WHY AM I CONTACTING YOU?

I’m very interested in playing at your pub/venue. Unless I’m mistaken the internet tells me you host regular live music. I know these pre-written messages are impersonal but we can talk more specifically on your reply. I realise the most important question for most is simply HOW MUCH? I want to make sure everything is understood clearly about what I do so I urge you to read all of the text. Please let me know if you want me to use Google Translate instead of speaking English! – Sam Jones (solo performer / vocal & guitar)

MONEY/CONDITIONS:

All venues are welcome to recuperate their expenses by selling tickets & keeping 100% of the money.

UK:

90 minutes (2 x 45 minutes or 3 x 30 minutes) of 2/3 originals & 1/3 covers (with a 15-minute break) approx. 30 TRACKS: £180

60 minutes (2 x 30 minutes) of 2/3 originals & 1/3 covers (with a 15-minute break) approx. 20 TRACKS: £150

From 1st January 2025:

90 minutes (2 x 45 minutes or 3 x 30 minutes) of 2/3 originals & 1/3 covers (with a 15-minute break) approx. 30 TRACKS: £200

60 minutes (2 x 30 minutes) of 2/3 originals & 1/3 covers (with a 15-minute break) approx. 20 TRACKS: £175

45 minutes of 2/3 originals & 1/3 covers = approx. 15 TRACKS: £150

It might be worth mentioning that I am registered with Event UK & C247 for payments in UK (if necessary).

MAINLAND EUROPE:

With accommodation for 2 people:

60 minutes of 2/3 originals & 1/3 covers – approx. 20 TRACKS: €100

90 minutes (2 x 45 minutes or 3 x 30 minutes) of 2/3 originals & 1/3 covers (with a 15-minute break) approx. 30 TRACKS: €150

Without accommodation:

60 minutes of 2/3 originals & 1/3 covers – approx. 20 TRACKS: €200

90 minutes (2 x 45 minutes or 3 x 30 minutes) of 2/3 originals & 1/3 covers (with a 15-minute break) approx. 30 TRACKS: €250

From 1st January 2025:

With accommodation for 2 people:

45 minutes of 2/3 originals & 1/3 covers = approx. 15 TRACKS: €100

60 minutes of 2/3 originals & 1/3 covers – approx. 20 TRACKS: €125

90 minutes (2 x 45 minutes or 3 x 30 minutes) of 2/3 originals & 1/3 covers (with a 15-minute break) approx. 30 TRACKS): €150

Without accommodation:

45 minutes of 2/3 originals & 1/3 covers = approx. 15 TRACKS: €200

60 minutes of 2/3 originals & 1/3 covers – approx. 20 TRACKS: €225

90 minutes (2 x 45 minutes or 3 x 30 minutes) of 2/3 originals & 1/3 covers (with a 15-minute break) approx. 30 TRACKS): €250

POLAND:

With accommodation for 2 people:

60 minutes: 250zł

90 minutes (2 x 45 minutes): 500zł

Without accommodation:

60 minutes: 750zł

90 minutes (2 x 45 minutes): 1000zł

It’s definitely worth mentioning that I have a NIP & PESIL number as well as Polish Residency status (meaning I do not need to apply for a working visa to play in the country). I also have a Polish bank account. My website also contains a page entirely devoted to my musical history & activities in Poland.

WHO AM I?

I’m a self-employed musician & performer with a full backline. Over the years I have been successful playing around mainland Europe. I’ve written & recorded many tracks over several decades. I’ve worked with several famous musicians & opened shows for several well-known acts. Since January 2024 I have played in pubs across England & Wales almost every weekend.

