Credit Crunch, recession - what will it mean for us?

[KevB]

Maybe this should be off-topic but what will it mean for gigging pub bands? I can easily see some pubs looking at the balance sheets and deciding live music is a luxury they can live without. There are a couple of pubs my new band have approached recently that were always known for live music and have now stopped it completely. I suspect there may be more to follow. Will we all just start undercutting each other to get gigs or we all accept less money? Interested in others views.

[thedontcarebear]

Probably will effect the covers band pub scene, but I can't imagine it will have an effect on the originals club scene.

[Mr. Foxen]

Thus far its meant tht food is slightly more expensive (inflation does that anyway) and second hand music gear is cheaper. Bearing in mind the relative amounts I spend on each, been on a winner so far. Course, HSBC ending my student overdraft has made me very poor, but I refuse to blame that on the economic trouble, as most of the actual economic trouble is being cause by peoples reaction to hearing there is such trouble.

As for gigging peoples inclination to stay in will affect pubs, they'll stay in and watch tv which will tell them how terrible the economy is and be even more inclined to stay in, pubs will suffer and the economy declines. Great. Play happy tunes about how the good times are coming.

[The Funk]

[quote name='thedontcarebear' post='302166' date='Oct 8 2008, 02:02 PM']I can't imagine it will have an effect on the originals club scene.[/quote]

Where the bands hardly ever get paid anyway


[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='302175' date='Oct 8 2008, 02:10 PM']Play happy tunes about how the good times are coming.[/quote]

[i]Good Times[/i], [i]Let The Good Times Roll[/i] etc.?

[OldGit]

We've had one birthday party gig cancelled due to the recession but we got another for the same date.

Other than that our costs have risen (due to the increase in travel costs) and we've not been able to pass that on to the gigs we've already got in the book (going out as far as October next year) but we are adding a slight increase in the fees to cover it. No complaints so far.

people may spend less on a night out to compensate for travel costs but people do tend to spend on leisure in a recession because they get down and need cheering up.

I think the new X factor series is likely to have a bigger effect on Saturday night pub audience numbers ...

[casapete]

The current economic situation is resulting in more 'late' bookings for my function band - that is offset by fewer bookings a long way in advance though.
People very wary about committing to spending their money for events that are next year etc as they are uncertain how things will be.
Fortunately people still getting married though,and weddings are usually planned a long way ahead. Thank God!
Pubs in my area are generally suffering - down to many things such as cheap supermarket booze, smoking ban,increased costs etc as well as the 'credit crunch'. Unfortunately live music tends to be the first thing to go,so worrying times indeed.

[Hit&Run]

[quote name='The Funk' post='302181' date='Oct 8 2008, 02:14 PM']Where the bands hardly ever get paid anyway[/quote]
Ain't that the truth! Most dirt holes only put on original bands because they know the singer's thirst for booze will ensure they break even on a Monday night. Even if there's only 4 punters in the audience!



[quote name='casapete' post='302316' date='Oct 8 2008, 04:27 PM']Pubs in my area are generally suffering - down to many things such as cheap supermarket booze, smoking ban,increased costs etc as well as the 'credit crunch'.[/quote]
Indeed.
There's a pub in Bradford where my old band must've played 4 times in 18 months; it's recently stopped doing live music altogether for the reasons listed above. The guy who ran it had been doing live music at that venue for 10 years.

Bad times ahoy.

[bassmansky]

we do 5 different pubs but only one is suffering at the moment due to credit crunch and bad management.some pubs have not booked up to far in advance so i think they are waiting to see if things are going to get worse.some publicans always want some kind of music usually the cheapist they can find irrespective of sound,style,live,etc.

[Kiwi]

Its no bloody wonder we have a recession if people insist on being pessimistic rather than seeing the bigger picture. I really wish I'd plunged my house deposit into gold 4 years ago, I would have doubled my money by now.

[Tee]

The proliferation of blues bands.

[doctor_of_the_bass]

We are of course, verging on the `end times' - this is all happening for a reason, worldwide financial collapse in order to make way for a new world order, one world government, single currency (Amero!) blah de blah!

Don't forget, I told ya first!

Hold very tight girls, its gonna be a fast ride!

[OutToPlayJazz]

As for gigs, there's been a downturn since late 2006 in the pro scene. I get a lot of show work these days & some good jobs, but functions have certainly been thin on the ground over the last couple of years. People are spending less overall on their weddings & parties of various kinds. If you keep your pricing reasonable (say a wedding band for around £4-600) there's work around, but if you're charging £2-3k then forget it. People just aren't spending at that rate anymore. Corporate functions aren't seeming to be hit as bad, but they're still a little less frequent these days.

