View Full Version : So if there was a Caithness County Gig
Gogglebox
02-Aug-06, 21:35
So if there was a Caithness COUNTY Gig, after all the talk of the gigs in wick and THURSO and suggecting we collaborate and do a county gig
Where would you have it (dont want to do what the County Show do and alternate) and what home grown bands would you want to play - - cant pick your own - -and what headline act - - what realistic one would be obtainable to drag their ass up here Who would you go for
Remember you have to appeal to the Masses not just your own favourite type of music
Go on The Big Gig model of 9 bands and a headline act
SO
Location ?
Local Bands (9)
Headline Act?
Remember I may be sussing the crack out for future events so think seriously !! - - -maybe ,just maybe
Moonboots
04-Aug-06, 12:23
It all depends on where about to have the gig. Personally i think it has to be a town and one which has a big area to deal with it also alot of people would not want to take their car with them if they are wanting to have a good drink and enjoy themselves. If it was out of town then buses would have to be put on for it at either a cheap rate or free.
When it comes to 9 bands then there are more than 9 local bands in the county.
Headline Act would have to be some sort of band from maybe further down the road abit like someone in Glasgow or Edinburgh. They dont have to be a big band or group. Even though the bigger the better would attact more people.
So what does everyone else think!!!!!
A few have looked but not posted anything.
elastic band
09-Aug-06, 20:37
why don't you want to alternate -wouldn't this be the fairest solution ?
a different charity could be nominated for each year and perhaps you could grade the day into different music categories -thus ensuring a little something for all.
if the crowd are well supervised and any signs of trouble dealt with immediately perhaps by local police etc and by controlling the amount of booze digested people of all ages should be able to enjoy a fun day / evening.
what about trying different music genres -eg rock, punk, melodic rock, heavy metal, rock n' roll, blues, etc etc
why limit the bands especiaally if each did say 30 mins each -also try to encourage stalls, involve round table, rotary, local groups and make this a truly celebrate caithness concert / festival
personally i would love to see WHITE NOIZE included as these young guys are a definite talent for the future
hope these ideas help
martin
impatient
09-Aug-06, 21:16
Good ideas above.
A county gig would be great, but unless it was in the middle it wouldn't really be a county gig would it? Otherwise you've got to have a capital chosen and that would just cause arguments.
If the Wick one goes ahead again, I'm sure they'll give it a name, and the Thurso one is already called the Big Gig.
If it was me I would have a dance tent at the other end of the field, camping over the river and keep it going all weekend. You'd have to have a big headline band, and seeing Estrella this year, they're as good as any I've seen, but a chart topper would pull the punters.
If it was done in the next few months, you could contact record companies for up and coming bands to fill the slots, and cross your fingers one of them makes it by next year and still bothers to turn up.
I heard talk about staging the bands in slots according to style as elastic band said, but if you follow any other festival example, on the main stage there are a variety of different acts playing different kinds of music and that's what hooks the majority - the audience react differently to different that's a good thing and will keep them there, the other stages usually cater to specifics, like dance. Publishing a timed list of bands in advance might solve that for anyone who wants to listen to just a couple of things, but basically you want people to sit there all day, or all weekend.
So I would go for more than nine, keep it in Wick as the location is so ideal for a weekend festival - or even next to the caravan park in Thurso - and make sure a headline act was brought to the county, give it a name and don't worry where it is.
Your question who would come up? Any band would given the right amount of money and a bit of notice, just find out who their booking agent is and do it. Once you've hooked one, it's then easier and cheaper to get the next.
TazHowlinGael
11-Oct-06, 20:24
It would maybe be ok if it was propally thought out and put together you no what i mean a proper proffesional set up none of this thrown together noncence like that Big Gig carry on at the Dammies!.
Taz.
TazHowlinGael
11-Oct-06, 20:26
We'll headline if you want? The Howlin Gaels.
Taz.
In my view the big gig was a half assed attempt that we should be ashamed of , don't get me wrong the musicians were ok (emphasis on OK)and chobbersjunior was the best man to do the sound but absolutely no..and I mean NO effort was made to make the punters feel like they were really valued. There was no effort to supply a proper ( open faced )beer tent facing the bands to give shelter to punters and a closer more encapsilated audience thus creating a more comfortable and organised atmosphrere, the beer was over priced, there was no convincing stage lighting ( which can make a concert feel far warmer and more relaxed..a better atmosphere all together) the whole thing looked thrown together by a bunch off old cheils that haven't got the first clue as to how to put on a succesfull GIG. Having played at many,many, MANY outdoor gigs myself over the past 25 or so years I can truly say that the Big Gig was a big flop in comparison.(hold on ,rant nearly over..)
