engineer turns up, four of five bands don't have a bass amp, three bands get a crap sound check and you play to the other bands and a few friends with numbers decreasing as it gets closer to midnight. Some are even worse if you have to sell tickets in advance. I'd suggest they are taking advance of your band being quite new. Sorry for the cynical response but for the bands it's often a huge expense with nothing in return other than the band saying on their facebook page 'we've played xxx in London' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurksalot Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 [quote name='geoham' timestamp='1427578319' post='2732016'] Thanks for the advice guys. I've already asked many of the questions suggested and am strugging to get clear information. The gig came about via a friend of our singer. His band are making their way from Stornaway [/quote] Wow , I suppose there are no big city lights up that way , but all that glistens isn't gold , that is one hell of a commitment on a whim , unless he is being promised something very big ( by someone trustworthy) it is not worth the journey , dreams might carry a lot of the load down there , but the dissapointment is a heavier load on the way back up . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 I've lived in Camden for years and never heard of the enterprise... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahpook Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 (edited) [quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1427588838' post='2732147'] I've lived in Camden for years and never heard of the enterprise... [/quote] That's cos it's in Chalk Farm [quote name='lurksalot' timestamp='1427582705' post='2732078'] Wow , I suppose there are no big city lights up that way , but all that glistens isn't gold , that is one hell of a commitment on a whim , unless he is being promised something very big ( by someone trustworthy) it is not worth the journey , dreams might carry a lot of the load down there , but the dissapointment is a heavier load on the way back up . [/quote] Couldn't agree more. If you're up for the road trip for the hell of it then fine...but it may end up feeling quite Pyrrhic, depends what you're in it for. Edited March 29, 2015 by ahpook Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 [quote name='ahpook' timestamp='1427589501' post='2732155'] That's cos it's in Chalk Farm [/quote] Ah that would be why then... Different world up there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 (edited) What would be the point in them seeing a band play in a pub, possibly not to much of an audience, and what audience there would be wouldn't know you or your music ? Surely part of the 'seeing a band play' thing, is seeing what audience they're getting, and watching the performance. I think a lot of the playing in London thing, is the old belief that the streets are paved in gold, whereas they're not. The music scene there is, probably like most large cities around the world, just full of people making money on the back of young bands belief that they can be the next big thing. Edited March 29, 2015 by ambient Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Question any offer to play anywhere that's not accompanied by an offer of money. Is that too harsh? Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 [quote name='blue' timestamp='1427590237' post='2732162'] Question any offer to play anywhere that's not accompanied by an offer of money. Is that too harsh? Blue [/quote] That about sums up my personal feelings on it. If they're not paying the bands, then what happens to the money made ? If they keep it, then it's like others are saying, just a con. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrismanbass Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 (edited) don't walk away ....... RUN A FRICKING MILE!!!! its a room above a pub as has been said before last time i played there the house drum stool was a beer crate rest of the kit was held together with gaffa tape with heads that hadn't been changed in my lifetime Pa was ancient manned by an equally ancient engineer who struggled to hear me when stood 3 feet in front of him in short i wouldn't travel from west london to gig in this place (i'm not going to call it a venue) let alone travel down from Scotland i'm pretty sure you won't make your money back and any agency thats having a showcase there i'd have serious doubts about Edited March 29, 2015 by Chrismanbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Promoter fills a pub with hopeful bands and their friends and families. They spend at the bar. Pub pays promoter. Bands all go home. Nothing good will come of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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