Flash@TMB Posted October 17, 2007 Report Share Posted October 17, 2007 ...and still flying the flag of alt.rock The Moorings was (arguably - because someone will probably argue) Aberdeen's original alternative rock bar/venue, catering for those with a slightly heavier taste in music. Times, tastes, and what is meant by 'heavier' have all changed, but we're still here.The old place has survived four jukeboxes, three refits and two changes of caretaker.It's lived through the beatles, heavy metal, glam, prog, disco, punk, NWOBHM, new romantics, new wave, hair metal, thrash, death, grunge, emo... I lose track at this point... It even survived for a few dull years without any live music.All over the world other places have been born, lived, and died within that time frame including my personal favorite the amazing and illustrious CBGB's. Scary isn't it!Here on our far flung patch of turf in the past 15 years decent and credible alt.rock ventures like The Venue, Caeser's Palace, The Palace/Fusion/Ritzy/Bonkers/Palace, The Satelite Bar, Doctor Drakes, even the Aberdeen Union, and others I can't recall have all sadly been wiped from the map. More recently even Moshulu appears to have been partially retargeted at a more lucrative market.On a brighter note, during the same period we've seen the birth of The Tunnels.But there have been some ghastly and lonely periods where only The Moorings stood in the way of a temporary alt.rock oblivion.So what is the point to this little rant?I very much hope that both The Tunnels and The Moorings are both still around up until 2049 and beyond (by which time my job will almost certainly have been readvertised at least once). But whether they are is up to each and all of you alt.rock fans out there... This section has been deleted as it appeared to be distorting the message. Some readers appeared to be focusing on decoding the chain bar names, whilst others felt that my onslaught on the poor defensless billionaire chains was uncalled for. In Britian there used to be a tradition of supporting the underdog, but this is slowly being replaced with the American concept of backing the WINNER and sticking it to the loser. I blame imported television.SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ALTERNATIVE ROCK VENUES. We're that little light of uniqueness shining in a dark world of conformity and replication.LVXFlash (current caretaker and self-appointed protector)The Moorings Bar 2002-?PS - In the meantime the Stewart Milne bulldozers may only pass over my dead body Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tam o' Shantie Posted October 18, 2007 Report Share Posted October 18, 2007 E*****Hey hey, c'mon now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash@TMB Posted October 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2007 Hey hey, c'mon now!Baaa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted October 18, 2007 Report Share Posted October 18, 2007 What's more sheeplike? Going somewhere you've enjoyed for ages, regardless of who owns the place. Or not going to those places because Flash tells us to?As much as I enjoy my occassional visits to the Moorings I'm still going to keep drinking in Ma's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemonade Posted October 18, 2007 Report Share Posted October 18, 2007 ...just contemplate that next time you consider wasting 100 drinking overpriced pish in T** P******** B** or B** B** or L***** or M* C******* or A******* S******* or S*** B** or E***** or T***** K**** or T** J****** M***, just because the clueless sheep you call friends feel compelled to obey the will of the corporate establishment.Well I'm afraid I can't heed your advice and avoid those places because I can't crack your code. The Pregnancy Bar? Boo Boo? London? My Chlymidia? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFuzzBox Posted October 18, 2007 Report Share Posted October 18, 2007 ...and still flying the flag of alt.rock The Moorings was (arguably - because someone will probably argue) Aberdeen's original alternative rock bar/venue, catering for those with a slightly heavier taste in music. Times, tastes, and what is meant by 'heavier' have all changed, but we're still here.The old place has survived four jukeboxes, three refits and two changes of caretaker.It's lived through the beatles, heavy metal, glam, prog, disco, punk, NWOBHM, new romantics, new wave, hair metal, thrash, death, grunge, emo... I lose track at this point... It even survived for a few dull years without any live music.All over the world other places have been born, lived, and died within that time frame including my personal favorite the amazing and illustrious CBGB's. Scary isn't it!Here on our far flung patch of turf in the past 15 years decent and credible alt.rock ventures like The Venue, Caeser's Palace, The Palace/Fusion/Ritzy/Bonkers/Palace, The Satelite Bar, Doctor Drakes, even the Aberdeen Union, and others I can't recall have all sadly been wiped from