Inkster

Tickets on sale from ticketweb tomorrow at 9am and will be available in one up from the end of next week hopefully

Kris Roe will be there on his own accompanied by an acoustic guitar and probably a laptop.

Most likely the gig will be split in two halfs.

1st half - Blue Skies played in full from start to finish

2nd half - He'll play tracks from So Long Astoria and other Ataris classics.

Most dates are getting Blue Skies in full with some gettin So Long Astoria in full but imo we're getting the better deal

This will be happenin 11th March 2009.

Who fancies this one?

Poster and details to follow soon!

Along with acts like Jason Mraz, take That and Boys Like Girls.

Well done lads!!!

hey guys

1st finch are not on drugs, nate is 100% sick we all have this same bug

it sucks but we are all feeling beter and it looks like the glasgow show will be fine

2nd the people who spread this kind off bull havnt you got a job seriously

where do people get this bollox

Taken off Punktastic.com forums as posted by one of the guys from Shadows Chasing Ghosts

Westhill, Aberdeen's "best kept secret".

I think you could be right though. I don't know how much the Ashdale costs or owt, but it would be supported by the school and you'd probably get quite a few kids just "coz there's a gig on". Only problem would be the size of the place - quite hard to not make it appear empty, etc.

With regards the North East thing, myself, Mr. Calum and Mr. Huw went a wee jaunt to Arbroath last year. The local community centre had organised the gig and seemed relatively well behaved and there was a good turnout. It did at times have a "school disco" feel and there was strict curfew and something over "noise outwith the venue" - kids being lairy etc, but on the whole it was a pretty good setup. I'm not sure whether these gigs are regular or what, but from what it looked like, they aimed for Friday or Saturday nights and folk appeared whether they were genuinely interested in the acts or not.

I'm not saying this is the way forward or anything, just thought it was relevant and was evidence of something similar working.

Beat Generator Promotions put on gigs most friday and/or saturday nights with many a good touring band playing there and one or two local bands supporting.

A similar thing is what I was thinking about doing but obviously down here in the central belt cos it would be hard to do it up the road.

14+ gigs with strict curfews, police aware of when and where the gig is and can gauge if it's allowing for more or less trouble to control and whether it's a good idea to keep up.

Google The Ark in Ayr and have a squint at their site

I'm actually wondering if it might be worth your time getting in touch with the heads of music departments in schools - the more 'englightened' departments always organise band nights, and they may be very enthusiastic if you can bring a 'name' band to a gig with a good local support or two, along with a place for bands from the school in question. There's the issue of security/etc - but if it's a school event, it's pretty likely that they'll be on their best behaviour.

I'd give you Westhill as a good heads up to investigate - the Ashdale Hall is pretty cheap to rent, and the school traditionally has been quite supportive of alternative music. However, the music department is shit

A small suggestion - what about trying to put on a mini tour of school/community halls throughout the North East? You could get three bands as part of the 'tour', with a fourth band coming from the local area. I'm sure some established local bands that aren't up their own arse would kill for the opportunity to play some busy gigs and earn a decent amount of cash to do so - particularly as the kids at these gigs might very well end up turning up at their 'real' gigs in the city.

It might also be worth talking to those that have received public money in the past for gigs too - the council does have money available to give to these things, and I'm sure any proposal to 'get kids off the streets' will go down well with the decision makers.

Be bold, be brave

Thanks man. Only one problem...Living in Glasgow these days lol

The problem is quite complex though - most private companies/individuals won't be interested because of the potential problems, particularly given past high-profile incidents with alcohol. You also have to consider the amount of knife crime among young people - rightfully or wrongly, no-one wants to risk having a stabbing in their venue.

I would suggest that it would make the most sense to lobby APA to do more for young people - they have the venues, the public funding and the remit to do things for young people, so they should be the first point of contact. However, they may very well argue that they do more than enough for young people and so that they don't need to do more.

I don't think in these economic times, you'll get far by appealling to private individuals - they have to make money, and they aren't going to risk their livelihoods on some idiot drunken teenager choking on his own vomit in the toilet.

Perhaps contacting local youth workers could be sensible? They would be able to arrange hire of school halls/community centres/etc, and you could easily attract a decent crowd (200 out of a school of 1000 wouldn't be hard) to a gig held in such a place. Sure, you'd have the hassles of putting the gig together, but you could more than likely charge a higher price given the 'community' nature of it.

