Ally Anderson Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 can anyone tell me how hard or easy it is to find work in aberdeen as a musician??do musicians find their own work or hire someone else to do it for them?are there any recommended agency's or agents that musicians use?if anyone can tell me more about this would be greatly appreciated?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOX Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 Being a musician is not a job. Most people/bands put more money into it than they get out of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ally Anderson Posted March 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 i get where your coming from i am just trying to find out the best way of getting gigs and how other local musicians go about this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOX Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 i get where your coming from i am just trying to find out the best way of getting gigs and how other local musicians go about this?Ahh, right. In most cities unless you're a fairly well-known name you're going to have to get some free gigs first. Open mic nights, etc. If you're "above that", i.e. have been playing them for a few months or have a bigger sound (or indeed are in a band) then handing in demos to local venues is a good way of landing opening slots at fairly decent gigs. Further than that, you can seek out booking agencies. Aberdeen Gig Promotions are a good one, as is Interesting Music Productions. Both of these can be found on Facebook and presumably on Google. I would advise you get a few small gigs under your belt, some of them unpaid(!), before you even think about getting an agency to represent you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkaline Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 Keep an eye out for covers bands looking out for musicians as that probably pays the highest in Aberdeen itself. If you're looking for session work i'd imagine there are better places than Aberdeen for that sort of thing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Milner Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 Being a musician is not a job. Most people/bands put more money into it than they get out of it.Not strictly true, i know people in Aberdeen who play in bands rather than work, not everyone is in it for the art. You can make good money up in Aberdeen if your doing the right kinda thing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOX Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 Not strictly true, i know people in Aberdeen who play in bands rather than work, not everyone is in it for the art. You can make good money up in Aberdeen if your doing the right kinda thing.True, I suppose; wedding bands/cover acts will probably make a lot of easy money if they're good at their stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stroopy121 Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 Yeah, weddings and functions are the way to go, but even then making a living would be a lot of work. An average function band can get £250-300 for a friday or saturday in a bar and in today's climate few if any bars take on bands mid-week. At 5 members, that a max of £120 per weekend. Wedding bands I've seen charge anything from £500-£3,000 but you've gotta be GOOD, be willing/able to learn a couple's song requests at little notice and all that jazz.Just write a song and sell it to Simon Cowell or something?xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Milner Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 True, I suppose; wedding bands/cover acts will probably make a lot of easy money if they're good at their stuff.Yeah man, to put it in perspective, i play in a covers band, part time now a days as the guys live outwith Aberdeen, we played a wedding just over a year ago and got £1000 for the night, we got the gig because we were just about a grand cheaper than the next option they had. When we did normal gigs in BOD and town we were on £400 a gig, £600 for xmas eve and £800 for hogmany. If you can get a gig a week you can make a hell of a lot of money. Personally i got bored of gigging every two weeks as we were back then, but i was working full time, practising twice a week and gigging every friday or sat so it got too much after a while. If your not working you can quite easily make a living.You wont make a living playing original music in Aberdeen tho, not to that extent anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaaakkkeee Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 Unless you are the type that constantly tours and lives in a van. it's not a great living, but you can break even at a push. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tam o' Shantie Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 all the above is true assuming you are talking about 'band' work but as a musician just about anyone has the potential to make money regardless of their geographical location due to the little old internet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moose Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 If it's original stuff you want to do, going to gigs is a good way to network and find people to play with. Getting in with local musicians usually gets you in contact with local promoters. Hen at The Tunnels is a good starting point.Plus, going to gigs is fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ally Anderson Posted March 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 thanks to everyone for your input greatly appreciated.!!the reason why i asked the question was to find out if aspiring musicians found it easy enough to get gigs themselves. my dad played all over scotland for the best part of 30 years whilst my mum did all the bookings for him and a good few other bands, and seemed to do quite well from it.anyway i am trying to research as much as possible into the promotion/booking side of things to see if iT can be improved and made easier for musicians to get gigs in aberdeen and aberdeenshire.i have a few ideas i would like to develop if there are bands or artists finding it hard to get gigs or getting there music out to people. if anybody is interested in helping develop some ideas just get in touch ...thanks to all who replied to my first question!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaaakkkeee Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 One thing about getting gigs is how cliquey aberdeen can be. It's not about being the best, it's about knowing the right folk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Milner Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 There are agents up here who can help you if its covers stuff, we used a few but found it a bit of a waste of time as most of the gigs they could book were ones you could do on your own, they would just take a cut of your money for the evening.Its like most things band wise, you need to meet a few people to really get you going, we knew a few of the people that run the football club out in Ellon, so we used to get to play their fund-raisers out in the hotel to the right as you come over the bridge (canna mind the name) and from playing them we got offered various other country side gigs. From there and the fact we played a lot in bod to this day we can get gigs at the drop of a hat we just dont play very often anymore.I would be interested in hearing your ideas none the less, give me a PM on here or mail me @ milnerpoint@hotmail.com. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ally Anderson Posted March 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 thanks milnerD i have just sent you an email !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Milner Posted March 8, 2012 Report Share Posted March 8, 2012 Nice one Ally ill get back to you later tonight when im done work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hog Posted March 9, 2012 Report Share Posted March 9, 2012 Ally, what kind of music do you play and are you a solo artist or in a band? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oedo 808 Posted March 9, 2012 Report Share Posted March 9, 2012 Ally, I'm not sure where you're coming from pal. Are you aiming to do stuff for yourself or are you looking to set yourself up as an agent?Not strictly true, i know people in Aberdeen who play in bands rather than work, not everyone is in it for the art.At the end of the day playing covers can be great fun and is a perfectly valid form of musical expression. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted March 9, 2012 Report Share Posted March 9, 2012 Wedding bands... blah blah... but you've gotta be GOODNot true. I've been to two weddings in the past couple of years and both wedding bands were toss. You can make it as a wedding band by being toss, it seems.One thing about getting gigs is how cliquey EVERYWHERE ON EARTH can be. It's not about being the best, it's about knowing the right folk.Fixed so it is now correct. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaaakkkeee Posted March 9, 2012 Report Share Posted March 9, 2012 Oh yeah definitely. But I thought he meant getting gigs specifically in aberdeen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soda Jerk Posted March 9, 2012 Report Share Posted March 9, 2012 You're right though, getting gigs is all about knowing the right people. I've seen some horror-show, cringey awful bands bag great support slots because they are bezzy m8s with the guys putting the show on. Uncool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Milner Posted March 9, 2012 Report Share Posted March 9, 2012 I would say who you know is almost more important than how good you are, especially at local level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig9590 Posted March 11, 2012 Report Share Posted March 11, 2012 People/bands that moan about not getting gigs should just book it themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oedo 808 Posted March 11, 2012 Report Share Posted March 11, 2012 I would say who you know is almost more important than how good you areIf you have no standards and only ever want to play to your mates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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