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success of goNORTH?


Ollie

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ive said it before and ill say it again' date=' Stanley are by a clear country mile Aberdeens best band, most of the record guys i spoke to last night agreed with me as well. :)[/quote']

Agree, they will end up being Aberdeen's biggest band by a long way I think, amazing sound, very nice guys, but a bugger to soundcheck ;)

Cheers

Stuart

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Agree' date=' they will end up being Aberdeen's biggest band by a long way I think, amazing sound, very nice guys, but a bugger to soundcheck ;)

Cheers

Stuart[/quote']

totally disagree with that. they are a good band, they are tight and they are all technically very proficcient, but i dont think they have the songs (couple of gems in there) or the x factor needed to hold attention for 30 mins...yet

as for biggest band, i highly doubt that. from what i have heard rumbling about between people in the know, and from what plans/intentions and interest that a few bands have, i would seriously beg to differ

but good luck to them. id like to see them get touring

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Last night was great and sad in two ways, really.

Great - Izo Fitzroy and Viva Melodica were both really good - Izo stole it for me, though. I'd love to get her up here for a gig sometime, anyone that was there would understand how good she was :)

Sad - the Edgar Prais announcing on stage how Jamesy got them the gig. After being told by a few people that the selection process was better this year, hearing that really devalued the whole thing. I'm not stupid, I know the whole thing is about connections and who you know, but really, doesn't this make a complete mockery of the whole selection process?

Let's be honest though, I'd do exactly the same thing for someone I believed in if I could get them in the spot - as would the vast majority of people. The music business isn't about honour and valour and all that nonsense, so at the end of the day, fair play to them.

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Sad - the Edgar Prais announcing on stage how Jamesy got them the gig. After being told by a few people that the selection process was better this year' date=' hearing that really devalued the whole thing. I'm not stupid, I know the whole thing is about connections and who you know, but really, doesn't this make a complete mockery of the whole selection process?

[/quote']

Can you elaborate on that? What was said?

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Can you elaborate on that? What was said?

Not 100% sure what was said, but they got people to cheer for Jamesy because he got them the gig. I was busy playing with my phone and not really paying attention, but they definitely said that Jamesy got them the opportunity to play the gig. The exact wording is beyond me, but I'm positive about the mentioning of Jamesy getting them the gig.

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Not 100% sure what was said' date=' but they got people to cheer for Jamesy because he got them the gig. I was busy playing with my phone and not really paying attention, but they definitely said that Jamesy got them the opportunity to play the gig. The exact wording is beyond me, but I'm positive about the mentioning of Jamesy getting them the gig.[/quote']

They were added at the last minute, as were Fiction/Action (though with a day or two notice), which suggests they were filling in for bands that had pulled out - bearing in mind that there were only two bands on the Tunnels Thursday bill - compared to the four on Wednesday (though one was a DJ). From the look of things, it doesn't look like any backhand deals were going on.

Also, if you weren't really paying attention, is it right to be speculating to the point of accusation?

Any issues with organisation aside, considering:

- you get to see a shitload of bands over two days, for free. FREE.

- the bands are treated well

- 150 or so delegates this year, apparently

its pretty good, non?

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im no part of the industry in any way and i prefer to avoid the business liek the plague' date=' so maybe im not qualified to comment on such things but

surely that is inaccurate. tigerfest is a wee collection of gigs with a ton of insular indie music. whereas go north (for all its sins and shocking organisation) covers much more musically and workshop wise[/quote']

Although I've not been up this year, from a radio point of view it's about seeing a lot of bands in a short period of time (in both cases).

I'm glad it's there to help bands get a leg up. To be able find out more about MCPS / PRS / get contacts for gigs outside the NE / be inspired to practice harder / whatever, you rarely get the opportunity on your doorstep.

Long live GoNorth and independant events just like it.

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They were added at the last minute' date=' as were Fiction/Action (though with a day or two notice), which suggests they were filling in for bands that had pulled out - bearing in mind that there were only two bands on the Tunnels Thursday bill - compared to the four on Wednesday (though one was a DJ). From the look of things, it doesn't look like any backhand deals were going on.[/quote']

To be honest, I don't care enough to pay attention to who got added when. It's simply bad PR for a band to be announcing that someone got them the gig when there's a supposedly fair selection process going on. Calling it a backhand deal is a bit ridiculous, considering how small the Aberdeen scene is. It's more like a "hey, they've pulled out, what about letting so and so play?" "well, why not?" type deal, which if I was in the right place at the right time, no doubt I would've tried for my friends, too.

Maybe you should try looking from the perspective of bands who don't have the right contacts, yet who spend time busting a gut to try and get somewhere? We hear constantly on here that it's about the music, all about the music, don't we?

Also, if you weren't really paying attention, is it right to be speculating to the point of accusation?

What accusation is there? Ask anyone that was there, it's a fact that it was mentioned that Jamesy got them the gig. Nothing more, nothing less. I know some people are kings (and queens) of spin, but it would be fucking hard to spin what was said in any other way.

