The Futureheads @ Moshulu

[Rob]

The Futureheads play Moshulu on May 23rd

[framheim]

schweet!

[Jesus.H.Christ]

Nice one, was wondering when this was gonna happen.

The new song is decent!

[Ross.]

Fucking yeldie!

[Guest idol_wild]

I haven't listened to The Futureheads in literally years.

Is their new stuff worthwhile?

[framheim]

aye it's pretty good, new single was ace anyway not heard the new album yet.

i vote copy haho or kartta for support should there be local ones

hope i'm back from holiday for this, must check those dates.

[TR!ΔNGL€ T€€TH]

Cashback... Not a fan of the new single, but this will be well worth seeing. I saw them years ago and they blew my bollocks off.

[Steven Milne]

aye it's pretty good, new single was ace anyway not heard the new album yet.

i vote copy haho or kartta for support should there be local ones

hope i'm back from holiday for this, must check those dates.

cant wait for this.

i dont think there will be local support guys (there is very little local support slots at most of these gigs at moshulu) but if i can get a local on the bill ill post here.

id like to get locals on all the bills to be honest but its not always up to me.

tickets go on sale on the 21st guys.

its the night after sons and daughters in moshulu too.

two good nights in a row - woo hoo!

had i booked the band i wanted to book for the 24th itd probably have been an amazing 3 day weekend!

and a rough hangover on the sunday

[Jesus.H.Christ]

had i booked the band i wanted to book for the 24th itd probably have been an amazing 3 day weekend!

Do tell....

[Steven Milne]

Do tell....

i cannae coz it didnt happen

it was just someone i was personally really into and by the time i got an offer together it was

too late

next time tho....

so personally it would have been a good weekend but maybe not for everyone!

[Alkaline]

Any reason in particular why local bands are being overlooked for supports by those who book bands at Moshulu?

Given that it did have quite a good booking system for locals i find it a bit disheartening that they seem less involved in promoting the local bands.

Obviously there are local things going on like the recent Enrapture CD launch and the inclusion of Kartta and My Minds Weapon on gigs coming up this weekend. However, i feel that it would not be detrimental to the turnout of gigs or put a dent in the venues pocket.

Just my thoughts obviously as a casual observer and gig-goer.

[Steven Milne]

Any reason in particular why local bands are being overlooked for supports by those who book bands at Moshulu?

Given that it did have quite a good booking system for locals i find it a bit disheartening that they seem less involved in promoting the local bands.

Obviously there are local things going on like the recent Enrapture CD launch and the inclusion of Kartta and My Minds Weapon on gigs coming up this weekend. However, i feel that it would not be detrimental to the turnout of gigs or put a dent in the venues pocket.

Just my thoughts obviously as a casual observer and gig-goer.

I think its important to wade in and clear this up,

Its not that they are being over looked at all by the venue / promoters or anything.

Ive been here since september, and its very rare that we get asked to book locals on many shows here for various reasons.

For example,

OUTSIDE PROMOTERS

Its different when working with outside promotions (df / pcl etc) than it is for our own booked gigs.

its basically not up to us.unless we suggest it strongly, the line up is often already decided.

Usually the outside promoters wont often use a local, itll be a tour support and an opening act who are doing all the dates - eg go team - opening act of 3 was an edinburgh band doing all the dates in scotland and they were booked by df directly to do so.

OR

there is no opening act at all as they dont need three acts - the headline band maybe at a level that is already sold out without filling the bill up - e.g idlewild - no opening act

futureheads / sons and daughters are both in conjunction with outside promoters which is why i doubt there will be an opening local support (bands can please feel free to still express interest tho- you never know).

IN HOUSE GIGS

If we are booking the gig Ill try as much as possible to put a suitable line up together and fit a local on the bill.Its in our interests to keep locals sweet and its ace to give a band a chance to play with bands they love. Also its good for ticket sales clearly.

