Is It Ever Acceptable To Gig For Free?

Exposure, every musician’s least favorite word in the english dictionary. For those of you that don’t know what this means, allow me to explain: Exposure is the supposed “polite” way for venues and potential clients to tell you that they can’t pay you for a gig or performance – it’s more commonly used in the original music scene rather than the covers circuit because most original bands “just want to get their name out there.”

This word that venues seem to think is a currency does not pay the bills and is a nightmare for those people who have music as their sole source of income and if you ever post a gig listing in a “musician’s wanted” Facebook group with the line “THIS IS NOT PAID BUT”, prepare to get lynched for the foreseeable future.

However, I’ve always wondered something:  Is it every acceptable or beneficial to gig for free?

This is the part where every musician in the entire world is screaming at their screens, calling me deluded and  stupid whilst mixing the two with various combinations of expletives – but I implore you all to stop and think for a moment and allow me to list a few examples that many people miss:

1. Wedding Fair’s

Pretty much every friend of mine who is gigging professionally appear at a few of these every year and nearly always come out with a few bookings a year which will amount to a substantial amount of their yearly earnings. Weddings pay extremely well and can also lead to more bookings from the wedding guests for other events, if you haven’t given a try, I’d recommend it – one of my friends has been performing at weddings all over the world all year round for the last few years!

2. Open mic’s / Jam Nights

I admit, the chances of getting work from events like this is very rare compared to wedding fair’s and showcases but you do never know who’s watching! I personally have picked up both performance and teaching work through these sorts of nights and had great fun whilst doing them so it was a win-win.

3. Doing a mate a favor

Again, I’ve done this a fair few times and it’s not only led to other work but it’s also helped me build relationships with fellow members of the industry both on and off stage. The way I see it we do this for a living primarily because we love it, the money is an added bonus and there is nothing wrong with doing the odd free stint for your mate! Clients are obviously different though, so make sure not to get the two confused!

There are three reasons as to why gigging for three isn’t too bad. It isn’t something I’d make a habit of but it also isn’t something I’m completely against. For those that are struggling to decide wether to take a free gig, always ask yourself what this person is doing for you – are they lining up future paid gigs that are set in stone and certain? Are there people in the audience that could get you paid work? and lastly, have they done you a favor in the past and simply deserve to be repaid?

It’s a complex and never-ending debate but there are positives to working for free sometimes, just don’t make it a habit, you’re going to want to earn a sustainable living!

 

Does Jess Glynne need her hand holding after Isle Of Wight Festival ban?

Glynne on stage

Pop star Jess Glynne has been sparking a lot of bad press lately after pulling out of her Isle Of Wight Performance just hours before her stage slot. She attributed her unprofessional conduct to “anxiety and exhaustion” but has been accused of partying until 7am with the Spice Girls the night before her show.

 

Jess Glynne with Adele and The Spice Girls the night before her planned gig

Her team reportedly had already set the stage but fans were left disappointed after festival organiser John Giddings came to the stage and announced the last minute cancellation, as a consequence to this, Glynne has been given a lifetime ban with Giddings saying “She will never be booked to play the Isle Of Wight again.”

When I first heard this story on the radio I was absolutely appalled. Pulling out of a booked performance or press engagement is something you don’t do at any level but when you’re meant to be working at the top of the industry, it’s even more disgraceful. Of course, the anxiety and exhaustion claim could be legitimate, especially as this isn’t the first time she has cancelled a gig, the last time being the BBC Radio 1 Big Weekender.  On the flip side though, she could just be losing her touch.

The Isle Of Wight Festival 2019 was a success despite Glynne’s refusal to perform

A friend of mine and I were discussing wether Isle Of Wight made the right decision in handing her the lifetime ban with him making the point that they have missed the opportunity to “leverage one of the top charting artists of today”. When I asked what was meant by “leverage” he suggested that he would’ve negotiated a situation for 2020 in which Glynne performs for a much reduced fee and explained that this would benefit both parties as “they would’ve saved themselves quite a bit of money and fans still would’ve been able to see their favourite performer on stage, albeit a year later.

