peety Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 Played last Friday at a garden party and have been booked for 2 more this month, enough room to social distance maybe these parties are the new thing. We,’re also doing an outside gig at the local cricket club where we rehearse free for them. in all honesty while as a 4 piece we are able to social distance I’m not convinced that these gigs should be allowed based on the guidelines that have been sent. However there seem to be numerous pubs in the area advertising live music outside and i’ve Even seen a couple starting to advertise indoor gigs. Nice to back out playing though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fretmeister Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 On 16/07/2020 at 12:35, Muppet said: We played an outdoor gig on Saturday. It was good to play but the audience was split out in to roped off pens with table and chairs that each group had to stay in - their food and drink was brought to them. They had to prebook their pen. They could dance within their own little area but it was quite strange. I've seen some plans for this sort of thing at football grounds and other large places. The one I saw was for Manchester somewhere - raised platforms with room for a max of 20 people. 20 tickets have to be purchased and that gets you a platform. Drinks service to the platform via text ordering. 20 people is quite a large bubble though. Far bigger than most family bubble groups. Sounds pretty good... until the issue of toilets. No mention of how that was going to work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 1 hour ago, fretmeister said: Sounds pretty good... until the issue of toilets. No mention of how that was going to work. What's wrong with the tradition of using a bottle and lobbing at the band? 🤢 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 22 minutes ago, Maude said: What's wrong with the tradition of using a bottle and lobbing at the band? 🤢 That only really works if you're in the audience, might be a bit too obvious if you're on stage! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 The deadheads in Oxford I played a sort-of gig with a week or so ago (outdoors, in a field, about 70 or so in the audience) are doing it again this coming Saturday and possibly on the Monday bank holiday as well. No pay, no power, just battery powered amps and hand drums. There were 4 bands last time, hopefully the same again. OK, so it's not putting food on the table, but it really helps keep the spark alive. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 29 minutes ago, FinnDave said: That only really works if you're in the audience, might be a bit too obvious if you're on stage! I don't know, I am tempted... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted July 28, 2020 Share Posted July 28, 2020 (edited) 3 minutes ago, Woodinblack said: I don't know, I am tempted... It leaves a bad taste in your mouth 🤢. Or theirs I should say 😄. Edited July 28, 2020 by Maude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 A discouraging report of a gig run to social distancing rules. . . . . . . . Folk rocker Frank Turner played one of the UK's first gigs with a socially-distanced audience at London's Clapham Grand last night. Performing live for the first time in more than four months made for a "strange, emotional evening", the singer said. But with just 200 people able to attend the 1,250 capacity venue, manager Ally Wolf said it did not make enough money to cover the operating costs, even before paying a fee to the performer. "It can't be the future for live music, it can't be the future for venues,"he said. The venue had to be reconfigured, with temperature checks on the door, tables and seats brought in and drinks ordered to the table. So it might be on the cards that we won't be gigging until a vaccine is available!! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maude Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 We've just taken another booking for an indoor pub gig on the 14th November. I've no idea what to expect, or if it will even go ahead. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chienmortbb Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 We have a club gig on the 22nd August booked before CV19 struck. Should find out tomorrow if it is on but as cases are 200 up on mid July, I am not holding my breath. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard Smalls Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 We may be doing a punk for the homeless benefit on 15th August, assuming we can work out how to stream it, and we'll be using my programmed drums and sequenced backing as our drummer is still sheilding... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stub Mandrel Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 13 minutes ago, Leonard Smalls said: We may be doing a punk for the homeless benefit on 15th August, assuming we can work out how to stream it, and we'll be using my programmed drums and sequenced backing as our drummer is still sheilding... Watch it drummers, you are like boyfriends. Easily replaced by a plastic object a few inches long with batteries. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 1 hour ago, Chienmortbb said: We have a club gig on the 22nd August booked before CV19 struck. Should find out tomorrow if it is on but as cases are 200 up on mid July, I am not holding my breath. My band had a club gig come in earlier this month for September. Not sure if the rules for private member's clubs are different, but when we play it's indoor, and an all tickets do to manage numbers. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 Still looking at March next year for our one and only gig, rehearsed for first time since early March last night, sounded great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thodrik Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 22 hours ago, chris_b said: A discouraging report of a gig run to social distancing rules. . . . . . . . Folk rocker Frank Turner played one of the UK's first gigs with a socially-distanced audience at London's Clapham Grand last night. Performing live for the first time in more than four months made for a "strange, emotional evening", the singer said. But with just 200 people able to attend the 1,250 capacity venue, manager Ally Wolf said it did not make enough money to cover the operating costs, even before paying a fee to the performer. "It can't be the future for live music, it can't be the future for venues,"he said. The venue had to be reconfigured, with temperature checks on the door, tables and seats brought in and drinks ordered to the table. So it might be on the cards that we won't be gigging until a vaccine is available!! This caught my eye as well. I am due to play a venue of a similar capacity in November as part of a 2 night rock festival with 5 bands per night. There is just no way that is going to be economically viable in the current climate. I suspect the organiser is preparing 'will you pay for free?' emails to the bands as I type. