Bands battle on DIY route to chart success
More Irish bands than ever before are digging deep to try to finance their way to the top of the charts, it has emerged.
The limited number of major music labels operating in Ireland has left young bands facing huge costs and major difficulties to ensure their music reaches a wide audience.
Frank McGing, an independent producer, said more musicians were now coming to his Co Meath studio.
He said: “I have worked on five albums so far this year.”
Mr McGing, who originally set up his studio to for his band The Prescriptions, said there were many difficulties facing bands including finding venues to play, financing and distributing their records.
Mr McGing, 35, said: “We found out when we recorded our first EP. We thought it was just a matter of putting it into a shop.
“The only one of the major chains that will really take them is Tower Records.
“HMV and Virgin don’t do it without distribution.”
Tower Records, off Dublin’s Grafton Street, operates a policy of allowing young bands to play in-store promotions and stock independently produced records on the shelves.
Saleh Rifaie of Tower Records said: “We have a policy of allowing independent bands to come in and play in the shop and put their records out as well. It is too much hassle for most shops.
“We would have around 100 independently produced records. Every week there are a couple coming in, with everything from a guy on a guitar to a girl on a piano.
“There is a wide range of stuff. Everyone gets a shot.”
The Music Board of Ireland, which was set up in 2001 to lobby for increased Government support in the indigenous industry, has issued several hard hitting reports.
The board, which has now finished its three-year term, found that there were many difficulties facing newcomers.
The key figures from the music industry said the success of Irish bands was remarkable given the inadequate music infrastructure.
Dave Conway, who is the singer with a independent Dublin band Trip Hazard, said the whole process was costly.
“Personally I am not looking for a record deal or anything like that because the chances of it happening are so slim. The goal always has to be to get your music out to as many people as you can,” the 41-year-old singer said.
Mr Conway said the band faced costs of around €2,500 to produce around 1,000 copies of a four-track EP.
Mr McGing said the studio work costs around €350 a day or € 1,200 per week.
Mr Conway from Co Meath said there were a huge number of bands operating in Ireland. He found that bands faced major difficulties in trying to find venues or get support slots.
“Every week there are gigs in reasonable sized places where we could do support slots like the Ambassador, the Olympia, like Whelans or Temple Bar Music Centre that really good international bands but trying to get support slots for them is virtually impossible,” Mr Conway said.
“I have been at the point several times of giving it up even though I love it as you only get to do a gig where you really get that wonderful feeling of it being all worth while every couple of months.”
“We all put money into the fund every week and we don’t take money from it if we make it at gigs it all goes into the pot for future recording.
“We always joke about the fact that if gave up the jobs and went over to Germany we would probably be huge over there.”
(Source: http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=117342142&p=yy734z848)
