organ

I'd like to add Ryan's Bar in Torquay, thems good people.

Female Trouble collective in Manchester - lovely kids, fun times.

freerockandroll at The Caledonia in Liverpool, a fairly new night every other Thursday with some great bands, absolutely rammed to the rafters from first to last band and you're treated marvellously by Pete.

Manifesta in Leeds.

Billy Ruffian's Filthy Little club nights at The Castle on Oldham Street in Manchester - every promoter there in fact, although what's happening now it's closed, I don't know.

Blackmarketmusic who I filled in a form for (I think they're in Leeds or Manchester - I've been e-mailing so many promoters that I'm starting to lose track...) but anyway - they're a paytoplay lot. Wanted me to commit to buying 20 tickets at however many pounds each to get a gig.

I think there's similar bollocks going on at Joseph's Well on certain nights too.

Manchester campaign update...

Today I received this message from a local promoter involved in running a fringe event at the In The City convention. In the past, this person has collborated with a notorious local pay-to-pay "big cheese" and I have vociferously criticised them both for this. This is what he told me...

"One of the major stipulations of running a fringe event for ITC this year was that and all our bands have had the ITC anti-pay to play document from ITC and chance to get discounted delegates passes from ITC. I took V*** to meetings with the Musicians Union and talked to the publicists at ITC at length cos V***s reputation precedes him. he's got the infrastructure to put on big events and hopefully he sees what I do with the press and promotion and takes that on board for his own events."

It's early days yet but it's a start. I've heard on the grapevine that said slowly-reforming shark is starting to change his ways and I feel he has a lot to learn about actual promotion - but this will probably happen if he's no longer guaranteed a minimum income. I and several other influential local music press / media people won't support his gigs until we are certain he's clean and he knows this. With rising awareness of the issue the number of such people is growing and eventually promoters will have to take note. So, yeah, we still have some way to go before we rid our city of sharky promoters but I'm quite pleased with how my relatively low-key and locally targetted campaigning has got people thinking about the issue and some acting on it. You can't change things overnight but you can start balls rolling. Thanks again Sean for inspiring me to start mouthing off about this.

oh and I am now helping promote an experimental / noise / whatever night on Thursdays in manchester called Fucked Up Thursday. basically someone else books the bands and venue and all the hard work and I just do the getting-people-to-the-gigs bit.

Any bands looking for gigs in this area - both geographically and musically - can contact the organiser Phil at http://www.myspace.com/beatpromotions or if you are one of these young people, join our facebook group at http://www.new.facebook.com/group.php?gid=33167180956

this week (2/10) we've got experimental electronics from AnteAter and Black Paths and electro-punk-indie from Copycats.

Phil also runs nights for more mainstream sounding indie/punk/pop bands and for acoustic stuff along the same prinicples.

And here's what Phil says on his My Space page, this is how small gigs should be run...

"I run a promotions company which promotes live music in MANCHESTER at The Dry Bar. At the moment we put 4 regular nights on. None of these are 'pay-to-play' We do not make you buy tickets up front, we do not insist on you bringing 100 mates to a gig at £6 a time then give you £1 a head. I WILL book you if 1) I think you sound really good 2) I know you are going to do your best to promote the night and be supportive at the gig towards everyone. 3) You fully cooperate in terms of bringing and sharing backline where its needed. I WILL NOT book you if 1) I don't think you fit in with the style of bands that we have 2) You are expecting to turn up to the night, bring no one with you, and not bother to stick around and support ALL the acts that are playing, 3) If you're under 18 (sos, its the law!) The following is a description of the nights we do. The first 2 Tuesdays of the month are ACOUSTIC REVOLUTION- what it says on the tin, quality acoustic music-no James Blunt, no Oasis covers, no Paulo Fucking Nuttini! Just quality song writing in a chilled out atmosphere. Good acoustic music is not background music for people to chat over. Every Thursday we also have 'FUCKED UP THURSDAY' (alternative, post-rock, electro, noise, ambient and just wierd shit) 3 or 4 acts who just play stuff thats different. These nights will also be soundtracked with a load of ace music before, in between and after. Think Battles, Boards of Canada, Bats for Lashes, Bjork, Clinic, Can, DJ Shadow, Explosions in the Sky, Fugazi, Kraftwerk, Low, Mogwai, My Bloody Valentine, Nick Cave, Oceansize, PJ Harvey, Pixies, Sigor Ros, Sonic Youth, Smog, Talking Heads, Television, Vessels. We'll probably play some stuff by 'unsigned' bands who've played our nights too. On the weekend we have 'FRIDAY I'M IN LOVE' and 'THE BIG SATURDAY BASH'-pop, indie, new wave, rock, dance- 2 stages of bands. D.J in between and after till late and in general a proper night out. So, in summary, get in touch if you want to come and play a proper gig where the promoter actually books bands because he likes the sound of them, actually puts them on with other bands who they may like and actually gives a shit about everyone having a good night. Thankyou Phillip xxxx"

Nice one Phil and Cath... Manchester united!