Like others have mentioned, we're getting a lot of late bookings. People aren't booking for nextr year. I'm getting a lot of local functions at one and two weeks' notice. It's a pain in the arse to book, but it's work all the same.

The biggest killer to pub bands has been the smoking ban. There's no quicker way to empty the local! But with the credit crunch, people are tending to spend on little treats like a night out as opposed to bigger things like cars & houses. Perhaps the crunch will bring the local pub/club audience back? Who knows?

Rich.

Edited October 8, 2008 by OutToPlayJazz

[MuseMatt]

I was going to make a topic related to this but as this one excists...

Would you, with the current recession, invest in basses (e.g. import from america) to keep them and sell them later on? I could imagine after the recession prices will get back to normal and some money could be made!

[Jobiebass]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' post='302175' date='Oct 8 2008, 02:10 PM']but I refuse to blame that on the economic trouble, as most of the actual economic trouble is being cause by peoples reaction to hearing there is such trouble.[/quote]

+1!!!

I seldomly listen to the news cause I hate all these reporters making things out to be worse then they really are. 90% of people have really no clue whats going off and they hear ressession and they panic. I had my mum call me up scared that shes got more then £35k in the bank and worried shes gonna loose it. its stupid!! Wish everyone would carm down. Altho this is a good time to be playing on the stock market, my mate borrowed 5k last night (from a broker) and bought up HBOS shares, been sat at work watching them go up 80points before 12 midday, sold em, boom, cheaky 1.5k for half a days "work" Im pretty pissed off I didnt do the same when they went down to 88p.

[Gunsfreddy2003]

Here is one to think about! Two pubs in Cheltenham we played one in May and got paid £150 and it was pretty busy and went down well. Same pub in September offers us £50 for the same gig. Meanwhile a pub right across the road which is starting to do more and more live music booked us for last Friday and paid £300!! We packed the place and they have booked us for December again already.

The point I am making is that the credit crunch is a global excuse for everything at the moment including a tight fisted landlord trying to shaft 6 muso's!!!

I hope that every band says no to his pathetic offer of £50 and they will have no choice then but to pay a better price for bands. If things are tight then the pubs need to do something to entice people out of their houses and into the pubs. Doing nothing at all is hardly likely to make the pub busier is it?

Good job that I do not make my living from the pay from pub gigs otherwise I fear that the wife could be living in a wigwam!

[ARGH]

Pub gigs are getting thinner....esp if you are charging more...you can play in a 5 piece and get gigs aplenty if you are willing to accept a £150-£180 gig...but given the financial times are you willing to travel a round trip of 100 miles for such a gig??

Some people just want to gig and get their Beer paid..I dont,Its a job,I dont enjoy the tunes,I want the money,It pays bills. It really really f***s me off when a 'Well known' Leeds venue WONT pay anymore than £150 on a weekend night..AND the pub is ALWAYS full to the rafters.

The C-Crunch has affected 3 things,Fuel's,Food,and peoples paranoia.

Edited October 8, 2008 by ARGH

[Gunsfreddy2003]

I personally would not travel more than 30 miles for a share of less than £200.

You have to at least cover your costs I reckon. That said I do enjoy playing the music that we do and with 5 mates to boot!

[quote name='ARGH' post='302482' date='Oct 8 2008, 07:50 PM']Pub gigs are getting thinner....esp if you are charging more...you can play in a 5 piece and get gigs aplenty if you are willing to accept a £150-£180 gig...but given the financial times are you willing to travel a round trip of 100 miles for such a gig??

Some people just want to gig and get their Beer paid..I dont,Its a job,I dont enjoy the tunes,I want the money,It pays bills. It really really f***s me off when a 'Well known' Leeds venue WONT pay anymore than £150 on a weekend night..AND the pub is ALWAYS full to the rafters.

The C-Crunch has affected 3 things,Fuel's,Food,and peoples paranoia.[/quote]

[ARGH]

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='302460' date='Oct 8 2008, 07:22 PM']As for gigs, there's been a downturn since late 2006 in the pro scene. I get a lot of show work these days & some good jobs, but functions have certainly been thin on the ground over the last couple of years. People are spending less overall on their weddings & parties of various kinds. If you keep your pricing reasonable (say a wedding band for around £4-600) there's work around, but if you're charging £2-3k then forget it. People just aren't spending at that rate anymore. Corporate functions aren't seeming to be hit as bad, but they're still a little less frequent these days.