- e.g twilight sad - kartta supporting

captain - eddison supported etc

HOWEVER,

It sounds really bad but a local act will mainly often only get on the bill if ..

1. they are friends with the band / bands label like them / manager of band likes them etc

In this case the bands agent will put the locals forward or ask for them specifically.

e,g - fangs supporting sons and daughters - mates of the headliners

x - certs supporting get cape - same label

2. We get specifically asked to book a local when booking the show

This either happens and we then suggest the local bands suitable and they pick a band. Or we have a local in mind when making an offer (very rare). Whats most likely is that if ticket sales are slow (like say 300 have shifted) and theres a week to go before a show, the agent may ring and say can we add a local to give it a boost?

This is the most common way ive been getting locals on bills or if i anticpate a slowness in advance tickets and ask to put a local on the bill.

This is also the reason that Jamesy maybe had a sudden slot going the week before a gig and not when the gig initially got announced.

3. The date is a one off / pre festival warm up or something odd-

eg - foals@ moshulu - date was a pre-bloc party tour warm up show so we needed two locals at a weeks notice when they decided they wanted two openers

AND SOMETIMES LOCALS WILL NOT GET BOOKED BECAUSE

4.basic timing -

3 acts to be done by 10.30pm doeasnt always allow for one if the headline band is doing like 1hr 30 mins or more

5.gear issues -

recently we pulled the local support for stars on the night because had they been anything other than a solo accoustic act with 2 vocal they wouldnt have fitted on stage or been a channel for them on the mixing desk

6.agents -

agents may not want a local on or when you send them your suggested ones they dont get back to you saying yes or no or if they do their too late. so you end up just going with a two band line up.

at the end of the day , i know this is true as its certainly happened to the little kicks twice. The only reason we got maximo park and the rakes slots was because the bands had asked for us to be on the bill.

And the reason weve not got some of the other slots ive asked for is for a mixture of various reasons above.Same as everyone else.

Bands should still forward me their requests for supports if a gig comes up (steven.milne@barflyclub.com) as even if there is no slot at the announcement date, i may get asked to add one later on and i keep all queries so that if i do i can sort it out quickly.

You guys probably all know this but I think its maybe good to be aware of the realistic possibility of whether a slot is gainable or not before you waste too much time trying to email the right people to get on a bill.

for example, i would never ask for the support for us for e.g sons and daughters in tuts as id imagine , theyd just be getting their mates to play.

Still,im not being pessimistic. Go for it,

A wee email to an agent with your myspace link is maybe just enough for them to check you out or even like you and get you on the bill.

Im just saying its not always so simple for various reasons.And its certainly not always up to the venue or promoter of the venue.

Hopefully this has cleared the issue up and explained a little bit more about how it works.

And im sorry for the novel but i was really pissed off recently when a band (wont name them) completely misunderstood the support situation of a gig and proceeded to badmouth me to the entire crowd in the que while they waited to get in for "pulling them off a bill for personal reasons"

in truth, they were never on the bill, theyd asked for it and id politely said "there wouldnt be a support but if there was theyd be in the running and id get back in touch".

So either theyre manager who called lied to them about being on the bill and then when they didnt get to play used me as a scapegoat or they are just stupid.

Either way, maybe if they read this theyll understand.

[Steven Milne]

and take everything i say with a pinch of salt!

im still learning too!

i wasnt trying to be a know it all or anything or negative at all!

i was just trying to say how it works here and if it works that way here for moshulu maybe it works the same in other venues and if so then its a wee insight into what slots are achievable out of town too!

cmon the local bands ken!

xx

[Alkaline]

Cheers Steven, i appreciate all of that (it was an informative read) and i understand Barfly's standpoint on it, but the approach seems completely different now that it's a chain operating the venue rather than an independent owner (as you would expect). I also wouldn't necessarily say that it's been any more successful either. Promotion still sucks and the venue is still in a state of disrepair.

