The Gig Economy

Subject: The Gig Economy
From: JHW
Date: 21 Jul 20 - 05:53 AM

I am prompted by a programme this morning about delivery workers etc. not gigs as we know them.
As there are no folk clubs or festivals (in this Covid19 era) I worry about full time performers who rely on gigs for their livelihood, real gigs, 2x45 mins in folk clubs or an hour on a festival stage.
I hear of theatres, arts centres lamenting their demise but have yet to hear pleas from folkies.

Subject: RE: The Gig Economy
From: GUEST,Peter Cripps
Date: 21 Jul 20 - 06:12 AM

EFDSS are currently conducting a survey on this at http://efdss.org/covid-survey

Subject: RE: The Gig Economy
From: The Sandman
Date: 21 Jul 20 - 06:28 AM

conducting a survey is not going to help me , i will have to go and busk but its not the first time , and its the most honest form of performing

Subject: RE: The Gig Economy
From: GUEST
Date: 21 Jul 20 - 04:31 PM

That doesn't suprise me as EFDSS will be dealing with the UK government rather than the ROI one.

For UK performers they aren't going to get any traction with the DCMS without some numbers to back up their arguements.

Subject: RE: The Gig Economy
From: Acorn4
Date: 21 Jul 20 - 05:57 PM

If it's any help to gigging songwriters in UK, PRS are doing a compensation scheme for lost revenue during lockdown - I think you have to have been earning £500+ pa average.

Subject: RE: The Gig Economy
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Jul 20 - 08:10 PM

A number of US folk musicians are doing concerts on Facebook Live and other media, mostly for donations. I don't know how much they're making on this, but it's a start. I like the ability to hear a wide variety of musicians from my home, since the only venue nearby is a friend who hosts house concerts once every two months.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: The Gig Economy
From: DonMeixner
Date: 21 Jul 20 - 09:06 PM

My income comes from Social Security, two bands, and working as a silver smith. Our booked gigs where all cancelled after 28 February 2020. My outlet for my jewelry has been high end craft fairs. All of which have been cancelled for 2020. This would be equal to half of my annual income.

We have done two jobs in the last week. One in a local park where people brought their own chairs, wore masks, and kept their distance.
The other gig was a facebook concert of a virtual Irish Fest. Both jobs ended up paying about 1/2 of what we would have been paid in the previous year.

We are trying a Virtual Craft Fair in September. I will have to create a video/slide show of my jewelry. I am not complaining at all. I am impressed that people are trying to create a bit of normalcy.

Don

Subject: RE: The Gig Economy
From: GUEST,RA
Date: 22 Jul 20 - 04:03 AM

Hi Acorn4, I have heard nothing about a PRS compensation scheme for gigging songwriters, and I can't find any information online. I've been a PRS member for over 20 years. Please can you direct me to an information page about this scheme? Thank you.


"If it's any help to gigging songwriters in UK, PRS are doing a compensation scheme for lost revenue during lockdown - I think you have to have been earning £500+ pa average."

Subject: RE: The Gig Economy
From: GUEST,crumbly
Date: 22 Jul 20 - 04:58 AM

You'll have to prove it and to have paid tax on your £500 pa of course.....

Subject: RE: The Gig Economy
From: Acorn4
Date: 22 Jul 20 - 05:20 AM

Checking on the PRS page - apparently that fund is now closed but this link from Musicians' Union might be useful:-

https://www.musiciansunion.org.uk/hardshipfund

Subject: RE: The Gig Economy
From: GUEST,Peter Cripps
Date: 22 Jul 20 - 05:26 AM

The good news is, gigs are returning, albeit slowly! We play in Care Homes mainly, and did our first (outdoor) gig since lockdown last week, and another today, and another booked for next week!

Subject: RE: The Gig Economy
From: GUEST,RA
Date: 22 Jul 20 - 05:53 AM

Thanks Acorn4.

