07 Jan 2010
Filed Under : Band Available
Posted By : Emma Forman | Comments : 31
I'm interested in getting involved in playing in the house concert circuit but not having much joy getting any gigs. Can anyone suggest places to try?
yer can come round to my house and play with me M!
Well I know the new NWB rules of conduct start off with 'Be Friendly'...but thats a bit too friendly if you ask me LOL Anyway you've said you do it yourself on that other blog :o)
But to answer Emma...I don't think there's such a thing as a house concert circuit round here..certainly not in Bolton LOL...if there was I'd be on it..and Metaleeka! I'd try asking Andrea Glass though...I think she's tinkered with it.....(no comments please Mr Dyehouse LOL)
I'd be interested to know what a house concert is. Genuinely, I don't know.
hey emma-these may be worth checking out? ;-) http://www.healthyconcerts.com/ http://www.folkandroots.co.uk/Venues_Yorkshire.html
Its something to do with Basement Jaxx... No its not Its playing at people's house parties...I've never done it but it does go on (like dogging LOL)...
I'm going to register with that Healthyconcerts lot (seriously!)...wonder if they let you smoke though? Let y'all know how I go on Oh no...just read this " intimate home settings • 'unplugged’ (low noise) • non-smoking • alternatives to alcohol •"
@ night train-lol!! seriously, though, alec-had a browse round the webby-looks like there might be things there of interest to you, (and emma) music wise? ah-just seen your post script-you could always try patches for the night and one of those "e cigs"? :-D the other webbby has some interesting stuff on as well. ;-)
read this....sounds ok to me!Farewell Man & Scythe I found a new circuit LOL "Q: Who can have a Healthy Concerts artist profile? A: Absolutely anyone Q: Do I have to be a musician? A: No
my kind of audience LOL I think I'll get Night Train on as well...you'll all want to be our bass player then LOL
@ Viking yeh I know the Folknroots bit....apparently its coming round again. I used to do the folk club bit properly in the 1970's... I was a bit of a 'name' artist!! Really good scene but I returned (briefly) in the 1990's and it was horrible...same people from the 70's but quite a few less cos half of em had died. It was sad really...nice to see it coming back though, hopefully with a younger audience. My son lives in York and he keeps asking me to go there and do some gigs..may get round to it this year. Really wanna play a Healthyconcert now, with Night Train....I won't be able to sleep tonight waiting for my registration details LOL
@ night train-my lady, freya, was heavily into the folk roots scene (particularly in london) in the late sixties/seventies (she had a HUGE crush on donovan (leech) , apparently !!) still is. she met him a couple of times. lol!!) would be good to see it come back-has a great tradition behind it, stretching back centuries?
yeh as well as doing solo gigs back then I was also resident singer at Ponton Folk Centre (voted Melody Maker's Folk Club of the Year..for years!) Got to meet and introduce a lot of the legends at that time..Steeleye Span,Tom Paxton etc.. Ran my own club as well in Bolton. I was at the Blind Faith in Hyde park concert...saw a bloke sat under under a tree doing Donovan songs quite well...after about half an hour of sitting next to him listening I realised it actually WAS Donovan LOL
Still waiting to find out what a house concert is......Emma....?
@ night train-love 'span and paxton-true "folkies"?-also love fairport (had/have a huge crush on sandy denny!), plus blodwyn pig, etc. downside for freya is, for some unfathonable reason she likes leonard cohen!! music to commit suicide by, i reckon? even his "love songs" sound like dirges. :-/ (oh-and "blind faith" were awesome-shame it was just that bit too soon after cream?) @ bass bloke-check out my links, mick-should give you a bit of an idea what it's about? ;-)
this is brilliant-swarbick is outstanding (as is sandy!!)
Cheers V. Will check out in the morning. :o)
@ BAD HORSIE (!) -shows am getting tired too-apologies for that ,mick.! ;-/
having never been allowed into a house concert so far I'm speculating...but I think it is like a mellow party in someone's house with live music, that idea appeals to me. Mainly because no one ever invites me to any parties. I would like to put on house concerts in my own house but think my neighbour would come at with an axe if I tried it.
You can come to any of my parties anytime Emma Lol XX
I will be having one this year as I have had a proper raised stage area built (30' x 8')in our garden :o) Will be for charity to placate the neighbours and tickets will be limited. Aimimg for May/June..or whenever the weather looks ok..will be good... Will let people on here know in due course. Gonna be the first house party concert on NWB...but that's me all over...a trail blazer!
This House Concert thing sounds like a good idea? you'd probably have to invite the neighbours though? That's me out then!
Trail Blazer...... tell you wot Night Train ...if ya invite one and all on here ya goin to need yer neighbours gardens too.....not to mention the use of their refrigeration facilities for all the beer they goin to sup..... i will build ya a huge bar b q for a few beers lol
hey emma-were those links of any use? ;-)
thanks Viking, the folks and roots one was really good but not had a proper look at the other one. Emailed a heap of folks from that so fingers crossed. Had a few replies from some of the clubs saying that they only book folks that have been recommended by members of the folk club though so might need to pay folks to demand that I play their folk clubs lol
House concert tomorrow....the Banner Public House in Hindley...from 8pm :o) @ Emma It is extremely hard to get on the paid folk circuit these days...especially round here...a lot of folk clubs book via agencies who compile a 'season' for the club...so its much of a closed shop. If you look at say, Leigh or the former Westhoughton folk clubs, they get the same guests year in year out, and the agencies have a big part in who's on. Also if a club books a singer, say Vin Garbutt, they'll book him maybe one or two years in advance, and rebook every year. Once a month maybe they hold a 'singers night' , but in my experience its rare for a singer to get a gig out of these.They're more for regular members to get up and have a go. I'd have a look for the agencies and submit your stuff there..make it as professional as possible. I don't know who the agencies are at the moment... Try getting in touch with Kirsty McGee (you can mention me...I organised a songwriting competition she won and know her reasonably well from way back). She may be able to give you some advice...she's ok! http://www.kirstymcgee.com/biog.html
glad to have been of assist,emma-however-it seems like (as in many cases) it's not "what you know, but WHO you know"?-as alec says, though-possibilities of "name dropping" through his auspices? iffen any one knows the "names", he does? ;-)
lol funny you say that...my inbox is getting blocked up with rejection emails form all these folks I emailed....grr. Guess I'm not house concert material then
yeh I didn't get a reply from HouseConcerts who ever they are
they, probably, listened to your repertoire, saw your picci and thought "bugger!! this gurl is too good-plus-she doesn't sing with her finger in her ear,she doesn't wear "sensible brogues" , that top she's wearing isn't "fisherman's knit (patterned)" and she obviously can't knit yoghurt to save her life-very unsuitable material!!" ....what? stereotyping? moi? as if!!! lol!! :-D
lol :)
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