What Will Take The Place Of Gigging?

[probablypike]

I'm surprised how downbeat some people are sounding about live music on this thread. I've heard that for the first time since recorded music was widely available, artists are making comparatively more money through live gigs than ever before.

I'm guessing how popular dance and electronic music is atm must've had an impact on the amount of opportunities for traditional live musicians, but there's definitely plenty of healthy new music scenes around.

On a side note, there are plenty of people making a career out of music without leaving their bedroom now. (See youtube/bandcamp/soundcloud.) I also don't think this is having a negative effect on people's interest in live music either. If anything, the opposite.

As a 23 year old, I can 100% tell you that young people are interested in live music. With all due respect, if you're not seeing them at shows, it's not because they're not going to shows, it's because they're not going to the same ones as you.

Edited January 27, 2016 by probablypike

[Grangur]

I don't gig. I never have. It doesn't mean I don't want to. To gig I'd have to give up the career I'm in. That would mean having to rethink how to pay the mortgage.

The media and recording industry are doing their best to kill gigging. When we grew up the highlight of all chat shows were the guest bands that did a couple of spots, including closing the show. Now, if they have an appearance it's only the singer. Musicians, if present, are hidden away as being no more relevant than the clapperboard operator.

For the young musicians are no longer there as role models. The "real" musicians now are computer operators. The future of gigging is a live streaming of Spotify.

I can't wait

[Doctor J]

I much prefer composing and recording to gigging. I still gig regularly but it has never been the be-all and end-all and never will. That being said, I've no real interest in cover music where gigs are pretty much the sole purpose of existence. I've done stints in mate's cover bands when they've been down a member but it wasn't my thing at all and my stints were relatively brief. The creative side is where I get my kicks. I can see the market for covers shrinking but not disappearing. There are so many entertainment alternatives these days which don't involve punters going out in the rain, etc, and even pubs don't have the allure they used to. Youth culture isn't built around pubs and bands anymore.

[CamdenRob]

I'm all about gigging but it doesn't seem to be a priority with the projects I've been involved with recently... Seems to be more of an inclination to record a demo (and it is definitely a demo not an EP... in my mind an EP is an official industry backed release not something you've done yourself... ) and build an online profile before getting out there and actually playing anything.

Although it is not my favored type of music, the projects where I've been a sideman for an acoustic singer / songwriter type person seem to be far more gig focused, so perhaps I shall seek out a similar opportunity just to get playing live again on a regular basis.

I do enjoy recording / rehearsing / writing and all the other aspects of being involved in an originals band, but for me the end objective is definitely gigging

Edited January 27, 2016 by CamdenRob

[ratman]

If I haven't had a gig for a couple of weeks I get twitchy. I just love playing gigs.

[ead]

Boys nights out surely.

[probablypike]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1453878241' post='2963629']
The media and recording industry are doing their best to kill gigging. When we grew up the highlight of all chat shows were the guest bands that did a couple of spots, including closing the show. Now, if they have an appearance it's only the singer. Musicians, if present, are hidden away as being no more relevant than the clapperboard operator.

For the young musicians are no longer there as role models. The "real" musicians now are computer operators. The future of gigging is a live streaming of Spotify.

I can't wait
[/quote]

If you're talking about mainstream media I can see where you're coming from, but when has the most original, new music ever been handed to you on a plate in the mainstream? There are a ton of current role models for new musicians.

By "computer operators" did you mean electronic artists doing live sets or bedroom studio producers?

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1453881714' post='2963650']
Boys nights out surely.
[/quote]

[peteb]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1453855113' post='2963579']


Agreed, but I sense over all the enthusiasm for gigging musicians once had is also down.

Blue
[/quote]
Don't fall into the trap that Basschat is representative of most gigging musicians in the UK.

There are still plenty of opportunities for playing live, just not as many as there were a few years ago. The main factor for this is the number of venues / pubs that are struggling to keep going for a number of reasons. But there is still an audience out there for a decent band!

