17.11.11 @ MelloMello - Craig Ebbrell

(image by Andy Mulholland)

Ever since the dawn of time man has always craved to better himself,be it by making stronger shelters to protect himself and his family from being mauled and devoured by blood thirsty wolfs,to learning to speak a little French to impress that special lady,so from the moment she is placed on that velvet bed of roses and hears that soft garlic stenched whisper against her lobe she knows the length will surely follow,and the same could be said about Ska wars…

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from behind the beard. 
WHY ACTS DO AND DON’T GET BOOKED.

Being a musician, promoter and event organizer for over 15 years is very much like having a severe multiple personality disorder take you off on a pedalo ride in Corfu. 

I see myself primarily as a musician. I got into promotion and events because I got tired of the musical clicks on the acoustic circuit in particular. It was almost impossible to get unpaid gigs and even open mic were not really that open.

My plan was to allow anyone and everyone to play and it worked! Well initially……..

Sure enough a few months down the line my good intentions had only resulted in me starting my own click!

I think it is unavoidable especially on the acoustic scene that inevitably it is easier to book people who:

A. are a good act
B. turn up on time
C. don’t leave straight after they’ve played.
D. aren’t a pain in the NECK.
E. listen and support the other acts.

This is more important than the big question that is a venues prime concern:

Do they bring people?

This is the hardest thing to deal with as a promoter as venues on the whole are not interested in music just the chingery of the bar till. Great bands play as many gigs as they can. When you are doing 3 gigs a week people can’t afford to come and support you at every gig, sadly most venues would rather it be a young bands first gig filled with aunts and uncles and people from Betty next door’s work than a tight band of musicians who put 25 hours in every week.

If you’re in a band and your playing a venue for free it’s not your job to be filling the room it’s the promoters/venues, but bare in mind if you turn up with 50 people, chances are you will be booked again, no matter how tedious or talentless your band are and you will be offered other gigs too.

Sadly the whole pay to play sherbetness seems to have summed up the scene.
Buy a guitar and learn to play it today and sell 50 tickets at 5 quid each and you can play every Saturday night.

We need to be supporting local bands and the good ones not the ones with the biggest family or number of work mates.

It is clear why pay to play exists. Money. 

There are an alarming number of bands who cry off the day of the gig, via text an hour before kick off or just don’t turn up a few days after a FB message. Drummers in car crashes being a regular one! Had that off 3 bands in 2 weeks.
It’s bad enough when bands pull out but even worse when there is kit share going on…..

If you turn up, play and are decent and not a total diva to deal with then I don’t care if you bring nobody. That’s my job. If you want a gig I will get you on.

Get in touch my beard is worse than my bite. 

 greedyjesus@msn.com

Greedy Jesus News - Event Listings

*PLAYING COURTYARD OF HEEBIES ON SATURDAY 2:30PM

*OXFAM SHOP ON BOLD ST- SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

*THURSDAY-ACOUSTIC NIGHT AT BIER KELLER

*FRIDAY- SUPPORTING THE REAL PEOPLE AT THE HARBOUR BAR

*SATURDAY- BAND NIGHT AT BIER KELLER, THE 53’S, DAYWALKER,THE LEES,LAST ASYLUM.

*THESE ARE ALL FREE EVENTS AND SUNDAY AND FRIDAY ARE BOTH CHARITY EVENTS,COME SHOW SOME SUPPORT. X

-Greedy Jesus