TESTIMONIALS:

“Having performed for nearly three decades. A raw and honest musician and songwriter. Versed in Punk and Rock ‘n’ Roll but very much multi-faceted. Sam tore it up at our venue in Crewe this year, so we’re bringing him to Nantwich for a very special performance of original material and covers.” – Ebenezer’s, Nantwich

“Without a doubt Sam Jones is an extraordinarily talented musician and songwriter, capable of eliciting support from both legendary punk and mainstream artists alike. Though, having trod the streets and stages of both the UK and mainland Europe for nearly three decades now, this can come as no real surprise. Indeed it is testament to his musical skills and abilities that, through a combination of diligence, luck, tenacity, hard work and total self-belief, he has managed to sustain and maintain his career when many others couldn’t.” – Johnny Heartbreaker (Founder and Editor of Punked e-zine)

WHAT DO I OFFER?

My set list:

As a default, I play 2 originals followed by 1 cover & I don’t tend to deviate from that pattern. I CAN tweak my set list SLIGHTLY for the occasion by doing more or less of a particular thing, I am also open to acoustic or electric (only) shows. To see & hear exactly what songs I play live, please visit the LIVE SET section of my website. The general vibe of my set is quite punky & rock ‘n’ roll, especially in my choice of covers. I use several guitars (electric, acoustic, slide & tremolo) changing instrument after every handful of songs to keep the sound varied. I mix things up with acoustic ballads & instrumentals, ‘slide guitar’ (this style could be described as ‘Grunge-Blues’) performed on electric &/or acoustic guitars & a cross-section from my ‘songbook’ as frontman of various bands performed on electric guitar (this style could be described as ‘garage-rock’ or ’power-pop’). I play 50s-90s ‘retro’ songs performed on acoustic & electric guitars as well as electric instrumentals (with backing tracks), mainly ‘surf guitar’ & film soundtracks (you are welcome to opt-out of these).

DO YOU WANT MORE COVERS? PLEASE READ!

I CAN do 50/50 originals/covers for my FIRST (45-minutes or 30-minutes) set & then do my usual 2 originals then 1 cover for my SECOND set. If you feel this will make the night more successful, I fully understand. I just need to know before we arrange anything so I can prepare for it in the days leading up to the show.

Promotion:

I will also create & send a Facebook event & poster to promote the show as soon as a booking is confirmed! The Facebook event link can be shared on the venue/pub Facebook page & will contain my biography. Any parts of this text can be used to promote the show online. The poster which can be shared on any social media & printed to display in the pub/venue. If you want me to email you a high-resolution version, please let me know. It’s worth mentioning that my poster has been designed to help audiences identify exactly WHO I am & WHAT I do with the hope of pulling an interested crowd. I will also send a biography & a few pictures the morning of a show! I have several versions of a profile logo to help venues identify exactly what I do musically in my performances.

WHERE CAN YOU WATCH/HEAR ME?

For videos of me playing live please visit my YouTube channel via samjonesofficial.net which also contains a ‘master’ set list which my individual set lists are compiled from (go to the LIVE SET section). Underneath each song list you’ll find a Linktree page to showcase that specific style. I cannot send multiple links of my music because Facebook messenger just blocks me! If my website does not contain what you need to help you to make a decision about booking me, please let me know & I will add what you need immediately! An overview of my songwriting & covers selection can be heard on the ‘Retrospective’ album trilogy & (work in progress) album ‘Covered’ also via the LIVE SET section of my website.

START TIME:

I require 30 minutes to set up & soundcheck before my performance starts, this time needs to be factored in. I normally set all my Facebook events to 20:00 by default, expecting to start at 20:30. Sometimes (because of journey time) it’s a much safer bet to set the Facebook event to 21:00.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

I ask that venues DO NOT play ANY music on the sound system during my 15-minute interval & 15-minutes before I initially go on stage. This is to generate a better atmosphere for my performance.

BACKLINE/EQUIPMENT:

UK:

I’m constantly looking at ways to improve the presentation of my shows. Although I have a full backline, I use the time in between shows to make small improvements. When switching guitars, I use switch pedals for a quick & noiseless change over, with a clip tuner on every guitar the audience does not have to listen to me tuning up! I also use a separate speaker for backing tracks so everything is not coming from one sound source.