[discreet]

[quote name='peteb' timestamp='1453883867' post='2963672']
...there is still an audience out there for a decent band!
[/quote]

Absolutely, and IMO it's easier to make a living purely from gigging today than it was when there was serious money to be made from selling records and CDs before the mp3 revolution.

[RhysP]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1453856011' post='2963588']
What projects Rhysp? If there is no stage or audience, I would have zero interest.

A good option for some all the same.
Blue
[/quote]

I mean writing & recording projects, which is what has always been my main interest. I never liked gigging, even when I was doing a lot of it. I have no desire to be an entertainer, I just want to be involved making music that I like. I've worked on studio projects for songwriters that I've really enjoyed, but have turned down the offer of playing the same music live with those songwriters after the recording has been completed.
I'm about to get involved in the music for a film that is being made locally. I won't make any money from it & I doubt if many people will even see the film when it's finished, but I'm far more excited about doing it than I ever was about playing live.

Edited January 27, 2016 by RhysP

[neepheid]

I enjoy gigging and I get annoyed at missed opportunities to gig because someone's on holiday or someone's playing with their other band and whatnot. However, if gigging went out the window then I guess I'd settle for writing songs and recording them to get them out there. Still not the same as seeing people dancing around to the music you're making right there at the time. But I wouldn't jack in bass completely if I couldn't gig - I would probably trim down the collection though - use the proceeds to go on holiday or something

[chris_b]

[quote name='probablypike' timestamp='1453877769' post='2963627']
I've heard that for the first time since recorded music was widely available, artists are making comparatively more money through live gigs than ever before.
[/quote]

That's probably because they can't make any money from recording any more.

[colgraff]

I'm not convinced that gigging opportunities and venues are drying up with any degree of permanence. Rather, tastes in music have broadened away from the type of music that most venues would consider and so is the way in which music is consumed changing. In a similar way, one could conclude that young people aren't interested in dancing because large discos/nightclubs are closing down fast but rather, they want to socialise in ways that differ from their parents'.

In both cases, the changes are temporary as such things are cyclical.

[Lozz196]

At some point I`ll probably stopp gigging, but if it happens that will be down to age/health issues as I can`t see me willingly not gigging. Luckily I have wide musical tastes so I`m not pidgeon-holed into a specific genre. Whilst i`m happiest doing what i currently do - punk originals - I`d happily join a middle of the road covers band so I could still gig as I just love music and gigging. But even if age/health stop me gigging, I`ll still play my bass, assuming that the two mentioned factors don`t prevent that of course.

[cheddatom]

Reading through the 6 points this thread is based on, I think 1,3,5 and 6 have always been true. People are all different, and some people like to play the bass at home, and always have. I have no idea what 2 and 4 are based on. There are loads of good gigging opportunities in the UK. There is a growing trend of pubs and venues closing, but I'm not sure that this is "too many", and the opportunities are nowhere near "drying up". As far as gigging becomming less popular... I just don't get what it's based on. Probably posts on basschat, which is far from a representative sample. Loads of the posts here are rants from people in a bad mood, loads more are bitterly sarcastic, so there's no way to get a real sense of the reality of musicians' life in the UK from basschat.

[chris_b]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1453878241' post='2963629']
The media and recording industry are doing their best to kill gigging.
[/quote]

Actually a lot of gigs are being killed off by the supermarkets undercutting pubs and noise related laws which are being rigorously enforced by the Councils.

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1453887937' post='2963721']
... there's no way to get a real sense of the reality of musicians' life in the UK from basschat.
[/quote]

That's preposterous... next you'll be telling me that facebook is not a reliable indicator of public opinion on political issues.

