Where are the gigs?

[Zumbilly(Murdoch)]

The scene up here in central Scotland is bad.It is probably the worst period I have encountered.Perhaps it is the recession but I cannot blame it all on the current crisis.
Many clubs have booked their bands in advance,some of them are booked until the end of next year.Many of these clubs are booking duos,some of which have very limited musical ability, I do'nt bad mouth bands,I prefer to say that My ideas of a band are different from the general club members.
Very few of the club members are "Country"fans,the ones who seem to be catered for are the line dancers and the cardboard cowboys with their toy guns.
Attendance is dwindling fast.
Many times You will see the same players in different bands because it is the only way to play regularly.
It is not unusual for a singer to have a band and get dates as a solo,duo,trio,or full band.
There is very little chance of a new band getting a break.
I guess it is the same all over.
Billy

[George McCaig]

Billy

Same here in SW Scotland. I have not played in a band now for over 12 years.

Karaoke was the first killer, then solo artists and duos with backing tracks started getting all the gigs because they were cheap compared to a band.

We played as a trio, using a drum machine, because there were hardly any drummers in our area, and the decent ones weren't interested in country music.
It wasn't as though we only played country, 50% of our stuff was more modern stuff.

We got to the stage where it was soul destroying playing to a few punters who were only interested in the booze, and packed it in.

Ted Nesbitt was playing in Creetown last Saturday night at a country and Irish night, and as far as I know, it was a sell out concert, so there is some interest, but not for local musicians.

However, what goes around comes around, and maybe live country music will come again, but at my age, I might not be around to see it

George

[Zumbilly(Murdoch)]

Hi George,
Nice to hear from You,
I trust You are keeping well.
Will You be going to the Creetown festival later in the Year?
We will not be there but Shooter with Davie Holland on steel will be playing,good band.Nobody says anything bad of the singer,He is about nine foot three in His hard skin.
Take care
Billy

[George McCaig]

Hi Billy

Everything is fine down in this corner.
Don't know about going to Creetown yet, as I am very busy at work.
I watched it last year on the Alba channel on Sky. I really wasn't very impressed with
any of the acts, but then again, as has been said on here, the TV sound engineers
can make a pigs ear of it. It is probably a lot better live.

There are also a lot of the gunslinger brigade who come along which puts me off.
What that has got to do with music is beyond me.

Are you going to the Irish Festival?

George