Outside of UK:

Please be aware that I travel with a very stripped-down equipment set up outside of the UK which will ultimately affect my set list. These shows are normally part of a mini-tour which is promoted as solo-electric OR solo-acoustic. I live out of a suitcase during these occasions. A full breakdown of my gear can be found in the EQUIPMENT section of my website.

AVAILABLE DATES 2024:

Please ask for list of my currently available dates until 31st DECEMBER 2024. You are also more than welcome to request a specific date that might not be on the list & I can tell you if I can do it then. I am not taking booking for 2025 because I have too many 2024 dates to fill! IMPORTANT: Because I spend so much time on administration, I like to encourage venues to book 2 DATES with me spaced at least 3 months apart.

OTHER BOOKING OPTIONS:

If you are less of a PUB & more of a LIVE MUSIC VENUE then you might be more interested to host one of these projects instead:

‘SAMUEL THOMAS JONES’ (ORIGINALS with a focus on NEW SONGS):

This is in fact my real name which I switched to using in 2023. This is the name I do any new solo activity under; including songwriting, recording & new social media presence. I chose carefully when to use the name for live performances but normally it means NO covers or very few covers, acoustic &/or slide guitar only shows. This switch over has been very gradual & when discussing my music as a whole I revert to ‘Sam Jones’. I also decided to continue using the ‘old’ name for my UK pubs shows or generally for shows where I play more covers. You will find a page devoted to ‘Samuel Thomas Jones’ via my website.

‘ANGRY TOWN’ (ORIGINALS & COVERS BAND):

A power-trio concept (in terms of its various line-up changes). The band flits between a live band which performs old & new songs from my back catalogue & a pseudonym to release old & new ‘full band’ recordings. My musical journey through several power-trios laid the foundations for the band which formed in Poland in 2017. You will find a page devoted to ‘Angry Town’ via my website, alternatively you can do a simple Google search. ANGRY TOWN can play for up to 60 minutes (roughly 20 songs) & are currently booking shows for 2025. The band are keen to support famous acts & headline events. As with my solo shows we (the band) ask for a guaranteed payment, agreed & negotiated with each venue beforehand. We are happy for you to keep 100% of any ticket sales & money taken on the bar or elsewhere as reimbursement & profit. We hope this arrangement will make an attractive offer & keep negotiations simple, we also hope it will encourage venues to handle ticket sales & promote our shows as soon as they are confirmed.

WHEN THINGS GO WRONG:

Poorly promoted shows:

If a show is promoted 2 days before it happens & the punters have no idea about who I am & what I do, guess what happens? Yes, nobody comes! For this reason, I ask venues to start promoting our show 3 weeks before the date or better still as soon as it’s confirmed! The reason I create an event is so I can add information to it for the public can see. If for example, promotion resulted in 10 non-regulars coming to a pub show especially to see me then the atmosphere on the night is going to be so much better for all concerned!

Change of management:

Another occasional annoyance is when a new landlord/landlady takes over a pub unaware I have been booked to play, only to find out days before the booking that someone new has been booked in to play. My instinct would tell me that a mistake has been made & the night should be given back to me but that does not seem to happen in these circumstances & I lose the booking because often the venue is booked up for the remainder of the year. 

OTHER COUNTRIES (OUTSIDE OF WESTERN & CENTRAL EUROPE):

ROMANIA:

With accommodation for 2 people:

60 minutes: RON 300

90 minutes (2 x 45 minutes): RON 600

Without accommodation:

60 minutes: RON 900

90 minutes (2 x 45 minutes): RON 1200

USA:

With accommodation for 2 people:

60 minutes: $250

90 minutes (2 x 45 minutes): $300

Without accommodation:

60 minutes: $350

90 minutes (2 x 45 minutes): $400