CONTENT WARNING: I need to say straight off that this is a pretty niche topic; most people are not Music Creators, and this particular area is of interest to only a subcategory even of those that are. So, if missives-bordering-on-rants about particular types of arts funding are not your thing, no need to read on!
One of the caps I wear is as Curator of The Back Room Dispatch at The Cobblestone, a truly authentic Dublin music venue. The Dispatch is essentially a sophisticated singer-songwriter night, with a panel of 3 featured songwriters each time, backed by a house band comprised of top session musicians. There’s also a special guest to kick off the proceedings. For the Spring 2025 edition I had the privilege of sharing the stage with Clara Rose – making her second Dispatch appearance – and Sad Sham, aka Shane Hannigan, all backed up by the Back Room Dispatch House band; Johnny Taylor on keys, Paddy Joyce on bass & Paddy Hopkins on drums. Previous Dispatch songwriters have included Thunderclap Murph, Gillian Tuite, Keith Burke, Ben Prevo and Sive. We’ve had special guests in the past like Gloreile vocal harmony group, acoustic duo Bird Alone and jazz singer Eithne Cunningham. This time round, it was award-winning barbershop quartet Third Time Lucky
I run the Dispatch twice a year. From the outset, I’ve been very clear on the value of employing the finest musicians for the house band, which means instrumentalists with not just the technical skills required but also a sensibility for collaborating on original music. That’s generally Podge Kilbride on keys, Paddy Joyce on bass & Paddy Hopkins on drums. Plus an honourable mention for some of their predecessors – Johnny Taylor on keyboard and Frank Brophy on drums .
Songwriters have two rehearsals with the instrumentalists before the gig, and, naturally, the session musicians have to be remunerated for rehearsal time as well as the performance. As a working musician myself, I place a pretty high premium on fair pay and on setting clear expectations for anybody providing creative services. Add in the cost of promoting the event, and hiring sound engineer plus front of house staff, (and shout-out to The Cobblestone for keeping these costs as low as possible) and clearly, even with a full house, it’s impossible to break even. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I only run it twice a year.
Why don’t I apply for funding, I hear you ask? The answer is I’ve tried, unsuccesfully, and here comes the rant part……..
I can confidently say that The Back Room Dispatch has real value; while there’s any amount of singer-songwriter jams and Open Mic nights around, they’re typically casual, unrehearsed events; there’s nothing else like this in Ireland. And songwriters consistently note that, from start to finish, they find the experience rewarding and it enhances their original material. But the event is not considered sufficiently experimental to attract funding. Trouble is, it’s not financially viable without it. It seems I’d have a better shot of getting a grant if I was running a Difficult Music Salon, for a much smaller audience.
And maybe there are some negative perceptions of the singer-songwriter world – generic, ‘it all sounds the same’ are common criticisms – but if so, it’s largely down to this, in my opinion. The break-even point with self-managed events is simply too high by the time other costs have been covered to contemplate hiring other instrumentalists, so indie songwriters typically have no choice but to limit their songwriting ambition to material they themselves can perform, which usually means guitar accompaniment only, plus maybe whatever favours they can call in. More prestigious performance opportunities, like showcases and music fairs, are only an option for people with the resources to hire instrumentalists, cover travel costs to such events – and, sometimes, ‘pay-to play’ fees – and rent rehearsal space at their own expense, and/or those with a strong network of contacts. And as long as singer-songwriters continue to meet these costs themselves, or make do without it, Official Financial Support remains unavailable.
So I do it Unofficially; rather than spend any more time on lengthy funding applications that come to nothing, I typically take on a few extra bread-and-butter gigs to cover the shortfall from the Back Room Dispatch, and at least that way I know I’ll get the money. But I’m not gonna lie, this arrangement has its drawbacks; a shoe-string mentality creates a vibe with any project, a lack of breathing room in the creative process. Plus I’m working way outside my skillset in terms of managing and promoting the event – that’s my choice, but I don’t love the feeling that it could be done so much better by ….well, almost anybody else actually.
Naturally, I’m hoping some wealthy patron of the arts is going to read this and relieve me of that burden. So, if that’s you, please drop me an email – cathymcevoymusic@gmail.com
Please feel free to get in touch as well in the (rather more likely) event that you’re interested in being a featured Back Room Dispatch songwriter.
cathymcevoy 