The first green shoots of the post lockdown world but we need a proper strategy to help the night time economy

 As the owner of one of London's largest independent music studios, I probably have as good a view of what is happening in the London music industry. The artists that use our studios are drawn from just about every genre of music that we see performed in the capital and we tend to be aware of trends before anyone else. We make a point of talking to artists, retweeting them, liking and sharing their posts on Facebook and in normal times, going to see them perform. In normal times we might expect to see 200-300 bookings per week in our 17 studios. Some of these are one hour personal practice sessions, some are lessons, some are amateur bands and young people starting out and some are professional musicians rehearsing for gigs.

At present, we can only accept bookings for solo practice and for professional musicians. We've been seeing about 10-20 bookings a day. About a half are solo musicians. Up until a couple of weeks ago, the professional musicians have largely been rehearsing for live stream events or just keeping up a degree of gig readiness. This week, we've seen a change. Bands are starting to get real bookings for real events. Some are for outdoor performances in gardens of pubs. Some are post May 17th gigs, when indoor social distanced gigs can take place. I've already bought my first tickets for Ronnie Scotts.

Today, we saw a large number of bookings and conversations with the musicians revealed that they are for proper, paid work. We have seen over 30 bookings in a day for the first time since lockdown hit. I've spoken to half a dozen bands that have not been in for over a year some not since 2019. It seems that small Jazz outfits are especially sought after, not least because these are well suited to small scale gigs with food. I am delighted that some of our favourite artists have gigs lined up at such venues as Crazy Coqs, Ronnie Scotts and the 100 Club. 

One of our more regular customers have taken 21 bookings for Butlins in the Summer. To me this is fantastic news. As government assistance is coming to an end, we will start to have to pay rates and as the furlough ends find work for our furloughed staff, we desperately need to get our booking levels back to the pre covid levels. We are lucky, we had a strong balance sheet and have not taken on debt, but I know many of our friends who run studios are not in such a good position. I'd urge all bands, artists, drummers etc, to book a few sessions as soon as they can. Non pro bands can rehearse and record from 17th May. If you book early and pre pay, this will help your studio of choice get by. Many of us have booking systems that take pre payment, so it will do us a big favour. For many studios that have been closed, there are big costs associated with reopening, so it would make a difference. 

We've been blown away with the response of the artists who use us. When lockdown was imposed, most were happy to defer pre-paid sessions until lockdown was lifted. We have sessions deferred for over a year. One artist, who is reasonably well off, pre paid for 50 bookings in advance last March to help us. He still has some outstanding, but is insisting on paying for the sessions he'd booking now. 

I feel far more positive about the situation in the London music scene than I was three months ago, when Lockdown was imposed. That doesn't mean things aren't grim and that we wont  lose many loved studios, venues and other arts related organisations, but I feel that it won't be as bad as I feared. 

What I find very worrying is that the two main candidates for London Mayor have not proposed policies to Save the London music scene. There are three types of situation for venues associated with music. There are those like us that are secure, there are those that are gone already and there are those that are teetering on the edge of the financial precipice. Those in the third group need a lifeline. It would also be worth seeing if there was any way that some of those that have closed will be brought back. Whilst it would be nice to give cash to organisations such as us, that are surviving, the best thing would be to ensure as many venues survive so that musicians need our services. We need someone in City Hall who understands the supply chain in the music industry. A saved venue putting on a show with a main artist and support every night is providing work for hundreds of musicians a month. So a small amount of help for them will make a huge difference. Those gigs bring trade into London, provides work for backup staff etc. They generate work for studios like us. 

The Mayor urgently needs to address the problems that  a 24 hour congestion charge causes for working bands. We were asked to supply equipment for a gig at the 100 Club. As it finishes after midnight, that means we have to pay two lots of congestion charge. This money comes from the band/promoter and makes the whole thing less viable. It also adds management hassle for us. If London is to have a credible night time industry, they need to encourage musicians, not tax them to the hilt. If you do two such gigs a week, the additional 'congestion charge' adds £50 to an artists costs. Over a year, that is £2,500 in lost income. Most working London musicians simply cannot afford such costs. I've never seen congestion in London at 1am, but I've seen lots of musicians driving home from gigs. Sadly, neither the government or the Mayor are in the slightest bit interested in this. The sad truth is that it will make many gigs unviable. 

The green shoots are there for all to see in the hospitality industry, but unless these shoots are nurtured in the post lockdown world, they will soon die back. We need a strategy tor bring London back.

Save London Music Campaign - Official Campaign Launch

On the 6th November, the #SaveLondonMusic campaign will have its official London wide launch.  We originally started the  campaign in February in response to the closure of six local music venues in Mill Hill and the closure of two well respected local recording/rehearsal studios in Southgate.  We wanted to highlight the fact that music venues are under threat and this will have profound consequences for the health of the London music scene and the UK economy. Creative industries generate £8 million and hour for the UK economy.  It is not only the economic impact of music that matters. Music is a huge part of our culture and heritage.

Since the campaign started, over 20 London studios and venues have signed up as supporters of the growing campaign. The campaign has also received endorsements from many well known musicians based in London including Lee Thompson of Madness, Dell Richardson of Osibisa and Boz Boorer who is musical director for Morrissey.

