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Aberdeen gig guide


soundian

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After listening for years to people saying "what a good idea a gig guide for Aberdeen would be" I've done some basic research.

It's financially viable, I've got 1/2 the venues needed to finance it in less than 4 hours after getting my first print quote, what I need is volunteers to write for it and, crucially, someone to run the associated website.

I've got enough time to co-ordinate things but not enough to write articles, reviews, previews etc. There's no money in this but I think with some (OK, a lot) of help, it's possible to supply a comprehensive gig guide (no Market Street crooners, space is too valuable) with an associated website which can explain more. Probably with a "local band encyclopedia" so we don't have to keep thinking new things up for each band.

If anyone's interested, has suggestions (bear in mind that the paper version will be very limited in space ) for the website, want's to help, whatever, give me a PM.

It'll be a lot of work to set up but I reckon we could run it with 10-15 people doing a couple of hours a week each.

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After listening for years to people saying "what a good idea a gig guide for Aberdeen would be" I've done some basic research.

It's financially viable' date=' I've got 1/2 the venues needed to finance it in less than 4 hours after getting my first print quote, what I need is volunteers to write for it and, [b']crucially, someone to run the associated website.

I've got enough time to co-ordinate things but not enough to write articles, reviews, previews etc. There's no money in this but I think with some (OK, a lot) of help, it's possible to supply a comprehensive gig guide (no Market Street crooners, space is too valuable) with an associated website which can explain more. Probably with a "local band encyclopedia" so we don't have to keep thinking new things up for each band.

If anyone's interested, has suggestions (bear in mind that the paper version will be very limited in space ) for the website, want's to help, whatever, give me a PM.

It'll be a lot of work to set up but I reckon we could run it with 10-15 people doing a couple of hours a week each.

Count me in in some form Ian. As I have said there are things circuling around inside the council that I know about but independent inititiative, I feel, will once again show them the way which they will most likely ignore or carry on producing 'The Spot'?

Nice one!

Jim

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One thing - if there's a website' date=' would it not make a lot more sense to tie it in with the existing websites as opposed to "going it alone"?[/quote']

The website, along with everything else will need to be standalone, as it cant afford to look like its favouring any specific band or genre, the point would surely be to create soemthing that would work as a completely seperate thing from everything else, and completely neutral.

Cheers

Stuart

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Hmm...I can't see this idea taking off to be honest. I know of at two other groups of people trying to produce exactly the same kinda of thing in Aberdeen (a printed and distributed gig guide in Aberdeen) and to be quite frank, as far as the online world goes, doesn't the AUBL web site already effectively provide an online gig guide?

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Hmm...I can't see this idea taking off to be honest. I know of at two other groups of people trying to produce exactly the same kinda of thing in Aberdeen (a printed and distributed gig guide in Aberdeen) and to be quite frank' date=' as far as the online world goes, doesn't the AUBL web site already effectively provide an online gig guide?[/quote']

Well, I'm happy to work with Ian in doing it and abandon the ideas I've been working on, I think having a paper guide to the actual gigs with a companion website may be the most viable way of doing it tbh. I've been spending a fair bit of time in Edinburgh and thats what their guide does and it seems to work fine. its a starting place if it works it camn be expanded.

Cheers

Stuart

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I almost agree with you' date=' not everyone has internet access though, not yet.[/quote']

as well as the fact that many people that may be interested in local music may not surf the web for it, preferring instead to stick to their strongholds of news, porn and ebay.

i wrote a site whilst bored a couple of months ago

http://gigs.affronted.org

it's like a calendar based thing for gigs, but it has no gigs in it. feel free to add gigs, venues, etc. etc. it could be useful for promoters just wanting to remind themselves (or other people) when their dates are.

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I almost agree with you' date=' not everyone has internet access though, not yet.[/quote']

Ian,

I like this, because for starters you'd be entirely independant. Certainly we'd be up for it, so please count us in.

***

Like I said on the other (Arkade) thread, IMO the best way forward would be for the independant venues, promoters, and everyone else associated with 'the scene' to form a cartel and look to expand and promote the scene TOGETHER. But what do I know - it's not like I have a proven, successful track record in business, finance, economics, markets, making things happen etc...

oh... wait... ;)

For instance I'm pretty certain that TOGETHER we could convince the council the fund Doctor Drakes (or a Doctor Drakes type place), and offer to pay people (preferrably those that did such a good job in the past) decent money to run it. The focus being unchanged: on providing local bands, and promoters with somewhere decent that would give them regular gigs, and also hosting the type of touring acts that other places don't/won't.

I know how to go about this, and TOGETHER we'd almost cetrtainly get a result. But so far the silence has been deafening.

Drakes, in it's second incarnation, was located directly behind us. It had no detremenal effect on our trade. If anything, whilst it was open, it perhaps made us a little busier, probably because it gave more people a reason to come to the area... and because it was possible to walk between the two places in about 17 seconds. So the reinstatement on Drakes would not and should not be an issue for anywhere else. The bottom line is that Drakes provided what was in essence a valuable public service. The full effects of Drakes closing might no be felt for another 2-3 years.

Last time I checked the premises were still on the market. But the clock is ticking...

So if anyone out there is at all interested in doing anything else CONSTRUCTIVE to help expand our 'scene', then please get in touch. I'd love to hear from you.

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having drakes reopened would be fantastic' date=' i would love to help in anyway i can[/quote']

To do this the people that would need to be on-board are, the people that were previously involved with Drakes (obviously and most importantly otherwise it's pretty much a non-starter), and ALL the other independant venue owners to back the idea. Promoters would be of use also. But without support from those aforementioned it would probably never happen.

I'd like to clarify something... this was only given as one example of something that could be achieved. I'm not on a crusade regarding Drakes in particular. But if there was interest then I would do everything I could to help.

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this is a cool idea, and if you can finance it then it would be great for Aberdeen. If totaly independent, could it also be posted with the lemon tree monthly thingy? Would they do that? Their list of so/so gig goers would give it a lot of exposure.

Needs a cool name as well...

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Suggestions for a title for this thing would be good. I've got one criteria though, it has to say what it does (unlike "the spot"). I'm not hugely happy with Aberdeen Gig Guide because I'm going to try to include a wider range of stuff than just gigs, time permitting.

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