Surrpaul Posted August 24, 2017 Share Posted August 24, 2017 (edited) My bands recently discussed doing a few London gigs next year. We're based in Leeds and fancied a Thursday night gig, Friday night, Saturday afternoon & night then a Sunday afternoon gig. Any recommendations on pubs that get a good crows? We do mostly rock and pop (Elvis Costello, Pulp, Motown, Jam, and the obvious cheesy stuff - nothing heavy tho. I know there'll be hundreds, but we'd ideally like the venues to be near each other for ease of cummute Edited August 24, 2017 by Surrpaul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted August 24, 2017 Share Posted August 24, 2017 Not sure whether this is tongue in cheek but, just in case you're serious, your only real hope of putting together something like this is to combine (i) a really sh*t-hot band with (ii) a really sh*t-hot agent. I've been playing pub gigs in London with covers bands for years ... they are NOT easy to get, especially if you're based 200 miles away! London is a big place, yes, with lots of venues, yes, but it also has (probably) as many bands as the rest of the country put together. Blue touchpaper lit ... stands well back to admire the fireworks ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimR Posted August 24, 2017 Share Posted August 24, 2017 Tour of That There London? You'll be driving around as you won't get your PA and drum kit on the bus or tube. Assuming you're staying in London you'll be making a massive loss. Hotels will start at £80 a night each for a very low budget one. It's doable though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil.c60 Posted August 24, 2017 Share Posted August 24, 2017 But the streets are paved with gold..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted August 24, 2017 Share Posted August 24, 2017 [quote name='phil.c60' timestamp='1503573804' post='3359268'] But the streets are paved with gold..... [/quote] Is that why they cover them in piss and chewing gum to stop people pinching them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raymondo Posted August 24, 2017 Share Posted August 24, 2017 If you had a time machine you could go back to 1974 and do that in Sheffield.Not so far to travel,cheaper hotels and nicer beer You could probably have done it in Leeds but I never made it that far north If you are joking ....well done ,this place needs all the humour it can get these days If it's a genuine question then,sincerely, good luck. There is nothing wrong with trying and I hope it works out for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steantval Posted August 24, 2017 Share Posted August 24, 2017 [quote name='Surrpaul' timestamp='1503571801' post='3359247'] My bands recently discussed doing a few London gigs next year. We're based in Leeds and fancied a Thursday night gig, Friday night, Saturday afternoon & night then a Sunday afternoon gig. Any recommendations on pubs that get a good crows? We do mostly rock and pop (Elvis Costello, Pulp, Motown, Jam, and the obvious cheesy stuff - nothing heavy tho. I know there'll be hundreds, but we'd ideally like the venues to be near each other for ease of cummute [/quote] The Tower of London would be worth doing, loads of Ravens but no Crows 🙂🙂🙂 (check your second paragraph) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pbasspecial Posted August 24, 2017 Share Posted August 24, 2017 You might find you'd get more bookings if you were a tribute band as well as a cover band. Worth having a couple of options. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
project_c Posted August 24, 2017 Share Posted August 24, 2017 [quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1503574080' post='3359275'] Is that why they cover them in piss and chewing gum to stop people pinching them? [/quote] Piss and chewing gum? Luxury. Round my way in SE London we cover them in vomit, used needles and tears. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted August 25, 2017 Share Posted August 25, 2017 Interesting, I reference Milwaukee a lot which is a large city, but I actually live in the suburbs. We never do business in Milwaukee, the clubs and bars don't value live bands and don't pay much. Outside of Milwaukee is where it's at in terms of the better gigs and better pay. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted August 25, 2017 Share Posted August 25, 2017 [quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1503574080' post='3359275'] Is that why they cover them in piss and chewing gum to stop people pinching them? [/quote] [quote name='project_c' timestamp='1503616531' post='3359788'] Piss and chewing gum? Luxury. Round my way in SE London we cover them in vomit, used needles and tears. [/quote] Don't forget the dog turds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted August 25, 2017 Share Posted August 25, 2017 [quote name='blue' timestamp='1503626526' post='3359808'] Interesting, I reference Milwaukee a lot which is a large city, but I actually live in the suburbs. We never do business in Milwaukee, the clubs and bars don't value live bands and don't pay much. Outside of Milwaukee is where it's at in terms of the better gigs and better pay. Blue [/quote] Strangely enough, something quite similar applies in London too. The combination of crap parking, high booze prices, aggressively anti-noise neighbours, and no space for beer gardens (i.e. smoker's paradise) in Central London means that surprisingly few good music pubs exist within five miles of Charing Cross, and frankly not that many if you push the radius out a few more miles. In my experience you need to be at least out in the suburbs and preferably in the small towns and villages just outside London to get a traditional music pub with a good, lively, interested crowd. It helps that London is so big that each significant suburb is itself a decent-sized city. There are 32 London boroughs and each of the suburban ones (e.g. Harrow, Brent, Hillingdon, etc.) has a population in the region of 250,000. