The future of live music (or lack thereof) is a burning topic right now. This year, we’ve seen Paul McCartney backing a Parliament bill to protect music venues from closure, while there has also been recent legislation affecting live music venues all across Scotland. These events have reignited the debate around whether or not the UK’s…
A killer guitar solo, riff or chord progression is nothing without an amplifier to add impact. Without the amplifier, we wouldn’t have such gems as Jimi Hendrix’s rendition of Star Spangled Banner at Woodstock or Led Zeppelin’s performance of Stairway To Heaven at Earl’s Court. The list goes on and on. However, like a lot…
As any DJ will tell you, accidents can happen – even with the utmost care and caution. Here are our top tips for keeping your DJ equipment safe before, during and after a show. Prepare backups When you’re playing to a lively crowd, the last thing you want to happen is for the sound…
Anything can happen when you’re on stage – just ask Gareth Marshall. Reggae and ska singer and Insure4Music policyholder Gareth was performing live at a pub in Southampton, covering the likes of UB40 and The Specials. Like many of his gigs, the vibe was intimate, the crowd were loving it – there were nothing to…
We’ve all heard the saying ‘no pain, no gain’ – and playing the guitar can come with its fair share of pain! However, some injuries are more pain than they’re worth, especially if they prevent you from playing. We’ve rounded up the most common guitar related injuries and provided explanations on how to avoid them.…
“You wouldn’t wait until you had a crash to get car insurance, so why would you wait until you have an accident to get DJ insurance?” This self-explanatory but astute observation was made by Insure4Music policyholder and legendary garage DJ Lonyo Engele, better known by his stage name Lonyo. His song ‘Summer of Love’ was…
To some, Halloween might seem like a gimmicky annual celebration involving children in fancy dress asking for sweets – but it’s also responsible for some excellent music. In fact, the themes and characters associated with Halloween are central to some of the greatest songs ever written. So, whether you’re a DJ deciding which songs to…
As plenty of musicians know only too well, some artists never get the plaudits or recognition their music deserves. They have a loyal set of supporters, a respectable amount of YouTube views and put on live performances of a lifetime, but their music never catches on with a wider audience, for whatever reason. Well, we’re…
“I can make a guitar speak. I can make it howl and move. I was rhythm guitarist. It’s an important job.” As you may have guessed, these are the words of John Lennon, who would have turned 77 today. To celebrate his musical legacy and creative genius, we’ve selected just a few of his most…
It may come as a surprise, but the term ‘hipster’ is not new. In fact, many hipsters from decades gone by could claim that they were hipsters before the term went mainstream. It was coined during the jazz age of the 1940s to ‘describe aficionados of the growing scene.’ Today, the term has changed to…
