Why I'm going

[RacingHippo]

Blimey! A real day job?!
The incumbents of CoK have just got themselves a real treat - a teacher who recognises the importance of groove and feel over finely-honed technique.

Brilliant. Chuffed to bits for you.

[wickedwitch]

sales of jazz jumpers will be going through the roof round there then.

best of luck sweetie. x

[jymf]

Recently IQ has reduced it's live output more and more. This year we are doing 3 and 3/4 gigs so I do hope with my restricted schedule to still be able to carry on with IQ.

what is 3/4 of a gig?

[gr8gonzo]

Does this mean we have to raise our hands before we can ask you stuff?

[Gandalf1986]

Recently IQ has reduced it's live output more and more. This year we are doing 3 and 3/4 gigs so I do hope with my restricted schedule to still be able to carry on with IQ.

what is 3/4 of a gig?

It's like a 7/8 gig, but it's not odd... :lol:

Best of luck Mr Edwards!

[TBE]

3/4 of a gig refers the gig IQ did without Pete last Saturday.

Yes, I have got a proper job. My mind is full of ideas of what I want to do there. I can't wait to get stuck in.

No, I haven't got some big gig. I've done that and that box is ticked.

Of course I can't speak for Jem and the boys but I really do hope that I will keep some creative input into Frost. As I have siad before, I'm stopping gigging because I think there are many other things a band can do with a band. Frost* is perhaps most widely known for it's youtube videos. Who would have thought this would be the case 5 years ago? With each video reaching 1000s of peeps I would think this is as important as gigging for spreading the word of Frost.

I think we are not to far away from a band being a collection of musicians that are linked by a concept, not by a record deal, that work outside of the album/tour framework, that produce and distribute their music themselves. Their fanbase will be worldwide, despite the size of following. They will perform to their fans not only by gig but through cable TV shows and internet concerts, thus reaching their total fanbase. Their success will be defined by how different they are, not by conformity. (sound familiar?)

It is this type of stuff I want to be involved in.

[RWA]

3/4 of a gig refers the gig IQ did without Pete last Saturday.

Yes, I have got a proper job. My mind is full of ideas of what I want to do there. I can't wait to get stuck in.

No, I haven't got some big gig. I've done that and that box is ticked.

Of course I can't speak for Jem and the boys but I really do hope that I will keep some creative input into Frost. As I have siad before, I'm stopping gigging because I think there are many other things a band can do with a band. Frost* is perhaps most widely known for it's youtube videos. Who would have thought this would be the case 5 years ago? With each video reaching 1000s of peeps I would think this is as important as gigging for spreading the word of Frost.

I think we are not to far away from a band being a collection of musicians that are linked by a concept, not by a record deal, that work outside of the album/tour framework, that produce and distribute their music themselves. Their fanbase will be worldwide, despite the size of following. They will perform to their fans not only by gig but through cable TV shows and internet concerts, thus reaching their total fanbase. Their success will be defined by how different they are, not by conformity. (sound familiar?)

It is this type of stuff I want to be involved in.

Sounds like a cunning plan!  :mrgreen:

It's true though, the business is changing rapidly. Not sure where it's going to but we all need to learn how to adapt.
Best of luck with your new job!  

[Twang]

3/4 of a gig refers the gig IQ did without Pete last Saturday.

Yes, I have got a proper job. My mind is full of ideas of what I want to do there. I can't wait to get stuck in.

No, I haven't got some big gig. I've done that and that box is ticked.

Of course I can't speak for Jem and the boys but I really do hope that I will keep some creative input into Frost. As I have siad before, I'm stopping gigging because I think there are many other things a band can do with a band. Frost* is perhaps most widely known for it's youtube videos. Who would have thought this would be the case 5 years ago? With each video reaching 1000s of peeps I would think this is as important as gigging for spreading the word of Frost.

I think we are not to far away from a band being a collection of musicians that are linked by a concept, not by a record deal, that work outside of the album/tour framework, that produce and distribute their music themselves. Their fanbase will be worldwide, despite the size of following. They will perform to their fans not only by gig but through cable TV shows and internet concerts, thus reaching their total fanbase. Their success will be defined by how different they are, not by conformity. (sound familiar?)

It is this type of stuff I want to be involved in.

These words he speaks are true, very true in fact. I am involved in something that hopefully in the new year will take this to the next level. The music business is changing. It doesn't need  to be a thing of dread but rather something to embrace. It is a brand new musical frontier, those who can adapt will thrive, those who can't will sadly fade. It is natural evolution.

Good luck Andy. Look forward to seeing you play once more at The Peel Show. I will attempt everything to make it as painless & as much fun as is humanly or even inhumanly possible.

Twang XXXX

[sawtooth]

3/4 of a gig refers the gig IQ did without Pete last Saturday.

Yes, I have got a proper job. My mind is full of ideas of what I want to do there. I can't wait to get stuck in.

No, I haven't got some big gig. I've done that and that box is ticked.

Of course I can't speak for Jem and the boys but I really do hope that I will keep some creative input into Frost. As I have siad before, I'm stopping gigging because I think there are many other things a band can do with a band. Frost* is perhaps most widely known for it's youtube videos. Who would have thought this would be the case 5 years ago? With each video reaching 1000s of peeps I would think this is as important as gigging for spreading the word of Frost.