If anyone reads this that had anything to do with the organizing of the gig then don't be offended instead next time try to put a bit of thought into it, I would be willing to give advice or help in some way free of charge rather than the Town embarress itself again in such a way. (rant has almost finished hold on!)
it was almost as bad as the fun day which again was thrown together, I felt really sorry for the poor wee girls that was doing the highland dancing...in a wide open field, full of various and multiple noises trying to dance in time and with feeling TO A PORTABLE STEREO!!! All the audience could see was little girls dancing but no one could hear what they were dancing to..not even the little girls! how could the dance teacher (or organisers) not have made sure of at least having a good sound system for the poor wee lassies (who I may add worked very hard and were very good considering), after all it is a major part of the performance, the burnt burgers on offer at £2 a pop did't even have onions and were as dry as coal and so many other details of the funday were simply that they left to chance including the long line of young kiddies including my young daughter that were disapointed when they were turned away from the cue for the donkey ride because the guy had another booking that he had to go to, when I asked why he hadn't been asked to stay for the whole day he said that he had been asked but the organisers left it to the last minute and so he had already been booked elsewhere! WHY was there no pre planning in this whole half baked shurade..once again we have let ourselves down. When are we going to start competing with the rest of the country.(phew ...rant over) ok now let the you no what hit the fan, what do ya all think?
As I told you in the pub one day... it was a last minute thing that was thrown together.
It's easy to sit and criticise, but going on the budget they had, I thought they did alright.
Indeed it could be improved.
Why not set it up yourself?
Moonboots
11-Oct-06, 22:57
what do ya all think?
I think your an idiot....lol
Personally I think the gig was pretty good.
Yes we all know that things can only improve the next time.
As the gig was free then what can you expect...
If you wanted big tents for the crowd then this costs money and where would the money come from.... Sponsorships maybe.
Its all a big learning curve and can only get better...
Its just my opinion tho....
Bobinovich
11-Oct-06, 23:29
Yes it was all absolutely thrown together on a shoestring. At the Town Improvements EGM early last year it was found that there was inadequate funding so a massive fundraising drive was undertaken by the committee. Without this concerted effort the whole Gala week would not have happened and it's a miracle things went as well as they did.
It's only be getting help from people with the appropriate knowledge, and also people offering to help on the day, that these events went ahead. Yes they were not what was hoped for, but taking the meagre budget and time available, and with the small number of people willing to be involved, and the fact that it was the first time these events had been tried IMHO I think the results were not actually that bad.
As an aside for those of you with longer memories you will remember the Edge of the World gigs on the Viewfirth Green/Scrabster field. They started in much the same way (i.e. everything was begged & borrowed) and ended up with good funding and bigger acts. However where is the Edge of the World now? They were very successful while it was held as a free event, but as soon as they got the bigger acts and started charging hefty entry fees, the local apathy set in and, before long, they called it a day.
Anyway, you will be glad to know that, at the Town Improvements AGM held last Monday evening, there was significantly more in the coffers for future events, many more people wanting to join the committee (as well as additional volunteers for events), plus there is much more time to plan things. On top of that the lessons learned from this years' events will go a long way to ensuring that any similar events held next year will be much better thought out, and that ideas from forums such as this will give the necessary feedback to make sure they are more sucessful.
Anyone wanting/willing to be involved next year then please contact TTIA through their website at www.thurso.org (http://www.thurso.org)
As I told you in the pub one day... it was a last minute thing that was thrown together.
It's easy to sit and criticise, but going on the budget they had, I thought they did alright.
Indeed it could be improved.
Why not set it up yourself?
