Bands United...

[Uncle Buck]

Good call Uncle! Most welcome to use my back yard - HOORAH!

Yeah the 10 second work from front door to venue was a major selling point for me as well.

But in all seriousness it is one of the venues in Brighton and Hove that hosts large events.

 

[CHAPPERS]

You've got to look at hiring tents and stuff then haven't you? Given the time of year and all that. Surely a venue with a ROOF is best?

 

[Marc]

You've gotta look for a Brighton friendly Pub, one where the Landlord wont mind having a few bands play for FREE as he'll make money over the drinks. Outdoors is outta the question due to weather/cost (see above for cost).

 

[Uncle Buck]

You've got to look at hiring tents and stuff then haven't you? Given the time of year and all that. Surely a venue with a ROOF is best?

Beyond the stage there is never all that much covered stuff. However I agree with the time of year thing.

 

[CHAPPERS]

It's got to be the Concorde innit? It's a ready made venue and I'm sure they'd drop their hiring rates for it?? Alan might know more because of the 40 notes thing?

 

[jmc]

re weather....never stops Glastonbury, can see us all sliding down Preston Park in the mud

 

[The Large One]

It's got to be the Concorde innit? It's a ready made venue and I'm sure they'd drop their hiring rates for it?? Alan might know more because of the 40 notes thing?

Ain’t that the truth baby.

It’s quite simple really. You hire a venue, and hope that they can let us have it for as cheap as possible. Preferably find a place with a license already, as to have even a temporary licence in Brighton, you have to have done the Licensed Victuallers’ course.

Then you organise the line-up. This is fairly easy in Brighton with plenty of bands about, but it’s all about snaring the big name(s) to get the people in. The Levellers would have played the Forty Notes Christmas gig last year had they not already had another commitment. If we can get a momentum going, I am sure we can get the big names. Virtually all the bands will play for free (they all did at the Concorde) - all bar one did at Hove Town Hall.

Then you need a lighting / sound and stage manager. They are already onboard as we have been discussing the idea of another Christmas gig this year. Again, the guys in question will work for next to nothing.

Advertising and promotion is easy. I can do the posters / flyers / publicity / press releases for nothing from my computer here. I am sure that we can rustle up enough volunteers to help with flyers distribution.

The cost of printing the tickets is negligible (hire the Concorde and you pay something like £5 per 1,000 - or was it £15, can’t remember?). The downside is that both advance and on-the-door ticket sales are subject to VAT, unless it’s for a registered charity.

Then it’s about getting ‘bums on seats’. Fix the right price (a price that everyone can afford, but not so cheap that you don’t make enough money). You can do a raffle or auction as well. Again, snaffling the prizes isn’t too difficult - you just have to ask various organisations.

The break-even figure for the Concorde gig last year was about 105. I think we managed to get in about 230. Although it wasn’t packed, there were some great bands, Attila did a superb job with his increasingly-drunked compering, and it was a great night. If I remember rightly, the evening made about £800. Not bad, but if we can get an even better line-up and more people in, who knows what we can get?

I will happily *gulp* arrange another gig at the Concorde, unless someone else wants to take up the mantle, and has already started on organising...

 

[CHAPPERS]

I think that if Alan is up for the organisation (and I think he'd be best coz he knows what he's doing) there will be plenty of us to act as foot soldiers for the event. I know I would.


Yo!! Let's do it!!

 

[The Large One]

*gulp *

OK, Chappers, you're headlining. Do you still do that song and dance routine with the plastic spoons?

 

[Uncle Buck]

Can the Fatty Taxman do his Tiffany set?

 

[CHAPPERS]

*gulp *

OK, Chappers, you're headlining. Do you still do that song and dance routine with the plastic spoons?

Certainly do, I have also learnt to play the banjo string.

*twang*

 

[Fourteenth Eye]

Fourteenth Eye will play

I remember some benefit they did at creation a few years ago ( it was still paradox then ) when the levellers did an acoustic set & bad manners & peter & the test tube babies & a few others played. It was a well class night & im sure that Creation or the concorde etc would let us usethe venue for cost only

let Bands United commence !!!!

 

[The Large One]

I remember that. I think Ska Gal played as well, and the guitarist from P & TTTB threw up on stage. Marvellous scenes.

 

[Albion Dan]

I know the concorde is ready made for this but to make serious cash wed need a bigger venue.

How about the Brighton Centre?