Full-time musos, how do you get through the winter?

[Danny P]

Did a degree in music, then played on cruise ships for a few years, then came back and have been doing the function thing for about ten years now. 

 

The problem with functions is that they're 95% weddings and people don't get married in the winter. I used to just save up during the summer to basically stash some nuts for the winter, but I got tired of struggling for those four months or so, so I started doing Deliveroo on the side, which I'm positively bored of and don't wanna do this year. 

 

How are you full-timers getting through the winter? I need ideas. I'd happily teach but demand for bass lessons seems so low that I've never figured how to get students. 

 

What's your go-to? Teaching? Ships? Hotel gigs? Overseas residencies? Weekday hotel dinner jazz? Trade crypto? Happy-ending massages? Retrain in IT?

 

There are no wrong answers. Hit me...

[Woodinblack]

Can you not go back to cruises, but just for the winter?

[Danny P]

Thanks for the suggestion but I probably should have explained that I stopped doing them because the contracts are either short and badly paid or long and well-paid, but I don't want to be away for long periods as I'm pretty settled down now. So cruises are pretty much off the table for me. 

 

Just kind of hoping someone might suggest something I hadn't thought of. Long shot but may as well ask!

[NancyJohnson]

I have a mate who says his NFI for December and New Year gigs (10+) swells his coffers significantly until the next big hit which is Burns Night weekenders.  

 

What about registering interest with local studios (session rates) or just joining another working band?

 

Dependent on how you may be from a numeracy basis, you could contact doing office work outside of music three days a week.   

[Burns-bass]

Grab a coffee and think outside the box. Consider your impressive experience and see if you could apply it in different ways.

 

You're a professional musician, which has given you loads of skills:

• You could work with a music charity (which I do sometimes). In Bristol, where I live, there are sites dedicated to youth work, and I regularly see opportunities. It's not amazing pay, but it's better than nothing.
• You could move out of just bass, and do some tech work. I'm useless, and I did some work with a PA company. Much was lugging stuff and cable running, but my music knowledge helped.
• You may not want to go down this route, but I know a successful function band player who became a booker for other bands. He works with venues and arranges for high-quality bands to come in, and he takes a fee.  
• If you're a good writer, you can apply to some magazines and websites and see if they need expert blogs written. Sounds mad, but this is how I got started (42group.co.uk is what I do now). OK, it was a long time ago, but you never know.

 

[Danny P]

7 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said:

I have a mate who says his NFI for December and New Year gigs (10+) swells his coffers significantly until the next big hit which is Burns Night weekenders.  

 

What about registering interest with local studios (session rates) or just joining another working band?

 

Dependent on how you may be from a numeracy basis, you could contact doing office work outside of music three days a week.   

Weird, in all my years doing functions I've never had a Burn's Night gig. Is your friend based in Scotland? 

 

We get a few Christmas office party gigs each year which helps for December, but November, January, and February are always dead. We're a well-paid and very in-demand and regularly-booked function band for March-October, so if we don't get any gigs in the winter then it leads me to believe that functions in the winter just don't really exist in the numbers necessary to fund a normal life. 

[Danny P]

15 minutes ago, Burns-bass said:

Grab a coffee and think outside the box. Consider your impressive experience and see if you could apply it in different ways.

 

You're a professional musician, which has given you loads of skills:

• You could work with a music charity (which I do sometimes). In Bristol, where I live, there are sites dedicated to youth work, and I regularly see opportunities. It's not amazing pay, but it's better than nothing.
• You could move out of just bass, and do some tech work. I'm useless, and I did some work with a PA company. Much was lugging stuff and cable running, but my music knowledge helped.
• You may not want to go down this route, but I know a successful function band player who became a booker for other bands. He works with venues and arranges for high-quality bands to come in, and he takes a fee.  
• If you're a good writer, you can apply to some magazines and websites and see if they need expert blogs written. Sounds mad, but this is how I got started (42group.co.uk is what I do now). OK, it was a long time ago, but you never know.