Why don't the organisers ask someone to give them some pointers for next year? I don't mean to criticise but just think, people are up here on holiday they turn out because there is advertising about the gig all over but don't stay because it isn't a very comfortable atmosphere, so well done with the advertising (please note , positve comment No.1) but that holiday makers have gone back home with a memory of Caithness live music not being so good and through no fault of the musicians, and as I said chobbersjuinor done an excellent job so that was a good choice of P.A supply and engineer ( positive comment No.2) but getting the most out of any gig means trying to get the atmosphere right especially if the audience is standing in a dimly lite field on a dreach night, surely warm coulorful lighting would have made a big difference to the audience and to the musicians who like it or not feed of the energy of the audience and so the better the audiences feel etc. etc
All the great musicians I have had the honour of knowing and/or have jammed with from Caithness who have played in the past or are still out there punting their stuff have gone to serve this county well, and has made Caithness well known for its wealth of talent but I feel that event organisers up here don't think these things through enough, the questions that should be looked at is, will the audiences feel that they had a good enough experience as to, firstly come back next time and secondly recommend the event to friends? and also is there a suitable compare, is the lighting right is the audience well catered for. I know the budget that was used was limited but surely there if there wasn't enough money couldn't they have waited till next year so they could not only raise more money towards the event but also booked a more established headlining act like the Hayseed Dixies for example seeing as how they have been apearing on the highland circuit as have many big names in music if you take a leaf outa orkney's book.
I think your an idiot....lol
Personally I think the gig was pretty good.
Yes we all know that things can only improve the next time.
As the gig was free then what can you expect...
If you wanted big tents for the crowd then this costs money and where would the money come from.... Sponsorships maybe.
Its all a big learning curve and can only get better...
Its just my opinion tho....
I think I'm an idiot too..lol but I'm just trying to make a (helpful hopefuly)point. most of the things that were overlooked would have cost very little to nothing to put right, we start as we mean to go on, open with a blast show em we mean business etc.
As for the Edge of The World , I played at a few and as I recall it was the local musicians that played for free that helped get that on it's feet but once there was enough money to start paying the local musicians they instead started paying huge fees to artists from down south and the local artists eventualy abandondend them, they were at the opposite end of the spectrum , they tried to be "too hot too soon" .
You as well as any musician should know that the crowd is only as good as the band makes them. If the band involves the crowd, then the crowd will give something back.
If you'd stuck around instead of wandering off home because you thought it was rubbish, you would've seen that some of the bands got some very positive responses from the crowds.
I don't see how you can sit there and criticise it so openly when you left so early. You're saying all the bands were "ok" but you didn't see them all?
Admittedly, a band playing country music or some old favourites would've gone down a storm.
I don't see how a lighting rig would've gone down during daytime? It'd be a bit pointless I think.
Bobinovich
12-Oct-06, 00:09
Normally the committee would have been working since the AGM (October) to get things organised but these events were not decided on until somewhere around March/April which doesn't leave long to organise everything. On top of The Big Gig, there were also many other gala-related things to arrange, and with few bodies to help it was not an easy task.
Members of the Caithness music fraternity were bought in at a relatively early stage and they gave invaluable advice on things like staging and PA and, from previous experiences such as The Edge of the World festivals, were also able to offer information on portaloo's and security and the like.
IMHO lighting is all well and good in the later hours of the day but is less effective early on unless you have a lot of reddies to throw at it. To my knowledge no offer of lighting was made until it was way too late to take advantage of it.
As for the dreich weather there was little control available over that [lol]
I know that plans are already well afoot for a much bigger and better 'Big Gig' next year. I wish the organisers all the best with it as am no longer involved in the same way I was this year.
Again, I reiterate, if you want to help or get involved then contact TTIA ASAP so they know who is available and what skills/services/equipment they can offer/hire (at reasonable prices)
i thought it was good, but the atmosphere was dreadful for the fans. we had no shelter no beer tent (most folks went to co op across the road) the acts were very good, all local acts. some acts fualtered a bit though particularly white noize, started off good, but they ran well out of wind towards the end. and they were not the best choice to open. it seems just because they were the youngest and newest on the scene they should get tossed on first. but back to the point...it was good, but there were no facilities or attractions for the fans. but it was good to see a gig of that "theme" finally take place. and....in theory....it should get better with every try.
not being funny here but i thought a lot of lighting and performance effort went mainly to estrella. they got better lighting than any other band.
also i noticed that a bloke crawled on to the stage drunk at one point, yeah it was all well and in good fun as he was drunk, he even put an arm, around pablo.....but arent security railings supposed to stop that? and if the band wish to interact or touch the crowd shouldnt it be there choice? i mean what if the guy was aggressively drunk an wanted to thump pablo one (we have all been there one time or another lol just kiddin)
overall good idea that fell ever so slightly flat. but a very small step in the right direction.
