Chienmortbb Posted June 6, 2021 Share Posted June 6, 2021 I joined a long established band of weekend warriors January 2020 and we had several gigs booked thoughout the year. So far we have two Charity Gigs booked and looking at some of the local pubs/clubs it looks like they are concentrating on the pro-karaoke singers, you know the ones that just sing to backing tracks through a Bose PA. Are others finding it hard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidder652003 Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 (edited) we have 14 gigs booked up to December, the first one is next Sat (can't wait) But..it's been really hard getting them. Most landlords I speak to aren't taking bookings until after the 21st and waiting to see what happens. Edited June 7, 2021 by skidder652003 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chienmortbb Posted June 7, 2021 Author Share Posted June 7, 2021 That’s what I suspected. Salt I don’t think much will change on the 21st unless hospitalisations stay very low. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 I find booking shows easier but it is the keeping the show that is hard. Lockdown restrictions are pushing tours back and back. The outdoor festivals are usually fine but our last UK tour is on it's 4th list of dates for the same tour. We also had Spain booked which looks very optimistic at best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 Yeah, we've a few gigs booked for Sept - Dec, but most landlords are sitting on their hands till the 21st... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 Each of my two main bands has eight gigs in the diary for 2021 so far (including those already played), so I'm already ahead of the game for last year ... which is setting the bar bloody low! Until 2020, @Silvia Bluejay and I would routinely land 3/4 gigs from each of seven or eight pubs, plus another 10 or so one-off gigs, to make about three gigs a month for each band. This year, one band has been offered TWO gigs by one pub ... every other gig is a one-off and many of them are at pubs we've never played before. In short, the gigs are out there if you're prepared to put in enough work, but BY GOD it's hard! My own estimate is that each and every gig we've landed so far has involved ten times as much effort as pre-Covid. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chienmortbb Posted June 7, 2021 Author Share Posted June 7, 2021 6 minutes ago, Happy Jack said: Each of my two main bands has eight gigs in the diary for 2021 so far (including those already played), so I'm already ahead of the game for last year ... which is setting the bar bloody low! Until 2020, @Silvia Bluejay and I would routinely land 3/4 gigs from each of seven or eight pubs, plus another 10 or so one-off gigs, to make about three gigs a month for each band. This year, one band has been offered TWO gigs by one pub ... every other gig is a one-off and many of them are at pubs we've never played before. In short, the gigs are out there if you're prepared to put in enough work, but BY GOD it's hard! My own estimate is that each and every gig we've landed so far has involved ten times as much effort as pre-Covid. Are you having to cut your rates? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 7, 2021 Share Posted June 7, 2021 Oh yes! The big corporates can still afford to pay proper money, but they're not all booking gigs yet. Smaller pubs and independents are looking for big reductions and - let's be realistic about this - we're not arguing about it. Many of these places are hanging on by their fingertips, and expecting them to cough up £300, or even £250, is just barking mad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chienmortbb Posted June 7, 2021 Author Share Posted June 7, 2021 14 minutes ago, Happy Jack said: Oh yes! The big corporates can still afford to pay proper money, but they're not all booking gigs yet. Smaller pubs and independents are looking for big reductions and - let's be realistic about this - we're not arguing about it. Many of these places are hanging on by their fingertips, and expecting them to cough up £300, or even £250, is just barking mad. Thats what I thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 The only gig I have on the horizon is this Thursday. My band will be filmed, playing a 40 min set live, which will be streamed in July for The Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival. We have a 2 hr rehearsal tonight to get us up to speed, after 15 months inactivity 😲 We also have to use IEMs for the first time, which I'm not looking forward to. But it will be good to get together again and get the place rockin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 1 hour ago, gjones said: We have a 2 hr rehearsal tonight to get us up to speed, after 15 months inactivity 😲 If that's really all you need, then respect is due. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 Aaaaand about three hours after I'd posted somewhat gloomily...we have a gig this Satdy night. It's a biiiig pub, so plenty of room (not somewhere we've played before), reading between the lines I think the landlord is stealing a march on his competitors to be the first in the area with live music. I got the set list through this morning, quick rehearsal tomorrow evening for an hour, more to remember how to set the PA up than anything*, and we're off! 😁 My other half said 'Don't let people get too close', so I had to point out to her yet again that I'm a bassist; social distancing has never been an issue... 😐 * And just run through some middle 8s and endings...oh, and the singist/geetard's 'creative interpretations' of the songs...tho that's never stopped us before... 