[discreet]

[quote name='cheddatom' timestamp='1453887937' post='2963721']
As far as gigging becoming less popular... I just don't get what it's based on. Probably posts on basschat, which is far from a representative sample. Loads of the posts here are rants from people in a bad mood, loads more are bitterly sarcastic, so [b]there's no way to get a real sense of the reality of musicians' life in the UK from basschat.[/b]
[/quote]

Quite - in fact, there's no way to get a sense of the reality of [i]anything at all[/i] from Basschat. I think that's why people come here - to escape from reality, rather than to experience even more of it.

It's a comfortable place, usually. You know what most people's opinions are going to be on any given subject and what the best bass is for metal. OK, we don't yet know what the best bass for metal is, but it's surely only a matter of time.

[Dad3353]

From a personal point of view, I've never been one for dancing, and associate music more with the concept of 'concert', where the attention is focussed more on 'listening'. Not only modern (rock..?), but all music, from classical orchestral, through opera to jazz and folk, and all stops in between. I've never, of my own volition, gone into a pub, still less to jump about (good gracious, what a strange idea..!) unless as a member of a band playing there. I can grasp (just about...) the idea of others getting some enjoyment from dancing, but, to me, the pleasure of music is in the concentration, the isolation, the intensity, and cannot (or, at least, is very difficult to ...) be shared. Live music, in the concert scene, is probably almost as active as years ago, except maybe in the few Golden Years of the late '60s, early '70s. Discos and such scotched the live scene after that for those wanting to gyrate, but concerts have kept up, albeit very modestly. I rather think that it has always been thus; no great change.

[BigRedX]

And yet another thread about how there's no more gigs and that they are mostly crap and that it's all too much effort.

What a load of bollocks!

There are plenty of great paying gigs available provided that:

1. Your band is entertaining

2. Your band is prepared to put in the effort to go and get them

I was going to write a whole load more explaining the above, but TBH if you need it explaining, you are probably never going to get it.

My band is out there doing songs we wrote ourselves playing paying gigs pretty much every weekend because we are entertaining and because between the various members of the band we put in 20-30 hours a week promoting the band to get the gigs that we want. And that's what is required if you want gigs that pay and have a decent audience in attendance.


Besides nowadays if you want to make money out of music, gigging is the product which has value because it can't be copied, and even a good video of a show is no where near the same as actually being there. It's not like the past where bands toured to promote sales of their album and it was acknowledged that touring lost money but that was outweighed by increased record sales as a result of people seeing the band live.

Today when a digital copy of your music, no matter how obscure your band is, can be easily found for free on-line, the recording (and video) is now the promotional device to get people to come to the gig where ticket and merchandise sales are money makers.

[PaulWarning]

if I had to stop gigging I'd stop playing bass (not likely at the moment), IMO it's not much fun on your own, I also do open mics and the occasional gig playing acoustic guitar and singing with my partner on a small drum kit, now that is enjoyable playing on my own, but without open mics the incentive wouldn't be there.
Guess I'm just a whore for applause :-)

Edited January 27, 2016 by PaulWarning

[RockfordStone]

i would concentrate on writing and recording my own music and releasing that. if i couldn't do that or gig then i would sell up and do photography instead.
i haven't gigged for 18 months for various reasons so i will probably give it one more year before giving up on the idea of gigging

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1453888697' post='2963737']
From a personal point of view, I've never been one for dancing
[/quote]

The worst thing about being a non-dancer is that even though everyone knows you are a non-dancer and have never danced in the 20 years they have known you, they still think that you are going to dance if they ask you...

No... I haven't danced for the previous 100 times you've asked me so why on earth do you think I'm going to this time?

[Guest MoJo]

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1453853031' post='2963561']
If there were no opportunities to gig I'd sell up. However, although things ain't what they (never?) were, I don't think 'end of gigging' is with us just yet.
[/quote]
[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1453853743' post='2963567']
If I had to stop gigging I'd probably stop playing bass and buy a piano and play that at home.
[/quote]

If I stopped gigging, I too would stop playing bass and find something else to do. I find 'noodling' at home boring and love to play live. Thankfully, at the moment, my band has plenty of bookings