Death of a local scene? Music in Dublin in the digital age

This chapter reflects on the Dublin indie and dance music scenes from 2000 to 2017 and examines the everyday reality of being a musician or DJ and the pathways to becoming a regular performer in Dublin over that same period. In the climate of declining gig attendance, closing venues and music piracy, I trace the digitally shaped economic reality for musicians in Dublin over the period 2000-2017. I extrapolate how musicians have made money to pay for the expense of sustaining a career as a musician, such as equipment and production costs, and I investigate how they earned money to live. This chapter identifies that there are many facets involved in being a contemporary performer in the digital/social media era. It presents evidence of the challenges and opportunities that musicians in Dublin face and, as such, provides a unique insight into changing musical practices that, although based on the experiences of those within a specific locality, will resonate with experiences globally. In examining the influence of local music-making in inspiring young would-be musicians, I question, as we spend more and more of our time online, if we have witnessed the death of a local music scene.