Like others have mentioned, we're getting a lot of late bookings. People aren't booking for nextr year. I'm getting a lot of local functions at one and two weeks' notice. It's a pain in the arse to book, but it's work all the same.

The biggest killer to pub bands has been the smoking ban. There's no quicker way to empty the local! But with the credit crunch, people are tending to spend on little treats like a night out as opposed to bigger things like cars & houses. Perhaps the crunch will bring the local pub/club audience back? Who knows?

Rich.[/quote]
Same here,are you finding you are at weirder cheaper venues..Village halls,peoples Backyards..even Barnyards ,rather than say...a Hotel,or proper functions venue?

+1 on the Fags ban,as Ive said population in a venue IS thinner than say 05/06 BUT as a counterpoint Ripoff venues/Landlords are being treated like the sh*te they are and Bands are NOT falling for it,word is spreading fast.

[ARGH]

[quote name='Gunsfreddy2003' post='302487' date='Oct 8 2008, 07:56 PM']I personally would not travel more than 30 miles for a share of less than £200.

You have to at least cover your costs I reckon. That said I do enjoy playing the music that we do and with 5 mates to boot![/quote]
Do the country pubs pay in the SW??
Where are you based?

[Kiwi]

[quote name='Gunsfreddy2003' post='302479' date='Oct 8 2008, 07:48 PM']The point I am making is that the credit crunch is a global excuse for everything at the moment including a tight fisted landlord trying to shaft 6 muso's!!![/quote]
I hate to say it, but the more cynical we become as consumers/self employed, the less likely we are to be screwed over. However, who wants to live in a society of cynics? Nothing you say would ever be taken at face value!

[Gunsfreddy2003]

I live near Cirencester and some pubs do pay OK but you have to pick and choose them!

We play jazz/funk so tend to aim for wine bars or more upmarket pubs. On the whole £200 is about normal for a pub gig for us.

Mark

[quote name='ARGH' post='302490' date='Oct 8 2008, 07:59 PM']Do the country pubs pay in the SW??
Where are you based?[/quote]

[timloudon]

It was put to me thus by my live production tutor (I live in Leeds):

[i]'If you look at the gig listing for any given night, there's a good 20 to 30 bands playing. There are plenty of venues, but the thing that's thin on the ground are punters. People simply can't go and see that many bands in one night, and since there's rising costs of living they are less likely to spend the time and money going to see a new band at a small venue.'[/i]

This of course means that smaller venues simply aren't making the money. I've been told that Joseph's Well no longer exists for this reason, along with a few others. It also means that bigger venues or bands are charging big money for tickets. For example, I saw that Extreme are playing at the new Carling Academy, but the tickets were listed on one website at £70! I'm as much a fan of 80s hair metal as the next guy, but I'm not sure I could fork out that much.

I'm not personally up on exactly what's going on, and how this is exactly effecting the industry, but it doesn't look very good.

[Kiwi]

[quote name='timloudon' post='302509' date='Oct 8 2008, 08:22 PM']It was put to me thus by my live production tutor (I live in Leeds):

[i]'If you look at the gig listing for any given night, there's a good 20 to 30 bands playing. There are plenty of venues, but the thing that's thin on the ground are punters. People simply can't go and see that many bands in one night, and since there's rising costs of living they are less likely to spend the time and money going to see a new band at a small venue.'[/i]

This of course means that smaller venues simply aren't making the money. I've been told that Joseph's Well no longer exists for this reason, along with a few others. It also means that bigger venues or bands are charging big money for tickets. For example, I saw that Extreme are playing at the new Carling Academy, but the tickets were listed on one website at £70! I'm as much a fan of 80s hair metal as the next guy, but I'm not sure I could fork out that much.[/quote]
Well I don't know about Mr Joe Public but if I wanted a live music night out and had the choice of £70 to see an international early 90's act or an entertaining local act for a fiver I think I'd know what represented the best value for money.

[spinynorman]

We were contacted by a band who turned up to play at a pub we were due to play a couple of weeks later, and they'd found it closed. Just shut down by the brewery, no one bothered to tell the bands they'd booked.

[ARGH]

Thats happening a fair bit round here,drummer appears with posters/flyers etc...and finds a totally boarded up venue.