Music Industry Workshop in Thurso - Nae Interest

[The Pepsi Challenge]

A music industry workshop due to be staged in Thurso on Friday was cancelled at the last minute after failing to attract any local interest. The session at Skinandi's nightclub was to feature industry professionals but, despite having three experienced Highland music promoters on the panel - including Robert Hicks, the man behind the RockNess and Belladrum festivals - not a single person turned up, leading to its last-minute cancellation. Mr Hicks, RockNess festival director, said that the event had been a success at two other venues, in Orkney and Aviemore, and he could not understand why it had failed in Thurso.

http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/...sic_event.html

[fingalmacool]

Apparently they contacted the schools two days before they came up, so they need to get there act together and advertise

[theboysintheband]

This is the first I've heard of it. Where was it advertised?

Shame it was a disaster.

[Tubthumper]

I heard nothing either. I hope the folk that were organising it don't try to blame lack of interest here, when no-one knew it was on.

I've been to something like this before, there's plenty of people here who would go and enjoy and learn.

[missmillie]

I would have gone to this too had I known about it!

[BillyEspie]

No support for local music event
By Alan Shields
Published: 25 August, 2010
A MUSIC industry workshop due to be staged in Thurso on Friday was cancelled at the last minute after failing to attract any local interest.

The session at Skinandi's nightclub was to feature industry professionals but, despite having three experienced Highland music promoters on the panel - including Robert Hicks, the man behind the RockNess and Belladrum festivals - not a single person turned up, leading to its last-minute cancellation.

Only around 50 people turned up to the subsequent showcase gig at night.

Mr Hicks, RockNess festival director, said that the event had been a success at two other venues, in Orkney and Aviemore, and he could not understand why it had failed in Thurso.

"We're very disappointed that no interested parties turned up to the workshop.

"After informing all the local schools, we were surprised that no-one turned up to get a chance to gain some information about being in a band and life in the music industry in general," he told the Caithness Courier.

Mr Hicks explained that the scheme, set up in conjunction with Creative Scotland's Youth Music Initiative, arts agency HI-Arts, Business Gateway and his own promotions company, Beyond, was intended to improve communications with North venues and to give musicians based in rural areas the chance to learn about the industry from those in the know.

He said: "We're constantly being told by bands that they don't know how to put their own gigs on and so on, and there was offer of that information being imparted but, unfortunately, there were no takers.

"We had really positive feedback on other dates, but Thurso just didn't happen this time."

Thurso was the second date of the workshop tour which included three venues - Fusion in Orkney and the Vault in Aviemore.

Mr Hicks said that it may be a case of re-evaluating how the tour is promoted and how the information is conveyed for the next one later in the year.

"I think we need to go back and re-examine how we put the information across from our end. We may need to go directly to the schools and engage the youngsters. We're learning as much on this tour as the bands are. We're always tweaking it to make it as productive as possible."

Three bands were taken on the tour by the music promoters, including Wick group Always the Sixth.

Guitarist Iain Henderson said that he had a great time and learned a lot from the industry professionals.

"The guys that were running it really appreciated our enthusiasm and we learned a lot from them in return," he said. "It was great to get out on the road with some other bands. We got offered a gig in Inverness in a few weeks' time because of our involvement with the tour."

However, the band members were similarly disappointed and surprised with the lack of attendance on Friday.

"The turnout at Orkney wasn't great for the workshop either and I know the local schools in Thurso were notified of the event so I don't know why no-one turned up. At Aviemore there was a much better attendance and we learned quite a lot," said the guitarist.

"All the bands took part and there were a few local people there who were obviously interested in either being in a band or breaking into other parts of the industry."

Orcadian band Red Dog Bandit and Inverness-based singer-songwriter Iain McLaughlin were also on the tour.

Accompanying Mr Hicks on the industry panel was Dougie Brown, a music promoter who has worked at Belladrum, the Wickerman festival and various other Highland music events, and Steve Robertson, a promoter for the Ironworks and Hootenanny in Inverness.

Mr Hicks said that they would be heading back to Thurso at some point and he hoped that there would be a greater response from local musicians and those wanting to enter the industry.

"If the legacy we leave is that we come away and just one band from Wick or Thurso manages to go across and do a gig in Orkney, or wherever, in the future, then it's been a success.

"If one person comes along and wants to pick up an instrument or get into promoting music afterwards, then we have succeeded. If we can get these rural areas linked up and doing tours and speaking to one another then it can only improve the music scene here."

[loganbiffy]

It was not well advertised at all.
It's the same with most gigs that happen in Skinandi's, lack of advertising.
There was a bit of advertising in the local paper on the day of the event but let's be honest, how many kids have an interest in reading the local paper?

Promoters complain about people not turning up to gigs/events. Truth be told, they ain't doing enough promotion.

[Deadmans Sunshine]

i knew about this, about a week ago, and the only place i saw any type of advertisement was on the skins boards. but in all truth the posters were tiny and i actually had to get my face right on the board to see the writing. almost lost ma nose.

shame it didnt go well, but its obvious that they either let themselves down on the advertising or a third party did. cant blame the kiddies. can we?