the map. More recently even Moshulu appears to have been partially retargeted at a more lucrative market.On a brighter note, during the same period we've seen the birth of The Tunnels.But there have been some ghastly and lonely periods where only The Moorings stood in the way of a temporary alt.rock oblivion.So what is the point to this little rant?I very much hope that both The Tunnels and The Moorings are both still around up until 2049 and beyond (by which time my job will almost certainly have been readvertised at least once). But whether they are is up to each and all of you alt.rock fans out there... ...just contemplate that next time you consider wasting 100 drinking overpriced pish in T** P******** B** or B** B** or L***** or M* C******* or A******* S******* or S*** B** or E***** or T***** K**** or T** J****** M***, just because the clueless sheep you call friends feel compelled to obey the will of the corporate establishment.SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL ALTERNATIVE ROCK VENUES. We're that little light of uniqueness shining in a dark world of conformity and replication.LVXFlash (current caretaker and self-appointed protector)The Moorings Bar 2002-?PS - In the meantime the Stewart Milne bulldozers may only pass over my dead body Thats some great marketing right there. Along the same lines as Geldof's "Give us yer fokkin money" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemonade Posted October 18, 2007 Report Share Posted October 18, 2007 As much as I enjoy my occassional visits to the Moorings I'm still going to keep drinking in Ma's.Like Chris, I do enjoy an occasional visit to the Moorings when I'm out and about (Moosehead lager rocks my world). However there are a number of other bars I frequent, like the Tilted Wig, Number 5, Slains, Wild Boar, The Old Schoolhouse, The Bassment, Morgans, The Globe, Foundry, The Chi Bar, The Filling Station.... I'm not going to stop going to those places, I like a bit of variety in atmosphere, in music, in decor... I'd get bored as fuck sitting in one bar all night, and I like to try out new places. Calling me a 'clueless sheep' for choosing to do so is, if anything, less likely to make me go back to the Moorings... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash@TMB Posted October 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2007 What's more sheeplike? Going somewhere you've enjoyed for ages, regardless of who owns the place. Or not going to those places because Flash tells us to?As much as I enjoy my occassional visits to the Moorings I'm still going to keep drinking in Ma's.This is about voting with your feet not following orders.Niche markets are not a good source of income. Which is why the chains pursue the far more lucrative mainstream. Grassroots music and live entertainment are a niche market. Chain bars rarely support original music. The chain venues tend to pursue more established acts. The places that provide facilities for smaller original bands are mostly independent. Some people only 'occasionally' visit an independent place when they play a gig, or when their mate is playing a gig... which is a touch one-sided. As independent venues dissappear those gigs become fewer. This is especially true of the alt.rock community which The Moorings inhabits. There is always a smattering of short-lived excitement when a new venture opens, usually to fail within a few years. Perhaps it's also worth get excited about that which has been retained.It makes me sad that so many good places are gone forever, converted into flats, or cloned into some souless shit hole selling BIG STEAKS to people watching BIG SCREEN SPORT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tam o' Shantie Posted October 18, 2007 Report Share Posted October 18, 2007 How is Exodus a bad food serving sports bar? It's a nightclub that plays good rock/indie/alternative music, with dirt cheap booze, good looking girls, and usually very few neds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash@TMB Posted October 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2007 Thats some great marketing right there. Along the same lines as Geldof's "Give us yer fokkin money"There's no such thing as bad publicity. Seriously... we get a sales spike after every single flame war. And best of all there's no regional manager to sack me for starting one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash@TMB Posted October 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2007 How is Exodus a bad food serving sports bar?Why do you keep bringing Exodus into this?EDIT: fuck it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted October 18, 2007 Report Share Posted October 18, 2007 cloned into some souless shit hole selling BIG STEAKS to people watching BIG SCREEN SPORT.Man I love huge steaks and football Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFuzzBox Posted October 18, 2007 Report Share Posted October 18, 2007 There's no such thing