😐 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 12 minutes ago, Happy Jack said: If that's really all you need, then respect is due. We'll see. It sounds a ridiculously short time if you ask me but I'm not in charge. There'll have to be a lot of waffle between songs, 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 9 hours ago, Happy Jack said: If that's really all you need, then respect is due. Had the rehearsal tonight, the drummer didn't turn up. Got a text to say he's fallen asleep on the couch. FFS! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidder652003 Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 7 hours ago, gjones said: Had the rehearsal tonight, the drummer didn't turn up. Got a text to say he's fallen asleep on the couch. FFS! gotta love a committed skin beater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 9, 2021 Share Posted June 9, 2021 7 hours ago, gjones said: Had the rehearsal tonight, the drummer didn't turn up. In the run up to my cover band's first gig since September (low volume outdoors) the drummer forgot his cajon, had to go home to get it instead of coming straight from work, and we lost half the evening. The following week, unbelievably, he did the exact same thing. This time the guitarist & I insisted that we scrap the rehearsal and do it properly two days later. Drummers, eh? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chienmortbb Posted June 9, 2021 Author Share Posted June 9, 2021 2 hours ago, Happy Jack said: In the run up to my cover band's first gig since September (low volume outdoors) the drummer forgot his cajon, had to go home to get it instead of coming straight from work, and we lost half the evening. The following week, unbelievably, he did the exact same thing. This time the guitarist & I insisted that we scrap the rehearsal and do it properly two days later. Drummers, eh? Our drummer sudeenly devided he could not play a songe we had played several times live (Can't Gert Enough, Bad Company) To be fair we had not played it for 6 months or so but try as he might he could not get it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Starr Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 We've just done our first gig back at a pub we've played before. An odd sort of do a kind of hybrid between a wedding party and a brewery mini festival. We'd had a couple of rehearsals but the rust was still present and we've immediately booked more rehearsals. the punters as ever didn't seem to notice. My goodness it was good to be back. We've got another 5 bookings this year with an apparently steady flow of enquiries. The pubs are largely absent at the moment so these are outdoor events mainly, and from previous bookers. Full marks to @skidder652003 @Happy Jack and @Silvia Bluejay for getting out there and working at it. I'm optimistic about next year, a lot of our regular pubs have closed/changed hands and a lot of bands have folded too. I suspect there is a generation of older musicians who will have retired from regular gigging, A lot of faces disappeared in the last few years before COVID and this will make up some people's minds to join them. Driving everything though will be the desire for people to go out and be at a live event. If I were a pub I'd be waiting and watching but I think when it happens there will be a rush and the bands that are prepared and ready will be in demand. I also agree that it's not the time to push prices, we need to give the venues a break and help build confidence. good luck all. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 On 08/06/2021 at 13:35, gjones said: The only gig I have on the horizon is this Thursday. My band will be filmed, playing a 40 min set live, which will be streamed in July for The Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival. We have a 2 hr rehearsal tonight to get us up to speed, after 15 months inactivity 😲 We also have to use IEMs for the first time, which I'm not looking forward to. But it will be good to get together again and get the place rockin. On 09/06/2021 at 00:21, gjones said: Had the rehearsal tonight, the drummer didn't turn up. Got a text to say he's fallen asleep on the couch. FFS! Turned up in a taxi, at the venue this morning, with all my gear. As I was standing outside I got a call from the guitarist. 'Filming is off! Sound engineer has had a positive covid test and he and the whole tech crew have to self isolate for the next 2 weeks'. Rescheduled for a week on Sunday....apparently. Well look on the bright side, we can have another rehearsal. Hopefully with the bloody drummer this time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 Got a couple of dep gigs in July. Maybe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 2 hours ago, gjones said: As I was standing outside I got a call from the guitarist. 'Filming is off! Sound engineer has had a positive covid test and he and the whole tech crew have to self isolate for the next 2 weeks'. Aaaaaaaaaargh!!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted June 10, 2021 Share Posted June 10, 2021 My diary is starting to look a bit healthier now. Some pub and function gigs on guitar, and some on bass playing country music festivals at Warner and Pontins venues. I’m not taking any of this for granted though, it could all change in a heartbeat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted June 11, 2021 Share Posted June 11, 2021 The news today is awash with carefully-planned leakage preparing us for the disappearance of the 21 June release date. My guess is that they'll put it back by a full month. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted June 11, 2021 Share Posted June 11, 2021 I was offered a gig yesterday. . . and it clashed with the only thing in my diary that can't be moved!!! ffs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted June 11, 2021 Share Posted June 11, 2021 Aaaaaand tomorrow's gig's been cancelled; apparently two staff tested positive... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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