 

Some solid outside-the-box suggestions there, thanks. I'll mull them over and see if any are workable. None are quite the magic bullet I'm hoping drops in my lap but they're still decent ideas! 

[Graham]

Can you get pantomime gigs in December? A drummer friend made his most regular income for the year in November/December playing pantos

Edited August 16, 2023 by Graham

[NancyJohnson]

17 minutes ago, Danny P said:

Weird, in all my years doing functions I've never had a Burn's Night gig. Is your friend based in Scotland? 

 

We get a few Christmas office party gigs each year which helps for December, but November, January, and February are always dead. We're a well-paid and very in-demand and regularly-booked function band for March-October, so if we don't get any gigs in the winter then it leads me to believe that functions in the winter just don't really exist in the numbers necessary to fund a normal life. 

 

No, not in Scotland.

 

My parents used to go to Burn's Night dinner dances.  It was a kind of let loose the shackles of the New Year doldrums.  Can't say that this kind of thing (or dinner dances in general) appeals to me in the slightest, but each to their own.

[Linus27]

So just thinking outside of the box as suggested, before I signed my record deal, I needed work for a few months. I signed up to a catering agency who would offer me work each week. The money was half decent and it was actually really good fun. One week I'd work in a fancy kitchen, washing up or loading machines, helping with food prep, then the following week working in the local council making sandwiches and serving, then the week after in an old peoples home helping out the chef with everything and anything and then the week after helping in the kitchen of the local school. Every time I get fed a meal so anything from a school meal to a fancy posh meal and I got to meet loads of lovely people who were super interested in my music etc. The money was half decent as well and I could pick and choose when I wanted to work. 

[NHM]

If you live in a city with a Uni and/or Conservatoire, approach the Music dept for teaching work.  Most teaching is done during the winter months (Oct-April), it's fairly well paid, pensioned, and can be a stimulating environment to be in. If you can get your foot in the door and do a good job often one thing leads to another.

[casapete]

In my previous band, we played functions all through the year. Christmas gigs started end of 

November and ran into January! We used to play at a local hotel for all their Christmas parties,

often maybe up to 20 nights in December. November and February were probably our leanest times,

(as you say few weddings etc) but company events sometimes turned up along with the 

odd birthday / retirement party etc. We usually made enough to see us through the quiet

times, but some of the band did teach to supplement this. I started playing with a friend 

in an acoustic duo at this time, so any gigs we fitted in always helped out. Function work

then (90’s / 2000’s) did generally seem more plentiful than now, and a lot of bands round

here have struggled - most of them semi pro though so not their primary income source.

 

With my current band, we play mainly theatres. December is always out for us due to the 

panto season, likewise summer holiday period when not so many punters around. Again,

we do okay for the rest of the year, but some band members have side gigs they fit in

around our schedule - our violinist runs a string trio doing weddings, and our keys player

does deps with other bands. I still do gigs with my acoustic duo, and the occasional 

dep with pub bands. Not a lot of dosh but it all adds up. 

[diskwave]

As a cruiser your clearly a top flight reader...how about then the West End? Go knock on doors, agencys? Knew a guy a while back who did the same major panto year in year out...as well as other shows. I think you have to put it about so to speak. Good luck.

[Doddy]

What other gigs do you usually do besides your function band?

 

There is plenty of work around over the christmas period with the  christmas party scene or if you can land a panto. Other than that, most of the regular pub, club, and restaurant style gigs are still happening, so if you've got a good repertoire and you're a half decent reader you should be able to find work.  

[JapanAxe]

I don’t make my living from music but I actively promote myself as a dep that bands can call on in an emergency. This has led to everything from well-paid wedding gigs to one-offs with tribute bands. Along the way I have found some bands who in future will just receive a polite ‘Sorry I’m not available’, and some pubs whose doors I hope never to darken again. Oh, and the occasional space cadet fruit loop.

