I look from my window this Bank Holiday Sunday and my heart goes out to all you Festival Campers out there, be you at Whitby, Cleethorpes, Chester or any of the many gatherings of musicians around the Country. Wind, rain and temperatures just a little light of Mediterranean. As far as I’m concerned you’re all heroes.
My moan of the week is, why on earth do people make the investment in time and money to create a Web Site and then, having put it on air, 1. Tell no one it exists and 2) fail to keep it updated? A Web Site is a method of communication, not a status symbol, content needs to be relevant and up to date even in it’s most basic form.
Now, I have a secret tool that lets me see the performance of Web Sites, along with other information, so I know just how poorly so many sites perform. From my experience with the Acoustic Rotherham site I also know just what has to be done to get even minimal interest in the content. One has to be constantly working, tweaking, updating.
So if I’m looking at an artist Web Site what do I want to know? Well something about the artist, a photograph, something about the music they play, even perhaps a track or two; do they have any CDs for sale, where can I see the act live; and perhaps a few bits about where they have played in the past, their favourite venues, most challenging Gig, etc. and most important of all up to date contact information, even if it’s only an Email address.
What I don’t want, and this is a personal preference, is a site with a picture that says this is the site of “X” Buy my CD, (which is not the current CD), and a list of Gigs the latest of which is 2009. Such sites are useless and if the artist cannot be bothered to keep it updated then it should be taken off air as it gives people seeking information a bad impression. It does not take a lot to delete a site.
More and more the first point of reference made by Promoters of Festivals / Concerts and Folk Clubs is the Internet, therefore it could be argued that no matter what level one is performing at your Web Site is your shop window.
So if you have a Web Site, check it out, ask yourself if you were looking at it for the first time would it work for you, does it get the message across, does it reflect your personality and your act?
Or have you forgotten that you have a Web Site? Google yourself and see what comes up. If you’ve got dead sites on line then try to remember how you put it up and head for the delete button. And yes I know artists with multiple dead sites.
I know it can all be so time consuming. All too much hassle when all one might want to do is practice and head out to the next Folk Club or Festival, but these days, even if you are only semi-serious about your musical profile, as there are many services available at a very low cost – all you have to do is let your administrator know the changes you wish to make and they are done. They are well worth checking out.
You know who you are…………………….
AND IF YOU’VE GOT A WEB SITE TELL PEOPLE – OFTEN. You can have the best Web Site in the World but if no one visits it, it becomes a total waste of time.
This week the Masher escaped for a few hours and headed to Nellie Folk at the Bridge, Rotherham. A very pleasant evening spent with some good friends, if a small gathering this month. Well, the last time the place was so full it was very late into the evening before everyone got a turn, this time, guided by Rob, we managed two circuits of the track.
As for the Masher, one of the new songs got an outing, and falling back on Bloody Rotten Audience to finish the evening in respect to Myke.
Question of the night was where was Mr Blackman, missing his very first Nellies, which he normally crawled to whatever his condition, we hope there is nothing wrong with him.
I had hoped to make it over to the Cleethorpes this weekend for the celebration of Folk and Cider, (I think this is what remains of the Cleethorpes Festival) but an errant pupil put pay to that one and I had to work instead. But here was another classic example of finding something by accident. On checking I found that only three of the artists appearing had bothered to update their Gig list and considering that I like to think that I’m in the general loop of things discovered the Web Site as a status update on Facebook.
One hopes that next year the publicity might be better and I can plan my visit in good time.
Sunday night I was allowed out, but only on a leash, attached firmly to Mrs Masher. So it was Club Land time.
We were treated to the two extremes of Club Land performers. At Rotherham Trades, billed as a “Personality Singer” was Claire Miller who is clearly at the start of her Club Land career, and learning the ropes. I’ve got to be honest, I have a sneaky admiration for performers at this level, it takes real guts to get on stage and run through a fairly standard set list of girly songs supported only by some pretty weak backing tracks. What I find difficult to believe is that their Agents are not giving better advice about the material and general performance craft. Here the poor girl set herself out to dry with songs beyond her current vocal range with the resultant bum notes, wrong key starts and weak phases.
I’m sure she will learn, but she should be given experienced advice.
Contrast with the performer Lauren Fay Moss at The Rawmarsh Trades and Labour Club. Amazing backing tracks used to their full potential by a singer who knew how to use her voice, body and microphone to the best effect, as well putting together a set list of current and classic songs guaranteed to please any Club audience. It was slick and highly professional. So it was no surprise to learn at the end that Lauren was off to join the ranks of Universal’s singers in Miami for eight months. I’m sure she will do very well.
But it’s so hard doing this sort of act on a wet Bank Holiday Sunday night to a three quarter empty Club.
Last Sunday Myke Masher’s singing partner from way back “Maca” dropped a cassette tape through my door which I’ve now had the pleasure of playing through, digitalising and cutting into bits. There’s some interesting material which is believed to be the early work of Myke’s Folk Opera. Maca is currently going through the tracks to try and work out what they relate to, and I hope to be able to post them on the Web Site very soon. Obviously the sound quality is not fantastic but it might provide us with a taste of what might have been.
Loads going off in the week ahead. Wednesday new breath is being pumped into the Folk Session at the Three Horseshoes, Doncaster. Friday, at The Princess Royal one of my favourite duos Tina McKevitt and Matt Hegarty will be supporting Soupstone Dragon, while the Play On Club will be doing it’s thing at The Rutland Arms in Sheffield. Saturday and it’s The Domino, Kimberworth Park for the all-day Charity Session (just turn up and you’ll get a chance to play or jam). You can find it all HERE
You’ll also find that the July Diary page is now live on the Web Site HERE please check to make sure that your regular entries are correct and if you’ve special events Email HERE
South Yorkshire Pete is putting on a couple of special Americano Nights at the Princess Royal on the 1st and 15th of July. He’s inviting acts to offer their services, so get in touch with him HERE if you’d like to take part.
The Mashers have always enjoyed a day out, and Wirksworth, in Derbyshire has over the years been one of our regular haunts for the September Street Music Festival. However they have events running throughout the year, from Farmers Markets to one of Village Shows, all feature music of some description. To stay in touch with the opportunities for acts get in touch with Dave Smith who is the chief co-ordinator of the Street Music. HERE I promise you there’s nothing better than singing in this Village, especially when the sun shines.
Yet more “friends” of Acoustic Rotherham et. Al. have joined Reverbnation, you can find all our friends links HERE Check out the great music. There’s new tracks being added all the time by these artists.
And don’t forget the Resource page HERE with links to all sorts of services from singing and music lessons to Web Design or poster / flier design. Check it out, it might help and most of the services come courtesy of Acoustic Rotherham performers, so they know what they are doing………………… I think.
And that’s it for another week, I’m sure I’ve forgotten something…………………….. only one or two spaces left for Acoustic Rotherham 12, if you fancy a spot check out the details and contact me HERE
Whatever you’re doing this week, have fun and keep it LIVE.
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