Total Pageviews

Bebop Spoken There

Branford Marsalis: "As ignorance often forces us to do, you make a generalisation about a musician based on one specific record or one moment in time." - (Jazzwise June 2023).

The Things They Say!

Hudson Music: Lance's "Bebop Spoken Here" is one of the heaviest and most influential jazz blogs in the UK.

Rupert Burley (Dynamic Agency): "BSH just goes from strength to strength".

'606' Club: "A toast to Lance Liddle of the terrific jazz blog 'Bebop Spoken Here'"

The Strictly Smokin' Big Band included Be Bop Spoken Here (sic) in their 5 Favourite Jazz Blogs.

Ann Braithwaite (Braithwaite & Katz Communications) You’re the BEST!

Holly Cooper, Mouthpiece Music: "Lance writes pull quotes like no one else!"

Postage

15491 (and counting) posts since we started blogging 15 years ago. 512 of them this year alone and, so far, 133 this month (May 31).

From This Moment On ...

Wed 07: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Wed 07: Darlington Big Band @ Darlington & Simpson Rolling Mills Social Club, Darlington. 7:00pm. Rehearsal session (open to the public).
Wed 07: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 7:00pm.
Wed 07: Take it to the Bridge @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:30pm.

Thu 08: Vieux Carré Jazzmen @ The Holystone, Whitley Road, North Tyneside. 1:00pm. Free. CANCELLED! BACK ON JUNE 15.
Thu 08: Easington Colliery Brass Band @ The Lubetkin Theatre, Peterlee. 7:00pm. £10.00.
Thu 08: Faye MacCalman + Blue Dust Archive @ Cobalt Studios, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Dilutey Juice + Ceramic @ The Ampitheatre, Sea Road, South Shields. 7:00pm. Free. A South Tyneside Festival event.
Thu 08: Lara Jones w. Vigilance State @ Lubber Fiend, Blandford Square, Newcastle. 7:00pm.
Thu 08: Michael Littlefield @ the Harbour View, Roker, Sunderland. 8:00pm. Free. Country blues.
Thu 08: Tees Hot Club @ Dorman's Club, Middlesbrough. 9:00pm.

Fri 09: Classic Swing @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: New Orleans Preservation Jazz Band @ Oxbridge Hotel, Stockton. 1:00pm. £5.00.
Fri 09: Rendezvous Jazz @ The Monkseaton Arms, Monkseaton. 1:00pm.
Fri 09: Castillo Nuevo @ Revolución de Cuba, Newcastle. 5:30-8:30pm.
Fri 09: Emma Rawicz @ Sage Gateshead. 8:00pm.

Sat 10: Miners' Picnic @ Woodhorn, Ashington. Music inc. Northern Monkey Brass Band (3:00-3:50pm); New York Brass Band (4:00-4:55pm).
Sat 10: Front Porch Three @ The Globe, Newcastle. 7:00pm. Free. Americana, blues, jazz etc.
Sat 10: Merlin Roxby @ Prohibition Bar, Newcastle. 8:00pm. A 'Jar on the Bar' gig.

Sun 11: WORKSHOP: Tim Richards' Jazz Piano Workshop @ JG Windows, Newcastle. Time TBC. Further details tel. 0191 232 1356.
Sun 11: Jeremy McMurray's Pocket Jazz Orchestra @ Ropner Park, Stockton TS18 4EF. 2:00-4:00pm. Free.
Sun 11: Am Jam @ The Globe, Newcastle. 2:30pm. Free.
Sun 11: 4B @ The Exchange, North Shields. 3:00pm.
Sun 11: Groovetrain @ Innisfree Sports & Social Club, Longbenton NE12 8TY. Doors 6:30pm. £15.00 (£7.00. under 16).
Sun 11: Jeffrey Hewer Collective @ The Globe, Newcastle. 8:00pm.

Mon 12: Harmony Brass @ Cullercoats Crescent Club. 1:00pm.

Tue 13: Paul Skerritt @ The Rabbit Hole, Hallgarth St., Durham DH1 3AT. 7:00pm. Paul Skerritt's (solo) weekly residency.
Tue 13: Infusion Trio @ Forum Music Centre, Darlington. 7:30pm.
Tue 13: Alice Grace & Pawel Jedrzejewski @ Black Swan, Newcastle Arts Centre. 8:00pm. £12.00 (£10.00. adv.).

