Irish Rock In A Hard Place

Up until relatively recently, the most common question asked by new Irish rock artists was, “Where can we find a good manager?” But these days, that bewildered query has been overtaken by a more plaintive question: “Is it possible to make any money out of this?”

The answer is still “yes”. Of course it is – though the potential rewards are certainly not as great as in yesteryear. And also, the affirmative comes with at least one major proviso: that the artist in question must recognise from the outset that – the odd exceptional case of bizarre good luck and fortuitous timing notwithstanding – it isn’t going to be easy.
Not that it ever really was a breeze. As with most branches of the entertainment industry, music has always been a hugely competitive arena, with more artists vying for space, attention, resources and spending money than the public, the media or even the industry itself could possibly accommodate. And in many ways, this is more extreme than ever.
For a start, while the internet has created many exciting new opportunities for musicians, it has also been grossly oversold as a money-generator. Basically, while a few big bands, U2 among them, have successfully interacted with their fans, selling them albums, tickets and merch directly, at a lower level no one has created a really viable model for generating serious revenue from their web presence. In addition, the sheer volume of music on the ‘net has greatly exacerbated the competition problem, with more and more artists in effect fighting over dwindling revenue streams. CD sales are down to the point that the boss of HMV UK – correctly or otherwise – has forecast that the format will be dead in three years, and Nick Mason of Pink Floyd reckons that the band’s current massive re-issue programme will be the last chance to get unreleased tracks out in a physical format.
It doesn’t help that there are – literally – millions of MySpace sites, Facebook pages and endless other platforms on which music is available to listen to – for free. Add to that the fact that music is being copied and downloaded illegally with impunity by billions, and it becomes very clear why there is a threat to the idea that it is possible to make a career out of being in a band or operating as a solo artist.
These pressures are not directly related to the recession: the business was changing anyway. But they are made more perilous – especially in a small market like Ireland – when money is so hard to come by, consumer spending is at rock bottom and banks are refusing to give loans even to established businesses.
Amid the cumulative cutbacks, not only are UK record companies – and indeed those in the US – signing fewer bands and giving smaller advances, but the word is that several labels just outside the Premier League are potentially in perilous financial straits. It’s a background against which it’s harder than ever to see where the money to sustain a career, and a living, is going to come from for musicians.

Meanwhile, back in Ireland, reality bites. There is no doubting that the talent exists here in droves. There are more good records being released in Ireland than ever before. New artists keep coming through, and the best of the familiar faces dig in, hoping to stick around for the long haul. In addition to Bressie’s debut solo album, there are new releases impending from Lisa Hannigan, Jape and The Coronas, among others. In particular, right now Lisa Hannigan and The Coronas are well placed to make an international impact. But the business is a fickle one and even a level of international success is no guarantee of a long-term career. Ask David Kitt – a hugely talented songwriter, who was badly let down by the industry.
At a slightly less elevated level, it’s uplifting to see the commitment of labels like The Richter Collective, Any Other City, Osaka and others of that ilk who have a passion for making and releasing great music. They’ve made an impact by getting records out there and running their own live shows and club nights. A scene has developed, which may yet produce an act that has real legs. But right now, it has the look of a semi-professional scene, with most of the musicians doing something else (a) to keep the wolf from the door, and (b) to fund their music-making. Of course there are many who feel they do not want to make a living out of music at all, and are happy to be semi-pro. Fine. Sometimes that can seem to be the most sensible approach. But it wouldn’t have done Glen Hansard or Paul Noonan. For musicians that are driven by a need to live the life, doing it full-time is of the essence.
In the modern era that’s proving increasingly difficult. In Hot Press we’re aware of numerous top musicians – relatively successful ones who might be asssumed to be even slightly high on the hog – who’ve had to take part-time work just to put food on the table. It’s as far from the glamorous world of rock ’n’ roll of legend as you could possibly get.
The circle at the moment is a vicious one. Fewer CD sales means less income from songwriting. The recession means live shows are harder to sell and ticket prices are coming down. Far too many bands have fallen for the misleading, and totally unrealistic, notion that all they have to do to make up for these decreases is to give all their music away free and watch the cash register zing as the paying gigs and the sales of merch shoot up. It might be fine in theory, but there’s no sign of it actually happening in the real world to any extent worth talking about.
The bottom line is that, apart from the obvious leading lights, I can’t think of any bands who established a national profile over the past few years who are making a real living from playing music in Ireland. The likes of Bell X1, Republic of Loose, The Coronas, Fight Like Apes, Villagers, And So I Watch You From Afar, James Vincent McMorrow and Two Door Cinema Club, to one degree or another, are doing well. So, one assumes, are solo artists like Imelda May (who is at a different level right now), Lisa Hannigan and Cathy Davey. But it is really tough for breakthrough acts like Bipolar Empire, The Minutes, The Riptide Movement, Adebisi Shank and so on. The bottom line is that it shouldn’t be so hard – but it is.