Now, I could see how the suggestion could work very well but I make the argument that Giddings did the right thing to send a message to other stars that a cancellation this late for a festival of this magnitude would be met with extreme consequences and I can predict that no other artist will pull a stunt like Glynne has.

It does seem to me that the once well respected singer is starting to create a bad name for herself with top level players and if I were her management I’d get a grip on the situation quickly and seriously assess Jess’ ability to keep a handle on her career. We of course, can only speculate as to the circumstances of Glynne’s actions and hope that nothing like this happens again.

One thing is certain, the star has some bridges to rebuild if she wants to continue making a name for herself in an already cut-throat business. She’s already issued a public apology stating  it was ‘not her intention to let fans down but she had to do ‘what was right for her physical and mental health’, but will this be enough to keep her name in lights?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Track Review: Dream On My Baby – Dom Louis

Dom Louis is a singer-songwriter based in Toronto, Canada. Having recently signed to Cartoon Records in London, he has released his debut single titled “Dream On My Baby.”

I am absolultely in love with this track, I can tell just from that one released that Dom has a really interetsing story to tell and a bright future ahead of him in this industry. He is like a new wave in the country-folk genre, mashing together the sounds of his influences whilst keeping the essence of what he is about as a songwriter and musician.

I honestly don’t think I have gushed about a track this much since I discovered Maggie Rogers three years ago and she went on to sign to a major label and shoot to the top of the music industry – I really hope the same happens to Dom!

“Dream On My Baby” tells brings so many images into my brain, I can imagine going on a summer roadtrip having this play out through the speakers, taking a long journey to happiness and peace. Dom’s voice coupled with the serenic sounds of acoustic guitar and violins brings me complete sollitude and I can imagine  it will do the same to the people that hear it.

Dom Louis may not be a wordwide sensation yet, but I can put money on the fact that he will be. Hopefully I’ll get to meet this fututre chart topper and see him live someday, I’ll definitely be looking out for more of his music.

Links to Dom:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveisauthority/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/13vGPMHjEc5xzTS1utb4Ph?si=pa9XwfRuQsyjk7Ex7xH8ZA

E.P Review: Drakmah – Storyteller

Drakmah are an Indie Alternative Electronic band, formed in 2016 in Naples, by Stefano “Learning Panda” Mattozzi (keyboard/lead vocals), David Rapicano (guitars/keyboards/backing vocals), Mario Manzoni (drums) and Gianmarco Angelone (bass). The band is now, partly, based in London.

Their debut single “Storyteller” was released in May 2017 so I’m a bit late to the Drakmah party but I figured I’d check them out either way and I was immediately drawn in by their whacky electronic, keys driven sound.

Like a lot of unsigned bands I get asked to review on the site, these guys seem determined to stand out from the crowd. The vocals aren’t completely perfect and it did throw me off a little because it didn’t match the almost perfect instrumental production but it’s clear that Drakmah are wanting success and willing to work hard for it in the long term.

The second track “Ithaca” is filled with this infectious guitar riff that sits perfectly within the vocals smothered in reverb and various samples embedded in the track. Overall, the Napels natives seem to have created a unique world for the listener of their music, whilst at the same time keeping their work “normal” enough to be enjoyed by the average Joe.

Although this EP sounds slightly less polished than I was expecting, it’s clear that Drakmah are aiming for greatness within their music and I think if they work hard enough, they’ll get it.

“Storyteller” is definitely on my playlist, who else?

You can listen to “Storyteller” here: https://drakmah.hearnow.com

Album Review: Maggie Rogers – Heard It In A Past Life

The album artwork for “Heard It In A Past Life”

Maggie Rogers came to fame after gaining the chance to have her  track “Alaska”  critiqued by Pharell Williams. He was so impressed he got emotional and declared “I don’t think there’s anything I can say about that to make it better.”

The video of their masterclass went viral and Maggie became  an accidental star, through the ranks of the industry and eventually getting signed by Capitol Records. Since her life changed forever, she has released her debut album titled “Heard It In The Past Life.”

Maggie with “Happy” singer Pharrell Williams

 

The first thing I noticed about the album is that it is incredibly production heavy, although this wasn’t a surprise to me as this follows the trend of her previous releases. The opening track “Give A Little” sets the tone of the entire album with a really catchy chorus, great vocal production and solid instrumentation.