White Noize were on second ;)
You as well as any musician should know that the crowd is only as good as the band makes them. If the band involves the crowd, then the crowd will give something back.
If you'd stuck around instead of wandering off home because you thought it was rubbish, you would've seen that some of the bands got some very positive responses from the crowds.
I don't see how you can sit there and criticise it so openly when you left so early. You're saying all the bands were "ok" but you didn't see them all?
Admittedly, a band playing country music or some old favourites would've gone down a storm.
I don't see how a lighting rig would've gone down during daytime? It'd be a bit pointless I think.
My point was that the one feeds of the other (band/audience)and that for a musician to be at their best they mustn't have to play to audiences that feel uncomfortable ( and I didn't say it was rubbish so calm down) and as for having lighting then if the audience in the day time certainly didn't need lighting but what about those who stuck around until nightime or who only turned up after dark? anyway I was only trying to raise the bar as far as the way (some) events get thrown together and the perception that leaves out tourists with.
The Howlin' Gaels to HEADLINE
Rawkin Down that LONLY ROAD!!... WOOOO With an Evil Child ... Ach lets do it ONE MORE TIME.. Watch out for them BROKEN THINGS... OMg argh My HEADS ON FIRE.... yeah i got the album!... hee hee
Bummin'...
Took the word right out of my mouth!
Hmmm, all this talk about established bands, wasnt the point of the big gig for local bands, i do believe if a band wanted to play at the big gig they had to ask for themselves, who cares about established bands when it was based at local bands, i doubt the public really cared
all in all i think the majority of people werent really caring about if a band was established or not, the majority simply went for the fact that bands were playing, not the fact of who was who, though obviously friends of friends etc would of been there for specific bands
still, how it can be such a big deal i dont get it, the fact that someone bothered to give it a try in the first place is better than doing nothing at all
meh, another rant about nothing i see, still, better to rant about nothing than nothing at all
still, was a good gig, all those wannabe duress acts and all
:roll:
The Pepsi Challenge
14-Oct-06, 02:25
Unsure about how to go about formulating a small-but-guaranteed-to-get-you-good-results festival? Easy, start by speaking to Robert Hicks, who, practically single-handedly set up, organised, and promoted the fantastic Loopallu (that's Ullapool spelt backward, folks, in case you didn't know) Festival. [*Googlebox: I'll PM Robert's landline number to you.] Loopallu has attracted lots of press, admiration from others wishing to set up their own festivals, and, in a few years, will rival others such as Belladrum. It is, in its own way, the T in the Park of the highlands. Caithness (i.e. Thurso) has more people, more resources, the organisers - with the right planning and support - should be able to do something as good, if not better than Loopallu.
As the glut of the Caithness population resides in the West of the county, it makes sense to have the festival in Thurso. People, money, business, resources, space - it's all there. Host it at Millbank, so, if it starts belting down with rain (aye, it happens in the middle of summertime) the live entertainment could be re-housed either in The Park Hotel or Skinandis. That's only if the worst comes to the worst, however.
Bands? Obviously local bands garner local interest. The likes of Estrella, Howlin' Gaels and, if he's game for it, The J. Fats Band, would be a safe bet in terms of guaranteed entertainment. And you'd be surprised how many, ahem, 'name' bands would be interested in headlining such a thing. EVERY week I speak to bands who say they'd love to play somewhere like Thurso. Why don't they? There's no venues, promoters, nothing outwith word-of-mouth to convince them that it would be worth making the trip. A one-off show would suit them, albeit for a price, but not a hefty one. It's just a case of speaking to the right people. So here's a couple of acts I reckon would be up for it.
Hayseed Dixie. Performing classic rock songs in a bluegrass style, they're a sure-fire bet to get a crowd going. Keep them in booze for the weekend, a decent hotel and pay their expenses. You never know...
Aberfeldy...
(http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=51521714)
They've played the Edinburgh Hogmanay Concert in the Gardens, supported REM, the Beautiful South, and will be ten times bigger this time next year. They've also been nominated for the Mercury Prize.
