Tomble2000

As a band, we try to be professional and run it as a business, so each week we hire a practice space and it costs £30. Rather than each paying £7 we all put in £10 so we make £20 a week towards stuff like this, (and recording, merch etc)

I get the argument they are doing a job, but from 99% of my experience they aren't doing what they say...Promote.

Any one can do a tweet or FB post, but they don't seem to be drawing anyone in over my (and other bands) tickets sales.

They are not promoting.

You and I as artists, can go to a venue and put on a night of music. The venue may take a cut of the door money, or be happy with beer sales. That's for them to decide.

But as a gigging artist, that was always the bit that I found most bothersome, the fact as the musician I was expected to put all that work in to fill the venue.

(Are you based in Wales)

Do you have music venues that are just full for bands to play to (that aren't just pubs that do covers material)

Sorry, too many questions.

Firstly congrats, it's nice to hear people do well with music. With my previous band we played a lot of support slots for some quite large artists (done through building relationships with promoters and venues and being nice people, we hope anyway).

My question is we always had a "pay to play" cloud hanging over our head. It was more, here are 25 tickets at £5 a go, sell what you can. The promoters were always good to us because they knew we worked hard even if sometimes we only sold 5 tickets.

How do you deal with this model being a solo artist? Even though Reddit has helped people hear your music, you sound like you are in a similar place to me and my group with getting quite good gigs but having to work to keep it there. Does it get hard to fulfil the ticket quotas?

And finally what have you found has helped get you a following "locally" and not just online (apart from having an ounce of talent).

Good luck in the future.

But this is where the big problem can arise, with music being given away for free (or illegal downloads) the cost of recording is never made back. I get making money from gigs (but until you are quite big, you are not going to make a living).

I stream music, but know that this is part of why it is hard to be an up and coming or unknown musician.

Without making any money from my music (and I give it away too!) it becomes harder to put out more with any speed or regularity as you have to save your own money to record it and distribute it.