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Is it acceptable to ask a local promoter for guesties or is it always a bit cheeky? I've gotten in to the habit of doing so, within reason, and I honestly don't mind if I don't. Is it still cheeky?

Personally I wouldn't ask, because most local promoters are usually struggling just to cover their costs (and pay the bands) so every 3 helps.

In saying that though, I usually try to get my girlfriend in free.

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Is it acceptable to ask a local promoter for guesties or is it always a bit cheeky? I've gotten in to the habit of doing so, within reason, and I honestly don't mind if I don't. Is it still cheeky?

Like alot of people in that scene I used to go by the mantra of "if you aint playing youre paying" when I was doing the more punk/DIY gigs, like lucky says every 3 makes a difference and it used to feel like a kick in nuts when people would take the piss.The worst would be when guys would meet their girlfriends outside and walk in hand in hand with a really guilty look on their faces without even asking beforehand (not accusing you btw, and I wouldve said yes if they had asked). We often did on occasions let people who were skint etc and had asked before hand in for a reduced fee if not free.

These days im a bit more open to it, maybe because the gigs are a bit more financially sound, maybe its the type of music and the attitude towards these things.

Ive rambled but the main thing is ask, dont be a dick and say "I'll sneak you in", shit is lame.

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Guest idol_wild

Can I ask why people expect their girlfriends to get in for free?

Just because your girlfriend has shit taste in music, it doesn't mean she gets away with accompanying you to a gig without paying. She can stay at home. And probably be a bit happier and resent you a little less for taking her to a gig that she really doesn't want to be at (otherwise she'd pay, naturally).

That was not purely meant for you, Rathen. It was a general question to anyone who takes their girlfriend to a gig and asks/expects to get them in to the show without paying.

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Can I ask why people expect their girlfriends to get in for free?

Just because your girlfriend has shit taste in music, it doesn't mean she gets away with accompanying you to a gig without paying. She can stay at home. And probably be a bit happier and resent you a little less for taking her to a gig that she really doesn't want to be at (otherwise she'd pay, naturally).

That was not purely meant for you, Rathen. It was a general question to anyone who takes their girlfriend to a gig and asks/expects to get them in to the show without paying.

QFT. My Mrs always pays, or I'll pay for her if I'm doing the chivalry bit. If I'm putting the show on myself and I'm the one who's out of pocket if it's a flop then yeah I'll maybe give her a quid off; but I never expect friends / girlfriends / wife to get in free. And god forbid my girlfriend getting in free and my wife having to pay...

I do understand if you're playing a shitload of gigs then your mates or your Mrs might not want to cough up the 3 every time, sometimes more if there are touring bands or overly ambitious promoters involved, but as much as your band are playing a gig, it's someone else who's organising the whole thing and ultimately, they don't need to give a fuck how many other promoters your Mrs has given her 3 too...

/rant

xx

xx

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Before we had a bairn my missus was quite dutiful and came to pretty much every gig I played not matter which band, don't think she ever got in free.

I had an embarrassing one recently when Deathpodal told the Flares and Seagulls chaps there was a guest pass and I got it, shame he hadn't told Iomega. That led to an awkward moment. I did offer to pay but stand up chap let me in regardless.

So yeah, bands shouldn't offer out guest list offers without okaying with the guys putting the gig on, mmm-kay?

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Well, I agree about checking first, but for the shit money that most gigs pay in town, promoters should get hip to the simple idea that band members +1 is morally and ethically correct. If I want to use those spaces for wives or a party of Armenian driving instructors on a hen night that's my call, but in either case most of them bring friends that pay the cover and you get more bodies in the room that makes for a better gig.

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It's not cheeky at all if you just agree it up front when you're booking the gig (and get it in writing while you're at it). Showing up with guests in tow is a crappy idea. But asking for it when you're booking is normal and is what pros do.

I always ask for a guest list, so I can get wives/girlfriends in and keep the band happy. But (and this is more important) so I can comp someone from the press, shoot a couple of tickets to a radio DJ, whatever I need to do that week to promote the gig. Any promoter that doesn't agree is shooting themselves in the foot, and funny enough, I almost never have a problem.

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Guest idol_wild
It's not cheeky at all if you just agree it up front when you're booking the gig (and get it in writing while you're at it). Showing up with guests in tow is a crappy idea. But asking for it when you're booking is normal and is what pros do.

I always ask for a guest list, so I can get wives/girlfriends in and keep the band happy. But (and this is more important) so I can comp someone from the press, shoot a couple of tickets to a radio DJ, whatever I need to do that week to promote the gig. Any promoter that doesn't agree is shooting themselves in the foot, and funny enough, I almost never have a problem.

I don't think this discussion is at all to do with performers not being allocated a guestlist. I think it's about the average punter asking to get into a gig via the guestlist. Or, indeed, asking if their girlfriends can get in to the gig without paying.