And another thing, papers and magazines love small, quirky festivals. The Scotsman, The List magazine, Daily Record etc. (just a couple of examples) have all done features, previews and reviews of small successful festivals such as The Wickerman, Loopallu, and Belladrum festivals to name but a few. I think they'd be 'tickled' by something like this happening in the Far North. Everytime I try to promote the area, I always say "it's the most northerly (insert whatever here), that during summer it never gets dark, and if you're lucky, you'll get to see the Northern Lights, too."
Next year the papers will focus heavily on any major surfing comps coming to the area. So I'd say get the festival sorted and organised soon as possible. You want to attract as many spectators as possible. And don't worry if it's over ambitious. My motto is "Punch Above Your Weight." The organisers should think on a similar line.
For instance, by promoting the above to the likes of The Proclaimers, they just might go for it. I'll ask Charlie Reid next time I see him. Again, you never know.
Good luck and Godspeed!
How strange, Pepsi's talking sense!!! On the nail!!!
Gogglebox
18-Nov-06, 15:01
Thought id pop in and reply to some of the comments on this thread
THe weather on the day became a much bigger problem than we had anticipated even for Thurso.
It was really so close to being cancelled in the morning.
It was hard to have an alternative indoor venue as no large club/hotel wanted to set up and take in staff for a gig that wasnt likely to happen inside. It would have been all costs and little gain so no places of reasonable size were interested.
Marquee hire was £5k for the day. #
It was a gamble that didnt pay off weather wise but It was August and we thought it would be dull with occasional rain at worst, we really hadnt anticipated the persistant rain but it was the wind in the morning that was the real problem and meant we had to cut back a lot of the stalls, amusements and things we had built round the day to entertain and fundraise.
We didnt go down the road of getting the sideshows in as we thought it would be a distraction to the music but we did speak to them and may consider it another time but it does impinge on the bands playing and thats a bit unfair i think
THe bands played for nothing and did very well. We were not selective in the music or the bands that played as its not for us to be the music police and tell people what they would enjoy or not
There were 10 bands which probably was too many but we had over 20 wanting to play. THe problem is each band change over is about 15 mins so we didnt want to have too much dead air so tried to limit it to 15mins per hour, which i think worked alright.
It was a bit thrown together on the day but more so again because we had to make so many rearrangements on the day because of the weather and that really was a learning curve thing that we would try and anticipate better
A lot of organisation and pre planning did go into it i can assure you all but as i say we really were caught flat footed on the day - -rookie error on my part there but alternative solutions were going to cost so much that i took a gamble that didnt come off - -although the forecast for it was actually quite good!! Never trust a weather forecast!
Howling Gaels were asked, one of only a few i did actually directly ask/invite, In general we advertised for bands and got them. Howling Gaels declined at the time. So David Taz thats why you didnt play.
'Half assed that we should be ashamed of' I dont accept that and think its a ridiculous statement especially from someone who claims to have your wealth of experience, you should know better.
Our objective with this was to get a range of local bands on an outdoor stage playing a range of music to suit a range of musical tastes, free to the public
THis gig was put on for the benefit of local bands and the local people.
We should not be ashamed to put things on for the people who live in our town, if tourists come they come, we're here 365 days a year
Attempts had been made to try and put something like this on before but had not got off the ground. We atleast got ours on and running , it began it ran and it finished as planned. Fair play to Chobbers for that, he was a star man!
However it satisfied our initial objectives.
Granted there were a few hiccups on the day but they were daft things like toilets blocking or drunk teenagers but the music ran as per schedule.
The guys that ran on stage was a problem and a slip by our one of our steward who got involved with another incident.
We would have more stewards another time as that was a real problem as were the barriers collapsing due to rust but these are things its hard to legislate for, we borrowed them in good faith from the police but unfortunately they are old and some of them were breaking and pulling others down - -that could have gone horribly wong!!
Clash 67 the offer of help and experience is welcome and it would be interesting to meet and have a chat so feel free to pm me and have a chat
To coordinate and keep 10 bands happy of varying numbers, say 50 folk approx, is not easy but it happened and went well. You have to keep everyone the same and cant have one getting any more preference than another. THese guys gave up their time and ability free of charge. We could not treat one better than the other
Esterella were treated no differently, they had lights as it was dark and people could see them, the lighting was actually on from about 6 oclock but it was daylight so insignificant until later
The organisation of the event started in February when a number of us joined the TTIA comittee. Because its a voluntary organisation people come and go because of work etc so as much as you can get people involved in organising things work, family etc means it inevitably falls to one or two people to pull it together, This year we have about 6 on the Big Gig organising committee but ineveitably it will come down to 1 or 2 to pull it together .
