Pubs to open indoors from 17th May - but will it mean work for musicians ?

[musicbassman]

it's just been announced that pubs will reopen indoors from Monday 17th May.

Good news, but I can't imagine that there'll be a huge amount of work for bands in the short term - landlords just have to be open, and won't be worrying about trying to offer entertainment incentives to attract punters.

Other opinions are available - discuss.  🙂

[dave moffat]

Not really got a dog in this fight but just before lockdown I was working towards my first open mic night. As things have gone on I feel I have improved and gained in confidence to the point of being able to hold the low end up and could be persuaded to gig. In fact I'm growing keener as time goes on. I would expect the 3 local jams (that I know of) to restart fairly quickly. Paid gigs - I don't think it'll be long there's a whole backlog of weddings and stuff that have been put on hold.

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited March 14, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[skidder652003]

We have about 9 booked from June onwards.

I have been slowly but consistently gently prodding my regular venues/Landlords about putting gigs back on. Most have said it's too soon to call yet but are hopeful once the mist clears a little more. Some pubs have closed, some have said they're not doing live music anymore, some Landlords have permanently moved on to a different career. I am fairly confident things will pick up more rapidly from June.

[Barking Spiders]

In Gloucestershire, several of the few in-town pubs I know of that used to put on gigs are now up for sale or are being converted into housing. Those pubs/bars that are now making some sort of recovery are generally larger family ones in/near villages with dining and large outdoor spaces but have never hosted gigs and I don't think they'll start doing so either. Maybe in the bigger towns and cities there are more opportunities 

[uk_lefty]

My band has had a few enquiries, so the possibilities are out there. 

[KevB]

From the dreadful lack of communication and general apathy in one of my bands (plus an ex member being allowed back which will mean getting back up to speed will take even longer) I've already pretty much written off the likelihood of a paying gig with them this year.

I think it will be a slog of occasional rehearsals with glacial progress. I've decided to give it a couple of rehearsals to see how much work needs to be done and if it looks too much for too little gain I may hand my notice in.

However, already had 1 rehearsal with the supposed 'side band' and they have 2 gigs booked so that's now the priority.

[Woodinblack]

We have gigs coming up but one of our most reliable and best paying regulars has shut down, so that is quite a loss. Not sure if it will open again and if it does whether it will still be the same. Our previous regular pub that shut down a few years ago opened up briefly before the pandemic and when we went back they said they were interested in live music, and when we quoted the price said 'oh thats crazy, we can get groups from london for £150'. Needless to say, they never had any groups and then closed down 6 months later.

The centre of town which used to be very full of live music on a weekend is looking pretty sparce now. In the time I have been playing here, which is 6 years, we are down from  6 venues that had groups to 1, with a couple of places that have acoustic nights.

[FinnDave]

Our semi-acoustic six piece Grateful Dead covers band (a fairly niche market, you'd think!) has got two pub gigs in one week in Oxfordshire, and a couple of others including Cropredy fringe. Be interesting to see what they make of our lengthy Dark Star & Playing in the Band interpretations!

[Supernaut]

If restrictions allow and Covid cases continue to fall, I will be cautiously but irreversibly, raising a bass onto my shoulder.  

[FinnDave]

I've cleaned and changed strings on two basses this week, feels like coming out of hibernation. Definitely light at the end of the tunnel, just hope no one switches it off!

[steantval]

Pubs opening indoors on May 17th will still be restricted to social distancing, this means they have a reduced capacity, can’t see many jumping at the chance of putting live bands on, this may change with the next step in June hopefully.

[DaytonaRik]

I'm just bidding my time on this one - landlords have enough cr@p on their plates without being hassled by weekends warriors such as myself looking for gigs.  Things will change but I'm in no rush to get out there from the word go

[BassBunny]

52 minutes ago, steantval said:

Pubs opening indoors on May 17th will still be restricted to social distancing, this means they have a reduced capacity, can’t see many jumping at the chance of putting live bands on, this may change with the next step in June hopefully.

Yep, that seems to be the view of most of our regular pub gigs. They just can't see that they will generate enough income from reduced capacity to put bands on yet.