There's certainly no reason that you have to put on gigs in city centre venues - although it may be difficult to convince bands to play in such locations rather than in mainstream ones. Local bands would probably be no bother (particularly as they could play a gig in say Cults one week and then the city centre the next without worrying about affecting their turnout in the city) - but I'm really not sure how a band around the 300-400 quid guarantee mark would treat an offer of playing such a gig.

But just don't expect the venues to show any social responsibility - unless they're receiving public cash, of course

Cheers for the input man. Much appreciated. I'll look into what you've suggested

I agree with you to the extent of getting kids off the street etc and someone coming up with alternatives and allowing kids to experience live music etc. But as has been pointed out, the people running venues are taking massive risks from all sorts of angles.

It takes someone (maybe you since you feel so strongly about it) to do something a little different that will allow the youth access to live music in an environment where there won't be the risk of kids dying from alcohol poisoning and all the crap that goes hand in hand with it.

I'm currently trying to draw up some sort of plan that I can take to certain people but I thought a few more people would've been supportive of such an idea but it appears not

"promoting to underagers is simply a lazy option" -

Not true and you must bear in mind that most 14+ gigs (for example the Dan Vs Pip and LOTP gigs I am prommoting) are requested/demanded by the bands themsleves...not the promoter.

-

This is very true and something that's often requested by bands. It all comes down to the demographic of a bands audience. Indie bands are so much easier to promote to an older audience than hardcore bands. I'm more a fan of alternative music and so the demographic I'm aiming most of my gigs at are going to be younger people with the occasional older audience member (say 1 in 10).

In the case of LOTP, aren't they all about 17?

This point I'm trying to make is not about me or who I promote or who I promote it to but more a personal opinion of mine that I find it more and more unacceptable that kids are being driven out of going to gigs at weekends (unless it's a bigger band playing Moshulu/Lemon Tree or Music Hall) when they have the most free time on their hands. I think it's up to more people who have the knowledge to help create gigs and events that cater for a younger audience to take them off the streets and do something useful with their time rather than hang about corners harassing people.

Fancy walking me through this one?

I'm intrigued by what Cloud said to. Do explain.

Why not just put Yashin on instead? They're also atrocious but should make you some money.

Sounds like a good idea. Maybe I will. Will have to wait til they get a new singer first though.

Yeah, I'm not saying every gig should be 14+ or that every venue should put on 14+. The promoter/venue will be aware of the appeal of a certain band etc etc and if it's worth putting it 14+ they will. But people have to accept Flash's comments regarding underagers getting themselves pished outside or sneaking drink in etc etc. Underagers will find a way to drink without getting served at the bar. Fuck me, I did it often enough!

When you're 14/15/16/whatever, you couldn't care less and are probably blissfully unaware of the consequences getting hammered underage can have on a bar owner etc. All you care about (massive generalisation...) is being cool/hard/getting a snog off some hotty in your year at school.

There's a time and a place for 14+ gigs, and as was said further up, most touring band gigs will be 14+.

Like I mentioned above, I will endeavour to compile a comprehensive list of Aberdeen gigs at MySpace.com - Aberdeen Gig Listings - UK - www.myspace.com/aberdeengiglistings and I will include on there whether it's a 14+ gig or an 18+ gig.

Cheers,

Calum

I'm not disputing this fact. Most touring bands do get 14+ gigs but come fridays/saturdays and I (for example) phone up a venue asking for a date and get told it's 18+ at weekends then it makes it a lot harder to get a specific band to play in that city unless they play on a sunday-thursday night but this ultimately affects attendances due to school/work, buses home etc and then even if the gig does get booked the band have less people to play in front of and punters miss out cos they can't make the gig.

Said band then get a bit more recognised and come back to play somewhere like Moshulu and the punter then pays double the price they would've paid to see the same band at Drummonds and all those stories we have about seeing whatever band it is in Lava/Kef/East Neuk/Drummonds etc can't be said because they weren't allowed in or couldn't make it.

I'm probably waffling a lot now and I'll admit that but it's an issue I'd like to address at some point in the future and if anyone wants to help me then please PM your details and ideas.

If you don't like my opinion don't ask for it, arsehole. A good way of keeping people out of your business is not to post threads on public forums asking for their feedback on it.

