Is louder, better? This is Celtfather Music & Travel show #282. I booked a farmer’s market gig. The booker told me I would need to play completely unplugged. Past musicians played too loudly. They disrupted the sales of the vendors. Those musicians won’t be coming back. And now I might not get to play amplified. […]
Category Archives: Articles
Do you buy MP3s vs streaming music services?
Celtic musician Jesse Ferguson, The Bard of Cornwall asked this question on a recent blog post. It’s interesting and very pertinent for musicians these days. Because it is also a question of how musicians make a living in the new music business. As for me, I stream music on Spotify. I love having music at […]
An Atlanta-Based Celtic Music Festival?
I have long thought about starting a Celtic festival. Andrew McKee and I talked about it quite a few times when we started the Brobdingnagian Bards. It’s a great way to get a gig and help your fellow musicians. If you do it right. That was one of the sticking points–doing it right. It’s a lot […]
Going Back to Sci Fi Conventions as a Musician
My first post-pandemic sci fi convention happened this week. It was at Magic City Con in Birmingham, Alabama. I was a bit worried. Both because of safety concerns but also because of sales concerns. I will share what I learned last weekend. I SAID IT MANY TIMES… The music industry is changing. More and more […]
Venmo Me A Drink…in Scotland
Travel is life. I love to travel, see new places, and meet new people. It’s a huge part of what defines me. It’s why I started Celtic Invasion Vacations. Every year, I take a small group of people on the relaxing trip of a lifetime. That’s how I describe it in my podcast. I started […]
Patreon Was Never More Important Than Now
Three recent shows helped me understand how important Patreon is for musicians. They helped me realize that I need to grow the Gunn Runners Club on Patreon. For most of my career, I relied on CD sales. I could go to any convention, even unpaid, and walk away with a few hundred dollars. It was […]
Past Venues
I’ve performed at quite a venues during my musical career. Here is a list of the majority. FARMER’S MARKETS Pepper Place Farmer’s Market Homewood Farmer’s Market The Summit Farmer’s Market Grant Park Farmer’s Market Freedom’s Farmer Market Virginia Highlands Farmers Market BREWERIES The Lost Druid Brewery Tucker Brewing Company Blue Stallion Brewery Ironshield Brewery Three […]
How to Manage Booking Gigs Using GTD
I started working in the music business about 30 years ago. I’ve done a lot of things in the business. I’ve been a musician, a band manager, music marketer, and a promoter. Probably my least favorite part of the business is booking agent. Booking never came easy to me. It’s all about organization, contacting people, […]
Livestreaming with Bandcamp for Musicians
I never thought it would happen. Musicians can now livestream shows on Bandcamp. This is a game changer. I started live-streaming shows on Concert Window maybe 8 years ago. It was not a great experience. Tips were tough. Video quality varied. Plus my gear sucked and I didn’t know as much about how to live […]
Celtic Stories (formerly Pub Stories)
Welcome to Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. You can now hear the stories and inspiration behind the contemporary Celtic music and songs. It’s called Celtic Stories. What Are Celtic Stories? Celtic Stories are the behind-the-scenes moments from musicians. It’s the stories behind the songs. It’s the stories from the road. It’s the stories from live […]
