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Introduction
While live performance remains a vital source of income for the majority of musicians, they at the same time play the essential role in the social, economic and cultural life of our communities ([4] Blake and Jeffery, 2000). Significant numbers of independent artists rely on them financially, whereas for many others gigs in local pubs and clubs are often their first steps in a musical career. Yet, those venues employ musicians to provide a better experience for their customers. Frequently, the choice of music played in pubs, restaurants or nightclubs is a crucial factor affecting patrons' decision to enter the venue or not. As one research indicates, music is the most popular service offering, ranked by consumers even higher than low prices ([12] Kubacki et al. , 2007); an other study shows that customers are willing to pay more for meals in restaurants with live music ([13] Lane, 1990). It is important to note, though, that for many local musicians these places create also a unique opportunity to build and maintain relationships with their fans.
[8] Fisher et al. (2002) indicate that the quality of relationship between musicians and wider business is in need of significant improvement. In their research amongst musicians, none of the key constituencies in the music industry scored more positive than negative ratings, with club owners, financial institutions and politicians sharing a particularly bad reputation. However, although there is recognition in marketing literature of the role played in the service environment by different front and backstage personnel (e.g. bar staff in [23] Pratten, 2004), customers ([17] Martin and Pranter, 1989), and the effect of music on venue's brand image ([2] Areni, 2003) and various aspects of customer behaviour has been extensively studied (see for example [21] Oakes, 2000), there is still a paucity of research into the role, experience and contribution of musicians to the creation of a live performance.
While "little is known about what motivates consumers to attend performances" ([18] Minor et al. , 2004), only a handful of studies have investigated artists' perceptions of creation and consumption of experiential products such as live music. Although, as [18] Minor et al. (2004) argue, the "artists are the focal point for the audience", they are the products and...