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted August 25, 2017 Share Posted August 25, 2017 [quote name='project_c' timestamp='1503616531' post='3359788'] Piss and chewing gum? Luxury. Round my way in SE London we cover them in vomit, used needles and tears. [/quote] Ooh get you living in the fancy bit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax Posted August 25, 2017 Share Posted August 25, 2017 Hey Surrpaul - just reversing this, how easy would it be for a London covers band to come up to Leeds and do your 5 gig weekend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicko Posted August 25, 2017 Share Posted August 25, 2017 [quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1503662239' post='3360073'] Strangely enough, something quite similar applies in London too. The combination of crap parking, high booze prices, aggressively anti-noise neighbours, and no space for beer gardens (i.e. smoker's paradise) in Central London means that surprisingly few good music pubs exist within five miles of Charing Cross, and frankly not that many if you push the radius out a few more miles. In my experience you need to be at least out in the suburbs and preferably in the small towns and villages just outside London to get a traditional music pub with a good, lively, interested crowd. It helps that London is so big that each significant suburb is itself a decent-sized city. There are 32 London boroughs and each of the suburban ones (e.g. Harrow, Brent, Hillingdon, etc.) has a population in the region of 250,000. [/quote] I think increasingly its not just Central London but also town centres that lack music venues (and indeed pubs) these days. Hillingdon has rich hunting grounds for some reason - possibly because its on the very outskirts of London. Your example of Hounslow has I think one music pub, and Harrow has AFAIK no town centre music venues. There's still some in the smaller "villages" of these boroughs. As for the OP there's a few places that do attract good crowds (the Horns in Watford but you'll wait a year for a gig and it ain't really London), the Tropic at Ruislip (more like a working mans club and they tend to do Tribute bands and it ain't really London) and loads in Cambden obviously who from visiting the venues are more originals based. As someone said earlier, finding a place that has music is difficult, getting a booking takes time and patience. If it was easy as booking three gigs a weekend we'd all be doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazzbass Posted August 27, 2017 Share Posted August 27, 2017 my band in little old Adelaide wants to organise a 5 day tour of New York city can someone suggest 5 or 6 suitable clubs within walking distance of a cheap hotel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Dare Posted August 27, 2017 Share Posted August 27, 2017 [quote name='bazztard' timestamp='1503806485' post='3360955'] my band in little old Adelaide wants to organise a 5 day tour of New York city can someone suggest 5 or 6 suitable clubs within walking distance of a cheap hotel? [/quote] I assume you'll be expecting at least 10 grand a night fee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gjones Posted August 27, 2017 Share Posted August 27, 2017 (edited) I assume, reading between the lines, that's a no. Edited August 27, 2017 by gjones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted August 27, 2017 Share Posted August 27, 2017 (edited) Try Belushi's (Hammersmith and Shepherd's Bush). My band always has a good reception there. Edited August 27, 2017 by Sean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted August 27, 2017 Share Posted August 27, 2017 (edited) I'll throw another city that some people might think is the "cat's meow" in terms of gigging opportunity for bands.Nashville I understand in reality it's cool for celebrities established stars like Plant, Frampton, Joe Walsh to live. For a young new band looking for gigs I've heard it's awful. In most cases the bars only book acoustic duos. Blue Edited August 27, 2017 by blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted August 28, 2017 Share Posted August 28, 2017 Based on my one brief experience of Nashville, I'd say that's true BUT you need to give some context. The Strip in Nashville has easily the highest concentration of music venues that I've ever seen. In three blocks, and on one side of the street, we were well into double figures by the time I stopped counting! Most of the artistes were solo or duet acts, but there were plenty of full bands too. And the general level of competence was simply awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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