I think we are not to far away from a band being a collection of musicians that are linked by a concept, not by a record deal, that work outside of the album/tour framework, that produce and distribute their music themselves. Their fanbase will be worldwide, despite the size of following. They will perform to their fans not only by gig but through cable TV shows and internet concerts, thus reaching their total fanbase. Their success will be defined by how different they are, not by conformity. (sound familiar?)

It is this type of stuff I want to be involved in.

Andy, your way of thinking sounds an exciting and fresh approach to getting your music to the audience, and seems to dovetail with Jems recent thoughts on the same subject.

But it got me thinking about the state of the niche music market in general. It may be that a by-product of this kind of business model is that it may level the playing field a bit between more established bands/musicians who have the time, experience and contacts to promote themselves properly, and up and coming 'hobbyist' or part-time bands who can't devote time to touring and promotion because of the day job getting in the way.

So in that respect, it might mix things up a little which hopefully will be for the good.
It seems to me that because of the more niche appeal of prog, a lot of bands currently on the scene - even the well known ones - may fall into the 'part-time' category anyway.

The only thing is, if this way of working becomes more prevalent, will it affect the viability of the 'full time' bands on the level of, say, Spocks Beard or Porcupine Tree, (who's main source of income is the conventional cycle of album sales, merch and touring)? Marillion seem to have a more adventurous business model though, with the pre orders for forthcoming albums, fan conventions and their Front Row Club releases.

But looking way down the line, if cyber-performance on YouTube as opposed to live performance in a venue becomes the norm, what happens to bands who are trying to do this full time for a living, or musicians who have spread their talents around several projects such as yourself Andy, or JJ and JM?. Won't they see their ability to generate income and make a living from recording or performing their music diminish?

Or have I got the wrong end of the stick, and there's not much of an income to be made from it these days anyway?  I'm not trying to be negative BTW, 'cos I think what you say makes perfect sense - and lets face it, a lot of the changes you propose are a way overdue anyway and the music biz may not have much of a choice to resist. It's just that the Devil's Advocate in me won't shut up!

[TBE]

Of the musicians I grew up with the ones who made money made it through writing hit records and getting royalties. Or they write music for the media. Or they are DJs

These don't however include my friends who have 'big' gigs.

Some of the guys I know who are older have made a lot of money from gigging but not the ones my age or younger.

I have always (except when I played with Robert Plant) made most of my income from teaching in some way or another. With the change in economic and cultural climate I have decided it is best as much as I can to take myself out of the 'old' way of doing music and try and align myself with the way I think things will go.

I think creative music is about to go underground. Rock n Roll happened in part due to the sudden increase in affluence that occoured in the fifties.
We are all in debt now, I can only predict a deflation in all things including the creative arts.

The musicians who will change music in the next twenty years (I predict) won't be known in their own lifetimes. We won't see the next Elvis Presley emerging. We will however not be aware of the next Robert Johnson rewriting how things are done in a bedroom next door.

I think the very idea of a music 'business' will slowly be eroded.

Musicians will make a small living in entertaiment (vaudeville?) and will be creative on the side. Rock n Roll will become a museum piece. Eventually all the legends will die and the door on that era will finally close.

Johnny Rotten will end up doing adverts for butter.

[sawtooth]

Johnny Rotten will end up doing adverts for butter.

He's such a tart isn't he?  
Country Life...Pah!
Has he not heard of Lurpak?  

[James_S]

I think creative music is about to go underground. Rock n Roll happened in part due to the sudden increase in affluence that occoured in the fifties.
We are all in debt now, I can only predict a deflation in all things including the creative arts.

I think to some extent creative music is already underground. Not having a go at "pop" music in the slightest, but that is (and always was) something that was a bit of fun, and not intended to be serious. Its a lot easier to produce music these days though, and its increasingly apparent that the quality isn't always there - how often is a track based around a vocal sample of some other song, that repeats endlessly over the latest drum loops?

On the other hand, you don't want to kill all the fun in music either. Its a serious thing to do it well, but you are allowed to have a good time doing it too!

Johnny Rotten will end up doing adverts for butter.

It will be a sad day ...

[Lacklight]

Anchor In The UK, who'da thought it?....

[catherine]

He'll be getting a starring role in Grease next....

[ChrisX]

This is indeed an explanation I hadn't seen coming but reading what your ideas are about the current and future music world it does make a lot of sense. Over the years I have gone to loads of gigs and have always went to see upcoming bands / artists (prog or non-prog) but in the last few years I have noticed that I don't go as much anymore. And it is not that I don't want to but there is real dryspell of interesting live-acts these days. The last 'new' band that I saw live that really gave me a buzz was Lazuli at last year's SymForce festival. And I think it was a year before that a Finnish band called Overhead. When I compare that to the mid to late 90s where there were periods that I went to gigs on a weekly basis and lots of times those were new bands I do think original live-music is in a serious rut.

What I also liked about your statement is the fact that you are focussing yourself on teaching. I really applaud you for that because teaching music is possible one of the most important things we could do for kids. Not only because music is fun but I believe it also teaches certain values to kids that sadly they don't always get from their parents or through regular education.