Let's hope In THe City is changing as well, last time we did an Organ night there we got totally ripped off by the ITC people... vowed never to go back again. Tony Wilspn was great, so was John Cooper Clark, but we got totally shafted by the ITC team and the venue owners...

I did a gig at one of Phil's nights recently. The archetypal 'good bloke', who mostly seems to just enjoy hearing new stuff. Highly reccomended.

Well that's good, people like Phil is what small gigs and zines and small labels and being in a band is all about and I hope you bands who he's supporting right now remember later on when you have pulling power and profile...

For people in Essex three honourable mentions:

Shakster records puts on gigs every Friday night and some others besides, very passionate about what he's doing, based in Chelmsford.

The Sunrooms in Southend actually pay bands £60 and 10% of the upstairs bar takings, and are currently looking for acts, you do have to bring your own PA though.

http://www.myspace.com/cultureasadare Culture as a Dare is a new night starting in Southend, the signed headliners get paid and the support acts just get treated nice.

I'm currently trying to put a tour together for a band I help out with, and I'm struggling to find a suitable night / promoter in the North East / Newcastle or Teesside area as I don't personally know the areas that well from a musical point of view; they do sort of psychedelic folky indie / shoegaze kind of stuff, not too weird... could anyone recommend me a decent contact in this area please?

Also does anyone have any direct experience - good or bad or simply informative - of Bannermans in Edinburgh?

Thank you.

PM Promotions in Cannock, Staffordshire:

http://www.myspace.com/pmpromotions

Always provide the performers with a bit of petrol money as long as over 15-20 people come in, and seeing as it's non-P2P it's in their own best interests to make sure that happens.

this Goonite people always put together good bills

We are booking bands for the new year!
Current mood: artistic

Hello bands! Please get in touch as we started booking for the new year! We are putting on gigs in London at three great venues: Buffalo Bar, Bardens Boudoir and The Wilmington Arms.

We like indiepop, post-rock, shoegaze, folk, kraut and electronic.

If you are in a band and want to play Goonite Club, please write us a message, or email us at marcio.dj@gmail.com

Thank you.

http://www.myspace.com/gooniteclub

Soundbites in Kentish Town, North London.

http://www.myspace.com/soundbitesmusic

Curator Radha says;

"Sound Bites is all about Good Music and Good Fun!

Twice a week, every week with acoustic performers, bands and everything in between. We value content over style not style over content and love the talented musicians that come to play. We believe in not charging door entry so you can come and watch great live music as often as you like without breaking the bank, and we have great audiences who know good music and love dancing on tables.

Ever since our first night on December 13th 2005, Sound Bites has grown into one of the best live music nights in North London but kept an intimate and friendly vibe without becoming cliquey or pretentious. Come down for a great relaxing night with quality music.

Always on the look out for interesting, talented or simply strange musicians, djs or performers weird and wonderful for the Sound Bites lead original live music in Kentish Town revolution.

Brave people who are doing something totally out of the ordinary are particularly welcome!

Venue: The Abbey, 124 Kentish Town Road, London, NW1 9QB.

Live music: Every Tuesday and Sunday night.

Sunshine and Drunkenness: Every day of the week... "

I'm off there later this eve. .......After Doll and the Kicks at Proud Galleries. Soundbites is like my second front room on those nights. 'Dancing on tables a must!
______________________

There's the more acoustic once a month 'brother' of soundbites called Folkadot, curated by Radha's other half, Jonny Berliner. It's in the Green Note Cafe on Camden Parkway, and is worth a fiver admission every time!
The only way I got in for nothing, is when I was taking the money last month for them. In other words, they give as much to the performers as possible! Both nights look after each other. Where there's Folkadot, there's Radha. Where there's Soundbites, there's Jonny.
http://www.myspace.com/folkadot
[url]http.www.myspace.com/jonnyberliner[/url]

This is a genuinely helpful list of DIY promoters who are doing it for the right reasons, though I think it's probably quite indiepop orientated.

http://www.howdoesitfeel.co.uk/ukpromoters.html

If you know any more you can drop them an e-mail.