Any issues with organisation aside, considering:

- you get to see a shitload of bands over two days, for free. FREE.

- the bands are treated well

- 150 or so delegates this year, apparently

its pretty good, non?

Wasn't bad at all this year. Saw some dodgy bands, but discovering Viva Melodica and Izo Fitzroy more than made up for it. Can't fault the organisation of the actual gigs, they ran to time and so on..it's just a shame that the whole selection process ended up being a sham yet again.

Shame the Wild Boar couldn't be used for more stuff though, I'd love to see more gigs in there with such variation. Especially more Dutch football-hooligan-core-music ;)

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I didn't call it a backhand deal! Read what I typed, please!

I'm a bit perplexed, in that you seem to be all for getting bands to step in, etc, but are against them mentioning it onstage? Whats wrong with mentioning how you got a gig, if it wasn't obtained by shady means (again, to make absolutely clear, I don't believe that any such thing oocured) ?

Also, the following didn't make sense, to me at least:

" Calling it a backhand deal is a bit ridiculous, considering how small the Aberdeen scene is"

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I'm a bit perplexed' date=' in that you seem to be all for getting bands to step in, etc, but are against them mentioning it onstage? Whats wrong with mentioning how you got a gig, if it wasn't obtained by shady means (again, to make absolutely clear, I don't believe that any such thing oocured) ?[/quote']

Surely for the festival's credibility, it would be best if it wasn't mentioned? In a festival that's supposedly done through demo submission, wouldn't it be best to maintain the myth rather than shatter it?

Also, the following didn't make sense, to me at least:

" Calling it a backhand deal is a bit ridiculous, considering how small the Aberdeen scene is"

Well, how can it really be backhand when the scene here operates like that in general? It's the done thing, I can't criticise anyone for having done it.

I dare say that it's for the best that it's in Inverness next year.

One thing unrelated to this (and I'm sure Maxi of all people will agree on this). Where the fuck were the Aberdeen bands at Go North? Even if they didn't get selected, wouldn't it have made sense to get out there networking and making contacts? Use it or lose it...and it appears it's been lost.

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Surely for the festival's credibility' date=' it would be best if it wasn't mentioned? In a festival that's supposedly done through demo submission, wouldn't it be best to maintain the myth rather than shatter it?

[b']Oh yeah, the elusive myth of the selection process which is a vital attraction for fan and delegate alike.

Well, how can it really be backhand when the scene here operates like that in general? It's the done thing, I can't criticise anyone for having done it.

I dare say that it's for the best that it's in Inverness next year.

Inverness, the land of sunshine!

One thing unrelated to this (and I'm sure Maxi of all people will agree on this). Where the fuck were the Aberdeen bands at Go North? Even if they didn't get selected, wouldn't it have made sense to get out there networking and making contacts? Use it or lose it...and it appears it's been lost.

Having been out both nights, and at all of the venues, I can safely say that I saw a lot of local bands oot and aboot.

ps - I can't really work this bold/quoting thing, so I've had to type this sentence to get past the eight characters rule.

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They were added at the last minute' date=' as were Fiction/Action (though with a day or two notice), which suggests they were filling in for bands that had pulled out - bearing in mind that there were only two bands on the Tunnels Thursday bill - compared to the four on Wednesday (though one was a DJ). From the look of things, it doesn't look like any backhand deals were going on.

[/quote']

In the original literature there was only 3 bands playing at the Tuneels on the last night, one pulled out and yet 2 bands were added in. Surely the organisers have a list of the Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire bands who applied who they could go to for back up bands, not just picking bands that someone recommends, that would be fairer. It does rather make a mockery of the submission process if you know it can be bypassed under certain circumstances by who you know.

Go North had some very good points this year - I attended all the workshops and was surprised at the lack of Aberdeen people there - , and the problems seem to be the same places it always is - bands being picked and put in by mates not by the process we're told is the only way they'll be included - the lack of publicity in Aberdeen is due to the financial situation I think, so to a degree thats uinderstandable, though why they didnt send the dates to the GC Guide which would have been an effective tool I dont know. On the whole I think GoNorth is a great thing I just wish they'd stick to the selection process as they said last year they did.

Cheers

Stuart

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Any issues with organisation aside' date=' considering:

- you get to see a shitload of bands over two days, for free. FREE.

- the bands are treated well

- 150 or so delegates this year, apparently

its pretty good, non?[/quote']

Here here!

My highlight was The Real Ones (Norway http://www.myspace.com/realonesmusic ), brilliant and they played wah wah mandolin!!!

Izo Fitzroy was excellent as well. also Grant Campbell, Attic Lights and Found.

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Although seriously, I did enjoy thursday night. there was a weird buzz around Belmont Street I havent felt in a while. It was nice being able to go in and out of different venues and see differnt stuff, with the added benefit of everything being free.

Even managed to wangle free tickets for Snafu in the Wild Boar and had an extra free venue. Did end up steaming and stealing peoples chips.

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