From: michael wheeler
[boxsmwrc_at_btinternet_dot_com]
Sent: 01 February 2009 10:37
Subject: Fw: Would you be in favour of a "Music Box" at
gigs in pubs ?
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, February 01, 2009 10:36 AM
Subject: Re: Would you be in favour of a "Music Box" at gigs in pubs
?
Shelagh, sadly life seems to have arrived at a
point where everything is measured in financial terms. The most important thing
from as I see it, is to keep pubs open. How that happens needs in
the first place for them to be viable buisnesses. The foundation stone of
this, is that brewerys (and sadly pub companies)
select suitable landlords. Secondly there needs to be people in each
community that are prepared to help the landlord bring groups of people to the
pub, who in simple terms buy drinks and provide the funds to run the buisness
and make a profit. I do not believe that music alone can provide enough
incentive to provide sufficent attraction that will generate the sort of money
to run a pub, and pay musicians.
If I believed that I would run one
myself.
I think the future for many pubs is grim. If you
take the Bear, it has a number of benifits attributed to the Landlord that are
not found frequently elsewhere.
Dave at the bear has a number of benifits, in the
first place he is a single man and does not have a family to fund. Where this is
not a benifit to most people he does not have the direct or arms length
costs that arise from a family. The Bear is in the town centre and
gets lots of passing trade. He also gets of his backside and personally cooks
basic pub lunch, not boiled in a bag "Brake Brothers" product. The price of his
freshly cooked food is very OK. Dave is also very sociable and does not get
drunk and force his opinions on others. At the bear you can book a bar for a
private function and there are three sizes to choose from.
So if you take the bear as an example, you might
agree that for a successful town centre pub it is likely to suceed as long as
there is a suitable landlord. If you consider the "Three Tuns" Dave built a good
customer base there that has dropped away since he left. I believe there were at
least six groups some who have stopped going there. Sports groups, gardening,
darts, our gang etc. The "Elephant" at Faversham is also thriving since Jim took
it over as it was on its knees.
If you consider the "Swan" in Favesham Market
place, which is currently boarded up, this pub is in one of the prime locations
in Faversham and is not working. The Swan is close to the main car park also not
affected by residential parking which means that you can park in the Market at
night, so why is it not as popular as say the Anchor in Abbey street where its
difficult to park and has similiar inside space.
In my view untill there are more suitable people
recruited to run pubs there will be the continued decline that you now see. The
only way that will happen is if the income for the landlord is enough to attract
the right calibure of people.
With musicans looking for paid gigs in pubs, sadly
they have to remember that thier fee has to come out of the profit on the bar
for the period that they are playing. Therefore unless
they and the landlord get the marketing right the
decline of Music in pubs will continue. Where I think the idea of a voluntary collection box is a good idea, I am
more of a realist and know that it will result in people putting loose change in
the box most of which would be copper and not folding. If you want an example,
the carol service in the Bear raised about £30.00 for the xmas lights. If
we had made a collection on the Burns night where most people had the
opportunity to have a free small plate of hot food I doubt if it would have
raised any more, this from a pub that had probably more people in it, than if
there had been a paid band. The other alternative is of course if entry is by
entrance fee, and this would really test the merit of any individual band. I
doubt if many bands would have the bottle or self esteem to try
that.
So its the old chicken and egg syndrome again.
First we need to help save the pubs and then you might find music if the costs
are right.
Best Wishes Mike
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, January 31, 2009 5:40
PM
Subject: Fw: Would you be in favour of a
"Music Box" at gigs in pubs ?
This seems in accord with your last email
Mike?
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2009 9:58 AM
Subject: Would you be in favour of a "Music Box" at gigs in pubs
?
Further thoughts ......
Would you be in favour of a "Music Box"
at gigs in pubs ?
My graph shows how
live music is dying in Kent and East Sussex :
I and others are
floating the idea that there should be a donation box in support of the live
music in the pub.
No obligation to
put anything in, but if you are there for the music, ask yourself what you
would be spending on entrance fee and drinks at a folk
club.
Don't put less in
if you don't like the music - put MORE in and a note saying what music you
would like ! Use a sealed envelope if you prefer.
The licensing
laws may change to exempt small venues, and that may rescue live
music in the long-run, but it wont happen in time if my graph is to be
believed - we have to do everything we can to help preserve the music and
those publicans brave (crazy ?) enough to put on live
music.
A donation box
where the money goes to fund more live-music gigs in the pub may be the
answer, see the discussion page on KentFolk News :
Keeping Live Music
Alive
Your opinions (say
if private or for publication) to :
Dr. Beau
Webber