WHY FREE SHOWS?
The service we provide is by its very nature very complex and extremely concentrated.
My job as performer is extremely complicated and I play absolutely live. I have to be most precise and accurate as I don`t rely on backing tapes. I do all my own arrangements and I have to therefore practice each and every day and earn a living wage at the same time. The question is how?
I have no other job but the music, so if I only played at weekends like other musicians, I would have to charge at least £100 per booking and work 3 days a week, every week, just to make ends meet.
But......As I said, I need to practice every day, that means hiring a hall because it is impossible to play at home, because I live in a modern building, that has paper thin walls, the neighbours would be all too eager to complain and after all it is just not fair on them. I know what you`re thinking "they could throw bricks through the window so that they could hear better" Yes! I do do requests, I hear you say "Play over the hills and far away" - and yes I can play solo - so low you can`t hear it!!!-lol!!!
OK but who can work for nothing? In order to earn a decent living, I must clear at least £350 every week just to cover overheads, finances and wear and tear on my equipment.
HELP US TO HELP YOU
Please respect this service as it is rather unique, no one these days gives anything for free and you are entitled to be suspicious - I am quite genuine - there is no catch, the reasons to why free shows are offered has already been explained.
So, it is designed to offer regular exercise to the musician as daily practice exercise is required every week, therefore a one off yearly booking is not an option, as over 250 separate venues would have to be found in order to achieve the same effect.
Do not abuse the system, as in this real world the actual cost of a fully top professional entertainer would be at least £100 a session! In this case, you are actually saving 75% in actual terms.
To qualify for these free shows, you must genuinely meet our minimum requirements.
Everyone`s a winner!
THE VENUE - Gets the act it can afford - A top fully professional act at the price of a very poor amateur
THE AUDIENCE = Gets a Top class polished professional act instead of NO act at all.
THE CLUB = Gets more members - The attending members tell their friends that the entertainment is excellent
and they attend too and tell their friends
THE MUSICIAN = Gets free practice venue, plus expenses for travel and wear and tear
The instruments and associated equipment is the very best that money can buy and most modern.
Technology is changing at a rapid rate, and equipment becomes obsolete and unrepairable.
So money has to be allocated to meet changing trends and buy new equipment to replace worn out and obsolete equipment.
In order to remain competitive and ahead of the competition we have to maintain a very high standard both in content of the performance and the top quality in equipment.
Continual ongoing maintenance is needed to keep the 300 odd shows on the road.
Servicing of the equipment, the equivalent of an MOT every 3 months at an average cost of £120 plus the annual pack testing to meet British Electrical Safety Standards at around £70 by NICEIC approved engineers.
The £26.000 of existing equipment has to be all regularly checked whether all used or not.
A Continual investment programme is ongoing and about six and a half thousand has been invested so far this year in new equipment.
But..............I need to practice every day, that means hiring a hall at around £50 per session for 5 sessions, every week. OK, if I used a venue and gave my services free, then the venue would have a fully professional musician for the price of a cheap amateur, in return I would get a free practice venue.
Everyone`s a winner, I get my free practice venue and the venue or club gets a fully professional musician for the price of a cheap amateur. Although I am using the venue for practice, it is not `practice` in the traditional sense, more like a full dress rehearsal for a performance that is of top class quality, good enough for any broadcast. Practice is the wrong word. It is that I need to exercise and like any marathon runner, it must be done very regularly or otherwise the job in hand would be impossible.
As I play completely live and don`t use any commercial backing tape, unlike amateur weekend strummers, these don`t need to practice as the music is done for them. (I ought to know, I produce these for them, along with other companies.)
That is where I can gain an advantage, as I have achieved a more polished performance due to the fact that I am performing every day, opposed to say, once a week (I am obviously far better) I can then command a higher price because I turn out a far superior product.
Just phone any entertainment agency and get a price quote!
In order for us to provide this service, we need at least 4 bookings a year - not much to ask.
We make a standard fee to cover wear and tear plus travelling to and from the venue.
We first do a demo show for £25, this covers up to 2 hours performance time.
Thereafter the fee is: 4 shows and over = £25. 3 shows = £30. 2 shows = £35 and shows booked separately £40
Please see the pricing schedule. These shows are only available when not specifically booked.
It must be understood that full priced shows take priority and sometimes we cannot guarantee to do all requested, but we will try to honour that which is already booked.
THE ONLY GUARANTEE IS TO ORDER AT FULL PRICE.
Free advertising on stage, plus each audience member can be your unpaid agent.
(potential to obtain full priced bookings multiplied by as many members)
A professional agent or relative to one can be in the audience.
At some venues there could be other clubs and organisations operating.
