W
Wendy
Guest
We heard on the radio yesterday that one in five pubs in England are closing every day because they are going bust!
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Frothblower
Lubrication In Moderation
I'ts our heritage going down the drain:redface:
George Wheeler
master brummie
Hardly surprising that pubs are closing down, people can't be bothered to go out and use them. The latest excuse I was given was "we don't like driving down country lanes in the dark" do they think the musicians have helicopters? They would be the first to moan if they had no country lanes to drive down and if the can't cope with a country lanes they should not be out driving cars
For years us musicians have provided subsidised jazz in the pubs, the punters will sit out the whole evening with a half of shandy then complain the music was not to their liking.
When I first moved to Suffolk in 1987 we had jazz venues in pubs five nights a week and Sunday lunch time. Not one left now. Our last venue closed down because several customers were discovered take in their own drink. How tight fisted can you get?
George (disgruntled musician)
For years us musicians have provided subsidised jazz in the pubs, the punters will sit out the whole evening with a half of shandy then complain the music was not to their liking.
When I first moved to Suffolk in 1987 we had jazz venues in pubs five nights a week and Sunday lunch time. Not one left now. Our last venue closed down because several customers were discovered take in their own drink. How tight fisted can you get?
George (disgruntled musician)
This was discussed recently on another thread, I think, but the main reasons IMHO why pubs are closing are:
- drink is much cheaper at the supermarket
- drinking at home doesn't risk being breathalysed
- many pubs have been turned into trendy restaurants whose sole interest is serving food
- the smoking ban has probably had an effect, but I think most people actually welcomed it
- many pubs, including my own locals, are noisy with shouted conversations, big-screen TV's, juke-boxes, piped music, etc., to the point where you can't hear yourself think
Reference George Wheeler's post, it's the same the whole world over, mate! At our music-club we get a reasonable turn-out for open-mic nights, but as soon as there's a charge at the door to see a guest act, hardly anyone turns up. And I'm talking £4 maximum! The, of course, there will be complaints that the club doesn't book class performers! You can't win!
Big Gee
- drink is much cheaper at the supermarket
- drinking at home doesn't risk being breathalysed
- many pubs have been turned into trendy restaurants whose sole interest is serving food
- the smoking ban has probably had an effect, but I think most people actually welcomed it
- many pubs, including my own locals, are noisy with shouted conversations, big-screen TV's, juke-boxes, piped music, etc., to the point where you can't hear yourself think
Reference George Wheeler's post, it's the same the whole world over, mate! At our music-club we get a reasonable turn-out for open-mic nights, but as soon as there's a charge at the door to see a guest act, hardly anyone turns up. And I'm talking £4 maximum! The, of course, there will be complaints that the club doesn't book class performers! You can't win!
Big Gee
o dear... this has got me back up again.. so many pubs closing that were once the backbone of society...the meeting place of the average working man..and woman..playing darts..dominos...talking football and generally putting the world to rights... a place where you didnt feel that you had to dress up to the nines to enter the premises. those that are not demolished are turned into yet another unessarsary restaraunt...or in the case of the royal oak on the lozells road..guess what??? its just been gutted and is now a supermarket...if i hadnt got such a lot to say on this subject words would fail me....
i agree with you one hundred per cent frothy.
astoness
...if i hadnt got such a lot to say on this subject words would fail me....i agree with you one hundred per cent frothy.
astoness
George Wheeler
master brummie
They must a tight lot round your way if they won't part with £4.00. My partner is the secretary of the Colchester Jazz Club, it's ben going for 51 years, they charge £6.00 and get around 85 members every week. I go once a month to the Ipswich Jazz club, they charge between £12 and £15 and get good attendances. Part of the problem was the trend started a few years ago by pubs to provide free entertainment and people got out of the habit of paying. When I used to play in Birmingham in the fifties you always had to pay an entrance fee.
Yes, George, they are a tight lot around our way...
Last year, the people who run our club (and they put in a hell of a lot of hard work) booked Quicksilver, the Grant Baynham/Hilary Spencer duo. This pair are so talented it hurts mere mortal hack-musicians like me. Grant used to be on the Esther Rantzen Show and is a guitarist of formidable talent, while Hilary's vocals are put of this world. Hard to categorize their music, I must confess, but for all that they are brilliant. The club charged £7 that evening, and hardly anyone turned up. No way did the takings cover the act's fee. The very people who had been demanding 'class acts' didn't show.
Anyone around here charging £12 - £15 to get into a jazz club would be hugely disappointed, even if by some magic George Melly himself was on the bill. People in the West Midlands want it all for free, and when they get it for free they complain about the quality of the acts....
Big Gee
Last year, the people who run our club (and they put in a hell of a lot of hard work) booked Quicksilver, the Grant Baynham/Hilary Spencer duo. This pair are so talented it hurts mere mortal hack-musicians like me. Grant used to be on the Esther Rantzen Show and is a guitarist of formidable talent, while Hilary's vocals are put of this world. Hard to categorize their music, I must confess, but for all that they are brilliant. The club charged £7 that evening, and hardly anyone turned up. No way did the takings cover the act's fee. The very people who had been demanding 'class acts' didn't show.
