So you want to play at AcoustiCity?

You're welcome to submit demos but please bear in mind that I listen to all submissions personally and while I endeavour to contact everyone as speedily as possible, this can take some considerable time & is not always possible.

Sadly it's impossible to book all the performers I would like as we have fewer than 30 slots per year & we try to put on a diverse bill each time (which means that we're unlikely to put on 3 male, guitar playing singer-songwriters on the same night).

The club is (very) non-profit making. Headliners are paid on a share of share of door deal. Showcase performers are given a contribution to travel expenses & always have the facility to sell CDs, build mailing lists, etc.

cheers - James

What's it all about anyway?

AcoustiCity is now in its 7th year & took nearly 2 years to put together, largely due to a lack of suitable venues in Colchester. I wanted to address the problem of many 'acoustic nights' where the subtleties of acoustic instruments are lost against a background of people talking, playing pool or watching the match on a wide screen TV.

thebar.jpgThe Headgate Theatre has proved the ideal venue for creating an atmosphere that both performers and the audience can enjoy. With a separate bar, foyer for CD sales, 82 seater auditorium with raked seating, spacious dressing room and great lighting & sound it is the perfect forum for music which is crying out to be heard. We take it over every month (apart from August) & do our best to bring in a crowd by publicising events properly to local press, media & our e-mail list.

Most gigs comprise 2 performers/bands playing 30 minutes each & a 1 hour headliner slot. I strive to have at least one local performer on each bill. There are drinks & snacks in the dressing room & all performers can sell CDs & gather mailing list names.

How do you say the name?

Yes, we know it's daft! Acoustic City is most common but Acousticity (as in electricity) is also good.

So what sort of music are we looking for?

Well it doesn't have to be entirely acoustic. We run everyone through a PA and have had electric instruments and drums onstage but we are looking for acts that have an acoustic feel or flavour to their songs. A cover is fine if it's done in an interesting way, but we want the bulk of the set to be original material.

 

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We are not a folk club, nor do we intend to be (although some of our performers may have Folky influences). We have a good relationship with both Colchester and Wivenhoe Folk Clubs and they cover that type of music well (see listings in the main menu). Part of what we do is to plug the gap that songwriters fall into where they are not 'rock enough' for pub venues, but not 'folk enough' for the folk and traditional music clubs.

We don't do singers' or open mic nights
these are popular, necessary for people learning their craft & entertaining but not what we offer. We only want you if you're serious about your music, and you can cut it live.

SEND YOUR DEMOS TO:-

AcoustiCity - 94 Richmond Road, London E11 4BU.
Please do not send packages which would not fit through a 19cm x 3.5cm letterbox! Please do not send outsized parcels or registered post as there may not always be someone at this address & your package will not be retrieved from the eager clutches of the folks at the sorting office.


or feel free to email us for more info. at info@acousticity.co.uk
PLEASE NOTE we are delighted for you to send send us links to  myspace, YouTube, Sonicbids, your website, etc. but please do not email MP3s or other large files.

We have a huge number of incredible performers wanting to play. Every demo sent gets heard but sadly, due to the sheer volume of enquiries, it is not possible to reply everyone to whom we cannot offer a slot.

AcoustiCity - the home of original 'unplugged' and acoustic music in Colchester