Rogers at Capitol Records 75th Anniversary

Having not listened to Maggie for a while before this album, it took me a second to get used to her sound but I immediately fell in love with her music all over again. She is so unique and she’s never been scared to push the boundaries of the norm and express her creativity as she sees fit.

“Heard It In A Past Life” is the perfect blend of “over-produced” Pop and honest, emotive and grab-you-by-the-balls songwriting. Rogers has got a 50/50 balance of the innocence of your typical young, uncorrupted artist and the business sense of an industry yes girl, everything a label could ask for.

This album was long awaited and I was thinking that Maggie been one of the unfortunate cases that fell through the corporate cracks, how wrong I was! She has timed  this release just right, hopefully the first of many!

The debut release of student turned viral sensation screams one thing to me “I’m Maggie Rogers and I’m coming for stardom with everything I’ve got!” She doesn’t have to brag about how amazing she is, her music and work ethic speak for themselves.

I feel like I know Maggie personally after watching her shoot to the top and I couldn’t be prouder of who she is and the work she is putting out.

If you want something fresh but comfortable, go and listen to “Heard It In A Past Life.”

 

My 2019 Playlist (So Far)

I’ve always had an extensive and varied music taste. From Jazz, country, rock and everything in between, its something I’ve always been able to use to my advantage as a session musician because I am comfortable when it comes to playing different styles and genres. I thought I’d give you all an insight into the music I listen to with a quick overview of my playlist for 2019.

1. Back To Life – Rascal Flatts

I became a Rascal Flatts fan about four years ago when I discovered their song “I Wish.” In fact, it was this particular group that got me into country music in the first place. I was very pleased to discover that they had been released new music (although I’m a fan I don’t actively seek their releases) and found “Back To Life” on the list of new songs. I played it, and I loved it, there’s so much joy and emotion in the song and I really connected with the lyrics.

2. Home – Nickelback

Nickelback are one of those bands that are much like Marmite, you do either love them or hate them. I am one of the people who don’t have a bad word to say about their music, it’s intense and high energy and really gets you in a pumped up mood. The same can be said for this song, it has a great balance of intensity and calmness in the instrumental and vocal arrangement and really gets me riled up whenever I have a big day ahead.

3. I Only Have Eyes For You – Jamie Cullum 

If you know me, you’ll know about my obsession with Jamie Cullum. Jamie has been one of my  biggest musical influences for a long time now and I can never get enough of his music. His take on this classic standard is nothing short of a masterpiece, he respects the integrity of the orignal track whilst putting his own unique twist on it, something that Jamie has been great at throughout his career.

4. Lingus – Snarky Puppy

Go to most music universities and pretty much everyone you ask will have heard of this song and better still, be aspiring to play it note for note on their instrument – I’m still struggling to even touch that monstrous keys solo from Cory Henry, I will get there one day! Lingus is definitely my favourite instrumental track, it never gets skipped when it comes on and watching live videos of it gets me drooling like a baby. If you like weird time signatures and dirty solos, Snarky Puppy are the band for you.

5. Everything She Wants – Wham!

Wham or George Michael usually fall onto the guilty pleasures list for most, not for me. The arrangement and groove of this track really get to me, it’s a massive 80’s banger like most George stuff but I just keep coming back to this over and over again. Ironically, it’s one of the songs NOT in the set list for the George Michael tribute band I’m in, might need to sort that.

6. Lose Yourself – Eminem 

One of the first Eminem songs I heard and still on the playlist today, this is the perfect track to get anyone out of the dumps and give them a fresh burst of motivation. In fact, the lyrics of this one are what frames my drive and desire to not give up when working my way up the industry ladder, or  when having a tough day at uni working through my degree – I even put it on before a show sometimes to get the blood pumping.

7. Hell Above – Pierce The Veil

I was introduced to the world of metal through my younger brother when he was going through this particular phase. It took me a while to adjust to the style of music I had previously dismissed as “just noise”, but I got there and haven’t looked back since. Pierce The Veil are much like Nickelback in the sense that they receive a mixed reception from the metal community, some swear by them and others instantly insult anyone caught listening to them. I’m not a huge metalhead, I just happen to like the agression in their music, don’t ask.