I'm glad that the quality of bands playing has improved and i appreciate that for Barfly Aberdeen is very much still in an embryonic stage but i was hoping (maybe wrongly) that the overall situation would drastically improve for the better with a little more money behind it.

I also didn't realise that they used so many outside promoters. You learn something new everyday.

[Steven Milne]

Cheers Steven, i appreciate all of that (it was an informative read) and i understand Barfly's standpoint on it, but the approach seems completely different now that it's a chain operating the venue rather than an independent owner (as you would expect). I also wouldn't necessarily say that it's been any more successful either. Promotion still sucks and the venue is still in a state of disrepair.

I'm glad that the quality of bands playing has improved and i appreciate that for Barfly Aberdeen is very much still in an embryonic stage but i was hoping (maybe wrongly) that the overall situation would drastically improve for the better with a little more money behind it.

I also didn't realise that they used so many outside promoters. You learn something new everyday.

its the same approach really id guess its just theyve tightened up the booking policy..

I personally feel and the other staff at head office feel that moshulu isnt a great place to play atmosphere wise with less than 150 minumum people in. I may be wrong but cost wise it makes sense too.(this does vary obviously but its generally about right).

For that reason, i think rather than be open all the time doing smaller bands (when i say smaller i mean the bands wholl get 200 max in ) as well as the big ones (who sell out or hit 400 sales ) its more savvy to be open to be busy as frequent as possible. And to add to that by making sure the clubnights are busy too (any clubs major source of income).

if you open moshulu and do a band with a 400/ 500 pound fee / rider / security / sound engineer costs and bar staff / poster costs etc etc and 70 people turn up - you wont make any money.

And not that its all about making money but at the end of the day you have to break even more than you lose. Maybe some shows are good bands you love and you have to take a chance and take a hit but you know itll be better next time.

eg - twilight sad -will be busy - wont sell out but itll be a great gig and they can only get bigger id guess

promotion wise and running - is away to change

for the last wee while it has been a skeletal level of staff doing the music side ( me basically with help from the bar manager on many areas and various bar staff on part time repping duties on some shows so i dont die from covering every gig here).

so rather than having one person before to advance all shows / book bands / cover the gigs / promote the gigs and deal with all aspects of the gigs coming the venue.

there is now 2 and a better structure inplace - thank the lord as it is simply not possible to do all of it solo.

I will vouch for that and i can honestly say ive tried.I dont think until i got left her in december / january to take care of things that i knew what was coming but getting thrown in at the deep end and learning on the run is sometimes good i suppose.

as for the venue refurb - its happening in the next month - plans have been made and builders booked. i agree that it is much needed, ive djed and watched the drips come down on the dancefloor and ive been in cleaning the place myself because big band X are in town and your trying to paper up cracks before they arrive.

i guess were just waiting to hear from head office now as to when but it is happening.

and when it does i think the venue will be pretty cool.

[geo1903]

Thats a couple of superb posts Steven. Good to get an insight from behind the scenes.

[Camie]

Nice one, was wondering when this was gonna happen.

The new song is decent!

Why didn't you tell me about this!

Ace!

[davewarden]

Danananananakroid are playing this, is there still tickets?

[framheim]

Danananananakroid are playing this, is there still tickets?

ace! glad i chose this rather than stars of the lid now(though that will still be an ace gig as well).

[Jeanette]

Well, ticketweb says that they still have tickets. So I presume so.

[offramp]

(though that will still be an ace gig as well).

get out of jail free card

well played, sir

[Guest idol_wild]

Danananana are playing?

Fucksakes.

And people are trying to claim that Aberdeen is shit for gigs.

They can fuck off.

[Jeanette]

I'm just listening to the first album again - first time in ages and I forgot how good they are!! I might have to consider this one now!

[original_andy]

Just asked Danananana... if they could do a session for me, but apparently there's been a double booking and they won't be coming up to Aberdeen any more.

[Rob]

yeah i thought Make Model were supporting