Assistance from anybody is welcome
Aswell as the Big Gig we have a whole Gala Week to organise this year it was amongst about 8 of a committee which we struggled with so few, hence Clash 67 unhapiness at the Funday, after the amount of work for the gala night some of our people were unable to make the funday.
This year we have 14 people on our committee with the age of it ranging from 17 to 85 and the average about 30-40 years old
The agm was held in October and well advertised anyone could join and reduce our average age, although this is now probably the youngest average in years. However if anyone wants to still join contact me. Anyone over 18 is welcome not just Old Chiels
Price of drink was not extortinate. It was in line with the prices at all these events. If people went to the shops for a carry out thats fair enough, it was there for conveinence if you wanted to pay the prices.
Burnt burgers i wouldnt agree with much either but i dont eat them
As a community organisation we have our "cooks" trained and certificated on food hygiene etc. All attended courses at the college this year.
What one person doesnt like another enjoys so its down to personal taste. We have to cater for the majority and within legislation.
Headline acts are fine but expensive and some of them are booked up 2 -3 years in advance.
An example we tried for Deacon Blue who i know and like but might not appeal to all ages that would be attracted to attend , they wanted £35,000
Do you take a gamble and hope you attract enough to cover that, whilst also alienating the local bands that you have set out to work with.
Along with the costs of hiring them comes the added costs of additional security, stage setups, lighting, accomodation, admision ticketing etc. I would be surprised if there was change out of £50k+
The Body Rockers wanted £20k to come but would perform for 30 minutes, throw in the additional costs above and you would be paying about £1000 a minute, its not easy to justify financially, there has to be a trade off and a sense of financial reality. Would people outwith the town attend and finance that kind of costs, its difficult to say.
I had too and declined
THe fundraisng on the day wasnt that great we didnt make a fortune becuase we had to cancel various stalls and entertainments and it is very difficult to charge an admission fee to a public park as there are so many access points and collections on the day werent overly succesful but there is limited ways to fundraise, we are looking at alternatives for next year
The budget for next year i fear will not be that much fore that the but we had this year.
The money our organisation has belongs to the public, they donated it and we have to reinvest it in things that benefit the community long term.
We cant squander or gamble with it, can you imagine the outcry
However organisation is underway for next year and we are trying to put together something that is similar in objective but significantly enough different from this years to improve the event
We have talked to the promoter of the Tartan Heart festival at Belladrum and the clash of our dates may yet benefit us but again its a trade off with upsetting local bands but we shall see how things go.
We have taken into consideration some of the difficulties we had this year plus the feedback we have had and we hope for a bigger and better event
Your comments and criticism have been welcome and appreciated and i will take a lot of the comments into consideration as we organise things
Again I re-iterate if anyone wants to get involved in TTIA or just in organising The Big Gig II email me on info@thurso.org
The Pepsi Challenge
20-Nov-06, 10:26
Googlebox - I've got a contact for Hayseed Dixie for you. If we can set a date, and, if the price is right, I reckon we might be able to get them up for The Big Gig part 2.
Gogglebox
20-Nov-06, 13:58
Googlebox - I've got a contact for Hayseed Dixie for you. If we can set a date, and, if the price is right, I reckon we might be able to get them up for The Big Gig part 2.
Date is Sat 11th & Sunday 12th August
Will pm you
The Pepsi Challenge
21-Nov-06, 00:04
Let me start by saying, Deacon Blue are in a position where they do gigs for a nice little bonus (i.e. when the tax bills come in). However the kind of gigs they're talking about are residencies, such as at the Albert Hall (London, not Stirling) and playing New Year extravaganzas. Obviously Mr Ross's leftist taking-it-to-the-people credentials are as genuine as most of his music. Anyway, for £35K you could put together the kind of line-up that would bring folk flooding to the town. But let's hold off the phone call to Fish just yet.
OK. First thing's first: decide what you want to do, and, who you want to attract. The organisers need to understand PRECISELY what kind of programming policy they're looking to achieve. Most summer festivals - even the big independent ones - cater for a niche market. This Big Gig needs to satisfy the average punter.
