Live musicians: what do they get out of it?

Macro, I'm *really* impressed by that!
Is that after cashing out from L$?
Do you get that much from tips, or do the venue owners pay you a retainer?

I'll add my two cents.

I'm also a RL performer who recently started performing in SL.

I may get more actual dollars for an RL gig, but when I include everything, SL is turning out to be more profitable per hour. I don't have to get tarted up, tote the gear, load in, set up, sound check, break down, load out, drive home.

That said, playing in SL is valid on its own terms for reasons already stated: exposure, practice, fun, etc.

As for the quality of the musical offerings compared to RL, the SL scene is not mature yet. In time, as more artists are drawn to SL there will be more competition and the ones who do a better job of entertaining the listeners will rise to the top.

However, I think SL will continue to be a great place for the niche independent artist. You're not limited to the few people in your area who like your kind of music and the limits on the number of people who can attend a show will keep out big name, dominant players and the mu$ic industry suits.

There's something for everyone here and its changing and growing all the time and you, the listener, can have an impact. Did you go to a concert and find the singer unimpressive? It's not like you hired a sitter, drove 40 minutes and paid a $10 cover. TP somewhere else. Found ones you like? Tip them, tip the venue for having them, join their group, tell your friends.

And do tell your RL friends about the music. SL is perceived by so many as a 'game' for people who don't have lives. You want a hot music scene in SL? It takes more than hot musicians. Listeners are just as important.

EvaMoon Ember
Next show: New Year's Eve 1:00 PM SLT
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Broadway%20Live%20Island/18/138/36

http://evamoon.net/sl

I really don't know what live musicians get out of live shows in SL. A couple of them have already come forward here and told us what it means to them (exposure, friendship, fun, listeners from all over the world and some cash) and all are good reasons.

But I decided to post because I wanted to tell what it means to me. Live shows were one of the main reasons i loved SL since the moment I join. When I started to discover the SL music scene I was amazed, so many people playing here live, so many styles and so many talents. And if i walk into a show and don't like it I simply leave quietly, no need to harass the performer (and in my time in SL i think that i only walked away 2 or 3 times )

Listening to live music is one of the great things SL has, and one that keeps me coming back day after day.

If you want to listen to some good live performers in nice welcomig places here are some off my favorite venues for listening to live music, if you go there you certainly will find live performers you will love to hear

- The Hummingbird (thanks Dimi and Leira for keeping it running for us to go there )
- Rocky Shores (thnks Ticious for keeping it running for us to go there)
- Crazy Sharks (thnks Cat and Dan for keeping it running for us to go there)

Nice places, nice people and very good music,

Community! It is truly a community that I as a fan and supporter am happy to be a part of!

There is 2 feet of snow outside right now and I can sit in front of my computer in my PJs and spend a few hours enjoying whatever kind of music I like. I will be welcomed by the musician and/or host. People I know and don't know will say Hi. I can dance, meet someone new and chat with everyone. It's a gathering, a social event, a party! I can stay as long as an hour or jump to any number of other gigs in an evening. I can buy CDs or tunes from my favs for my MP3 or my car.

I have been to parties in musician's SL homes and gotten to see more of their personalities. The music venues are all different and so much fun to experience. There are great musicians and many "up and comers" working hard to find their comfort zones. Some, perhaps many, will make it to major RL stages and I will be proud to say "I knew them when...". I have met fans and musicians here all over the world that I consider my friends.

In the 11 months I have been on SL, music has grown and improved greatly. Many big time RL musicians are finding that an interactive setting such as SL and others will be the future. Nikki Sixx of Motley Cru was on the Today Show this morning talking about this. Future is the key, we have to remember that what we are seeing is cutting edge technology on the move. What we ae enjoying today will probably be totally different a year from now.

Growth is never perfect and life isn't either. Good things take time and are worth the struggle (lag). But if you like to laugh, sing, play music, dance, make new friends, feel welcomed, be anything or anywhere where you're not, the SL Music Community will be happy to have you. Speak up when you come to a gig, tell us if you are new...we are glad to help you have a good time!

Hi Everyone Im also a singer here in SL and a TV Talk Show host...

We have now heard from lots artists about why we do what we do,..but what Im really interested in was all the problems that were brought up at the very top of this thread...in regards to finding out about music..ect the search, the notices. Im also a music fan and I also see a lot of shows to find people to guest on my show. And yes its really frustrating to actually get to some gigs, 1. no time noted clearly in the heading of the notice or in the body, 2. no slurl, no landmark, 3.not listed in events and you've just deleted the notice or IM and can't remember which group it came from, 3.you want to find out about gigs but can't join another music group....some artists only advertise their gigs on some groups not all...

