Glen Hansard Killed

[Crisp Sandwich]

most peeps in pubs just want what they know already, i.e. 'the hits'

sad but true, soul destroying though if you're a creative person I imagine.... but once wife and kids arrive you gotta pay the mortgage, etc

100%. The lad that I know didn't pick up the sticks because he wanted to play The Chicken Dance as punnets of sausages and chips get handed around.

(I mean, he might have but he idolised Topper Headon, Stephen Morris and Hugo Burnham when we were growing up so I doubt it.)

But - now in his late-40s - he still derives some pleasure from getting the kit out (especially if he's asked for a few decent tunes) and he gets some serious payola for it.

 

[Colonel Lee Fields]

All he hears is the sound of money hitting the cash register

Similar O Empereor had a record deal

Their covers alter-ego

Hot Blooded Animals

pays the bills.

Always on in Coughlans. Properly good craic covers band

I admire anyone who tries to pursue a career in the Orts.

A friend of mine was a very talented artist but again after about ten years of it went back doing teaching.

At some point you gotta make a coin too.

 

[El Guapo]

I admire anyone who tries to pursue a career in the Orts.

A friend of mine was a very talented artist but again after about ten years of it went back doing teaching.

At some point you gotta make a coin too.

Big time, a hard road.

I've a cousin who is was a proto hipster before people knew what that was.

Was set to be an artist from age 10. Won national competitions all the way up and graduated top of his class from the Crawford.

He even had a wealthy benefactor who would buy his stuff for embassy fit outs the big european capitals.

Genuinely gifted and could have been an illustrator if he wasn't so 'pure'

He works for a recording company now as an expert witness to music plagiarism and does a bit of graphic design for his buddies. No money in visual art even after all that

 

[Colonel Lee Fields]

most peeps in pubs just want what they know already, i.e. 'the hits', they haven't the capacity or interest to take on new songs/bands/genres of music

sad but true, soul destroying though if you're a creative person I imagine.... but once wife and kids arrive you gotta pay the mortgage, etc

Thats about the size of it.

Once the wife and kids hit you gots to pay the man.

 

[Colonel Lee Fields]

Big time, a hard road.

I've a cousin who is was a proto hipster before people knew what that was.

Was set to be an artist from age 10. Won national competitions all the way up and graduated top of his class from the Crawford.

He even had a wealthy benefactor who would buy his stuff for embassy fit outs the big european capitals.

Genuinely gifted and could have been an illustrator if he wasn't so 'pure'

He works for a recording company now as an expert witness to music plagiarism and does a bit of graphic design for his buddies. No money in visual art even after all that

Thats the thing. Had a good chat with a pretty established Irish sculptor a few years back and he said that people hear oh youve got a commission for 25k youve got it made. But people dont appreciate the amount of work that goes into that and its not like you are getting ten of them a year. Its not a steady income.

My friend has work thats been showcased all over the country and got pubs and home stores to sell works along with all the regular gallery work but even with building a profile and a CV its still patchy at best. A lot of it is getting someone to handle the business side of it too. Lots of creative can be incredibly talented but arent remotely shrewd when it comes to money or selling their work.

 

[Iomanaíocht]

Except in Ireland, Jim.

Make a minor ripple, get on RTÉ and you'll have a lifelong career.

How else can you explain Brian Kennedy? Jack L? The Coronas? Pat Kenny?

You're just naming out the ones who appeared on RTE and then "made it". There are loads and loads of acts that have appeared on RTE who fade away into the darkness too. Far more than those who make it.

"Making it" is only about 10% talent. Loads of people have that. The rest of it is down to determination and doggedness. If you're offered a gig in a small venue in west Cork one night and then one in Belfast the next night if you're going to have any success you have to do the drive yourself and take the gigs. Some acts get lucky with a viral track or video but 99.9% struggle and have to do it the hard way. Touring the absolute shit of it non-stop. Same for comedians. They drive the length of the country to do a 15 min slot in a comedy club to 40 people.

The main economic issue with the music industry and arts generally, is that supply massively outstrips demand so if you turn down a shit gig for shit money somebody else will take it.

100k new songs are added to Spotify everyday. That's surging now too with AI music all the rage so artists are not just in competition with each other they are also in competition with super computers and a public who largely don't give a shit whether something is AI generated or not. And when I say they are in "competition" with each other it's competition for attention on social media, selling tickets, merchandise, the tiny amount of radio play Irish artists get outside of the Dermot Kennedy's and the Kingfishrs.

One act I take great joy in seeing still gigging the shit out of it is our own Frank & Walters. Still playing loads of gigs and festivals.

 

[Great-Bit-O-Stuff]

I admire anyone who tries to pursue a career in the Orts.

A friend of mine was a very talented artist but again after about ten years of it went back doing teaching.

At some point you gotta make a coin too.

Why do you think I'm skint?

 

[Mike Strutter]

I know a fella retired out of teaching into a wedding band.

He played in one year 83 gigs at about 3k a pop

Doesn't matter a fuck where or when he'll cobble together a few lads who can knock out a choon

if you want a particular first dance it's CD only

Makes a fortune getting young wans to Irish Dance for the ships In Cobh and flogs DVDs to the yanks

Does a standing 2 week residency on an oil rig playing rebel songs.

He is a millionaire

He was getting 3k a pop; or the band?
All most other stuff you say is he that is basically a Promoter and there's nothing wrong with that; if you can get the gigs and pay the staff. Like anyone in any business getting paying customers.