as bad publicity. Seriously... we get a sales spike after every single flame war. And best of all there's no regional manager to sack me for starting one Wasn't knocking it mate. I admire the "direct" approach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash@TMB Posted October 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2007 Wasn't knocking it mate. I admire the "direct" approach.OK...GIVE US YOUR FUCKING MONEY dude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash@TMB Posted October 18, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2007 Man I love huge steaks and football Consider moving to Bridge of Don. Every pub there does both those things. I know... I grew up there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemonade Posted October 18, 2007 Report Share Posted October 18, 2007 Consider moving to Bridge of Don. Every pub there does both those things. I know... I grew up there.Perhaps you should consider getting Sky and doing big steaks in the Moorings. I too love football and big steaks! Or a nice Tikka masala, like in the Tilted wig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brymon Posted October 19, 2007 Report Share Posted October 19, 2007 As much as i would love to go to the Moorings to watch the next Aberdeen, Scotland away game that i cant get to, i have to settle for Ma's, Stadia, Frankenstiens etc!! Not because im following my mates (like a sheep) but because it's better than sittin in the hoos!!But ill still be there on a Sat night and whenever im oot and aboot!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RF Scott Posted October 19, 2007 Report Share Posted October 19, 2007 This is about voting with your feet not following orders.Niche markets are not a good source of income. Which is why the chains pursue the far more lucrative mainstream. Grassroots music and live entertainment are a niche market. Chain bars rarely support original music. The chain venues tend to pursue more established acts. The places that provide facilities for smaller original bands are mostly independent. Some people only 'occasionally' visit an independent place when they play a gig, or when their mate is playing a gig... which is a touch one-sided. As independent venues dissappear those gigs become fewer. This is especially true of the alt.rock community which The Moorings inhabits. There is always a smattering of short-lived excitement when a new venture opens, usually to fail within a few years. Perhaps it's also worth get excited about that which has been retained.It makes me sad that so many good places are gone forever, converted into flats, or cloned into some souless shit hole selling BIG STEAKS to people watching BIG SCREEN SPORT.People like sport, though...Are you trying to say that people should be going along to gigs at the Moorings for the sake of it, or something? I'm not sure what you're trying to get across. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jake Wifebeater Posted October 19, 2007 Report Share Posted October 19, 2007 Consider moving to Bridge of Don. Every pub there does both those things. I know... I grew up there.As did I, there's not a decent pub in the whole fucking place. Parkway, Brig Inn, Mains Of Scotstown, Black Dog, Donview, all a load of shit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuartmaxwell Posted October 19, 2007 Report Share Posted October 19, 2007 a nice Tikka masala, like in the Tilted wig you having a laugh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash@TMB Posted October 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2007 Perhaps you should consider getting Sky and doing big steaks in the Moorings. I too love football and big steaks! Or a nice Tikka masala, like in the Tilted wig The Tilted Wig and Moorings have almost identical floor area. The main difference being that the Wig's toilet block is located at the rear and ours is located on the right hand side.Due to size constraints we had the choice between a kitchen and a stage:We fitted a stage, a PA, and a lighting rig. The Wig fitted a kitchen, a sink, and a microwave.If you want food other than crisps or a toastie then you'll have to go elsewhere. The Tunnels does nice food though and it's independent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash@TMB Posted October 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2007 People like sport, though...There's nothing wrong with liking sport or red meat. Lots of chain bars have signs outside offering Big Steaks and Big Screen Sport. These are like standard fitments. If you like those things then you have something like 250 outlets to choose from. But would you prefer it if EVERYWHERE was exactly the same? Are you trying to say that people should be going along to gigs at the Moorings for the sake of it, or something? I'm not sure what you're trying to get across.The concept was that if someone would like for small venues to stay open, then they should support them. Chain's tend not