Subject: RE: The Gig Economy
From: Sarah the flute
Date: 22 Jul 20 - 07:48 AM

We have been hit really badly on the ceilidh / barn dance front. No gigs since 16th March and all cancelled now to the end of the year. Not only is it the venues not being open for social gatherings, restrictions on music but social distancing rules make it impractical and probably many of our clients fall into the more vulnerable age groups too who won't want to attend anything involving contact outside their families.

Some live playing seems to be emerging outside but that is it. I have also been hit by school closures which has meant no external trainers aside from a few online jobs and writing / researching

At least I have been able to benefit a bit from the government's self employed grants which is something but that is coming to an end in August and the situation for getting work has not changed

Grim times but great the Zoom folk Clubs are there to keep us all connected and cheerful

Subject: RE: The Gig Economy
From: GUEST,Observer
Date: 22 Jul 20 - 08:24 AM

"You'll have to prove it and to have paid tax on your £500 pa of course....."

All depends on your earnings set against your allowances.

Subject: RE: The Gig Economy
From: GUEST,crumbly
Date: 22 Jul 20 - 08:41 AM

OK- only an attempt to keep things brief....
    if you've accounted to the satisfaction of HMRC for your earnings including a stated element (£500 pa was quoted) of gig earnings and set against your allowances, you might stand a chance of being considered for a scheme which seems to be closed anyway- you may not need to have actually paid tax on your earnings if they are low enough when set against your allowances.... is that clear enough

Subject: RE: The Gig Economy
From: GUEST,Jerry
Date: 22 Jul 20 - 10:04 AM

Barn dances are a worry, for some of us that is. It’s difficult to respect social distancing, non-contact and heavy breathing with most rampaging dances. I did try and come up with a dance list avoiding changes of partners (fairly easy), minimal close physical contact ( rather harder), no heavy breathing from exertion, raised voices or laughter (nigh on impossible). I can see dance party events becoming largely freestyle discos or solo line dancing in the new normal, which is depressing given the prospect of such traditional material being lost altogether through the next generations.

Subject: RE: The Gig Economy
From: GUEST,Observer
Date: 22 Jul 20 - 11:25 AM

Thought that it would have been a given considering the nature of this virus that activities involving exertion and close proximity indoors would be the ones that would be on the proscribe list longest. Barn Dances,ceilidhs and discos are a no-brainer, it will be a long time before these are allowed and possibly even longer before people are prepared to attend them.

When this struck one Folk Club in the area cancelled all meetings until further notice, they also cancelled all bookings for guest artists for 2021 and cancelled the two festivals they run [Now looks very likely that it will not re-open].

The forlorn hope for "Folk" seems to centre on "House Concerts" but by definition these are specifically forbidden in the UK unless they involve only a very restricted number of people from no more than three households. Not many people I know would be prepared to break the rules to fill their houses with people they have no idea of where they've been and what they've been doing.

Subject: RE: The Gig Economy
From: Acorn4
Date: 22 Jul 20 - 03:13 PM

i've heard of two stories in the UK that are particularly unfortunate. An excellent comedy songwriter/ entertainer from the East Midlands called Keith Donnelly, who has featured at many folk festivals regularly over the past years has been unable to claim government money due to the fact that his accountant did not get his tax return in on time.

His accountant is not contactable.

He is doing a facebook live fundraiser tomorrow:- Thurs 22nd:-


https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2091216667689085&set=a.676138839196882&type=3&theater

Many artists rely on CD sales to bring in extra cash and the worst case scenario is when you have laid out the money to produce a CD and then cannot go out on tour to promote it. This has happened to Nancy Kerr and James Fagan - it's a live CD which is very very good:-

https://www.kerrfagan.uk/?fbclid=IwAR1ipygu83DlG5AdpRozwcC5j26sTGdzyJ3FuQF3DLvHCq4ZIO8x3cl_gW4

PRS has also started a "relief fund" which those of us who are less affected by the current situation can donate. Unfortunately I only seem to be able to access it by logging into my own account.