Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Chris Tinker on October 3, 2011 at 9:38pm

My younger brother (Michael Tinker) might be able to help with the Sheffield idea. He lives there, has just started a monthly folk club at a pub and runs a monthly live event called live at 215, I'd imagine he knows the venue scene in Sheffield, he's also acquainted with t.a.f.k.a.b Ant. (Though as a warning Ant is building him a banjo.) 

He's also been peddling his own cigar box guitar playing around the city as well as primary school lessons on the blues.

He's here on CBNation. 

Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on October 3, 2011 at 11:14pm

Whatever venue we end up at, we have quite a few items on our 'wish list', and we'll need to prioritise that as to what is essential, what's important and what is lower priority. I've quickly put down just a few things..and this is by no means exhaustive.

 

For the daytime we need:

Space for open mic / general discussions.

Space for workshops & teaching classes.

Space for guitar building (a new one this, but I reckon one that we might repeat?).

Space for displays & stalls (this requirement looks like its growing steadily)

Cafe/licensed bar

Convenient get-in and unloading facilities.

 

For the evening performance we need:

Venue with an established reputation of staging successful music events, with credibility, a potential audience  and a strong media/advertising/public presence.

Performance space with in-house PA & soundman

200 - 300 capacity (or much more depending on the headline acts)

Licenced bar

 

General requirements:

Good road/rail access, reasonable proximity to an international airport

Parking nearby

Facility to run a Friday open mic at the same or nearby venue

Decent catering at the venue or nearby

Nearby hotels

 

Permalink Reply by Chillicool on October 3, 2011 at 11:31pm

All that for £20...good luck chaps.

Permalink Reply by Slowpaw Steve T on October 3, 2011 at 11:40pm

Sounds good - if Sheffield is chosen then Hotel accommodation for those coming up from the South will be a real necessity, book early! (-:

Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on October 3, 2011 at 11:43pm

Yes, it's a tough 'un to crack!!
Chillicool said:

All that for £20...good luck chaps.

Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on October 3, 2011 at 11:48pm

On other events..I think Prof mentioned the idea of a camp-out.  The simplest thing to do is what we did last year..pick an established festival and join in.

 

We did Upton upon Severn Blues Festival..with me, Hollowbelly and Ken my bass player camping. Plenty of opportunity for open mic/ busking and other performances at the festival...very easy to build on.  

Permalink Reply by Hayden A Butler on October 4, 2011 at 1:35am

Yeah, that is definatly a good way of bringing in new members and Boxstock-goers.  The White Lion in Upton was very cramped so maybe an outside place to play - or one of the "official" stages around the town, which would really pull in a crowd.  A suply of posters for member too pin up in local pubs, notice boards ect...

ChickenboneJohn said:

On other events..I think Prof mentioned the idea of a camp-out.  The simplest thing to do is what we did last year..pick an established festival and join in.

 

We did Upton upon Severn Blues Festival..with me, Hollowbelly and Ken my bass player camping. Plenty of opportunity for open mic/ busking and other performances at the festival...very easy to build on.  

Permalink Reply by The Professor on October 4, 2011 at 1:56am

This does sound like an option. It would give us a new audience and potential new members to the HGMC, as well as allowing us to look incredibly cool with our instuments and handles!

ChickenboneJohn said:

On other events..I think Prof mentioned the idea of a camp-out.  The simplest thing to do is what we did last year..pick an established festival and join in.

 

We did Upton upon Severn Blues Festival..with me, Hollowbelly and Ken my bass player camping. Plenty of opportunity for open mic/ busking and other performances at the festival...very easy to build on.  

Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on October 4, 2011 at 2:17am

Sounds interesting..but I don't like the sound of the word "hire"!  But seriously, the money aspect is crucial.

 

I don't like venue hire charges, you're already on the back foot financially - if I can tell the gaffer we'll get him 40 or 50 thirsty & hungry people in there, then I expect him to be grateful, let us have the run of the place, and a good gaffer will also give me a good wedge of the folding to go home with. For example, this year  I ran the all-day open mic at Upton Blues Fest, we were payed a decent fee by the landlord, free food and drink all day..then given a £100 bonus on top.

 

Bike Rallies.....that's where we want to be playing. 

 

Permalink Reply by The Professor on October 4, 2011 at 6:04am

I have asked about the Leadmill and it could be suitable, also I have been recommended the University of Sheffield. Apparently they have a venue that may be ideal called I believe the Fusion and Foundry rooms. Bars and auditorium etc. I will investigate further

Permalink Reply by anthony on October 4, 2011 at 6:53am

Further to Rooster's comments, I would agree that Sheffield is a pretty good, reasonably central location with the potential of pulling in a regular crowd for the evening gig at the right venue.  It sounds like there is a good few of us around the city who are willing to get involved in organising next year's boxstock which is a plus.  I know of a few venues which could be suitable depending on who we get as the headline act  .Are we moving towards this as a potential plan for getting next year underway?  Any other points of view?

Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on October 4, 2011 at 7:20am

I certainly in favour of a move somewhere new. I don't want to get in a rut of using the same venue, and I think the main weak spot of The Public is that it's not an established music venue and simply isn't in a position to shift big numbers of evening tickets - in truth the evening gig deserved at least twice the number of people in the room. This may have been in part my failing to properly publicise the event to a wider audience, but I feel that the venue really didn't pull their weight on this, they simply aren't active enough in this area.  In all other respects they were great to work with, but I'm very critical of this aspect. 

 

Absolutely critical to making a success is the financial side - I managed to negotiate a very good doorsplit agreement with The Public, and for what we paid for the WHOLE event wouldn't have hired us a decent PA and sound engineer elsewhere... we got a hell of a lot for our money there. Negociating with another venue in the West Midlands might be easier as I could get them into a direct bidding war on their own turf, but by the same token, we could perhaps convince another venue in another city that they want us.  We need to tread carefully...and I am Yorkshire born and bred, so I have deep pockets and short arms (a Scotsman with all the generosity squeezed out as some would have it)..so I'm very cagey about striking a deal with a venue. I managed to get The Public for around half of what they originally asked, so I've got some experience here.

 

If the right venue isn't available in one city, then we must look elsewhere. The right venue is more important than the town, if they can produce the results we are after. Having people on the ground is useful, but it isn't essential - although  practical experience of a specific venue is valuable.

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