[Danny P]

18 hours ago, Linus27 said:

So just thinking outside of the box as suggested, before I signed my record deal, I needed work for a few months. I signed up to a catering agency who would offer me work each week. The money was half decent and it was actually really good fun. One week I'd work in a fancy kitchen, washing up or loading machines, helping with food prep, then the following week working in the local council making sandwiches and serving, then the week after in an old peoples home helping out the chef with everything and anything and then the week after helping in the kitchen of the local school. Every time I get fed a meal so anything from a school meal to a fancy posh meal and I got to meet loads of lovely people who were super interested in my music etc. The money was half decent as well and I could pick and choose when I wanted to work. 

 

Like it. Yeah it doesn't necessarily have to be music. Just something I don't hate, that pays well enough, and doesn't require me to get shouted at or bossed around. Ideally it'd be reasonably flexible too. What you're suggesting actually seems like it'd tick those boxes. It's only for the leaner months anyway. Gonna look into it, thanks!

[Danny P]

17 hours ago, NHM said:

If you live in a city with a Uni and/or Conservatoire, approach the Music dept for teaching work.  Most teaching is done during the winter months (Oct-April), it's fairly well paid, pensioned, and can be a stimulating environment to be in. If you can get your foot in the door and do a good job often one thing leads to another.

 

Tbh although my theory knowledge is reasonable, I only play bass so view the world of music through that limited lens. I'd probably be a bit lost teaching more harmonically complete material, although it would be a kick up the derrière to brush up on things. Thanks for the tip. I'd probably be a bit out of my depth, but I'll think about it. My perfect teaching situation would be one-on-one bass lessons. I'd be able to walk into that room feeling confident and enthusiastic and I think I'd be great at it. Just have no idea how to make it happen!

[Danny P]

17 hours ago, casapete said:

In my previous band, we played functions all through the year. Christmas gigs started end of 

November and ran into January! We used to play at a local hotel for all their Christmas parties,

often maybe up to 20 nights in December. November and February were probably our leanest times,

(as you say few weddings etc) but company events sometimes turned up along with the 

odd birthday / retirement party etc. We usually made enough to see us through the quiet

times, but some of the band did teach to supplement this. I started playing with a friend 

in an acoustic duo at this time, so any gigs we fitted in always helped out. Function work

then (90’s / 2000’s) did generally seem more plentiful than now, and a lot of bands round

here have struggled - most of them semi pro though so not their primary income source.

 

With my current band, we play mainly theatres. December is always out for us due to the 

panto season, likewise summer holiday period when not so many punters around. Again,

we do okay for the rest of the year, but some band members have side gigs they fit in

around our schedule - our violinist runs a string trio doing weddings, and our keys player

does deps with other bands. I still do gigs with my acoustic duo, and the occasional 

dep with pub bands. Not a lot of dosh but it all adds up. 

 

Another mention of panto season. That's fascinating to me as I've never done any panto or even heard of any friends doing any. I feel like I'm hearing about a parallel universe that just springs up during December! Are pantos very much like theatre pit work with huge slabs of dots to read and scarily brief prep times? Or are they more relaxed than that and provide opportunities to learn the material in advance? Definitely interested in this avenue. Enough of those could provide the nuts I need to squirrel away for Jan and Feb. So how do people get into doing pantos? 

[Danny P]

17 hours ago, greavesbass said:

As a cruiser your clearly a top flight reader...how about then the West End? Go knock on doors, agencys? Knew a guy a while back who did the same major panto year in year out...as well as other shows. I think you have to put it about so to speak. Good luck.

 

I'd love to pretend I'm a great reader but the truth is I only ever got good enough at it to get the degree and then never used it again so it'd be like learning it from scratch now. When I did ships I played in the party bands which are basically just function bands with huge repertoires. Got pretty good at chord charts when prepping hundreds of songs, but never had to read a single dot in all the time I was floating!