Anyone around here charging £12 - £15 to get into a jazz club would be hugely disappointed, even if by some magic George Melly himself was on the bill. People in the West Midlands want it all for free, and when they get it for free they complain about the quality of the acts....
Big Gee
George Wheeler
master brummie
Helo Big Gee,
I have often wondered why bands from the Midlands will drive around 170 miles to play in Essex on a Sunday night, we are paying them too much money. Doctor friend of mine puts on jazz at the Electric Palace in Harwich, we recently had Paul Jones with Digby Fairweather's band, I was told they charged £2,500. Nearly all of the 200 seats at £20 were sold. I think it's time you moved South, make sure you cross the border after dark so we don't see you.
George
George
I have often wondered why bands from the Midlands will drive around 170 miles to play in Essex on a Sunday night, we are paying them too much money. Doctor friend of mine puts on jazz at the Electric Palace in Harwich, we recently had Paul Jones with Digby Fairweather's band, I was told they charged £2,500. Nearly all of the 200 seats at £20 were sold. I think it's time you moved South, make sure you cross the border after dark so we don't see you.
George
George
Hi George
Would That Be Paul Jones Of Manfred -Man ,
Because If It Is He,s A Proffessionioal , And Not The Up And Coming Semi ,s Pro;
Like Alot Of Those People Whom Travel The Breast Of The Country Half Of Them Are Complete Rubbish And Thats Partly Why They Claim Big Bucks To Perform And They Have A Massive Followings And The Managers Know They Can Make A Big Returns
And Bear In Mind The Cost Of Living Is Mre Expensive Than The Midlands
If You Travelled To Coventry Its The Same There Different Values On What You Get Payed We Travel To CoventryEvery Week end For Our Enterainment
Better All Round , Cheaper Prices Better Enterainments Good Music
Not Like Brum , Ameturer,s You Get What You Pay For , I Say And You Cannot
Beat Country And Westerern Music ,
Best Wishes And Seasons Greeting To You All ASTONIAN ,;;
Would That Be Paul Jones Of Manfred -Man ,
Because If It Is He,s A Proffessionioal , And Not The Up And Coming Semi ,s Pro;
Like Alot Of Those People Whom Travel The Breast Of The Country Half Of Them Are Complete Rubbish And Thats Partly Why They Claim Big Bucks To Perform And They Have A Massive Followings And The Managers Know They Can Make A Big Returns
And Bear In Mind The Cost Of Living Is Mre Expensive Than The Midlands
If You Travelled To Coventry Its The Same There Different Values On What You Get Payed We Travel To CoventryEvery Week end For Our Enterainment
Better All Round , Cheaper Prices Better Enterainments Good Music
Not Like Brum , Ameturer,s You Get What You Pay For , I Say And You Cannot
Beat Country And Westerern Music ,
Best Wishes And Seasons Greeting To You All ASTONIAN ,;;
Was'nt music in my day , it was darts, dominoes and shove apenny...angling club meetings and such. Maybe the er...music and noise has driven people away. Since church congregations seem to be declining too, from what I hear, maybe they might modernise their mantra with maybe less religion and more emphasis on just meeting and doing things together...building or improving houses for the poor along the lines of Habitat. There is a sense of achievement in doing something positive. Maybe an enahanced church could take up the slack in getting people together away from the LCD.
Hello George,
As Astonian says, Paul Jones is a top draw, and worth every penny of £20. A while back I saw Spencer Davis and The Animals at Tamworth Assembly Rooms for £12.50 as I recall, and every seat was taken. Again, top draw acts. What puzzles me is why people are reluctant to fork out a fiver or less to see excellent, talented, professional-quality musicians who don't happen to be nationally known. I wouldn't expect anyone to pay to listen to me...
Big Gee
As Astonian says, Paul Jones is a top draw, and worth every penny of £20. A while back I saw Spencer Davis and The Animals at Tamworth Assembly Rooms for £12.50 as I recall, and every seat was taken. Again, top draw acts. What puzzles me is why people are reluctant to fork out a fiver or less to see excellent, talented, professional-quality musicians who don't happen to be nationally known. I wouldn't expect anyone to pay to listen to me...
Big Gee
George Wheeler
master brummie
I have to admit that I had forgotten who Paul Jones was, I went to see Digby Fairweather but Paul Jones was very good. We do play at quite a number of functions in a year and people are happy to pay £9.00 admission, we have been together for 15 years and have a strong following in Norfolk and Suffolk. It's rather ironical that the best paid jobs are the corporate functions where you are just musical wall paper and get twice your normal pay for playing to yourself. We accept the fact that jazz is only a minority interest and only the lucky ones get rich.
George
George