The Camden Falcon - once a key venue

The campaign has started to make a difference. Our lobbying has persuaded the Mayor to set up a Music Venues taskforce with the aim of protecting our cultural heritage. Of course this is just the start. We need to keep the campaign going. One of the key factors in the success of any campaign is information. We have spent a significant amount of time, money and effort building a website to ensure that anyone who is interested in the campaign has all the facts to hand. The savelondonmusic.org/  website as a resource for all musicians, campaigners and music lovers, so that they have easy access to as much information as possible .

The savelondonmusic.org/news/  page contains details of many articles, websites and other information about venue closures, the campaign and other useful facts if you want to know what is going on in the London Music Scene.

The savelondonmusic.org/socialstream/  page contains the latest tweets containing the #Tags #SaveLondonMusic and #KeepMusicLive. This means that you can have instant access to what is happening on the ground in social media.

And if you want to get in touch, the details are here http://savelondonmusic.org/contact/,
 
To mark the start of the campaign, we are staging a very special gig on Friday 6th November at the iconic Fiddlers Elbow in the heart of Londons Camden Town. To emphasise the fact that London is a global music city, we've selected a fantastic line up featuring musicians from all around the world.

Headlining is world music Legend Dell Richardson and friends. Dell is the frontman of Osibisa, who's hit "Sunshine day" was a global smash hit. Next on the bill are The False Dots, featuring well known Singer, Author and Poet Allen Ashley on vocals and amazing Portuguese bass player Fil Ross They will be featuring songs from their new album "Songs of Love and War" . Next on the bill are the up and coming band Hamptons, featuring US born singer Charlie Honderick and the amzing guitar talents of Alex Sarychkin, who is of Russian ancestry. Finally on the bill, we have the amazing London Power duo (after all it is London Music we are campaigning for!) The Black Doldrums. The event starts at 8pm and entrance is free.

If you want more information or want to attend the event, the details are on Facebook here -
https://www.facebook.com/events/1510677932590368/

Please support the campaign and the event.

Here is Dell doing the business!

Calling All Musicians - Fight restrictions on live entertainment

Amendments to the Live Music bill under presently under consideration.

 

The Music Industries Association, in conjunction with Music UK are close to overturning the needless process that is preventing so many small businesses and venues from holding music events.

 

A restriction in live music events reduces the demand for musical instruments.

The full story can be found by clicking here

 

You can contribute to a successful outcome for this crucial campaign by writing personally. Either as a musician by clicking here or as a person with commercial interests by clicking here

Help to protect your livelihood, and that of thousands of others involved in the broad range of activities which facilitate the playing of live music.

 

Please construct and send a personal letter, based upon the appropriate template.

Our combined efforts will make the difference.

Musician Focus : A songwriting master class

As part of my job as a recording studio owner, I often get asked to "write a song" for this cause or that event. Sometimes it's aunty Jean's birthday, sometimes it's for a rally to protest against the latest bonkers scheme in Barnet, sometimes it's for someones wedding anniversay for their wife. Occasionally someone asks me to write a hit for their child, who they want to turn into the next Robbie Williams or Adele.

The bad news is that I tend not to write songs to order. I'm one of a dying breed who play and write only what I want on my own terms. There are plenty of people I know who can churn out a good tune, but it's not my thing. I can however offer a few pointers as to what you need in a song, if you want to write your own.

The most important thing in a song is the hook. That's the bit you remember. Usually it's a chorus, but it can be the coda (The bit at the ends  "nah nah nah" in Hey Jude), it can be the first line of singing ("Goodbye Norma Jean..."), sometimes it's the bit of guitar before the singing comes in (Think "Sweet Child of Mine" by Guns and Roses). Anyway, if you haven't got a hook, you haven't got a hit. I was advised by none other than Hank B. Marvin, when his son was the drummer in my band the False Dots, that "if you can't whistle it, you can't sell it". He told me that the BBC2 TV show "The Old Grey Whistle Test" got it's name from EMI Abbey Road Studios, where the Beatles used to drag the elderly doorman in to listen to their final mixes. If he whistled the tune, it passed "The Old Grey Whistle Test" and they knew it was a hit. I once found myself drinking in a pub with Jimmy Pursey of Sham 69 and he told me that if a football crowd sings a song then it was worth singing.

Typically a song has a structure a bit like this :-

Intro
Verse
Chorus
Verse
Chorus
Middle 8  /Bridge
Verse
Chorus X 2
Coda

If you have learned an instrument, think up a few rhyming couplets - try singing this and putting a Melody to it
"I love you, I hope you love me too", a few times. When you have got a nice tune, see what guitar chords go with what you've sung. Many guitarists learn a few chords and say "I've written a song". They expect the singer to adapt. Often the song is in the wrong key. Your natural key is the one where you'll feel most comfortable. When I learned to play, every song I wrote was in A because it was easy to play, but I couldn't sing in A, so the songs always sounded horrible. I found that if I sung in D or E, they sounded OK and came together better.

