To Join UFO
We ask you to do just two things:
No1.. be our friend
No2.. Add a comment, Any comment, Apart from: thanks for the add.
Thankyou! UFO........
Influences
You’ve heard of the campaign for real ale, ‘CAMRA’. Well this is our campaign for real music. We operate under the guise of Urban Folk Organization or UFO. Our aim is to promote all those artists who work so incredibly hard to achieve and express their talents. We also want to promote all the venues that actually pay the artist to perform. There are a lot of people degrading music and demeaning artists making money out of their blood, sweat and tears, Fat cats who invite artists to play in their so called prestigious venues who do not pay the artist but ply them with empty promises and reap the benefits of the door and drinks takings all provided by the 50 guests that the artist has been asked to bring! We do not wish to promote any venue that does not respect the artist and we do not wish to promote any artist that does not respect themselves as an artist worth paying for ! We at Urban Folk Organization have the personal experience of supporting young artists in our own families through the mine field of trying to make a living within the music industry. Our own site will be up and running (March ‘08, www.urbanfolkorganization.com) we want the site to be able to give good solid advice and help to real artists, and praise all those who help them. Why should the rural Inn owner pay for artists to perform while the city club owner pays the artist nothing or near as damn it, considering they are also charging their customers on the door . At UFO we have our own modest data bank of who we consider to be real artists and respectful venues, now it is time to start searching for anyone who would like to join us. UFO is a non profit seeking organization. Thankyou for popping by, spread the word, We need you!
St Mary’s Church, Sandwich, KENT, Sandwich, 25th MAY
Cost : £10:00
THE FIRST EVER UFO PRODUCTION TAKES PLACE IN ONE OF KENTS OLDEST CHURCHES. RESERVE YOUR TICKETS NOW (ON SALE FROM THE 1ST APRIL FROM SOUNDHOUSE, DEAL/BROADSTAIRS AND CANTERBURY ROCK AS WELL AS THE WROTHAM ARMS PUBLIC HOUSE IN BROADSTAIRS. FULLY LICENSED BAR, SHUTTLEBUS TO AND FROM BROADSTAIRS. CARPARK ADJACENT TO TO CHURCH (100 CARS) FOR MORE INFO ABOUT THIS EVENT PLEASE VISIT:
Lets start making venues realise that we are WORKING when we are playing. Ive seen some of my musician freinds getting very bitter and are ready to jack it all in and stop gigging. Thanks for helping create more awareness. Good luck and keep me posted.
You've obviously struck a deeply resounding chord here judging by the response to your ideas.Yes payment is a big issue for acoustic musicians especially in cities as you point out. Any way we can help each other out is worthwhile and has my full support and THANKS!
Hi UFO ,
as well as venues and promoters an the like , what about the possibility of lobbying the government to provide some form of tax relief for musicians who are trying to exist from their work (like in ireland) I know that most of us get paid in cash (if we do get paid) but increasingly venues that are paying artists expect to do everything through the books now. Maybe it's a red herring to your central focus, but it's a consideration, and something that i think would be wellcomed by many.
Cheers
keep on doing what you're doing it's brilliant.
osamfran.
Well Hello there
We would like to virtually shake you by the hand! For you seem to have created a space where musicians can talk truthfully about the UK unsigned music scene. We are on a UK Tour at the moment. We play an approx 2hr set, 90% of it being original. We try to avoid playing so called showcase gigs if we can and only tend to do freebies for charity, we find the whole prospect to be embarrassing and degrading, after all can you name me one other profession that doesn’t fall into the arts category, where professionals are asked to travel miles across the country with as many friends as possible (all paying their way) to do their job for free. We are hard pushed to think of any! One other thing, because our music is generally more lyric driven, we have been classified by many as folk, we have been playing on the folk scene for just over a year now and many people seem to have contrasting opinions, We like the idea when now asked, to reply that we are Urban Folk. We feel that we sit quite comfortably within this genre! To further or prolong a career in music we feel it is vital your music slots into a certain genre. Thank you UFO! You’ve created a home for us.
Pierre and Bessie
The DEALERS
Well said, I couldn't agree with you more. I was actually having this discussion last night.
Promoters and venues earn a living through their business and of course they should be paid for their hard work. Therefore why should some people expect good quality performers to work for nothing?
I'm all for supporting open mic nights and promoting and helping venues, but there is a point where some venues are blatantly taking advantage of some people and I see it all the time.
Too many people are willing to regularly perform for free. Of course you do it for the love of it and to get your foot in the door you need to promote yourself and appear for free on some occasions, but when you're progressing to professional standards, people forget that the skills musicians are providng are also their way of earning a living.
Our thoughts exactly - it would be great if all bands boycotted playing in venues with promoters that don't promote but just book 4 bands a night who'll bring 30 peeps though the door.
This is an excellent idea
I'd like to add to the 'manifesto' a campaign for real lyrics, come on folks, let's hear what you really think and feel about things, it's not like there's nothing to write about!
keep the faith
Aidan
I'm in.... you should also check out my site for eListeningpost.com. It's a new site where you can sell downloads and the payment goes straight to your own paypal account!
94%profit goes to the artist. You can add buttons to your myspace site too... they are on mine.
Anyways keep me in da loop! Sounds good,
claire x
Fantastic!
You have my full support and I'm sure the support of all Soupers. I wish you well on your righteous quest to support and nurture real organic music.
Power tae yur elbows
Aj
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