Getting into the pub scene

GuitarTown

Hi all,

My first post here.

I'm a singer/guitar player on the northside of dublin and want to get into the pub scene. I play a two hour set of rock/pop songs or trad ballads or else a mix of both. I don't really know where to start other than bringing a cd and song list to local pubs. Ideally I'd love somewhere to play a set on a weekly/fortnightly basis. If anyone can pass on any tips on how to go about it it would be greatly appreciated. I've done it down in kerry and clare before but never in dublin. I'm expierenced in playing live, it's just the getting my foot in the door with the pubs here is stumping me.

Thanks a mill!

Steroo

Just go Door Knocking & see how you get on! You'll get names & numbers... build a database & keep calling.

sogood

Yes, knock on lots of doors. Try to pick the sorts of venues where you think what you do will "work". No point in creating obstacles or giving yourself uphill struggles. Talk to the owner/barman to ascertain what sort of clientele they get. Leave CD's and contact details and follow up all calls. Keep a detailed list of who and when and keep going through it. And above all, persevere. Gigs are like buses sometimes.....................

Best of luck!

GuitarTown

Thanks for the replies. I'll take that advice on board.

Do most places still have regulars on a roster where you would have your gig on a certain night every 2 or 3 weeks? That's happened before but not in Dublin.

Thanks again

the_syco

GuitarTown wrote: »

I play a two hour set of rock/pop songs or trad ballads or else a mix of both.

Thread lightly with the words "trad ballads", as they may be associated with a certain clientèle. If you wish to go down that route, and you can sing all the IRA songs, there's a pub on the quays called O'Reilly Bros aka "The Chancery" that may suit ye. There are one or two pubs that also cater to that sort of music.

On the other hand, if you play all the popular Irish songs that the tourists like, check out Cassidy's bar on Westmoreland Street. This is a very nice place, and reguraly has a one man band singing all the lively happy trad tunes, plus a couple or well known rock tunes.

Some pubs have a "house band", but usually you'll find that sometimes one of the "house band" also works in said pub...

GuitarTown

the_syco wrote: »

Thread lightly with the words "trad ballads", as they may be associated with a certain clientèle. If you wish to go down that route, and you can sing all the IRA songs, there's a pub on the quays called O'Reilly Bros aka "The Chancery" that may suit ye. There are one or two pubs that also cater to that sort of music.

On the other hand, if you play all the popular Irish songs that the tourists like, check out Cassidy's bar on Westmoreland Street. This is a very nice place, and reguraly has a one man band singing all the lively happy trad tunes, plus a couple or well known rock tunes.

Some pubs have a "house band", but usually you'll find that sometimes one of the "house band" also works in said pub...

It'd be more The Dubliners, Planxty, The Claneys etc rather than the Wolfetones for the irish stuff. I'll check out Cassidy's. Thanks for the reply