Out of work gigging musicians - what are you doing now?

    There's been decreasing interest in buying / owning music these days, so recorded music is now largely a non-profit commodity owned by streaming services, the only significant commercial value of which has been to promote live gigs. That revenue stream has largely disappeared for the moment, and what it looks like in a post-panic future is uncertain at best. The only thing that hasn't changed is that full and part time musicians still need to make a living.


    The Kemper is a digital creature. While it can certainly blend in with a back line of tube amps, I think a lot of us are a bit more techie by nature or we wouldn't own one. "Remote" is the current normal, so computers, mobile devices, the Internet, etc. are about the only way the audience has to get the interactive experience they can no longer get from a live gig. I'm seeing everyone from bedroom players to rock stars giving performances on YouTube. Sometimes it's a sound stage with good production values. Other times it's Paul Stanley at home with a guitar in his lap, or Norah Jones sitting at her living room piano.


    When some kind of normal emerges from all this the audience will have become conditioned to whatever they're experiencing now, so I was wondering how many of you are experimenting with new (and potentially paying) ways to connect with listeners using the technology you have at your disposal. Seems to me the Kemper crowd would be a bit more open to new, tech-y ways of doing things, and I know you guys must be missing the gig money right about now.


    Hopefully this isn't too off-topic from "tweak profile / play guitar" to discuss. Just seems like something that's particularly relevant at the moment while lots of talented guys sit at home with their Kempers instead of getting paid for a gig. I'm curious to know if you guys are exploring new territory, and what that might look like.

    Kemper remote -> Powered toaster -> Yamaha DXR-10

    Like 5

    I don't rely on gigging for income, it's my retirement hobby. However, the few gigs I had lined up for this year have all be canceled. I see other people doing live performances on Facebook and such, but I just don't find those satisfying. Hopefully, when the virus is no longer front and center, people will be starved for live entertainment and it will blossom.

    Go for it now. The future is promised to no one. - Wayne Dyer

    Like 1

    Here in Germany (and actually not far away from where Mr. Kemper's company is located) a few tried it with shows in drive-in cinemas.... crowd is smaller, sits in the cars.... well... not my kind of event I have to say. Neither in the car nor on the stage then. Few artists mentioned that on their social media channels recently: "Tough times... but we will not play in front of cars!". I understand that well...


    To me the ideas of streaming concerts or producing virtual band songs etc. seems to be a good way to do something at least. But that's just a small drop in a bucket and indeed for how long will that be enough to satisfy. Really hoping that we can come back to hot, sweaty, loud venues some day. Need it 8)

    In a normal year, we do around 70 shows. Almost all of our summer shows were rescheduled to the summer of 2021. We played our first gig in five months on Thursday. It was an outdoors parking lot concert, with cars parked “every other space”, in alternating rows. The parking lot Lines mapped out social distancing, and people were allowed to be outside of their car, as long as they stayed within arms length. It was not the same as what we are used to, but, having a couple hundred cars was nice :) And, as a bonus, the Kabinet sounded great on stage.


    We have another outdoor gig next weekend, if current regulations remain the same. Our September gigs Have been postponed, who knows what October will be like.

    Quote from Vinny Burns

    Guitar is all I do. This year has been a complete write off.

    ^This^ .... No work since March 14. Missing the playing with others . A handful of (mostly speculative) remote sessions and a couple of Facebook appearances aside, I've been working on a project with my wife - various cookery/art videos for our YouTube channel 'Surmulerum' (link below) - The weekly deadline keeps me on the go and I've been honing my writing/engineering/mixing skills. My rig is in disarray after frequent tweaks and needs attention. On the plus side, I bought a Kone and am mulling over a Dry/Wet setup where the Kone is dry (it sounds so good) and the fx are elsewhere. I already have it down at home but I do wonder what some Soundies will make of it?! ... Anyway, I have a 20+ minute soundtrack on the go, to be finished today (it's going to be sparse!) Keep at it, everyone!

    Sadly, in the UK, a big percentage of small/medium music industry is a victim of "pandemic". That includes clubs closing, bands disappearing etc. Some people (those who have following on social media) try to diversify the business, using their brand to sell other goods, like clothes.

    I've had 3 tours cancelled so far this year and bizarrely the only shows left are both in the UK. They are scheduled for October and I expect the promoter is just putting off the inevitable. Those that book gigs will be having the toughest of outcomes unless something changes soon.


    We were told that German shows could go ahead, but venue restrictions meant that it was not financially viable.


    Fortunately I have mixing work in the studio that is not attended.

