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 less 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 a guarantee against share of door. 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 or open mic events which, valuable as they are, do not guarantee the audience a high standard of performers.
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?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 some 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. People come to AcoustiCity to discover new music, not listen to what they've already got at home on CD. |
 |
We are not a folk club, nor do we intend to be (although some of our peformers 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). We want 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. Neither are we trying to recreate the sort of singers' and open mic nights that are popular (necessary & entertaining) for people learning their craft. We only want you if you're serious about your music, and you can cut it live. SEND YOUR DEMOS TO:-James Hibbins -Private & Confidential, c/o 1 Kimbell Mews,
Boughton, Northamptonshire NN2 8XB AcoustiCity - the home of original 'unplugged' and acoustic music in Colchester |
The Headgate Theatre has proved the ideal venue for creating an atmosphere that both the performers and the audience can enjoy. With a separate bar, foyer for CD sales,
82 seater auditorium with fully raked seating, spacious dressing room and great lighting rig it is the perfect forum for music which is crying out to be heard. We take it over every
month (apart from August), install a custom built Acoustic PA
designed by Trace Elliot and, more importantly, do our best to bring in
a crowd by publicising events properly to local press, media & our e-mail list.