Notices are posted by all sorts of different people which is why there is a major inconsistency with it. I would be far better if we had one central group...yes..and one fool proof form to fill out that asks for the slt start time and finish time. And landmark or surl and that if you attempt to send it without that info it flashes at you and say's "hey dummy where's the time!!"

Some events are not listed in Events because...only the venue owner can list it unless you are given authorization to do so, and some venue owners forget...and sometimes the gig is put on at the last minute, or there is a substitute artists...

So relying on event notices has its problems..

Another thing I really really hate, is landing at the given landmark or slurl and not arriving at the venue...but having to walk through laggy shops ect..to get to the venue and follow the green dots on my mini map I really hate that...specially if Im lagged, the venue can sometimes be up in the sky or on another floor.

As a community wanting to promote music it is beholding on us as artists and venue owners ect...to make finding our gigs as easy as possible without driving every one mad with constant messages...

In an ideal SL world we would have one music group, a fool proof form to fill out, insist as artists on slurls and landmarks at the door of the venue, not at the other end of the sim so our audience might buy a dress on the way......

Even better would be maybe one group with an option to tick off genres of music...the more open minded might like to know about all music, those that hate jazz but love folk can opt out...

Oh one other thing, I now use a Subscribe o matic at my gigs and at the TV Studio you click on the sign and you can get notices without joining a group and I only send out notices about 3 or 4 times a week thats all.

Soooo lets make a list of all the reasons we might not go to gigs...and try and fix that...how hard is it to get you non musicians and new music fans to get to gigs...and find them...
thanks for the thread
Paisley Beebe

Hi Paisley. I've seen you perform and i've watched your talk show too - love your stuff.

It's endlessly frustrating how many events don't get listed in Live Music (I've had venues forget to post my events and been unable to post them myself - arrrrgh!) and it's endlessly frustrating to have to deal with so many groups - I get multiple notices for virtually every event because I have to be in all the main groups to post my own events. If I don't log in every day, I get capped.

I agree with almost everything you say here. I'm fairly new here as a performer, but I don't agree that a single notice system is realistic. In RL, as you know, there are various sources for information about what's going on and people tend to turn to the source that matches their interests.

In SL, ideally ALL events would be posted in Events -> Live Music. There would be a separate category for DJ events (It may have made sense to combine them at one time, but now there are enough events in each category to merit separate listings).

In addition to events listings, people will continue to look to sources that match their personal interests - such as an individual artist's fan group, a favorite venue's group or groups that specialize in a particular style of music. I think that's valid as well.

SL seems pretty wide open to me - something that's has both upsides and downsides. As frustrating as it is to have no centralized, organized way to learn about what's going on, I'd hate to see too many limits placed on how people can promote events.

Respectfully,

EvaMoon Ember

Hi Eva Moon,
that..all the groups like music enthusiasts, second life music group ect...could combine by agreement, each artist should still have their own group...but if you had one general announcement group for live music with options to tick genres...and you could fill out a fool proof form for that one group then you would not have to send out 8 different IM's, perhaps you could write one IM for that group then send out messages to your own fan group...It just takes a little creative thinking for the lindens to come up with the option of redisigning the groups so you can have subgroups within the overall Live music group, and about the DJ thing..technically DJ's arn't supposed to be in teh Live event listing unless they participate live in someway to their show and some people think that announcing the songs should be considered Live there have been huuuuuge debates about that on SL, mainly cause the DJ's want to be included in the Live Event listing rather than their own group to take advantage of the popularitiy of the Live music fans..it is hard to Categorise Live verses non Live DJ which is why no line has been drawn...
You can find discussions on the Live DJ thing all over the music forums so look it all up before anyone starts that discussion here...and btw I have no idea what is possible as far as designing Group windows its pure pie in the sky ideas that Im throwing out...Paisley

Hi All - my partner and I have a venue in SL that hosts Live music. There are some AMAZING venues in SL that are operated by people who love music and being a part of the SL music community. It took a while to read through this thread, but for those who have not seen live music in SL - or even those that only tasted a small sample and were not impressed - please dont judge to hastily.

The differences in styles and performances are quite amazing. Some quality artists are playing in SL right now - and most SL residents do not even know it. As for 'fakers' or 'canned' performances -pfft. It is rare you will find a performance in SL that is not what it is billed to be. The ones that are are exposed pretty fast because most avid SL Live music listeners are not silly. One of the best things about live music in SL is the performers interaction with the audience - rarely in RL will a performer thank you by name for appreciating their music - this happens at every event you will go to!

