It’s always been an ambition of mine to make a living as a musician. In my eyes I guess it’s the ultimate win.
As a child the only exposure I really got to musicians who make a living was limited to pop stars and big household names on MTV or TOTP re-runs. However these names only make up the tiniest fraction of a huge and dynamic music industry, whose largest protagonists are people who generate their income from a variety of musical avenues outside of fame and fortune.
Some of the savviest musicians I’ve met seem to spread themselves around several sources of income – gigging on a Friday, recording and mixing a local musician’s latest single on a Tuesday, and maybe running or doing sound at an event on a Thursday.
This is where I’ve been trying to put myself over the last few years. Certainly making a career in music is a far flung world to what I had imagined as a child, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
My first jump into playing in front of a crowd
I’d always been well into music. I’d played piano and guitar and written little tunes for a few years, done well at GCSE and A-Level, and started singing. But I’d only ever been (apart for a couple of awkward open mic appearances) a bedroom performer, tucked away by my own little home studio – a small Focusrite soundcard, a keyboard and a Shure sm58.
I was fortunate enough to join a band in 2015 and played keys for a great frontman, Paddy James. We started gigging all around and played some nice pub and corporate shows. This was my first jump into playing live in front of a crowd on a regular basis, and I loved it!
One day the band let me sing a song by myself before one of our sets, and it went okay - not world changing but people liked it well enough. A few more tracks like that, I thought, and I can do a show on my own!
At the same time, I knew a local musician who worked as an agent getting singer-songwriters for several venues around Southampton and Portsmouth. I dropped him a message to see if I could get a gig in a local bar and he trusted me enough to get me one. Millers Pond, a little pub not far from me.
I must have prepared for days for that one gig. It was two 45 minute sets, I think all piano and vocals, and after a lot of panicking it actually went alright. It was a Friday night and I played mostly sad songs which was a very definite mistake, but it was workable! There was a nice couple who stayed next to me all night and listened to every tune.
Taking a huge step out of my comfort zone
From this I got more into the local gig scene. I gradually learnt what songs worked, which songs I did well and didn’t do well (I had some terrible moments) and began building a set list of more upbeat crowd pleasing songs mixed between guitar and piano. Mumford and Sons, Elton, Robbie Williams, Amy Winehouse, The Zutons, Coldplay, Oasis, George Ezra etc.
I gigged maybe once or twice a month and it was great! I wasn’t making enough to support myself fully, but as a supplement to my daytime job it was certainly a bonus.
Around 2016 I decided it was time I came out as a rampaging homosexual (an odd tangent, but bear with me) and started going to the local gay bar on a basis too regular to be healthy. I got to know the managers over several months (not intimately I’ll add, steady on) and eventually they asked me if I’d be interested in running an open mic in the cocktail bar part of the club!
They saw some reason to employ the guy who’d been sat being very sick under the staircase, so I was fairly flattered they could see something worth their while in me. This was a huge step out of my comfort zone but eventually I was persuaded, and I’m eternally grateful for that.
The biggest boost for me as a performer
We started the Box Bar Open Mic in 2016, every Tuesday, 8:00 pm until 11:00 pm, with keyboard, guitar and mics provided – eventually a cajon too.
Even if it’s me saying it, I think it was a pretty decent success. We attracted a regular and devoted group of fine musicians, many of who have gone on to release their debut tracks and ep’s online, which has been a joy to see. It also gave me the opportunity to play alongside some great musicians on a weekly basis.
On a developmental note this was probably the biggest boost for me as a performer. I was forced to announce and keep an audience entertained between setting up and learning how to make sure the sound was good for every act that might come along.
It also gave me time to perform live in front of people, maybe even several times a night, every week. If it was quiet, I’d play during any gaps so there was always live music. Being able to perform and try out new things to a nice audience on a regular basis is such a valuable thing.
Becoming a full-time musician
This open mic ran for about a year and a half before it sadly ended in the winter of 2017. It was a great run. Just before our big final night I was asked to run another open mic at a new venue in Southampton, and shortly after this was asked to take over a third, both weekly!
At some point in between all of this I found I had enough music work to stop doing bar shifts on the side, so I handed in my notice and officially labelled myself a full-time professional musician. By this time I’d already registered myself as self-employed and had received lots of exciting paperwork for tax returns, so it was all quite real.
There wasn’t really any shouting from the rooftops, but inside I was absolutely made up. A far cry perhaps from stardom on MTV, but I’d made a career for myself in music that was sufficient enough to fund my – albeit fairly unexciting – lifestyle, and I’m pretty proud of that.
A learning curve steeped in opportunity
From 2017 onwards I worked two open mics a week and gigged regularly at some cracking venues – from an amazing little pub in Alton to fabulous Cabaret venues in London. I’m exceptionally grateful to the venues who allowed me to perform and run these events, and who I'm glad to say have always treated me very well.
It’s been a huge learning curve, but also one steeped in opportunity. I remember one night when the cast and musicians of Warhorse, who were performing in town, came along with all their instruments and I ran them all through my little setup. It was a night I’ll remember forever.
Through these events I’ve made so many friends, met so many wonderful musicians on the local Southampton scene and have used the skills I’ve learnt to play bigger and bigger events – such as several Pride In London stages and EuroPride Vienna 2019.
These were all made possible after winning the music round of Pride In London’s annual Pride’s Got Talent competition last summer, which in turn was only made possible to the skills I developed by being given the opportunity to play locally, often and in supportive venues.
Going forward my aims are to move to London and to try and work on the scene there, and with MU membership and their support on my side I’m beyond excited for the future.