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There seems to be a returning to the intimacy of smaller concerts in recent years. Or maybe it's me. I seem to attend my share of live performance, at least when it's practical, but I haven't been a big fan of stadium concerts for a long while. The combination of crappy sound, large numbers of unruly people, and the distance between the performers and my seats is a big deterrent.

Give me a home routes concert in an acoustically sound room occupied by forty or so other people who are truly there for the music. I wonder, thought, can touring musicians still make enough doing these kinds of gigs to keep them from the quicksand of poverty?

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Hi Fhaedra

Are you the same Fhaedra as frequents the Myspace Acoustic Forum?

To the topic - in the UK there isn't  much of a circuit going on outside the folk club route; and I'm not aware of much of that going on near me. House Concerts are  something I'd love to see take off here, and when I can get more fundamental parts of my life in more solid ground I will do what I can to promote and grow that format. It works well in the USA, and while homes are typically smaller in the UK, distances are also far less.

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Hi Martin. Yes, I am one and the same as has been known to lurk on the myspace acoustic and literature forums. =;-)

The Home Routes house concert series has taken off here and I am fortunate enough to have friends with a perfect venue for hosting these. The most people I've seen attend is about 40. As a result, I've enjoyed many privileged performances over the past couple of years. To a person, those touring have commented on how enriching the experience has been for them.

Something good about sharing your gifts with, although fewer people for less pay, those who actually pay attention and appreciate that you made the effort to come..

Hope you have the opportunity for something similar in your area.

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I never posted on the literature forum on Myspace. Is it as dead there now as the Myspace Acoustic forum is?

I love me them house concerts. It's always a very personal and visceral experience! And having played a few when I was in the US a couple of years ago, I found them very rewarding as an artist - like the people you've talked to.

Well done for getting this forum going Phaedra. It's a little acorn at the moment, but who knows?

M.

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Originally Posted by Martin Giles:
I never posted on the literature forum on Myspace. Is it as dead there now as the Myspace Acoustic forum is?

I love me them house concerts. It's always a very personal and visceral experience! And having played a few when I was in the US a couple of years ago, I found them very rewarding as an artist - like the people you've talked to.

Well done for getting this forum going Phaedra. It's a little acorn at the moment, but who knows?

M.

The Lit forum is still somewhat active but most of us are disheartened and saddened at having lost so many good features there and as a result there's so much less going on. Many are here, where many once said we would never be...things change. Unfortunately, the disconnect that's happening there is alienating many formerly quite interested/interesting people. There's also a new place I've just been invited to...what is it? Choking on Dandelions. Too early to tell how that will develop.

Thanks for your comments re: starting this forum. Seemed like a worthy endeavour to attract some music people. The acoustic forum on myspace was once a grand and lively place but you know: don't look back. Let's see what happens here. I haven't done much to publicize its existence as I've always thought the recommendation of a friend is better than any neon sign begging for attention.

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But I derailed your topic Phaedra.

In the US, there's this set-up that seems to be flourishing ...

http://www.concertsinyourhome.com/     ..  and an offshoot of it:  
http://www.dinnerandsong.com/join/aj1what.html

Acoustic musicians on the road in the US also have the Folk Alliance:

http://folkalliance.org/Default.aspx?TabId=83

which amongst other things holds conferences around the country every year for musicians, folk radio DJs, house concert hosts and others to meet and network. Apart from being a shrewd business move on the part of a performer, they're brilliant fun.

There is a thriving community of acoustic artists travelling the States, linking local small venues and house concerts and making a living at it. They make their own CDs, have their own websites, put together their own tours, building a fan following constantly; all without the help of major labels. Of course, many of them are signed to smallish Indie labels, but we're talking about making an honest living in something of a cottage industry, rather than hitting the Big Time.

