''Promoters'' (Bloggy rant warning)
I did a gig last night to a (mostly) empty room.
My band doesn't often sell out a venue unless it's really small but we usually get a decent crowd. We were a bit down about it but when we started dicussing it we realised there were quite a few contributing factors to the poor audience numbers:
1. The weather. Is was pissing down which always cuts your audience numbers down.
2. The venue. The bar we played wasn't a rock/alt/student type place at all. It's pretty much a townie pub.
3. The date. Wednesday night on the week of the month most people get paid. Also my city (Leicester) is very much a student town and all the students are away on holiday.
4. The ''promoter''. This was a big one. We were discussing the turnout with him and asking what he'd done to advertise the gig. ''I posted it on my website'' was his answer. Who the hell looks on small time promoters websites apart from bands looking for gigs?
''Anything else? Flyers or whatnot''
He said '' Oh yeah, I did posters. I put them up in here''
The venue. Which was a townie pub. Where he was promoting a metal night. Good move.
''Anywhere else?'' we asked.
''Well no because flyers cost money and I'm not making that much at the moment.''
He then asked what we'd done. We had done myspace bulletins, facebook events, texting friends etc. We would have liked to have done flyers and proper posters but it was a bit tricky because the promoter hadn't told us the door charge, names of the other bands, running order, opening times and other details until a few days before the gig.
He said WE should have done more, that it was OUR responsibilty to attract an audience and do the promotion work. The ''PROMOTER'' said that!
He just expected to sit at the door collecting his money.
Ahoy hoy
On a completely different note... are the Scum Pups still going in Leicester? It was a LONG time ago when I saw them, probably in the Abbey Park fessie.
I'm a sorta Vai/McLaughlin/Satriani/Meola/Zappa kind of a guy
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/stoob
http://www.myspace.com/stoobdeboobtoob
Nevermind... lol
Just did a search for 'em and they disbanded in what looks like around '93
I'm a sorta Vai/McLaughlin/Satriani/Meola/Zappa kind of a guy
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/stoob
http://www.myspace.com/stoobdeboobtoob
that promoter was probably their manager
Just happens mate.... Promoters are usually pretty nice people (if a little greedy).. there's always one who ruins things for people.
Seems like one!
In my experience, promoters are never that (i.e. promoters). They just get hired by the venue to put an act on, and then can't be assed actually promoting. So, very often, with the better venues, the promoter will say to you - "Hey, rather than paying you, I'll give you £800 worth of tickets - and if you pay £100 for the tickets - you'll have made £700! Bargain for you!".
Gah.
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Great old band from back in t'day. I was at that gig and managed to hyperextend my knee in the mosh pit. Luckily i was so drunk it didn't ruin my day!Originally Posted by Noobshire
Been offered one like that too. Them gigs can fuck right off! Just the old 'pay to play' scam in disguise. I'm sure some young bands might fall for it before they realise there's no way they're gonna sell 'em all.
Problem is that a lot of bands at the venue I'm involved in is that they make absolutely fuck all effort to tell people to come to the gig. Presumably these bands know who their own fans on and are better placed to target them.
Also punters are more likely to come to gigs when a band playing tells them about it, than when the 'greedy promoter' is telling people.
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