to support grass roots music because there's less money in it, and the costs are much higher compared with serving BIG steaks and Sky football. Which is why so many small venues are lost. Unfortunately there's no danger of losing a Wetherspoons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RF Scott Posted October 19, 2007 Report Share Posted October 19, 2007 The concept was that if someone would like for small venues to stay open, then they should support them. Chain's tend not to support grass roots music because there's less money in it, and the costs are much higher compared with serving BIG steaks and Sky football. Which is why so many small venues are lost. Unfortunately there's no danger of losing a Wetherspoons.But in your post you seemed to have a problem with people who only go to small venues when they are playing a gig/their friends are - surely that's supporting them, even if not to the extent as other people? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flash@TMB Posted October 19, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2007 But in your post you seemed to have a problem with people who only go to small venues when they are playing a gig/their friends are - surely that's supporting them, even if not to the extent as other people?The costs involved in hosting original live music are very high when compared with the alternatives. Any venue will tell you that they would do much better to put on a DJ, a karaoke, show football, or even no entertainment whatsoever. Many venues use their clubnights to subsidise their live music.In our case we also supply the musicians with cost price drink all night, so there are no bar profits from their presence.So can playing a gig really be classed as supporting the venue???Most people will have experienced the nightmare scenario where there are 4 bands booked to play. The only people that show up are 3 of the bands and a handful of mates. After each band plays it departs along with it's mates. Eventually the 'headliners', usually an out of town band, take the stage and play to nobody. Of course everyone wants paid, so venue foots the bill for that along with the sound engineer, extra bar staff, door staff, ticket hatch person, and heat, light, power. OUCH!If everyone's support extended only to playing a gig for money, then very quickly there would be no venues left. Geddit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RF Scott Posted October 19, 2007 Report Share Posted October 19, 2007 The costs involved in hosting original live music are very high when compared with the alternatives. Any venue will tell you that they would do much better to put on a DJ, a karaoke, show football, or even no entertainment whatsoever. Many venues use their clubnights to subsidise their live music.In our case we also supply the musicians with cost price drink all night, so there are no bar profits from their presence.So can playing a gig really be classed as supporting the venue???Most people will have experienced the nightmare scenario where there are 4 bands booked to play. The only people that show up are 3 of the bands and a handful of mates. After each band plays it departs along with it's mates. Eventually the 'headliners', usually an out of town band, take the stage and play to nobody. Of course everyone wants paid, so venue foots the bill for that along with the sound engineer, extra bar staff, door staff, ticket hatch person, and heat, light, power. OUCH!If everyone's support extended only to playing a gig for money, then very quickly there would be no venues left. Geddit?Well, yeah it still is supporting the venue, really, as they are there. In the venue. They could easily be somewhere else, and I'm sure it's a lot better to have someone in a place drinking cost price drinks than having nobody there at all, especially for passers by (who wants to go to an empty pub where there are bands playing? Talk about awkward).As for the bands leaving after their set et al, I find that this nearly always happens with thrown-together bills, as opposed to well thought out and promoted nights. I struggle to think of the last gig I went to, where the other bands playing left before the headliner, whether the show was busy or not. Also, with most venues, paying the bands is the promoter's responsibility rather than the venue. Sure, it's very nice of you to do so (I'm assuming that you do this considering you are using it as an example), but it's not like you're expected to (I'd be surprised if it happened to me), so as it's the exception rather than the rule, it doesn't really count in this argument. Same goes for the cost price drinks, in fact - if you are playing at a venue with an outside promoter in, and are buying drinks from the bar, you're putting money into the venue.(Obviously I'm not complaining that bars/venues do pay out of their pocket in cases). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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