organ

JUST READ THIS SOMEWHERE... PRICES UP AGAIN THEN, PROMISED US (AND THE MUSICIANS UNION) THEY'D NEVER DO IT AGAIN two years ago, increased it from 1500.00 to 1750.00 last year, up to 2000.00 this year, all to play in an empty tent somewhere on the edge of the festival with only your mates who you emotionally blackmailed in to buying a ticket (or more likely gave away a ticket to becasue no one would buy them) watching

"This may have already been covered, but...

I just rung the lovely people at Guilfest to enquire about their artists submissions policy for 2009. I got to speak to a lovely man named Mal, who asked me lots of questions.

He then told me that all unsigned bands are expected to purchase 50 day tickets up front....at £40 each.

Anyone got a spare £2000 kicking around?"

Pay to play, forced ticket buys, and convincing new bands who really don't know any better that this is the only way to get anywhere is well out of order and these promoters all know it. This blog will be probably be removed by My Space soon so get over to the Organ forum at www.organart.com if you want to read more about all this. Legally Guilfest are doing nothing wrong, but morally...? They have no morals do they...

What happened to that promise you made to me on the phone and to the Musicians Union two years ago Tony?

How on earth can bands be stupid enough to fall for this?

The legit festival bookers don't charge you to play - they offer you money, free passes for the band and friends, meal tickets and booze. I know because that's what we've just been offered - and this on a small cabaret budget at, albeit, a fairly large festival.

Don't fall for it bands! You just make yourselves look silly! And £40 to see an unknown band?! Are they serious?

how on earth can bands fall for this? Because when you're starting out in a band and don't know any better and you haven't worked it out these promoters with their scams are waiting like blood sucking vultures, nothing they love better than new young bands who don't know the score. Most of the time these new bands are young kids and they only find out the hard way, happened to me years ago when I was a teenage band manager and no one bothered to warn us and say no, that's not how you do it... so it really is up to those of us who have worked it out the hard way to warn others and educate them and tell them not to fall for it - that's why I'm shouting, no one warned us whe nwe needed it

First time we encountered the Guilfest thing was tw oyears when To The Bones were just starting out and they phoned us up one day all excited that they had got offered their first big festival slot, they phoned back a couple of days later really upset tto learn they had to pay to play, in the meantime they'd been telling people and getting all excited, egg all over their faces or what...

And the worst ones are the cynical scumsucking promoters and venue people who were once in bands themselves... they really need to take a look at themselves

these things are always a waste of money... If Guilfest would just book an exciting bill and fill their stages with all the exciting new bands, gather them all in one place then loads of us would buy a ticket and go... that's far too much like hard work though

Does anyone know a way of being bumped up from the unsigned stage to an actual stage? There must be a way of applying to do it?

£2k is £2k too much in my opinion, but if you had to pay that for say, a slot half way up the bill on the second stage, then that could possibily be reasonable.

Buying your way into a festival shouldn't be on, and surely gives out the message that no promoters actually listens to your band? Anyone can play so long as they can front the cash?

no it wouldn't be reasonable!! Boycott the scumbags, no one should play their damn festival, especially name bands who are used as bait. There is not excuse for pay to paly full stop. The festival isn't worth the pertol money to get there let alone the pay to play! Wise up... (I wouldn't go if they paid me! Which they did try to do last year). They should be organising a decent stage and exciting bands and putting on something that everyone wants to go ot it, they could so easily put togeter a bill of good new unsigned bands and turn in to a happening event... there is nothing reasonable about whichever stage you get on!