What to expect when you come here to play/perform

‘Outdoor Music in Wirksworth’ (including Festival Street Music) is exactly what it says on the tin; at its best (which is most of the time) it is wonderful music played by joyful musicians in extraordinary and beautiful outdoor venues to audiences who really appreciate what’s happening. However, that’s all it is; don’t expect auditoria, elaborate changing facilities, thousands of watts of power, or huge crowds; make allowances for occasional terrible and clashing events elsewhere. Come for what it is, enjoy it, and come again!

Your ‘performance slots’ are exactly that; an agreed time and place and equipment. The previous performer should be off the space by your start time; you should be off it by the end of your allocated slot. Where we’re providing a PA it will be set up as notified (we’ll tell you exactly what you’re getting, power output, number/type of inputs, number of microphones with stands, etc). Please don’t expect anyone from OMinW to introduce you or greet you – we’re usually ragged running multiple venues with one or two people only.

‘Audiences’ vary enormously; some slots may appear only to offer two men and a dog, or a dozen people walking past you deep in conversation, while others may attract 50-100 folk sitting or standing and apparently rapt in adoration of you. At others, 100-1000 will hear you as they wander round. The ‘real’ audience is usually invisible – many venues have strange acoustic qualities in this town of lime- and grit-stone, and hundreds of people hear you without you even seeing them; we know that at the Open Gardens Weekend, some musicians felt insulted by people wandering the gardens who seemed to ignore the music, yet we also know that some of those same people later said that the musical gardens were so magical that they were ‘like paradise’. With our multi-venue events, nobody can hear all the music; so relax – and enjoy the experience!

We offer you

· Superb venues, either with pin-sharp acoustics or with adequate PAs with ‘idiot instructions’

· Full Travel expenses for those who need - sorry, no actual payment, we can’t pay everyone so we don’t pay anyone

· Put out a ’hat’ if you want – we poster all events to encourage punters to chip in, and as we go on we’re increasing this practice.

· A wonderful experience, an appreciative audience

· Definite bookings, as soon as you want (NB – once we’re 60% full on our major events we introduce a ‘quality and variety’ bar for those wanting to play here, so if in doubt please confirm early)

· Publicity and promotion (Expanding this is one of our key targets for 2010, and please see ‘How to get involved’ on this)

· Email notice of all our upcoming events, and of any other opportunities to play which come our way

· To list you for at least a year from confirmation onwards on all our ‘2010 – The Music’ publicity, with your performing name and a brief description and for which event/s you will or have been here, with contact details (and photo if supplied) so people can deal with you direct

· Full listing from the earliest point we can on local posters around town, on this website and anywhere else we can

· Potential for specific posters if you provide us with images – but not too many please!

· Dedicated mobile number just before the Event for emergency contact

Further info - contact Dave on 01629-825531 or email