Things aren't so advanced, sadly, in the UK. But there is this site:  
http://houseconcerthub.ning.com/

If you don't know what a house concert might be like, there's a bunch of great videos here:  
//www.youtube.com/user/HouseConcertHub

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Here in Canada there are some house concerts going on but as of yet, I'm not in. In all honesty, I've never liked the bar circuit. I've never had much trouble booking gigs either as a solo or with my old rock bands but I just didn't like the rowdies after they had drank way too much. I spent quite a few years travelling and busking full time in the 1980's. That was good for a while but your not going to get rich doing it. It's hard as hell and you really have to have a good show to be able to draw a crowd and earn anything more than what we used to call "chump change". The best part was the fact that if you ended up with a really annoying rowdie hassling you, you could just pack up and come back after 20 minutes or so. In the bar, you're pretty much committed to staying and dealing with it. I don't really do a lot of gigs anymore but this past summer I played at a few benefit shows in theaters. Really nice, attentive crowds that were there for the music, not the booze. These places seat about 300 people and lots of performers do come to play at them. Most are charging in excess of $20.00 a ticket so a full house would mean $6,000. I've talked to the one that's here and it sounds like you could rent the place for around $500. I have a suitable PA system but even if you had someone else bring it in, it seems like you could make some money. The venue will look after selling tickets at their box office for, I think it was $1 a ticket and you have to pay a custodian to be there. I think the custodian was $40 an hour.

If you could fill the seats, or even half fill the place you could make some money. A lot of the bands that are coming here to this particular venue are tribute acts so they have an easier time selling tickets. It sure seems like a lot of people like myself would love to attend a good live music event but don't really want to go to a bar. In Canada, I think about Valdy who to my knowledge has never made it really big even in Canada. He's definately not big internationally but it sure seems like he's survived for many years playing these theater shows. I went to see him at one many years ago and he was great! The little bit that I've looked into the house concert thing revealed that he also does that. I'm a Valdy fan and I've always come back to him as an example of a musician who is outside of the mainstream, not a big star but has survived for decades doing his thing. By the way, when I saw him years ago it was a very small production in an opera house. Just him with his acoustic, a young guy playing nice little lead fills but not overpowering and a great room. I don't think anyone was disappointed with his show, I loved it.

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Oh yeah, here's a link for some connections to the house concert thing here in Canada which is growing.

http://acousticroof.ca/

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Martin and all of you non Canadians who probably have never heard of Valdy, here you go. This is probably 25 years after I saw him but he's still great in my books.

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Originally Posted by Steve Ambroise:
Martin and all of you non Canadians who probably have never heard of Valdy, here you go. This is probably 25 years after I saw him but he's still great in my books.

Interesting that you mention Valdy, Steve. I can confirm that he is alive and well, still performing to very appreciative audiences. Saw him a few years ago with his often touring partner, country singer, Gary Fjellgaard, at the Canmore Folk Festival. Very fine, like an old bottle of well-aged wine.

He seems always to survive, remaining a resident of Saltspring Island, and playing music on his own terms.

I am fortunate to be on a very short list of people [not because I am important, lol, but because the venue is VERY small and happens to belong to my good friends!] who will attend a house concert this spring. He can play whatever he wants; we will sip our merlot and be quiet, smiling like Buddha for as long as he decides to pick that old guitar and share that familiar voice in song and story...=;-)

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Originally Posted by Fhaedra Songrider:

Originally Posted by Steve Ambroise:
Martin and all of you non Canadians who probably have never heard of Valdy, here you go. This is probably 25 years after I saw him but he's still great in my books.

Interesting that you mention Valdy, Steve. I can confirm that he is alive and well, still performing to very appreciative audiences. Saw him a few years ago with his often touring partner, country singer, Gary Fjellgaard, at the Canmore Folk Festival. Very fine, like an old bottle of well-aged wine.

He seems always to survive, remaining a resident of Saltspring Island, and playing music on his own terms.

I am fortunate to be on a very short list of people [not because I am important, lol, but because the venue is VERY small and happens to belong to my good friends!] who will attend a house concert this spring. He can play whatever he wants; we will sip our merlot and be quiet, smiling like Buddha for as long as he decides to pick that old guitar and share that familiar voice in song and story...=;-)

The man just can't seem to stand still when he's on a stage! He truly is a gem. He deserves much more credit as a songwriter, guitar player and singer. In fact, there should be a catagory of recognition called "being Valdy".

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Russ and Julie's House Concerts in California have been going for 15 years now. Here's a nice bluesey little number ...

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Listening to the radio about a performer coming West from Winnipeg. Apparently, she couldn't get a gig at any suitable venue in Edmonton so she's arranged to play at somebody's office. Innovative, I guess.

Maximum: 30 attendees. Wonder if you have to clock out for the concert.  

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Originally Posted by Martin Giles:
Russ and Julie's House Concerts in California have been going for 15 years now. Here's a nice bluesey little number ...

That's a pretty cool performance. I have been seeing a few small, performance arts venues opening up around here. Big names, small audience, really big ticket prices.