UK original Band shows

[warriorbass05]

Cheers all! I would like to bring an original band across the pond in early September to coincide with a celebration of life that has been planned by a friend's family member.

We have a following here (in the US) and there are a few who know us in UK. Are there any events going on that might be good for a hard rock/metal band and a promoter or two to suggest? 

Tis a lot of dosh to bring live shows and I would like to be able to even partially offset the trip with a gig or two. 

 

Any thoughts??

 

[Dad3353]

38 minutes ago, warriorbass05 said:

...Any thoughts??

 

Do you have a technical rider, listing your needs (backline, FOH, mics, lighting, colour of Smarties etc...)..? It would help to know what you require. How many musicians, for instance..? Where in the UK will you be based, and for how long..? Hope this helps... 

[Supernaut]

2 hours ago, warriorbass05 said:

Cheers all! I would like to bring an original band across the pond in early September to coincide with a celebration of life that has been planned by a friend's family member.

We have a following here (in the US) and there are a few who know us in UK. Are there any events going on that might be good for a hard rock/metal band and a promoter or two to suggest? 

Tis a lot of dosh to bring live shows and I would like to be able to even partially offset the trip with a gig or two. 

 

Any thoughts??

 

Download is in June, Bloodstock in August and Damnation is in November. 
 

Maybe one of these? 
 

https://www.skiddle.com/festivals/calendar/september 

[Mrbigstuff]

You will be hard pressed to make much money from an originals act.

[NancyJohnson]

4 hours ago, Mrbigstuff said:

You will be hard pressed to make much money from an originals act.

 

It's also difficult enough if you're based in the UK as well!

[NancyJohnson]

On 25/05/2025 at 17:51, warriorbass05 said:

Cheers all! I would like to bring an original band across the pond in early September to coincide with a celebration of life that has been planned by a friend's family member.

We have a following here (in the US) and there are a few who know us in UK. Are there any events going on that might be good for a hard rock/metal band and a promoter or two to suggest? 

Tis a lot of dosh to bring live shows and I would like to be able to even partially offset the trip with a gig or two. 

 

Any thoughts??

 

 

I think it would be prudent to share who you play for (apologies if this has been mentioned elsewhere) and what you would gauge as 'a few knowing us in the UK'.

 

A couple of years back my old band played three dates with a band of American younglings.  They were travelling very light (minimal instrumentation/outboard) and were pretty much reliant on borrowing backline or sharing gear at each venue.  One of the guys mentioned they had a small following in London, but needless to say not one of those following turned up.

 

The live environment in the UK is, as I understand it, somewhat different to the US.  People don't want to travel, it's difficult to park a car in a lot of venues and people would rather stay home and watch TV than pay to see a band.

 

 

[SteveXFR]

On 25/05/2025 at 20:42, Supernaut said:

Download is in June, Bloodstock in August and Damnation is in November. 
 

Maybe one of these? 
 

https://www.skiddle.com/festivals/calendar/september 

 

All have full lineups now and only book bands with a good UK following who will add ticket sales.

 

There's lots of small venues who put on bands with little to no UK following, just don't expect to get more than fuel money and a free pint.

[NancyJohnson]

12 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

 

All have full lineups now and only book bands with a good UK following who will add ticket sales.

 

There's lots of small venues who put on bands with little to no UK following, just don't expect to get more than fuel money and a free pint.

 

If that!

[SteveXFR]

12 minutes ago, NancyJohnson said:

 

If that!

 

I've always managed to get those but then I've never travelled too far to gigs.

£150 seems to be the max unless you're well known. I know Damnation and Arctangent pay £150 plus a case of beer for their bottom tier bands so most of those bands will be losing money on travel and accommodation and just playing for the love of it. A mate of mine played Bloodstock after winning a battle of the bands competition and they weren't paid at all but he had a hell of a weekend hanging out with rockstars and playing to his biggest ever audience by a big margin. 

[warriorbass05]

Sorry about the lack of details....I am with an American band and we want to come across the pond from this way. The band is called Applehead and we are hard rock/heavy metal. I have a rider etc. Because of my pink Jaydee basses (et al), I have a number of friends in the UK who have asked if it is possible to bring the band over. We had an album review in PowerRock and Metal magazine last August and they gave us nice marks. 