I don't think anyone has any issues at all with what you're saying.

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With the few gigs I've promoted I have never let a girlfriend in for free for any local support because the we organised things, the bands were usually making a good bit of cash off the tickets they sold. Headlining bands I don't think should be coming in on the night and asking for x number of guestlist passes without organising it before hand but if the guys are cool about it I usually dont mind. It is quite annoying though, this girlfriend issue that has been pointed out. I stop every one at the door to pay because if people dont even have the courtesy to ask, then why should we be out of pocket for a girlfriend who quite often leaves after said boyfriends set ends?

I'm a bit hypocritical though as I tend to be on a lot of guestlists to review the shows for my website, but I always try my best to give shout outs to the promoter and advertise the gig as much as possible. Again, if the promoter was out of pocket come the end of the night I'd be more than happy to pay the costs of a ticket.

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I tend to ask for guestlist places when reviewing touring bands, but if it's a local gig I usually pay - I know a lot of local shows are put on by bands, or payment is dependent on ticket sales, so I don't want to make them out of pocket.

Aye, pretty much on the same boat as you mate.

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So is it always acceptable to ask for one or two folk? I don't want promoters to feel pressured into complying, they're more than welcome to just say "nuh."

I guess the question is here: Why should you be put on the guestlist?

Are you playing?

Are you a good friend of the promoter or bands playing?

Do you work for the promoter or bands playing?

Are you reviewing the gig for a mag or website?

If the answer to the above quetions are "no", then you shouldnt be put on the guestlist.

Promoting live bands in Aberdeen is tough and for people to try and blag in when its only 3/4/the cost of a pint... in fact any price but more so when its already very cheap... is pretty cheekie.

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Are gigs in Aberdeen really only 3 these days? That price has been mentioned a lot in this thread. When I was last going to gigs in Aberdeen you'd be lucky to find any as cheap as a fiver, most being more than that. I'm not saying it would make it better to blag someone in for free. Just wondering where all this 3 quid talk is coming from.

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Are gigs in Aberdeen really only 3 these days? That price has been mentioned a lot in this thread. When I was last going to gigs in Aberdeen you'd be lucky to find any as cheap as a fiver, most being more than that. I'm not saying it would make it better to blag someone in for free. Just wondering where all this 3 quid talk is coming from.

3 is standard for all-local-band-lineups in my experience... Most nights at tunnels and drummonds seem to be around that mark anyway, unless there are touring bands involved.

The Moorings is only 3 too, right?

xx

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I wouldn't ask for a local line-up. I'm talking more about bigger gigs with decent touring bands. Ross at AGP is usually very reasonable when I ask for a couple of guesties passes, but I've never taken the piss. Still, not sure if he thinks I'm a cunt for asking. He's more than welcome to say no; I'll still think he's a good guy and a great promoter.

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Guest idol_wild
I wouldn't ask for a local line-up. I'm talking more about bigger gigs with decent touring bands. Ross at AGP is usually very reasonable when I ask for a couple of guesties passes, but I've never taken the piss. Still, not sure if he thinks I'm a cunt for asking. He's more than welcome to say no; I'll still think he's a good guy and a great promoter.

In my promoting days, I would always do guestlist trades with other promoters, and Ross almost always insisted he paid to get into my gigs, despite frequently guestlisting me for most of the shows of his that I was interested in. Good egg.

Guestlist trades with other promoters usually benefited me to be fair, as the likes of AGP and IMP always put on bigger and better shows than I ever did. So fuck it, I benefited from the system. :up:

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End of the day I suppose as much as a promoter would want as many of the queen's pounds in his pocket come closing time, they should also want to make sure that the bands leave happy, because that means they'll be far more likely to play future shows if offered.

If a gig is turning a loss then it's by no means unfair to expect every spectator in the place to have thrown their fair share into the pot but if a gig is covering all it's costs and ticking over nicely then it'll do good things for a promoters rep if bands are saying nice things about them - just like Ross at AGP mentioned above.

Aberdeen is a fairly small city (or a big village, depending on how cynical you want to be) after all and a positive rep will go a long way...

xx

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End of the day I suppose as much as a promoter would want as many of the queen's pounds in his pocket come closing time, they should also want to make sure that the bands leave happy, because that means they'll be far more likely to play future shows if offered.

If a gig is turning a loss then it's by no means unfair to expect every spectator in the place to have thrown their fair share into the pot but if a gig is covering all it's costs and ticking over nicely then it'll do good things for a promoters rep if bands are saying nice things about them - just like Ross at AGP mentioned above.

Aberdeen is a fairly small city (or a big village, depending on how cynical you want to be) after all and a positive rep will go a long way...

xx

Sometimes the promoters pay to get into their own gigs! Just saying... think about that when you're asking for guest lists.

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