How have things changed for you as a musician since 2020?

[Rich G.]

I've noticed some major changes in the local music scene since coming out of the shutdown of 2020. Some of the places that had full bands don't have them any more. Some of the places have gone out of business. When bands do play, the shows are early. Playing 10pm-2am was standard since I began playing bars in the 80's. Now gigs are typically 6pm-10pm or 8pm-12am. When things started to open back up, the requests for acoustic shows went up drastically. Seemed like places that had bands were having solo or duo acoustic acts... and many bars, wineries, coffee shops, etc. that never had entertainment before were booking acoustic shows.

I'm wondering if this is a local (North Western PA) trend or if it's widespread. How have things changed for you?

 

[Roland]

It’s like that in the UK, well the part I inhabit

 

[GitGuy513]

It’s like that in the UK, well the part I inhabit

I live in South Central PA (York) and this trend against full live bands started even before the shutdown IMO, but the shutdown has really made it permanent. Small acoustic acts have some shot, but if a club or whatever can get away without they will. They put seats where the stage and/or dance area was and hopefully make money that way. I guess a dance floor was not very useful with everyone 6 ft. apart. Mainly all the businesses figured out ways to keep making money while lessening the value to the customer. If it didn’t work they went out of business.

 

[TG3K]

Our town (Albuquerque) lost a few "rock band" venues during the pandemic, but since then a bunch of breweries have started hosting live music. Unfortunately (for us) most of them are looking for solo or duo acoustic acts, and paying them next to nothing. Many are for tips only, and a few are doing a percentage of the door, which often ends up being about $20 per man plus tips. Fortunately, my band's monthly gig at the neighborhood pub is still there, and our band's set list has evolved to include a lot more danceable material. We're now their biggest draw, with regular SRO crowds and increased tips. This pub also pays a decent (for here) set rate. Sure glad I'm not trying to do this for a living, but it's nice to make a bit of extra pocket money for our troubles.

 

[iaresee]

I'm better

 

[Greg Ferguson]

Things changed a lot here:

• A world-famous blues and R&B club closed and then was purchased, remodeled, and brought up to code, raised their prices sky high, and put in a barely functional stage.
• Many other clubs dropped all live music and switched to DJs or duos, so bands are having a hard time finding venues that'll pay a reasonable rate. That put pressure on them to accept low-paying gigs, and the bar owners are now using that as leverage to keep the rates really low. The older players said screw it. The young ones who didn't have experience happily accepted low rates, and those in between who were already trying to support families are caught between a rock and a hard place.

That club I mentioned is trying to low-ball experienced acts, who previously they'd have there weekly as fixtures, but now are scrambling to get bands.

 

[Rick]

My band of a dozen years went belly-up during the year of completely cancelled gigs. There are very, very few places in my area doing live sound at all now, so playing opportunities are mostly pick-up type things or jams. Pretty sad really.

It may be just my age (turning 63 tomorrow), but it seems recent generations are less tied to live music, and are just as happy with DJs or (gag) karaoke. Things change, and you have to roll with it. I’ve done a few duo/trio things, and it seems to be one possible way forward. I love full band play, but there’s just not a lot of outlet for it locally now.

It’s the new normal, as they say.

 

[pauly]

Here in Australia, a similar thing happened when they introduced gambling into pubs (slot machines). Over a short period, stages an 3 phase power (for the bands lights), were replaced with a solo (or duo) musicians, or background music. Covid had a similar effect on the live music Venus left. Soon chat gpt’s brother, 'song gpt' will probably be doing originals all night ha!
There are still some live music places afloat, but a watered down “on the green” sort of thing for the most part,.
I miss the days when live music was almost mandatory for a venu to bring in punters, but sadly, only us old farts remember them now.
Thanks
Pauly

 

[AminorZmajor]

Phx, AZ is pretty much the same. A few venues we play start an hour earlier after Covid but for the most part back to normal. Played last weekend and have a little time off for our annual Vegas trip and then a string of quite a few gigs. Mid April we have a Friday, Saturday and Sunday all at different venues.

 

[NeoSound]

Places to play here were in decline before covid... A couple small towns have outdoor get togethers through summer months but are free. It's becoming harder and harder to find people that commit to a band. Aspirations to make a living in the music business are getting to be more and more difficult, even part-time. The internet has destroyed a lot of business and industry but built-up monopolies for others. I fear this will only get worse. Strange times.

 

[Musikron]

I've been playing live since I was 14, so 30 years. My current band (since 2015) have all but abandoned live shows now. It was getting bad before the plandemic, with lots of pay to play, coverbands, then DJs taking all the venues original music used to be primarily played. Now with all the other nonsense, merch cuts, vaxxine passports, masks, the insane cost of everything and the decrease"compensation" levels for the bands, as well as the fact that 90%of the typical audience left at these places does not care one bit about anything other than their drink, their, social media, and their tickley bits... I just assume stay in our rehearsal space where everything sounds great, the food is good, drinks are cheap, and the risk of getting shafted are low.