    Karl


    Kemper Rack OS 9.0.5 - Mac OS X 12.6.7

    Like 1

    Lost a drummer in 2018 that put my gigging on hold .... ended up changing jobs shortly after and moving from Michigan to NC ... took a year off to get my house in order, was just looking into getting another band together when COVID struck. I am going crazy here! Can't wait for this to be over. I am so gonna start gigging again in earnest.


    I am fortunate that music is a paying hobby for me, not my main source of income. My thoughts and prayers go out to those of you who rely on music for a living. Hang in there! People will come when this is over. There is a huge pent up demand for live music.

    I'm not sure if this is a cat that can even be skinned until there's some kind of vaccine that will let the world calm down and return to normal. Because my day gig is working as a software developer, I tried to think of techie things I could do to help the working class musicians, but so much of what I enjoy about playing is the physical experience. You just don't get that from a computer, no matter which side of the stage you're on.


    For me, making music has always been a multi-human endeavor, as much a surrogate family as a collection of notes. Playing guitar, and rock in particular, is also a physical experience, requiring that thump you get from moving air. Then there's the energy, or whatever non-scientific term you use to describe the thing you feel when a roomful of people are connecting with your performance. I didn't realize how much of a factor that was until I stopped gigging, moved to the country and started doing solo studio stuff. It's a completely different reality.


    I think the average person is slowly going stir crazy, so live music will have to return because we're social creatures. It's not much fun having a few drinks with a computer screen. But that's not much help to the guys who suddenly have zero work with no predictable return in sight. Playing for cars doesn't sound very sexy, but at least it generates revenue. Life costs money.

    Kemper remote -> Powered toaster -> Yamaha DXR-10

    Like 4

    Have done some live streaming. Last real live gig with a real audience was February (live streaming is really weird with no live audience - don’t care how many likes you get it’s not the same). While local bars here in the Midwest have opened up the larger venues we typically play are all cancelled. So we could get back into bars and clubs but in reality not interested until there is a vaccine or treatment that is almost certainly a cure - the thought of spending several hours in a club with hundreds of people is not appealing in this environment. Had a friend go down with this COVID and it is not pretty. I am lucky that I don’t rely on my musical income to live by.


    Stay safe everyone.

    Quote from paults

    In a normal year, we do around 70 shows. Almost all of our summer shows were rescheduled to the summer of 2021. We played our first gig in five months on Thursday. It was an outdoors parking lot concert, with cars parked “every other space”, in alternating rows. The parking lot Lines mapped out social distancing, and people were allowed to be outside of their car, as long as they stayed within arms length. It was not the same as what we are used to, but, having a couple hundred cars was nice :) And, as a bonus, the Kabinet sounded great on stage.


    We have another outdoor gig next weekend, if current regulations remain the same. Our September gigs Have been postponed, who knows what October will be like.

    We did a parking lot gig on Friday night. Smaller than yours, but fun nonetheless.

    Everybody thanked us for playing after. I had no idea how hungry people are for live music.

    We had a table set up for people to sign up for tracking, and had marked out places in the lot for groups that came together to occupy.

    One couple drove almost 4 hours to be there!8|

    Like others in the UK (and elsewhere) I have played one (outdoor two weeks ago..) gig since March 23rd

    Thankfully I have managed to do some online teaching and remote recording and mixing ...gigs wise I don’t see anything changing soon although live music venues are allowed to put ‘socially distant’ (ie financially unviable..) gigs on now ...

    I'm also fortunate that not only do I gig purely as a hobby but also I have managed to continue working in my day job ( in IT) throughout, but really feel for those that earn a living from it, either as a musician or venue.


    I have our first gig mid September and its sold out.....to 32 people...yey!!


    In the UK, this year will certainly be a write off BUT I have faith...faith that people still want to see live music, and that they will appreciate it more after all of this. Online isn't and never will be the same...why do you go to a gig rather than listen to the CD of your fav band...I don't think that will ever stop.


    We sent some vids out for some virtual festivals but they weren't great.


    Stay strong people, it will recover. Use the time to sort your gear, hone your playing, ready to get out there again!!

    Wisely spoken! :thumbup:

    We had 4 gigs lined up for summer. 2 have canceled, and 2 are private parties where they have guaranteed to rope us off and keep us distanced from the unwashed masses. We would have canceled those ones ourselves had the venues not insisted we would be well separated from the guests. Playing is a hobby, not a necessary source of income for me, so we will continue to play gigs where we feel adequate precautions have been taken. Other than that, i'm just jonesing to play out for the sake of testing out some new PA gear I bought more than 6 months ago that's been sitting in a trailer ever since.

    -StumblinMan

    (Gary)

    Like 1