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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
Another blow to live music
Another blow to live music
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walterharp
977 posts
Nov 15, 2012
6:48 AM
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Hey all,
This strays into political, but it is a factor that influences those of us who gig. Our band does about 5 kinds of gigs, 1) bars, 2) paid private parties, 3) festivals and public events, 4)benefits and 5) friends parties. We have discussed how bars are drying up.. but one that is really drying up around here is the festivals and public events. The reason for this is that a good chunk of the support for the local music festivals and concerts is supported by the local community goverment. As we have a very fiscally conservative state and local government at this time, they are cutting funding for the arts. This has led to some of the gigs we get with our largest audiences shutting down. We have an arts in the park summer live music show that has been going for 30+ years and brings in great national acts (e.g. Watermelon Slim, Michael Doucet etc...) as well as supporting fantastic local acts. At the same time the state is turning away National Endowment for the Arts funds by not funding a share, threatening our local performing arts center (which the city is also reducing funding for for similar reasons).
Do you have similar experiences in your area or is our case extreme?
Thanks,
Walter
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waltertore
2645 posts
Nov 15, 2012
8:53 AM
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Walter: Sorry to hear about that. I have been saying this stuff since I got on these internet forums(and often have been accused of living in the past days) and am hearing more and more of this bad news. It seems now the younger(not meaning you) players are seeing a big decline from where they started out with gig opportunities (pay, distance between gigs, number of gigs, and decent gigs). We only know what we have experienced. Like the old saying goes - history will repeat until one figures it out and changes their ways. Back in my day a low level tier pro like myself could pretty much live off his music and play over 200 dates a year around the world booking himself. Also at least 70% of those gigs were good ones with audiences coming to hear music. Nowadays I would be lucky to play a few dozen gigs and the pay would cost me to play, involve a ton of hustling to secure, play to non listening audiences for the most part, and travel a ton of miles with no gigs in between dates. All that adds up to pay to play, and for me, not worth it. I will stay in my studio (30 foot commute, great sound, spirits come that rival/surpass my best gigs of the past, and no idiots to deal with. The pay has declined from I was starting out in the 70's too. People- live music is dying and until we value it enough to make it healthy, it will continue to grow sicker and sicker, especially in todays economy. Walter
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walter tore's spontobeat - a real one man band and over 1 million spontaneously created songs and growing. I record about 300 full length cds a year in the Tunnel of Dreams Studio.
" life is a daring adventure or nothing at all" - helen keller
4,500+ of my songs in a streaming format
my videos
Last Edited by on Nov 15, 2012 9:09 AM
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CarlA
162 posts
Nov 15, 2012
9:32 AM
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The good news in all of this is that "Gangnahm Style" and music from artists like Rebecca Black, and the "Thanksgiving" song is in full effect. Who needs live music when we are being bombarded by all these musical guru's.
-Carl
Last Edited by on Nov 15, 2012 9:34 AM
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Honkin On Bobo
1073 posts
Nov 15, 2012
9:46 AM
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I can't say the news is any better from where I sit. I live in a small urban area (total metro pop. probably about 150,000), and over the last 5-10 years befriended (and been befriended by) a lot of the local musicians. None of them makes a living from playing gigs, virtually all of them have 9 to 5 jobs to support themselves. In some of the small places where I go out to listen to music, maybe 20-30 people are there for the show, with a good portion of that, just people who happened to wander in on that night. It's unbeloievable. I'm talking guys with 15-30 years experience playing. Wonderful musicians. People would rather stay home and watch Real Housewives of Reno or play Halo 12: Kill Everything That Moves.
I've also become friends with some of the establishment owners, and it ain't their fault. One in particular has done everything right. He runs a good place (clean, no violence etc.), advertises when he has bands booked, the acts are preety good. Hardly anyone shows. On the rare occasion where somebody with a decent following is booked, their fee is so high it's hard for him to make any decent money (it's as though if they can draw 50 or more people they think they're U2). Cover charge usually runs 5 bucks, the bigger draw bands he might charge 10-15 bucks for tix.
As a side note/humorous anecdote: recently he was approached by a rap/hip-hop act about playing his place. He told them no because he'd have to hire security, and thereby driving his costs too high. They said we bring our own security. His response? "Uh, thanks, but no thanks.
I think the music scene is paralleling the overall economy. You have the huge acts who are millionaires, and open mic nights/buskers and not much in between. At least that's my perspective.
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dougharps
289 posts
Nov 15, 2012
10:24 AM
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I hate to see the decline of opportunities to hear and perform live music. I much prefer to attend live music performances and to play music before a live audience as opposed to listening to recordings or recording at home. In my area I have often enjoyed concerts supported by local arts groups with support from local government grants. I have gladly played at government supported concerts, as well as private parties and bars.
You said it at the start of your post:
"This strays into political..."
You were right, it is political that you lament the fading of government support for live music. How did musicians become dependent on government funding to pursue their art???
Should your local government raise property taxes or sales taxes to support those concerts, farther squeezing low income citizens? Should they cut the salaries of public employees, such as firefighters and police, in order to fund free concerts?
In tight financial times, the money has to come from somewhere. Government revenues have shrunk in a diminished economy. Should local government engage in deficit spending to fund concerts?
It would be nice if the economy were thriving and government support for the arts was not threatened, but these are hard times. When public financial support decreases, private support remains an option, but private revenues are tight, too.
Historically, most musicians have not depended upon government support to earn their livelihood. Many lived in hard times. People payed what they could afford to hear what they wanted to hear.
Perhaps today there is less demand for blues and less willingness to pay to hear live music. Maybe there are too many other forms of entertainment available that don't involve leaving the house.
Live music and theater creates a sense of local community, unlike other more global forms of entertainment. Television and the internet have fostered community not limited to locale. This group is evidence of that trend.
If there is demand for live music performances in your area, people will pay to attend. Local arts groups will raise financial support. If there isn't a demand, why should the government pick up the slack?
I agree that it is sad to see government support for live music and arts shrinking, but what alternative do you suggest?
I recommend that we keep playing live music wherever we can get a gig, and hope for the return of more affluent times. If the government has the bread to support live music and other arts, great! If private benefactors or philanthropic groups provide support for live music, wonderful! I would prefer to not complain that the government isn't supporting us, and expect that some politician take action to gain my support.
If times are tight, we have to get by as we can.
Let the flames begin...
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Doug S.
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