Five tips for setting up a successful Irish Music Club

Irish music has become increasingly popular over the last few years and has inspired many fans to set up their own Irish music clubs.

Sometimes, unfortunately, their expertise has not matched their enthusiasm and the clubs have folded before they’ve had the chance to become established. Here are some pointers for setting up a club that will last and thrive.
1 Find the right venue. A pub or bar is the obvious place but try to make sure you have a separate room away from the main bar in the back area or upstairs. This gives you much more control.

If you use the main bar it will be difficult to charge an entrance fee as people with no interest in the music will want to enter. A separate room also makes it easier for you to make sure that people keep quiet while the singers are performing.

Make sure the venue has good parking and is close to public transport as this will make it easier for more people to attend and so increase you chances of success. That picturesque little bar in the countryside may seem nice but if no one can get there then it’s no good.
2 Make sure you have a large group of good performers behind you before you start. Ideally, you need at least 10 reliable acts because not everyone will be able to make it every night and the last thing you want is for the audience to turn up but there’s no one to entertain them.

3. Try to get a good cross section of performers. Irish music is very rich and varied so you want your club to reflect that. Someone singing lilting celtic ballads may be very nice but it will be even more effective if the ballads are interspersed with acts doing singalong drinking ditties or a fiddle band performing jigs and reels.
4 Spice things up every now and then with a professional act. This may be expensive but most successful clubs manage to save their takings each week and hire in a professional once a month. This will give your club a lot of extra credibility and the extra people who are attracted by the professional will hopefully start coming along to your singers’ nights as well.
5 Get someone reliable on the door to take the money. This is often overlooked but not everyone can be the star act. Someone who can look after the finances is essential if your club is to survive.

Irish music never seems to go out of vogue so if you can set up a successful club you should be able to maintain it and keep it going for many years.