Tom (EORÐESLAJYR)
SPB: What is the most thankless job in the music industry?
Tom: We think one of the most thankless jobs in the industry is putting on DIY gigs and organizing DIY venues. Having a vibrant, encouraging DIY venue in your hometown is such a great asset for young bands. In Ireland there's such a strong drinking culture that unless you're gonna draw a large crowd that buys a lot of pints, it can be expensive to put on shows in bars and traditional music clubs.
We have a lot of respect for people who go out of their way to put on gigs and performances in different spaces and break away from the pub/alcohol culture. These alternative venues often serve as great incubators for musical projects and underground culture. Unfortunately the reality is that these spaces are often expensive and stressful to maintain. With a policy of low cover charge and BYOB, they usually don't last very long. I don't know if it's fair to say it's all thankless though, people can have a lot of love for these places and the memories they have there. It's just a sad truth that they are mostly a labour of love for the people organizing them.