8. Do I Do – Stevie Wonder

Another artist integral to my musical develpoment has been Stevie Wonder. One of my favourite tunes to play is Supersition but by far my favourite tunes to listen to is Do I Do. Like most Stevie tracks, it is less complicated than it sounds when broken down, that keys run is a different story though, will I ever be able to be fast enough to play it? who knows.

9. Phsyco – Muse

I heard this song around two years ago whilst studying music at college. Many of my classmates seemed to develop a Muse obession during the final year and I was introduced to this song through them, it comes on most days when I put my headphones in and takes me instantly back to my college days, some of the best days of my teenage life.

10. I write Sins Not Tragidies – Panic! At The Disco

For years, I heard this song and could never get the name of it. I eventually met a huge Panic! fan and she finally gave me the name of the song, it’s been on my playlist ever since, I doubt it’ll ever be replaced. This one is also the soundtrack to many a teenager’s “emo phase” – I don’t think I had one of those? You’d have to ask my parents I guess.

And that wraps up my 2019 playlist so far! I hope you enjoyed delving into my musical world with me and have hopefully some more songs to add to your playlist!

 

The Importance Of Having A Good Press Pack and How To Create One

A press pack is one of the oldest but relevant and useful promotional tools in the arsenal of any artist or band. Usually in a word document, it contains all of their information such as bios, pictures, important dates and links to their music – essentially everything a member of the music press needs in order to write a well informed article on a band or artist.

Despite the importance, some bands still don’t have their press pack or E.P.K (electronic press kit) figured out ready for use. From a music blogger’s point of view, it can be extremely frustrating requesting a press kit from a band wanting a review and receiving an email with little information about them, it can be so frustrating in fact, that I sometimes decide not to feature a band on the blog because of the poor quality of their press pack.

Equally, when I first started out and was trying to break out as a solo artist I had bloggers turn my work down because my press pack wasn’t up to scratch. I’m not trying to be a hyporcrite with this peice, I’m just hoping to help up and coming aritsts learn from my rookie mistakes.

Now I’ve given a rather lengthy introduction, let’s get down to the nitty gritty of  how to create the perfect package that all bloggers and music industry professionals will love!

1. Bio’s – Be detailed but don’t waffle

The bio is the piece of text that gives bloggers a sense of what you as an artist or band are about. You don’t need to provide your life story, just enough info about you for the blogger to give their readers the low down on you! The most important thing for me when reading a bio is that it’s engaging and interesting, if I’m falling asleep whilst reading, my readers will too and this is an instant red mark.

2. A picture speaks a thousand words

If you look at most of my blog posts, you’ll see that there are at least two pictures in pretty much every one. A picture not only gives the reader a break from the text, it can give an even more detailed look into you as a band/artist, put a face to a name and even sometimes encourage readers to look into your music. With that said, you need to make sure that all of the images in your press pack are up to date and of high quality, if the images are of an old line up and/or grainy and pixilated, they won’t make the cut.

3. A broken link destroys the bridge

In this digital age, links to your sites and videos are mandatory – How else are bloggers meant to research more about you and listen to your music? Depsite the obvious importance of links, the amount of links I’m provided that don’t work is shocking. Before providing links to your sites, please make sure that they are correct and don’t take bloggers to a “Domain For Sale” page. This is a major no no and will  put you on the rejected pile instantly. Also, make sure that your sites and social media pages are kept up to date, attractive to look at and easy to naviagte. No blogger wants to spend their time working out where the various pages of your website are.

4. The sound of music

This one is the most obvious, if you’re going to submit your music for review please make sure it is of high audio quality. It goes without saying that you should never upload anything sub-par online and this is a especially true if you want something reviewed. Finally and just for the record, most bloggers will not except downloadable MP3’s, a Soundcloud or Youtube link is your best bet.

That’s that ladies and gents! Provided you follow all four of those points when creating or updating your press pack, getting reviews should be a doddle!

