From: Will Fly - PM
Date: 10 Sep 16 - 04:06 AM

Quote: Ah - the "market" - always a complex matter. It's possible to earn a living from music....

Two obvious reasons why it is difficult now, compared with say 40 years ago:

1. Fewer venues

2. Fearsome competition

I asked Ralph McTell if he had any advice for young ambitious singer/songwriters. 'Well, don't expect to make a living from it. How about that?' was his answer. That from someone who has made a comfortable living from it. He sees the changes.

But then bands such as Co Co and the Butterfields are making a living from their music, by working very hard and appealing to a broad spectrum of audience.

Some of the competition comes from the high-ish standard of floor-singers now too, who would rather go to a singaround and sing themselves than listen to someone else in a concert.

North Yorkshire is possibly the busiest area in the the UK for clubs. In our roundup diary we have 64 regular clubs and sessions in the county and the surrounding area, some weekly, some fortnightly, a few monthly. Out of those only 13 ever book guest artists, and the majority of those only book them very occasionally.