[BigRedX]

In the UK, unless you are already well-known, gigs for originals bands are mostly weekends with the occasional Thursday and/or Sunday for venues that have a reputation for putting on quality acts on those nights. As a result "tours" by relatively unknown bands tend to be a string of Friday and Saturday night gigs strung out over several weeks. Bands from the US that have a decent following here and expect to be gigging every night, will plan for the weekend dates to be in big cities where they can play a decent sized venue to a bigger audience, and for the rest to be small gigs where they hope sales of merch will go towards off-setting losses through reduced fees.

 

The best way to try and get some gigs is for support slots with bands in the same genre and IME the way to score these is to start following them on social media and get in touch explaining that you are looking for a gig or two. One of the first things they'll probably do is look you up on-line. And here's a problem. For a band that has been going over 30 years you don't have a particularly large following and your Spotify plays are mostly in the 2-3k region which again isn't brilliant. I'm sorry if that's harsh, but that's what I see from 10 minutes with Google and therefore that's what bands you are hoping to support will see too.

 

If you do manage to sort out some additional gigs, the only real way you are going to off-set the costs of coming to the UK and staying here is to sell some merch. That means bringing CDs and vinyl with you and unless you can get them printed here in the UK T-shirts too. QR codes for on-line stores are not going to cut it, and you'll be lucky to sell anything. All of that is going to eat into your luggage allowance, and also brings me to the next potential issue. Are you getting proper work visas? If not, you might be OK just playing someone's private party, but if you all show up together at UK border control with your instruments (and merch) and tourist visas expect problems. My band had a gig lined up with a reasonably well-known band from Switzerland, but their drummer (who had a US passport) was denied entry into the UK because he didn't have the correct visa. It only takes one of the band to be refused entry and everything is scuppered.

 

Sorry if that's all a bit negative, but that's is all based on experience.

[Lozz196]

My band, The Spacewasters played in Malta earlier this year (I didn’t go as no longer get on planes) and they did a deal with the organising Malta band that they got all the door money, with a reciprocal agreement that the same happened when the Malta band came over here - which happened last weekend. 
 

Sadly with things the way they are it’s unlikely that similar could be arranged but it may be worth trying to set up something like that with a local band who would be willing to play for expenses only.

[christhammer666]

2 hours ago, BigRedX said:

In the UK, unless you are already well-known, gigs for originals bands are mostly weekends with the occasional Thursday and/or Sunday for venues that have a reputation for putting on quality acts on those nights. As a result "tours" by relatively unknown bands tend to be a string of Friday and Saturday night gigs strung out over several weeks. Bands from the US that have a decent following here and expect to be gigging every night, will plan for the weekend dates to be in big cities where they can play a decent sized venue to a bigger audience, and for the rest to be small gigs where they hope sales of merch will go towards off-setting losses through reduced fees.

 

The best way to try and get some gigs is for support slots with bands in the same genre and IME the way to score these is to start following them on social media and get in touch explaining that you are looking for a gig or two. One of the first things they'll probably do is look you up on-line. And here's a problem. For a band that has been going over 30 years you don't have a particularly large following and your Spotify plays are mostly in the 2-3k region which again isn't brilliant. I'm sorry if that's harsh, but that's what I see from 10 minutes with Google and therefore that's what bands you are hoping to support will see too.

 

If you do manage to sort out some additional gigs, the only real way you are going to off-set the costs of coming to the UK and staying here is to sell some merch. That means bringing CDs and vinyl with you and unless you can get them printed here in the UK T-shirts too. QR codes for on-line stores are not going to cut it, and you'll be lucky to sell anything. All of that is going to eat into your luggage allowance, and also brings me to the next potential issue. Are you getting proper work visas? If not, you might be OK just playing someone's private party, but if you all show up together at UK border control with your instruments (and merch) and tourist visas expect problems. My band had a gig lined up with a reasonably well-known band from Switzerland, but their drummer (who had a US passport) was denied entry into the UK because he didn't have the correct visa. It only takes one of the band to be refused entry and everything is scuppered.

 

Sorry if that's all a bit negative, but that's is all based on experience.

so spot on mate. playing originals on a Tuesday night to no one is soul destroying

[BigRedX]

21 minutes ago, christhammer666 said:

so spot on mate. playing originals on a Tuesday night to no one is soul destroying

 

We've done mid-week gigs, but it's always at decent venues that have a reputation for putting bands on other than at the weekend, and it's always supporting someone much more popular than us.

[MacDaddy]

1 hour ago, Lozz196 said:

I didn’t go as no longer get on planes

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lozz196]

I’m still trying to find a good t-shirt with that on