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Work NOT Play

I note that musicians are being booked to perform at 'The Café' in Alnwick Gardens
Apparently, the A G Facebook page invites 'talented musicians' to play in their café for a few hours for 'no fee' but that they will be 'allowed to keep any tips or donations'. 
As an experienced band leader on the local jazz scene for more years than I care to remember, having worked 'on the road' in Holland, France, Germany and throughout the UK, played in bands with Sting, Jools Holland and Fred Rowe, my advice to musicians is 'don't do it!'. It's the thin end of the wedge and it's setting an extremely bad precedent for other musicians, especially those with babies to feed and mortgages to pay. 
We all work on the premise that one gig will lead to another (better paid) gig - but don't perform for nowt! The MU is very aware that their members are being asked by organisations and charities such as National Trust to play for 'nobbins' and the opportunity to sell CD's, etc. to the exclusion of a reasonable fee - check out the MU's campaign for 'Work NOT Play'
It's a jungle out there for the majority of working musicians! Let's not make it worse than it already is. 
Brian Bennett.


6 comments :

Lance said...

Agreed, no one should be asked to work for nothing. Having said that, I've looked on the AG F/b page and can't find the item in question. However, we do know it goes on whether at AG or elsewhere and as long as musicians are prepared to do it then organisers will take advantage.

Brian said...

Phew! That's a relief! The baby will be fed and the Building Society Manager will sleep at night - all's well on the Tyneside jazz scene!

AndyHud said...

FROM The Alnwick Gardens/Northumberlamnd estates of mouth
Alnwick Gardens Admission Charges
Adult
£13.75
Concession (students and aged 60+)
£11.90
Child (5-16 years)
£4.40

Isobel Jane Miller Percy is the Duchess of Northumberland and also a businesswoman who is best known for redeveloping Alnwick Garden. She is married to the 12th Duke of Northumberland, Ralph Percy.
The Percy family have owned Alnwick Castle and surrounding lands since 1309. In order to ensure the continued upkeep of this heritage, the business has undergone significant change in recent years.
Ralph Percy was ranked at number 248 in the Sunday Times Rich List 2011, with an estimated wealth of £315 million. He is the titular owner of Alnwick Castle, an ancestral ducal seat, as well as Warkworth Castle and Prudhoe Castle in Northumberland; Syon Park in London; Hulne Park and Hulne Priory at Alnwick; the Albury Estate in Surrey, and other listed buildings such as Brizlee Tower.[4] Northumberland Estates manages 100,000 acres (40,000 ha) of land, directly managing 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) of forestry interests and 20,000 acres (8,100 ha) of farmland, with 100 tenant farmers managing the remainder of the land.....

Draw your own conclusions

Anonymous said...

A well known Tyneside music and educational centre is another culprit. I've performed their quite often in recent years, both on the concourse and in the brasserie. Until now, this has been at a reasonable rate. However, when last month I was asked to perform on the concourse next January, a generic email advised me that "this wouldn’t be a paid performance, but the Concourse programme offers local artists, ensembles and community groups the chance to perform at (well known venue) and to profile themselves. You will also be provided with technical support (where required) as well as a listing on our website."
Upon enquiring about this change in policy, I was informed that this was a "result of having a reduced budget to manage and produce the Concourse programme; a consequence of the continue economic squeeze both internally and externally."
I find it strange and disappointing that a venue that purports to support the cultivation of local music and musicians cannot find the money to substantiate this claim.
I have declined their offer.

Paul Edis said...

Hi Brian/Lance. I have a gig at Alnwick soon. I can assure you I have a guaranteed fee for the gig well above the MU minimum rate. I agree entirely with the above! Cheers. Paul

CCJAZZMEN said...

Don't worry guys, you are not alone, this type of thing does crop up in Hong Kong also, these people just don't get it, that we also have to make a living, but they seem to think that all musicians just do it for fun, well I think you can guess what my answer was.
Colin Aitchison
China Coast Jazzmen
Hong Kong

Blog Archive