TUMC.
TUMC was born in August 2017 in the South of England. It was the brainchild of music enthusiasts in that area, mostly lovers of the blues, roots, americana and acoustic singer songwriters but if you’re more of a string quartet kind of person this is for you too!
It is primarily to assist musicians build a fan base and for the hosts/musos to indulge themselves with quality music in a “listening” environment.
A listening environment is exactly that, whilst the artists are performing their music the audience keeps quiet! They of course are encouraged to shout and cheer when a song finishes but if people chit chat during a song they won’t be very popular and likely will be advised accordingly by the hosts. Hard working talented musicians deserve respect and the people attending are paying to hear the quality of the music, not about what new car you’ve been thinking of buying!
How does it work?
There’s no real secret to it, a host will offer the use of their home or other suitable premises for the purposes of having the musicians attend to play for an audience of anything between 30-50 people, depending of course on the size of your space.
In the summer months gigs are generally outside in a garden or similar space and in the case of bad weather or the colder months it can become Live In The Lounge (LITL) as opposed to a Gig In The Garden (GITG).
The numbers and people invited are strictly the choice of the hosts as of course everyone’s available spaces are different.
Hosts:
It is advisable to only invite people you know who will enjoy the music and obey the simple rules that are set out at the start of each gig by you. It is your house you are opening up so it’s entirely your choice as to who you invite.
You are expected to provide tea and coffee and a few biscuits and of course toilet facilities. Your audience should bring something to sit on and a picnic etc. It isn’t suitable for parents to bring young children. Some hosts provide BBQ facilities if you’re into that sort of thing. There’s no limit to what you offer as a host but remember it is at your own cost. You have the kudos of opening up your home, providing your friends with a great day out but more importantly, you are supporting musicians! By doing this you will of course encourage your friends to do it too so you are paid back many times over with quality musical days out! Many artists have a small PA system they can bring however in some cases including touring musicians ( from UK and beyond) there won’t be that option so you will need to hire or borrow a small one for the day. The music will in the main be solo/duo acoustic, so noise levels are low, especially with a quiet audience! The PA is to enhance the sound quality for the listeners, not necessarily to raise the volume.
Sunday afternoons/evenings are usually the preferred options for most artists and hosts.
Musicians:
What do they get out of it? All the money and a chance to sell merchandise/CD's and increase awareness amongst music lovers of what they do. Artists just love playing to an appreciative audience and generally hate playing pub gigs as they have to compete to be heard and get paid a pittance which barely covers expenses. Simply put, the artist plays better in a proper listening environment, knowing they will be paid for all the hard work they have put in and the money invested in expensive equipment over the years. Many musicians are full time and it’s their only source of income so need to be paid accordingly just like everyone else. They don't get to work a 40hr week like normal working folk.......
The main musician would normally play 2 sets of 45 minutes with a 15 minute break and if having a support musician they would usually do 45 minutes before the main show.
Money:
As you are inviting guests to your house you obviously don’t sell tickets as such however a “donation” of £15 per head is requested and it is highly advisable to collect this as people arrive for obvious reasons!
All the money goes to the artists at the end. If having a support act it is suggested that they receive 20% of the donations with the balance going to the main artist. Always check with the main artist that they are happy with a particular support act.
Example of finances: 30 attendees at £15 = £450. Support act £90 Main act £360.
The Audience:
You are encouraged obviously to only attend if you are a music fan. We want you to really enjoy the experience but please note it is not a ‘heavy drinking’ day out (but you’re very welcome of course to bring your favourite libation) and it is certainly not somewhere to bring the kids for an afternoon, sorry. Total silence during any music is non-negotiable!
Please bring a picnic and something to drink with you along with a camping chair or some other sort of seat. Please don’t expect the host to provide anything more than tea/coffee and toilet facilities.
Don’t forget to bring ‘cash’ for your musical donation and maybe to buy some merchandise/CD’s from the artists as well.
So there you have it, the workings of The Underground Music Club.
Help support quality musicians and have yourself a great day out!
If you are interested in attending these events and especially if you’re in a position to host one please message us.
Keep music live!
