We posted a report last month about the recent European Bluegrass Summit held in B?ºhl/Baden (Germany) in early February. The summit was convened to allow for closer collaboration among European bluegrass associations, and to further the promotion of bluegrass music in Europe.
One of the first fruits of this conference has been announced, the work of the ‘booking issues’ group. They have created a notice board, posted on the EBMA web site, where bands planning a tour in Europe can announce their tour dates in a central place for promoters and venues to view them.
John Sheldon, secretary of the Scottish Bluegrass Association, has written an open letter to any artists who might be interested in this service:
Planning a European tour? Do you have a European festival booking and are you looking for some more follow on gigs? Do you have a gig offer in Europe and are you looking to build up a tour?
If you are acting as your own agent and organizing your own tour you can put your dates forward to me with a request for enquiries to be routed to your e-mail/telephone number etc. This will be placed on the On Line Notice Board. This can be accessed from a button on the EBMA site, and more links are being established with bluegrass promoters, European Music Festivals and European National Bluegrass Associations.
What I am looking for is a fairly concise notice about your tour with links to your own site. You can put this notice forward to me as your own representation, or if you have an agent/manager I’m happy to accept information from your representative.
Information can be submitted to Sheldon by email.
Other members of the booking issues group who worked on this project include Christopher Howard-Williams, organizer of the
European Bluegrass Festival at La Roche-sur-Foron, Chris Keenan, organizer of the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival at Longford, Ireland, Dagfinn Pedersen, organizer of the Ris??r Bluegrass Festival in Norway, and Rienk Janssen, International IBMA Board member, EBMA board member, and coordinator of events throughout Europe during European World of Bluegrass.
