The financial stories of CHRIS COLE and artists After The Fall, Pray Naked and Rachel Friend

2. Many people in pubs/clubs use the band as background noise and pay scant regard to the words being sung. (Booze too cuts down on an audience's attentive powers!)

3. In some pubs, cover versions of pop/rock hits are insisted upon to help punter familiarity.

4. Attendances at a "quiet night" secular gig are often smaller than even the most miserably publicised church-run gig. (A few years back I saw Split Level play a well known Birmingham rock pub shortly after they'd got a secular deal via Germany's Pila Music. There were 15 people there.)

Case History - PRAY NAKED
Pray Naked are an excellent indie rock four piece who got their unusual name from a classic 77s album. After a shaky start-stop-start-stop beginning due to numerous personnel problems they now have a settled line up and with some good songs from singer/guitarist Mark Houston are beginning to be noticed in the student pub scene of their hometown of Barnsley, South Yorkshire

1. How many gigs have you played?
"We've done 15 gigs. That's not a lot in two years but we've had our share of personnel problems."

2. What was your first gig?
"I was planning the band and applied to play the Cross Rhythms Festival '95 fringe - the Showcase Tent. But none of the musicians could make it so I went and did the gig by myself with just an acoustic!"

3. What has been your biggest audience?
"150. I organised an Eden Burning concert at Rippon College and I made sure we were the support act!"

4. What has been your smallest audience?
"That was last Wednesday night at the Brown's pub, Barnsley. When they all stood still there were 12 people."

5. What is the highest amount you've received for playing a gig?
"We're getting paid £40 for playing a pub next week."

6. What is the lowest amount you've received?
"Nothing. We do it for the joy of playing."

7. Do you get any money from merchandising?
"None because we haven't got any yet. We're planning to make our first tape later this year."

8. Do you have your own PA?
"Kind of, we have a friend who has one and generously goes out with us without charging. I met him at Cross Rhythms Festival actually."

9. Final comment:
"A bad night in a pub is more depressing than a bad night in a church hall. Student-orientated pubs tend to be empty during weekdays and that's where you start. But if you keep at it eventually punters see your name on enough posters to decide to check you out. Then it's up to you."

Worship Ministry
Such has been the popularity of the concept of a musician "leading" worship at a church service that today in Britain there are more musicians in Britain's churches engaged in praise and worship ministry than any other kind of music making. The vast majority of these musicians stay within the confines of their local churches of course. But a minority have the musical ability and talent to compose new worship material and begin to spread their wings further afield. Once a country-wide ministry has been established such worship leaders/composers might consider making a recording. Finding a company to finance such a project is, if anything, harder than getting finance for a performance orientated album. The leading praise and worship record companies/publishers are inundated with thousands of demo tapes and even if an individual song is taken up to be published in a songbook. Very little finance is released by companies to finance recording.