Will the idea of making a living from music survive the turmoil in the business and the recession? Is there a way forward? The answer is that, yes there are many ways, all of which however are rooted in one guiding principle – that of hard work and dedication.
One thing is for certain: the acts who are making a go of it are not those hanging around waiting to be talent-scouted. Rather, it’s those with the self-belief, the energy and the determination to be as creative with other aspects of their career as they are with their music. For a start, it pays to be realistic and take what’s going. I know of well established solo artists who’ll do non-paying gigs because they know that, if they do a decent show, they will sell CDs on the spot. 30 CDs at a tenner each is €300 an artist won’t generate stuck at home watching Celebrity Basket-Weaving.
It also makes sense to look outside the box. A considerable market is opening for acts from Ireland who have the smarts to aim beyond these shores to the European festival scene – and indeed beyond that to places Japan and Australia or on the other side of the world Brazil and Argentina. Ireland is hugely well-regarded in music circles around Europe and further afield. There’s a lot of goodwill there to be tapped into. But you have to put the graft in to generate the return.
And you can be creative at home too. The Riptide Movement are a very good example. What do they do to earn a crust? Well, for one thing, they busk. And guess what? They have sold shed-loads of CDs – at 13,000 units, their self-titled debut is close to double-platinum – while busking on Grafton Street, something most indie acts would be too lazy or too snobby to undertake. More than most, the Riptides understand the value of getting out and playing. They have earned good money busking. But they have also built up a following through relentless, selfless gigging. In effect, they have battled their way to prominence. They are a remarkable example of what can be achieved by a combination of hard work, persistence and genuine talent.
The Riptide Movement philosophy should serve as the perfect rejoinder to those who complain about the lack of gigs and the fact that many promoters are reducing the fees they pay. In the long run, the fact is that promoters will do deals based on percentages of the door and if a band is strong enough and has a following, then the rewards will follow. But, to a very large extent, it’s up to the artists and the bands to create their own following. Exposure in Hot Press can help in this. So can radio plays. So can being written about in other media and on blogs. But in the end, the artist has to have the appetite for the kind of hard work which is required to build a following.

There are other models which show that there is money out there to be made by musicians, if they have the smarts and, ideally, the management and business back-up. Gemma Hayes, Julie Feeney, The Walls, Autamata, Oppenheimer, Métisse, Heathers, Royseven and Cathy Davey have all done good business with music being used in movies and in advertising. What’s more, contrary to the elitist indie view, their music still sounds as wondrous as ever, in no way losing its appeal as a result of its commercial exploitation. Not only that, but many more people have heard that music than would have otherwise, which helps if they are doing live shows – and the artists have more money with which both to buy bread and to make the next record.
By now Ken McHugh, AKA Autamata, has had around 90 pieces used in this way, and earned a lot of money from the publishing as a result. Similarly, Gemma Hayes recently told Hot Press that it is the use of her music in TV and film that pays the bills. Bressie, having moved to London, is now working on collaborations, looking for soundtrack work and feeding songs to other bands and artists. If one big hit flows from all of this, he will be in demand. Look at Brendan Graham and his success with ‘You Raise Me Up’. The questions is: can more Irish artists find a niche in this arena?
There’s another thread worth considering. We have the musicians. We have the songwriters. We have the studios. What we don’t have – yet – is the kind of set-up which would enable Ireland to become a centre for the production of hit records on a year-round, global basis. That is not an unattainable objective: just look at what they achieved in Sweden (where Westlife have frequently recorded). Is there any logical reason why we can’t aspire to a similar hit factory status? No. And if we could? Well, a lot of local musicians would benefit in all sorts of ways – as session players, as songwriters and as artists.
So, yes, these are hard times, exactly like the last hard times, and probably the next too. Bressie, for one, has not been letting the grass grow under his feet. There are others of a similar disposition, whose efforts will benefit the whole scene here.
In the long run, those who have the greatest determination to make a go of their music careers are more likely to make it work. Those who don’t have the will to succeed will find excuses.
Interesting times, indeed...