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newfoundfreedom Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 55 minutes ago, thodrik said: This caught my eye as well. I am due to play a venue of a similar capacity in November as part of a 2 night rock festival with 5 bands per night. There is just no way that is going to be economically viable in the current climate. I suspect the organiser is preparing 'will you pay for free?' emails to the bands as I type. And would you? Genuine question and not a judgement either way. Would you play for free to support a venue that could otherwise close for good, in order to secure future work? It's a difficult one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peteb Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 1 minute ago, Newfoundfreedom said: And would you? Genuine question and not a judgement either way. Would you play for free to support a venue that could otherwise close for good, in order to secure future work? It's a difficult one. I would be much more open to doing something like that than I would have been before lockdown. I'm still a bit cautious though - potential for a slippery slope there... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacDaddy Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newfoundfreedom Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 1 minute ago, peteb said: I would be much more open to doing something like that than I would have been before lockdown. I'm still a bit cautious though - potential for a slippery slope there... Yeah maybe this should be a thread all of its own. It's a good topic of discussion. I'll start one so as not to derail this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thodrik Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 3 minutes ago, Newfoundfreedom said: And would you? Genuine question and not a judgement either way. Would you play for free to support a venue that could otherwise close for good, in order to secure future work? It's a difficult one. My response to a 'will you play for free?' is always taken on a show to show basis. That was the case pre-pandemic and will continue to be the case post pandemic. In previous experience I find once you show that you are willing to play for free, then the promoter involved can generally 'expect' you to play for free, which in turn makes any 'future work' not being economically viable. I understand that live venues are going through hell at the minute. However if the only in which live music venues can survive to is to not pay the musicians providing the live music, then it doesn't exactly help musicians. In terms of this gig. It involves a good bit of travel and requires at least 3 members of the band to take time off work (provided that they are all still in work). We don't have a long term relationship with the venue or promoter. Additionally the venue is subject to a planning permission application to be turned into a hotel that was lodged before the pandemic even started, so paying my band a fee or not is not going to determine whether the venue is going to continue to operate in the long term. So in terms of playing for free, I would probably vote 'no' in this case. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newfoundfreedom Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 10 minutes ago, thodrik said: My response to a 'will you play for free?' is always taken on a show to show basis. That was the case pre-pandemic and will continue to be the case post pandemic. In previous experience I find once you show that you are willing to play for free, then the promoter involved can generally 'expect' you to play for free, which in turn makes any 'future work' not being economically viable. I understand that live venues are going through hell at the minute. However if the only in which live music venues can survive to is to not pay the musicians providing the live music, then it doesn't exactly help musicians. In terms of this gig. It involves a good bit of travel and requires at least 3 members of the band to take time off work (provided that they are all still in work). We don't have a long term relationship with the venue or promoter. Additionally the venue is subject to a planning permission application to be turned into a hotel that was lodged before the pandemic even started, so paying my band a fee or not is not going to determine whether the venue is going to continue to operate in the long term. So in terms of playing for free, I would probably vote 'no' in this case. Yup. I think I would definitely do the same in that case. New thread created here on this subject so we can get back to business as usual on this one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 Smaller venues (under 500) now opening in Scotland on 14th Sept. Good news for us as we have a gig booked on 3rd Aug. Happy days are returning. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricksterphil Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 8 hours ago, Newfoundfreedom said: And would you? Genuine question and not a judgement either way. Would you play for free to support a venue that could otherwise close for good, in order to secure future work? It's a difficult one. There will be much of this in the near future, bands playing for a reduced fee. Fair enough if it's a paid hobby, not so great if it's your living. Saying that we've just taken a booking for October 2021 at our normal rate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 I'd like to think our band would come and go with a regular venue maybe not for free but a reduced rate for this year anyways. Everything is so uncertain both band and venue are taking a risk so we should work together with our regular venues. Dave 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 (edited) Most of our gigs are paid as a percentage of the door take, so as long as the same number of people turn up, we'll still get paid the same. I think for all of the band's members though, the gig money barely covers travel to and from gigs & rehearsals and other incidental costs. Edited July 31, 2020 by FinnDave 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.