Know any bands or aritsts that need help with their press packs? Be sure to send them this article, they’ll thank you for it.

Break Up With Your Girlfriend I’m A Whore?: Everything wrong with Ariana Grande’s latest release

Ariana Grande comes back into the limelight with new album

After taking a short break from releasing records, pop music sensation Ariana Grande has come out with a new album titled “Thank You, Next.” I was scanning the tracklist earlier today and came across a track with a title that rang alarm bells immediately, it is titled  “Break Up With Your Girlfriend I’m Bored.”

The title pretty much explains the gist of the track without anyone having to listen to it. There’s a man that Grande is clearly interested in, unfortunately he is spoken for. Of course you can see where this is going. Sweet little Ariana doesn’t care about the man’s relationship status and basically spends the entire song encouraging him to break up with his partner and be with her instead. She even goes onto sing about how she knows it’s the wrong thing to do, but she doesn’t care because she’s bored.

Ariana performing with fellow popsar Justin Beiber

I listened to the track as well as scanning the lyrics and let me tell you, don’t be shocked if the act of cheating in relationships becomes even more common and “normal” than it already is. Grande is (supposedly) a role model for many young teenage girls with many youngsters wanting to be a world famous popstar like her. It is due to this fact that many of her fans will soak up the lyrics of her songs as if it were a verse in a holy book. So, if she’s talking about wanting to break up a relationship to get the man she wants, the chances of her fans thinking that this is the right way to go about things is pretty high.

I’m not saying that just because Grande is in the public eye that she needs to write PG material, but writing songs about wanting a man to leave his girlfriend for you because you’re bored isn’t exactly the most positive message to be preaching. This society needs celebrities that use their fame in a responsible way, by encouraging people to be accepting of different cultures, sexualities and genders and writing songs about working hard to achieve your dreams.

Grande is preaching one thing and one thing only; if you want something, spread your legs and wreck some homes to get it.

Break Up With Your Girlfriend I’m A Whore – That seems a much more fitting title to me.

I don’t know what has happened to sweet little Disney Ariana, but she has developed all the class and morals of a backstreet sex worker and it’s certaintly not a pretty sight.

 

My Top Five Love Songs

Well there we go, another Valentine’s Day draws to a close. Cards, flowers, chocolates and vairous assortments of gifts have been exchanged between loving couples all day long. Rest assured to those singletons out there, you can come out of hiding, It’s all over for another year and normal serivce has now resumed. With love being so high on the agaenda yesterday, it got me thinking about love songs. I must admit I am a sucker for the ocassional heart-wrenching ballad. With that in mind, I’ve decided to compose my own list of my top five soppy love numbers. In no particular order of course:

1) If You’re Not The One – Daniel Beddingfeild

This is a particular favourite of mine. With great instrumentation, arrangement and lyrics I’m sure most poeple can connect with, it really is almost the perfect love song. Nothing too heavy, just a good old fashion chilled out 00’s ballad with some lovely harmonies thrown in for the musician’s of the world to understand and appreciate.

2) Hero – Enrique Iglesias

Keeping up with the theme of acoustic guitar led 00’s pop-ballads, we dig up this bad boy from the time capsule. Any male singer looking to get the attention of the ladies is bound to have this in their set list, and if they want to really seal the deal – They’ll sing it in Spanish! I have always loved this song at all times of year and you’d best beleive that being the overly-emotional aritst that I am, I’ve sent it to a few girlfriends. A great number, but a track that many would class as a one hit wonder. That is unless you were a huge Enrique fan and had his whole back catalogue.

3) I Found Lovin’ – The Fatback Band

Now we’re heading even futher back in time as we zoom straight back to the 80’s. Instantly recongiseable with its synth intro and lead riff, this is a song I’ve been raised on due to having an 80’s music nerd for a Dad. This is possibly the funkiest love song I’ve ever heard and also had the pleasure of covering in bands once or twice and my god it’s fun being a keys player if this is in the set list!

4) Bless The Broken Road – Rascal Flatts

Most people don’t know this but I am a HUGE country music fan. The level of musicianship and songwriting in most country music defies belief, so much so that it’s inspired me to save for a ticket to Nashville in 2020 – but that’s a story for another time.

