Time To Lose Those Pre-Punk Rose-Tinted Specs, I Think ...

[Happy Jack]

Terrific and very honest 1976 documentary. 29 minutes well spent.

 

 

[Happy Jack]

Given the number of times I've been told by 'those who were there' that the bands used to get the same money then as today - only it went WAY futher then, of course - it was quite a relief to hear that this 4-piece covers band was going out for £43. 😱

[Supernaut]

 

[itu]

Those were the days, my friend.

 

[Marky L]

This is fantastic on so many levels! The arguement about a broken string, and the TV audition are brilliant!😁

Nice vocal harmonizing though.

[gjones]

Is that Creme Brulee?

 

[Beedster]

13 hours ago, itu said:

Those were the days, my friend.

 

 

Deep Purple £125  

[Barking Spiders]

IMO this doc is essential viewing for any aspiring non-classical musicians who want to make a career in the music biz . It'll blow away any pre-conceived notions about the glamour and excitement of life as a musician. By 'eck those working men's clubs were grim. 

[tauzero]

7 minutes ago, Barking Spiders said:

IMO this doc is essential viewing for any aspiring non-classical musicians who want to make a career in the music biz . It'll blow away any pre-conceived notions about the glamour and excitement of life as a musician. By 'eck those working men's clubs were grim. 

 

In nearly 50 years things haven't changed much. I've played a few Midlands WMCs and it's the social secretary and the committee, who due to gradually tightening finances (generally due to the committee's 75 year old attitude to attracting new members and young people in general) will try to insist that the social secretary books singers with backing music. The audiences tend to the older end of the spectrum and the rooms themselves seem sterile and unwelcoming.

 

We played one New Year's Eve gig at a WMC where no children were allowed in. Mrs Zero couldn't come as Sub Zero was a child and there was no chance of a babysitter, and the upstairs room we were playing in was maybe a quarter full. At least we won two of the three raffle prizes.

[Lozz196]

I read in Glen Matlocks book that in 1976 The Sex Pistols were being paid £50 for their gigs, and he went on to say that some bands still go out for that now. Def true on the latter, no idea if the former is correct but the list above would say likely.

[Bassassin]

1 hour ago, Beedster said:

 

Deep Purple £125  

 Reality check:

 

https://www.inflationtool.com/british-pound/1969-to-present-value?amount=125&year2=2023&frequency=yearly

 

Small Faces' £450 fee:

 

https://www.inflationtool.com/british-pound/1969-to-present-value?amount=450&year2=2023&frequency=yearly

[PaulWarning]

They didn't make Opportunity Knocks? 

They did release a single though, absolutely awful IMO ymmv

http://denimdisco.blogspot.com/2023/08/punch-on-road-bbc-documentary-1976.html

you have to scroll down a bit

[BigRedX]

The Pretty Things for £125.00 when they were at their (IMO) creative peak.

[Dad3353]

10 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

The Pretty Things for £125.00 when they were at their (IMO) creative peak.

 

I was earning just under £6 a week back then, as a BEA avionics apprentice. Just sayin'. 

[BigRedX]

3 minutes ago, Dad3353 said:

I was earning just under £6 a week back then, as a BEA avionics apprentice. Just sayin'. 

 

After "Commercial Enterprises" had taken their cut what was left over would have to be split between the 5 members of the band and their road crew. I doubt whether each member of the band actually received vey much of the £125

[tauzero]

4 hours ago, PaulWarning said:

They didn't make Opportunity Knocks? 

They did release a single though, absolutely awful IMO ymmv

http://denimdisco.blogspot.com/2023/08/punch-on-road-bbc-documentary-1976.html

you have to scroll down a bit

 

Oh dear. Penned by the writers of numerous Paper Lace records and identifiable as an inferior "Billy, don't be a hero" clone. They had far more potential than that.