[fretmeister]

As I understand it - from 17th May pubs are only open for seated table service and that masks must be worn. No standing customers. Social distancing in place.

Pubs are not considered entertainment venues like theatres etc so the 50% capacity type rules do not apply. 

So maybe apart from the acoustic guitar guys sitting (masked) in the corner providing background music to seated and masked patrons I don't think pub gigs are allowed before 21st June.

 

I've sent the MU an email to ask for confirmation but try as I might, I can't read it any other way.

[FinnDave]

The gigs I've got lined up for July are outdoors, in the pub gardens.

 

[redbandit599]

We have one outside in a pub garden on 29th May, and about another 10 booked inside pubs from early July onwards - I don't think indoor gigs will/should be happening before the next change in regulations in June.

What still isn't that clear to me is with the OUTSIDE gig does the 'groups of up to 30' apply to pubs i.e. could they have several tables with more than the current number of 6 (up to 30? Big table 😉) on each. I think it must as they've told us that they've already got bookings for a couple of tables of 10.

[jrixn1]

Is this not the guidance: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/restaurants-offering-takeaway-or-delivery#takeaways-4-5

 

[paul_c2]

That's fairly clear - no indoor pub gigs, in the conventional sense that a pub does it. It would need to be a ticketed event.

[Marvin]

I'm not even in a band so it's inactivity as usual for me 😁

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited March 14, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[BassBunny]

Here's a posting from Facebook which looks like this pub has really studied the rules.

"Well the countdown is on.. Not long now!!

*****UPDATE TO OUR USUAL ADMISSION ON LIVE EVENTS***

The new covid secure guidelines on events (including free entry) stipulate all events have to be ticketed for admission.

As you know this is unheard of at the Bank Top Tavern but if we want to kick off and carry on giving you the FREE quality live music in our own tradition... rules is rules unfortunately.

ALL events are still FREE of charge but a ticket MUST be produced on entry.

These are available via Eventbrite. 

Just click on the get ticket link in the particular event you are interested on our Facebook events page.

All events for the first few weeks are all seated and reduced capacity so please arrive early if you want a good seat.

If you are already in the BTT before our event kick off at 9pm and are staying for the live band you must have a ticket by 8.00pm or will be asked to leave  

**NO EXCEPTIONS** (We have free wifi to get yourselves one)

Please wear a mask on entry and every time your bum leaves a seat.

Please scan the QR code on entry or you must sign in manually.

NO TICKET NO ENTRY

We are so sorry again that there are all these rules to follow and we really wish there wasn't, but there is nothing we can do if we want to bring the music back.

Please be kind and bear with us as we are just finding our crazy way through all of this and its all new for us.

With all that out of the way, we would just like to say how excited we are to be back and to see you all, all of our friends, some we have met and some we have yet to meet...

Its all gonna be fab again 🙂 xx

See you on the 19th of May 

The staff and management of The BTT

[louisthebass]

I'm doing a street party on July 10th - also have the possibility of an indoors gig later in the year (not a pub) but to be honest, that's all I'm expecting this side of 2022.

The pub thing; I'm not even sure things will change much if the authorities are still going to insist on masks being worn inside and it's seating only after June 21st. There was a prediction back in March or April that we're still going to need masks for a very long time, even after all the vaccinations have been completed and social distancing ends.

Great... ☹️

[Len_derby]

The covers band I’m in have been asked to play at one of our regular pubs on Saturday 29th May. I think we need to check out what and where the landlord is expecting before we say yes. 

On a related but side-issue, almost every pub I follow on Facebook, either because they’re a music pub or I go there anyway, are advertising for bar and/or kitchen staff. It looks like a big proportion of experienced bar staff have left the industry. 

[BassBunny]

15 minutes ago, Len_derby said:

On a related but side-issue, almost every pub I follow on Facebook, either because they’re a music pub or I go there anyway, are advertising for bar and/or kitchen staff. It looks like a big proportion of experienced bar staff have left the industry. 

Yep, same in our area. I guess they either laid the staff off at lockdown or the furlough money wasn't enough and they've found jobs elsewhere.

Apparently it's quite bad in London as a lot of staff are traditionally from other countries and many went home at lockdown and can't get back.