And again - as for why? - it is fun. It is fun to play music in Sl and have even one person choose to listen. It is fun to have a venue where 1 - 70 people are having a great time in SL - listening to someone perform just for them. Sure - some people may have financial motivations and if they are very good - they are in demand by venues - but for the most part - people I am involved with in SL music just love music. Everything else is a bonus!

Spend the time and see what is here - The live music community in SL is vibrant and exciting - just click the search menu, click events, look for live music in the drop down box - and search for an event.

Hi Caramba - just for your info - the average booking fee for artists in SL is between 3000 and 5000 lindens for a 1 hour performance. Of course some will perform for less, and some much more. For some events a performer may even ask for over 20,000 linden for a one hour gig! This fee is BEFORE tips. Tips for a top performer in SL are as much as 10,000 lindens - of course not everyone gets that...and not at every performance! But if an artist has a crowd of 70 or more at one of the big venues, and the audience are all loving the show - they earn every Linden they make!

Rather than pick out 3 or 4 people out of dozens of wonderful perfomers in SL - all I can suggest is go to a few gigs - ask around - ask people who their favorites are. It wont take long before you end up at a show that will really surprise and impress you!

Wow....awesome talks. And thanks for the kind comments.

My reasons? All of what was said by the other musicians. Plus, I get to flirt with Nad on a whole new level. But, I do have to add a couple of things.

1. One reason for performing in SL is that I move around a lot. I left home (Kansas) where I always had a band. I moved to Maine and formed a new band there and it was all well and good. Until my husband's employer transferred us yet again. It is heartbraking to break up a band when you get so close. Since then, we have been transferred twice and are getting ready for a third (all in 2 years). It is a little difficult to get local gigs that way so SL gives me an opportunity to do what I love and it doesn't matter where I live.

2. This is the most important. Musicians don't look at music as jobs....only in the sense that we need to eat and it provides income to do that. We don't have a choice at what we do...it is just who we are, and SL is just one way to be who we are. And the best part of being a musician for me is the hope that I would touch at least a single heart in the crowd.

As for the real or memorex question. I use prerecorded tracks, both professionally made and those made by SL musicians. The tracks for my originals are done by a combo of sl musicians and rl musicians. But in every show I do, my voice is completely live the whole time. The only time you will ever hear a recording of my voice in a show is during Silas Scarborough's show. He recorded music for House of the Rising Sun and Turn the Page for me to sing live to in my shows and I recorded my voice for him to use in his shows while he plays guitar live. I have also been to many many live shows and only once, mayyybe twice, heard no live component. So that is very very rare.

And yes, I sing in my pj's and ummm....

I joined SL because I had heard about the live music scene to be had there.
There are some exceptional performers and some, to be kind, so-so performers.
A good place to start for live music is the Merry Prankster. A great venue and some of the best people in SL.
Yes, I have heard several of the musicians that have posted to this thread and stuff.\
I am a hardcore stereo addict, and have a big honkin' real stereo system connected to my PC so I get the best and the worst from any particular gig.
Yeah, and glam a beer ... and stuff.

Many of our Live singers have great talent, but a few rough edges. Singing on SL not only gives them exposure, but helps them keep their live singing polished, work out kinks in their songs and get some fans. It's hard to put yourself out there, having the support of their art even through Second Life helps keep them plugging away.

I book all the live artists for Demonic, and the reasons they begin are varied. For fun, for love of music, for art, to promote themselves in every way possible.. but most end up singing here for the same reason.. Love of their fans and a good positive feedback experience.

It's definately NOT for the Lindens *grins*

Butterfly
Talent Scout for Demonic Strip Club

My wife and I are major SL music fans. We generally see at least a couple of performances a week, often many more.

Yes, there are some performers we've heard that made us turn the stream off; I've heard people stumble through songs, obviously not knowing the words or sometimes even the correct chords... but for every one that I've heard that was like that, there have been 10 that are decent, along the lines of what you might hear at a party when someone pulls out their guitar and sings a few tunes.

However, the real joy of live music in SL is catching those true artists that are absolute gems. People like Cylindrian Rutabaga, Pillowfish, Komuso Tokugawa, Nance Brody, Frogg Marlowe & Jaycatt Nico, and many more always rock our socks off and provide an enjoyable time.

P2

SL Live music seems to be a lot like open mic night at a good venue. The talent is all over the map, and the performers are doing it mostly for the joy of it, as well as to meet others.