 

[Will Schut]

Dutch scene seems to return slowly but surely to where we were at pre-pandemic. Our scene took a hit years before as a result of some rather draconic “decibel-law”, making it impossible for smaller clubs to book bands with “living drummers.” I ended up playing places I used to play with band with a backing tape at a fraction of the volume.

 

[eddyrox]

[*]Many other clubs dropped all live music and switched to DJs or duos, so bands are having a hard time finding venues that'll pay a reasonable rate. That put pressure on them to accept low-paying gigs, and the bar owners are now using that as leverage to keep the rates really low. The older players said screw it. The young ones who didn't have experience happily accepted low rates, and those in between who were already trying to support families are caught between a rock and a hard place.
[/LIST]
That club I mentioned is trying to low-ball experienced acts, who previously they'd have there weekly as fixtures, but now are scrambling to get bands.

YES! my experience exactly.

 

[eddyrox]

Phx, AZ is pretty much the same. A few venues we play start an hour earlier after Covid but for the most part back to normal. Played last weekend and have a little time off for our annual Vegas trip and then a string of quite a few gigs. Mid April we have a Friday, Saturday and Sunday all at different venues.

something to be said for red vs blue.....(states of mind i mean ) YMMV of course!!

 

[TD77]

since he shutdown things never rebounded. I just saw the winery dogs and the small theater they played in was not even sold out. I think that people just aren’t coming out for live entertainment like they used to. It’s really sad. The arts took it in the chin with COVID. It was bad enough how streaming etc decimated things. I still enjoy live music but it’s definitely changed.

 

[NeoSound]

I've been considering putting in a coffee/tea shop in a couple years after all of these work-related projects slow down. A stage for some of the local musicians and family/friends-oriented atmosphere. Don't really see it as being profitable (maybe self-sustaining?) but believe it would be good for the community.

 

[NeoSound]

since he shutdown things never rebounded. I just saw the winery dogs and the small theater they played in was not even sold out. I think that people just aren’t coming out for live entertainment like they used to. It’s really sad. The arts took it in the chin with COVID. It was bad enough how streaming etc decimated things. I still enjoy live music but it’s definitely changed.

I wonder if all of the artificial music has stolen some of the magic us older musicians feel when seeing a talented person or group of people? It used to be special and a pretty major thing. Even that was the drive, more than money for most.

 

[TD77]

I've been considering putting in a coffee/tea shop in a couple years after all of these work-related projects slow down. A stage for some of the local musicians and family/friends-oriented atmosphere. Don't really see it as being profitable (maybe self-sustaining?) but believe it would be good for the community.

You have to sell a lot of coffee to break even. Lol. And consider that most people who coke to coffee shops and sit, treat it as a wifi hotspot / library. They don’t spend anything.

 

[NeoSound]

You have to sell a lot of coffee to break even. Lol. And consider that most people who coke to coffee shops and sit, treat it as a wifi hotspot / library. They don’t spend anything.

Maybe put a coin slot on the PA to turn it on? and in some cases to turn it off ? It would be a little more than just coffee and wi-fi... I have ide-ers .

 

[GitGuy513]

Our scene took a hit years before as a result of some rather draconic “decibel-law”

This was a big part of it. It’s not like it was old farts either, it was a very general “I’m not in the mood to have my delicate sensitivity disturbed” for whatever reason. So just do away with it all.

I wonder if all of the artificial music has stolen some of the magic us older musicians feel when seeing a talented person or group of people? It used to be special and a pretty major thing. Even that was the drive, more than money for most.

Yes it’s a mix of what everyone is saying. It’s a shame.

As someone mentioned, I would be willing to shell out some cash to hold a local multi band thing on a Saturdays. We have more than a couple nice tax payer built outdoor places, but when I looked into it, all the bureaucratic BS that was involved was ridiculous. Fees, security, noise level, if anyone sold anything it was whole other level of cost, etc..

I have a high school friend who owns a roadhouse type place who has live music. His father who was wealthy bought the place when he retired and then when he passed the son (my friend) took it over. It was/is sort of a redneck place, but he put a bunch of his money into it and built a nice outdoor section that can be closed off in the cold and it has these really nice commercial gas heaters that you see at amusement parks, etc. It also has a decent indoor stage and sound system. But that’s mostly Metal or Country bands. He has slowly used his own money to keep things going. Very likely during Covid any other place would have folded. Anyway, the outdoor is more for small acts for little money. That doesn’t bother me, but he has to balance the indoor sales and clientele with those that come to the outdoor. Which sometimes is not many. Also, that crowd wants your typical played to death classic rock. I don’t have anything against that or metal and country, but I remember when original bands that might be a little out there were accepted.