From package cruises to beach bars, the holiday gig circuit is a way of life for some performers. But does the sun, sea and security satisfy them creatively?

One might assume that there is something dispiriting about performing night after night to audiences for whom music is a mere backdrop to recreation, forgoing the chance to focus on your own songwriting in favour of covering singalong hits to a party crowd. But in a music industry that is increasingly precarious, particularly in an era of economic uncertainty, Brexit and streaming, an established residency in a holiday resort can offer artists a degree of financial and emotional stability.

People will always prefer to listen to songs they know, and money is hard to come by as a musician.