Your feedback wasn't about the artist in question but who and what I promote. Stick to the thread topic if you can

i`m not speaking about "helping the scene" it will do alot more than putting up posters to "help the scene" am just replying to your question why venues try to avoid puting on underage gigs

Yeah but I've heard it all before about money etc.

Fuck me, it mentions in this very thread about Stayover having a residency at The Moorings. This would never have been possible in my opinion had it been an 18+ policy.

Put yourself in the shoes of a 15/16/17 year old and your favourite band is coming to town but yet you can't go cos it's an 18+ gig and you can't afford to travel to the closest city to see them. It's a bit shit in my opinion.

Yeh suppose you have a good point but the majority of the underagers will chance there luck at the bar and theres always one or two that slips through and manges to get served.

or theres the ones that get absolutly wrecked before they come and sneak there booze into the venue. so to any passer by the think the club/pub is serving younsters

also having underagers in means the bar isnt really making much money, so from the bars point of view there isnt really much point in underage gigs

So why bother putting posters in each others establishments etc to apparently "help the scene" but stifle the scene by having 18+ gigs?!

I don't know about other Lemon Tree gigs and I have absolutely no say in it, because I'm an outside promoter, but the Exposure clubnights will always be 14+ and that's a Friday night once a month.

Good man!

I couldn't disagree more. Having an 18+ policy has some minor benefits, you know little things, like being economically viable. Oh - and avoiding going to jail for life because some kid has drunk itself to death in the toilets.

The Moorings runs more as a pub with one gig a week more than a music venue. I know you used to do a 14+ or 16+ policy until you found people had sneaked in bottles of vodka etc into your premises.

Bags checks are simple things to do and even then if you find someone going in, out, in, out all night you must suspect they are going out to drink in the lane or whatever so if you see them in a state you are quite within your right to refuse them entry.

My gripe isn't really with The Moorings though it's just music venues (not pubs) in general that are more and more only allowing 18+ events on friday and saturday nights.

I think somewhere like the Lemon Tree for being a community conscious place should take on the task of providing gigs for underagers to attend at weekends. Could quite easily be a Saturday matinee or tea time gig, which doesn't prevent another 18+ gig or club night happening in the evening.

The youth of Aberdeen is where things should now be aimed at. Places having over 18s policies does nobody any favours. Yes I realise everyone has a business to run but more and more local youngsters are being pushed out the door, especially on weekends when this is the time of the week they have more time and money than the rest. School nights quickly affect gig attendance as does transport home, take the risk of these factors away i.e. allowed to attend gigs on weekends and they're more likely to go.

This is a situation happening in most cities just now not just Aberdeen.

In my opinion something has to be done. I'm not suggesting all pubs open their doors to unders but at least have somewhere like a town hall or Lemon Tree type venue that is willing to help out and take them off the streets

DF are an internationally recognised company who put on some of the world's biggest acts. Are you really making a living out of all-local lineups at drummonds to the point where you choose bands based on the likelyhood of them making you a profit rather than being passionate about the music they make?

I have never once put on an all local line-up in Drummonds or anywhere else for that matter. Who I choose to book is up to me and who I work with, not you.

I always cater for my own music tastes within reason because if all I ever did was put on bands I like then I'd probably never make any money out of it but once in a while I'm quite entitled to follow the buck and book someone outwith my comfort zone who I think will make me some money, especially in today's credit crunch climate. Makin money on some shows allows me to put on bands I feel really strongly about and want to help reach a bigger/wider audience than what they might be used to.

DF started out doing something they were passionate about back in the day until they grew a lot bigger.

I'm gonna stop now cos I shouldn't feel the need to explain myself to you or anyone else.

i think if you book him, then your family should disown you. unless they already have, in which case...good for them!

I like being the black sheep of my family

why the hell would you book him if you think he is atrocious?

Business perhaps?

I'm sure DF or whoever doesn't like every band they ever put on but they know what sells tickets and makes money

wait...it's a he?

Yip, sure is!

Possibly booking him for Glasgow. Depends on circumstances.

I think the guy is atrocious but people seem to like him

MySpace.com - JEFFREE STAR (CALL ME 323-271-0336) - Vanityhood, California - Electro / Pop - www.myspace.com/jeffreestar

Thoughts?