 

But... you're now the third of fourth person to mention pantos. So weird to me as they've never even been on the radar for me! Think I've got some Googling to do...

[Danny P]

17 hours ago, Doddy said:

What other gigs do you usually do besides your function band?

 

There is plenty of work around over the christmas period with the  christmas party scene or if you can land a panto. Other than that, most of the regular pub, club, and restaurant style gigs are still happening, so if you've got a good repertoire and you're a half decent reader you should be able to find work.  

 

Over the years I've found that pub gigs aren't really worth the time. They require the same amount of work as a function but pay a fraction of the money. Never done a panto but everyone seems to be mentioning them so might look into it as long as they don't require lots of sight-reading. Tbh though, I don't do any gigs besides functions these days. Was saving for a house for ages, which has just finally happened, so might try to get an originals band together at some point, but yeah it's sadly just functions for me! Great for the money:time ratio, bad for creative fulfilment! 

[Danny P]

16 hours ago, JapanAxe said:

I don’t make my living from music but I actively promote myself as a dep that bands can call on in an emergency. This has led to everything from well-paid wedding gigs to one-offs with tribute bands. Along the way I have found some bands who in future will just receive a polite ‘Sorry I’m not available’, and some pubs whose doors I hope never to darken again. Oh, and the occasional space cadet fruit loop.

 

I used to get asked to dep all the time but my function band was so busy that I was never free, and eventually people stopped asking. Definitely not a situation to complain about, but does unfortunately put depping out of the picture a bit. Plus, the bands I'd be depping for are in the same situation as me anyway i.e. no gigs in the winter. Any they do get would presumably not require any deps. I love your courteous and diplomatic way about talking about some of the chocolate starfish you've played with/for though!

[casapete]

I’ve never done pantos, but have known many players who have. From what they said, you have to

be an excellent reader, same as any pit job. Provincial pantos don’t pay much per gig, but usually

do 7 or 8 shows a week ( Mon to Sat plus one or two matinees) so the money does add up. Problems

occur though when the panto isn’t near your area, so the dreaded ‘digs’ have to be factored in

as well, or lots of travelling and fuel costs. Improved fees if you ‘double up’ on another instrument

can help, but generally it seems that smaller bands (or even 100% tracked music) are sadly becoming

more common these days.

[casapete]

7 minutes ago, Danny P said:

 

I used to get asked to dep all the time but my function band was so busy that I was never free, and eventually people stopped asking. Definitely not a situation to complain about, but does unfortunately put depping out of the picture a bit. Plus, the bands I'd be depping for are in the same situation as me anyway i.e. no gigs in the winter. Any they do get would presumably not require any deps. I love your courteous and diplomatic way about talking about some of the chocolate starfish you've played with/for though!

Have you checked all the Facebook pages dedicated to musicians wanted / available? There seem to be

constant ads on these for deps wanted / available throughout the UK. 

[Danny P]

2 minutes ago, casapete said:

Have you checked all the Facebook pages dedicated to musicians wanted / available? There seem to be

constant ads on these for deps wanted / available throughout the UK. 

 

Yeah I had a little phase of plugging myself on those ads but nothing ever materialised. And the pantos sound a bit out of my league tbh. Haven't done any reading in about fifteen years so would be totally lost! Thanks for the tips though. I guess it can't hurt to check out more dep pages on Facebook again. 

[jrixn1]

Do you play upright?  It opens up a lot of gig opportunities.

 

As for non-musical work - I did some van couriering back in the day.  I don't mean parcelforce/amazon; but business to business, same-day work - lots of goods on pallets which needs delivering immediately straight from the printer/factory to their clients.  I was self-employed and could work however much or little I wanted each week.  There are upfront and ongoing costs to owning a van, but it's really useful for your own gigs too, and you can also pick up other man & van work e.g. light removals.