NEVILLE’S ADVOCATE
Nev Marten bemoans the dwindling pub music scene, the paucity of artist parking and confusing motorway signs
As gigging musicians it’s incredible how much is against us. From the moment you leave the door until you’re back home, it’s a struggle. Let me know whether my observations resonate.
The pub music scene has dwindled to the point where it’s hard for musicians to hone their craft in front of an audience. A few years ago, myself and some mates got a pub-rock band together. We played the local boozers and the landlord invariably said, “You were really great. Can I book you back?” He’d then offer us a date three months hence. Three months? How will anyone remember who we are?
With so few music pubs now and so many bands, landlords have to ration bookings. It’s understandable but it means fewer regular spots so less opportunity to build an audience. In the 80s, I was in a pub band that had two weekly residencies and a following that packed houses and helped to maintain thriving businesses. Recent experience tells me that’s all changed. Landlords daren’t invest in music due to all the restrictions thrown at them (remember the ‘no more than two’ rule from which live music has never fully recovered?). Pubs were where musicians found each other and group chemistry was built. If The Stones started now, they’d probably never get off the ground.
My main gig is playing theatres across the UK. About four years ago someone on high took the decision that at night, rather than closing lanes on motorways to effect certain repairs, they’d shut the whole shebang, leaving drivers with little help save for often confusing diversions. I can’t recall a single recent night drive when one main route or other wasn’t shut. One night travelling from Eastbourne to Bath, every major road on our route was closed at some point, adding over an hour to our journey.
On the way to a gig last year I actually rang the Highways Agency. An overhead sign on the M6 at Birmingham read: “M6 north, long delays.” Okay. So how long is “long”? If it’s 20 minutes I’ll stick it out; if it’s an hour I’ll find another route. I rang and, unbelievably, got through. The guy said, “It’s 70 minutes.” I said, “Well, why doesn’t the sign say that? Drivers need quantifiable advice so they can make informed decisions.” Guess what? A little further up the road it changed to “70 minutes delay”. Sign people: please consider whether what you are saying helps or confuses drivers. To a lone motorist at night, “A969 closed after B6842” is meaningless. Place names, distances, and times are what we need.
Parking is the ultimate nightmare at town and city venues. I pity musos who do London’s West End, the big hotels, Palladium or Albert Hall. But even in provincial theatres artist parking space is being whittled away in order to sell it off or simply restrict it. A few towns and theatres get it right, providing adequate parking themselves or by organising concessions in the nearby multi-storey. But it’s become such an uphill struggle that I know two chart-topping 60s bands who’ve packed it in purely because the infrastructure seems to have turned against working artists.
Backstage. Main whinges: impenetrable stage doors; backstage areas with no artist toilets; dressing rooms with nowhere to hang clothes (I jest not!); no tea or coffee.
On the positive side, there are marvellous music pubs booking great bands, and wonderful theatres with parking for all, plus brilliant backstages and superb staff (often unpaid volunteers). I applaud them all. And if your local pub or theatre is doing an amazing job, do write to us and give them a shout-out. Music needs our help!
And finally, “Why do I still do it?” Well, I still love playing; I love the banter; I love the applause; I love the gear that gigging affords me to buy. And, believe it or not, I do love travelling this great land. Plus I regularly meet Guitarist and Guitar Techniques readers, so in the end the yang still has it over the yin!