Originally written by Bobby E Boyd, Jeff Hanna and Marcus Hummon, this romantic hit ticks every box when it comes to country music writing and is actually one of Rascal Flatts’ highest selling records, peaking at number one in 2004 and staying there for a total of 25 weeks. It could of course be argued that the success celebrated by Flatts’ frontman Gary Levox and co wasn’t actually theirs to celebrate. Nonetheless, the track was a hit and continues to be in most romantic dinner date playlists across the globe.

5) Careless Whisper – George Michael

Alot of people reading will now be groaning and rolling their eyes as I hadn’t managed to dodge the typical George bullet. I’m sorry, okay? I’ve recently started working with a George Michael Tribute band and I’ve offically caught the bug (no, not that one, mind out of the gutter please…) Moving swiftly on and back to the music, everyone on the entire planet who isn’t a toddler or a newborn will recognise the unmistable sax riff that opens this ball of musical cheese up. Often found on the guilty pleasures list if you’re not aged 40 or above, but even the “cool kids” can’t deny it, that sax gets you everytime!

 

And there we have it folks, my top five love songs. Now, as I finish writing this it is 12:36am which does in fact make the date the 15th January thus, Valentine’s Day is no more, lovey dovey couples who are far too fond of PDA can get safely back into their little love nests and normal people can go about their days undisturbed! I like love and affection as much as the next man, but a whole day of it is just a bit too much.

Is The CD Dead (and is it killing the music industry?)

The CD or Compact disc has been the most popular form of audio consumption for years, decades even. Everyone remembers their first CD, mine was Mcfly’s “Room On The Third Floor” – A great record that I still own. As time has gone on and generations have succeeded mine, I have started to notice a decline in the purchasing of CD’s, in 2019 people much prefer to stream their music instead of having a physical disc copy.

HMV have been fighting closure for a number of years.

The rise of streaming coupled with the slow death of brick and mortar music stores such as HMV have made me really question the future of the CD as a viable audio consumption and distribution method. Let’s be real here, what are you more likely to do, add your favorite song to your Spotify playlist for free and from the comfort of your own home OR go out to an actual store and spend money on a CD? Unfortunately, the majority of the modern generation, including myself, would choose option one.

 

Spotify is one of the most popular music streaming platforms

The only time I’ve even seen a CD in recent situations is if I go to see an unsigned live band and they happen to be selling an E.P of some kind, but even then the band rarely make sales and would be much better off promoting their Spotify handles.

Why has the music and audio industry become so streaming heavy? Purely due to the convenience OF streaming. As stated above, in order for someone to grab the latest tune, all they have to do is add the track to their Spotify playlist with one simple click. Frankly, the modern generations have become lazy in many ways of life and would rather not venture outside and spend money when they can get the music they want online to stream for free.

So, we’ve looked at why the CD is becoming less and less popular, what does that mean for music industry professionals and the music they write, produce and distribute?

Let me start this off by saying that it’s not a pretty picture. It is near on impossible for unsigned artists to make a solid living off of streaming royalties, if you want to make money from your music, you’ve got to think of other ways to do so. I can imagine some of you are skeptical about this so rather than take my word for it, lets look at the actual figures.

Pretty shocking numbers right? What the above image tells me, is that in order to make any form of decent money purely from streams, you have to have serious backing from a label. Obviously, bands at all levels make the majority of their money through touring and merch sales anyway but its a real kick in the teeth for artists knowing that in the streaming world, their music that they’ve worked extremely hard to create, holds pretty much zero monetry value.

I’ve heard the argument that if you want to make money from your songs then you’re better off selling CD’s. My response to that is always that nobody in this day and age is going to buy a phsyical CD when they can just go home and stream the track online. It may be an extremely pessamistic way of looking at it, but no matter what bands do, the reality is there is no money in selling records anymore.  This is the conseqeunce of streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.

I’d like to wrap this up by encouraging music consumers and fans to support their favourite unsgined bands by going to shows, buying their merch and if they have a CD for sale, by that too! They would’ve slogged in the studio for days, sometimes even weeks to get the record finished, the least they deserve is some form of small finacial reward.