Irish Showbands Forum - Irish Business

01/15/07 at 11:19:28

ronryan Offline
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I broached this subject before in relation to another subject I was posting about at the time, Irish Business. Ireland is very prosperous these days, but back in the Sixties it was not so. In fact there were still Irish people imigrating to England, America, Canada, and many more Countries simply to make a living, a living that they could not make at home. I have wondered over the years how many business's were started by young people who played in Showbands? Many of the 'Showband heads' I meet in my time with the 'Blue Aces' were sensible, level headed people, and speaking to them many were 'looking ahead' to a time when jumping in a Van, travelling many miles in all weathers, and getting home at all hours would at some-time loose it's appeal. There's no doubt that a lot of money was made in 'Showbands heydays', I know a lot went to Managers, and Hall-Owners, but there was money in the hands of the 'Heads', and I am sure that some started their own business. So if you started a business, or know some-one who started one with money made from 'Showbands', tell your story. It could be as I have long suspected that 'Showbands' did more for Ireland than just making music, and in fact helped make the Ireland we know today.

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Reply #1 - 01/15/07 at 21:55:22

whistle Offline
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Hi Ron

very interesting topic. Sadly, I think most of them faded into factory jobs, farming, many emigrated. One or two I know did start a business but failed - hence, it would be unfair to mention them specifically. Unfortunately, money and a great idea are not often enough to run a business. I had personal involvement with one musician (not a showband head) who persuaded me to go into a small light manufacturing business. I was young and foolish (and a bit desperate) at the time; I had enough money (redundancy) to rescue the business before it collapsed and became a partner but while my friend had great ideas he knew nothing about business; I knew a little more, enough to keep it all afloat until I got a chance to sell my share a year later and get my original investment back. The working capital I had sunk during the year I categorised as education. The entire operation collapsed about a year later.
To prove that the potential was there, my brother is in the same business - he had been working for me and stayed after my departure, and he built a new business from the ashes of the one I had been involved with. That's over 20 years ago and he's still going strong.
In fairness to my former partner (and myself) this was during the early and recessionary 80s.

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Reply #2 - 01/15/07 at 22:05:21

whistle Offline
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and after that rather downbeat post....you're probaby aware of Gerry Madigan's success story (as related on this very website!):
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Gerry Madigan: After leaving the Cottons in the Fall of 1978, Gerry formed his own highly successful bluegrass band called Mash, but he was back with the Cottons in the early 1980's. By the mid 80's, the scene was dying and Gerry left the music industry and ended up as Managing Director of Gym Services, Ireland, a financial services company. In the mid 1990's, Gerry emigrated to Canada and wrote his book, Five Plateaus of Progress, which was not only a best seller, but forms the basis for his management company. He and his wife, Marina, have six children and love Canada, although he visits Ireland regularly.
-------------------
a very talented musician and a really nice guy to boot....

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Reply #3 - 01/15/07 at 22:35:42

whistle Offline
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Quite a few musicians stayed with what they knew: the music business. Around the country, recording studios have been opened by band members some of which have been quite successful.

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Reply #4 - 01/16/07 at 12:40:31

ronryan Offline
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whistle wrote on 01/15/07 at 22:05:21:

and after that rather downbeat post....you're probaby aware of Gerry Madigan's success story (as related on this very website!):
----------------------
Gerry Madigan: After leaving the Cottons in the Fall of 1978, Gerry formed his own highly successful bluegrass band called Mash, but he was back with the Cottons in the early 1980's. By the mid 80's, the scene was dying and Gerry left the music industry and ended up as Managing Director of Gym Services, Ireland, a financial services company. In the mid 1990's, Gerry emigrated to Canada and wrote his book, Five Plateaus of Progress, which was not only a best seller, but forms the basis for his management company. He and his wife, Marina, have six children and love Canada, although he visits Ireland regularly.
-------------------
a very talented musician and a really nice guy to boot....

That's a nice story, there must be more just like this.

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Reply #5 - 01/16/07 at 12:43:55

ronryan Offline
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I love YaBB 1G - SP1!

Posts: 73

whistle wrote on 01/15/07 at 22:35:42:

Quite a few musicians stayed with what they knew: the music business. Around the country, recording studios have been opened by band members some of which have been quite successful.

Lets hear from them!! it won't hurt their business to let all who read this board know where their Studio is. I would have thought going by what I have read ,and people telling me, that Tourism is a good thing to be in.

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Reply #6 - 01/16/07 at 12:57:05

ronryan Offline
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I love YaBB 1G - SP1!

Posts: 73

whistle wrote on 01/15/07 at 21:55:22:

Hi Ron

very interesting topic. Sadly, I think most of them faded into factory jobs, farming, many emigrated. One or two I know did start a business but failed - hence, it would be unfair to mention them specifically. Unfortunately, money and a great idea are not often enough to run a business. I had personal involvement with one musician (not a showband head) who persuaded me to go into a small light manufacturing business. I was young and foolish (and a bit desperate) at the time; I had enough money (redundancy) to rescue the business before it collapsed and became a partner but while my friend had great ideas he knew nothing about business; I knew a little more, enough to keep it all afloat until I got a chance to sell my share a year later and get my original investment back. The working capital I had sunk during the year I categorised as education. The entire operation collapsed about a year later.
To prove that the potential was there, my brother is in the same business - he had been working for me and stayed after my departure, and he built a new business from the ashes of the one I had been involved with. That's over 20 years ago and he's still going strong.
In fairness to my former partner (and myself) this was during the early and recessionary 80s.

Hello Whistle, That's a sad but not unfamilar story. I think, and this is only my humble opinion, that you must go into a business that you know some-thing about, and most importantly like doing. Since I gave up touring in the 1980s I concentrated on a 'hobby', the Stock-Market, and over the years done quite well at it. When a Stock I was holding was taken over early this year and I more than doubled my investment, I bought a half share in a Music Publishing Company in the States, and have started writing songs again. Both things I like doing, so it's not like work, it's some-thing I love doing, I think that's the secret.

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Reply #7 - 01/17/07 at 00:36:41

whistle Offline
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at risk of digressing, Ron, I'm sure you heard about Mattie Fisher of Procol Harum winning his court battle for the rights to royalties on WSOP. Is there no similar road for you to take regarding the songs you wrote in the 60s but got neither credit nor royalties for? The kind of ghost writing that you did was not uncommon - still happens - and I always felt it was very wrong for good composers to be abused in this fashion. Now there would be a tale to tell!

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