When you've got your melody line and your chords, then try and work out the instrumentation. This has to suit the subject matter. For example if you were the Clash writing Hate and War, you'd probably not have found the tune to Love to Love you by Donna Summer much use. It is worth listening to a few hits in the genre and style you want to develop. Work out the structure, the instrumentation and the hooks. Try and use these elements in your own songwriting. Most artists get their breakthrough as a result of TV or Radio exposure. If you are serious about songwriting, listen to the the songs which gave artists their first hit. Once they are established, different rules apply.  It is worth noting that the world has moved on and so what worked in 1965 or 1985 won't necessarily work today. If you want to be a songwriter and write songs for Katie Perry or similar artists, listen to the structure of her songs and the key & melodies. If she uses your song, she'll get a producer in, so your fancy guitar solo will go straight out of the window. It is the idea, the hook and the melody she'll be buying.

If you are writing original material for yourself, you have more of a free reign. Try and make sure that you write songs that fully show of your talents. I once worked with a highly talented singer, who quit our band for another band. As we'd always written songs for her voice and her style, she used to sound fantastic. She joined a band with a dominant lead guitarist/songwriter. All of his songs were in the wrong key for her and lacked vocal hooks or melodies. Whereas our songs allowed her to show off her singing, suddenly she was boxed in and was delivering songs which anyone could have sung. She then had to stand around like a lemon for five minutes whilst the band played long boring guitar solo's.  I went to see her with a few friends at the Rock Garden. She'd been telling us what fantastic players she'd hooked up with, but as the set progressed, she looked more and more miserable and uncomfortable. She should have been a star, but she has sadly given up music. A song is not just a collection of noises. It is an emotion, to be conveyed with feeling. If you want to be successful, you need songs which people can associate with. This can be love songs, songs about anger, songs about a broken heart, songs about injustice. Dance music is all about making music that gets people moving. That is all about beats per minute, bass and rythme. You will know you are on the right track, if people respond to what you play them. Getting an honest opinion is difficult, unless you say to people who don't know  your music "I've been listening to this. Have a listen and tell me what you think". Don't be offended if they say "Not Much". Just try and figure out why and then try and write a better song.

Music & Gardening Special

It may surprise some readers of the Barnet Eye that I'd rather not have to blog about politics and Barnet at all. I'd rather spend all of my time writing music and pottering around in my garden. I've been playing with my new IMAC and trying to figure out all of the video editing capabilities. I thought I'd shoot some footage of the garden in all it's spring glory and put one of the rough pre prod mixes from Connies album over the top. Hope you like it


This one's for Scarlett, who writes a great gardening blog !!!!

The Sacred Heart Xmas Carol Service Vs The Pogues

On Tuesday evening we had the Sacred Heart RC Church in Mill Hills Christmas Carol concert. The Sacred Heart is lucky to have an absolutely superb choir. There is nothing more moving than Christmas carols being sung by a choir in a church. The lights were dimmed and the choir arrived in procession carrying candles singing "O Come, O Come Emmanuel". The carols were interspersed with readings from the bible and poems from younger members of the parish. The selection included O little town of Bethlehem, Away in a manger, Silent Night, We three kings and Hark a Herald. There was a very spiritual and calm atmosphere, a perfect way to start Christmas. After the service, we retired to the hall for refreshment. There was a good crowd, especially considering the weather, well over 100 people. Whether or not you are religious, I'd heartily recommend the service to you. It was free (even the refreshments) and very uplifting.

On Wednesday night, a complete contrast. I went down to Brixton Academy to watch the Pogues "Fairwell Xmas tour" gig. I suspect that this will be rather like Don't Call Me Dave's retirement from blogging (at least I sincerely hope so). The Pogues exemplify all that is good about Irish Culture. They are a joyous celebration of life and are a damn fine band. I watched most of the gig from the front. The highlights? For me "Dirty Old Town", but it was a very striong set and Shane was in fine fettle. In a week which saw the X Factor final, I pondered if a band such as the Pogues could ever make it today. After the gig, we retired to the "guest" area upstairs with my mates Big Paul and little Paul and Boz Boorer and proceeded to have a few more beers. We finally got home around 2am (for a couple more whiskys).

In my hungover state this morning, I contemplated my Irish Catholic roots and the two very different events. I'm proud to say that it is no coincidence that music is the foundation of Irish culture. Listening to the choir I'd urge everyone who can sing to get involved. It is a simple and honest pleasure. As to the Pogues, they are a fine band, they exemplify the best of Irish Traditional music, enthused with punk rock energy. I don't think they could have emerged from anywhere else in the world, other than London.

I truly believe that London is the greatest city in the world, because it is the most creative city. I believe this is because every generation has a new influx of immigrants who continually stir the cultural pot. Before the Pogues emerged, a whole variety of music blasted out of the PA. From Uptown Top Ranking by Alitha and Donna to The Clash. It all seemed to be appropriate. Music has the power to bring people together. This can take many forms, choirs, rock bands, traditional bands. The title of the blog is "The Sacred Heart Xmas Carol Service Vs The Pogues" but in reality the two go together just fine. I just wish I could sing well enough to join the choir. I'll just have to stick to strumming along in my punk rock band ! Have a great Christmas Eve