So here's a couple of potential names...
Idlewild. You'd certainly get them for a lot less than £35K. Roddy Woomble has done umpteen interviews saying how he likes living in the highlands, and, that it's the best place in the world. If so, am sure he'd like to put his (the Big Gig oraganisers') money where his mouth is. Surely. They've got an album to plug in the new year after all; and Idlewild are probably just on the right side of 'weird' for many, and a name (some) people have heard of.
Another who would make the effort north are Echo & The Bunnymen, they've been here before after all. Popular amongst the kids again, too, is McCulloch and co. Last year they Sold Out every Scottish venue they played.
Biffy Clyro also do this kind of thing, but are perhaps on the other side of the line. Teenage Fanclub, as well as Julian Cope are acts that would love - if everything was organised properly (you'll have to demonstrate that before they'll even talk back) - to come up to the Far North.
The ideal festival to pick tips from, however, is Big In Falkirk. Have a look at their line-ups from the past few years. And then scale them down. They've generally worked well with the odd big name; but sunny weather, dancing and loads of booze are critical factors in something like this working on a budget.
I wish thee the best of luck...
Let me start by saying, Deacon Blue are in a position where they do gigs for a nice little bonus (i.e. when the tax bills come in). However the kind of gigs they're talking about are residencies, such as at the Albert Hall (London, not Stirling) and playing New Year extravaganzas. Obviously Mr Ross's leftist taking-it-to-the-people credentials are as genuine as most of his music. Anyway, for £35K you could put together the kind of line-up that would bring folk flooding to the town. But let's hold off the phone call to Fish just yet.
OK. First thing's first: decide what you want to do, and, who you want to attract. The organisers need to understand PRECISELY what kind of programming policy they're looking to achieve. Most summer festivals - even the big independent ones - cater for a niche market. This Big Gig needs to satisfy the average punter.
So here's a couple of potential names...
Idlewild. You'd certainly get them for a lot less than £35K. Roddy Woomble has done umpteen interviews saying how he likes living in the highlands, and, that it's the best place in the world. If so, am sure he'd like to put his (the Big Gig oraganisers') money where his mouth is. Surely. They've got an album to plug in the new year after all; and Idlewild are probably just on the right side of 'weird' for many, and a name (some) people have heard of.
Another who would make the effort north are Echo & The Bunnymen, they've been here before after all. Popular amongst the kids again, too, is McCulloch and co. Last year they Sold Out every Scottish venue they played.
Biffy Clyro also do this kind of thing, but are perhaps on the other side of the line. Teenage Fanclub, as well as Julian Cope are acts that would love - if everything was organised properly (you'll have to demonstrate that before they'll even talk back) - to come up to the Far North.
The ideal festival to pick tips from, however, is Big In Falkirk. Have a look at their line-ups from the past few years. And then scale them down. They've generally worked well with the odd big name; but sunny weather, dancing and loads of booze are critical factors in something like this working on a budget.
I wish thee the best of luck...
Mon the Biffy
I agree with The Pepsi Challange.
Take a look at some of the bands that have been passing through Thurso to go and play in Orkney Ocean Couler Scene, The Proclaimers, Nazareth, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band and so many more so why are one of these acts not asked to play Thurso while they are up here, may even get them cheaper seeing as how they are up here anyway, I suggest that someone should get in touch with who ever is booking these acts in Orkney and work with them towards adding Thurso and Wick to the circuit and this would also make it more worthwhile for big acts to travel up this far.
As for booking Deacon Blue well not only not worth the money imho, but there are many acts that are out there that are big names in the industry that are around the £3000 mark.
As for the weather well I can only sympathize with you GoggleBox, Caithness weather can be unpredictable but I seem to remember a thread way back when someone said that the Scouts or Girl Guides or some local organizastion like that had a marque tent that they sometimes hire out, might be worth checking out. anyway ,just some suggestions.
The Pepsi Challenge
21-Nov-06, 14:36
This might prove a handy guideline...
Note: these are last year's dollar prices for bands to play in the US, presumably when they are already there (so not as if they're one-off trips in private jets). I've taken out all the dull ones (Franz are "call for details", sadly) and in fact removed most of the Scots ones as someone'll get annoyed.
Andrew WK 10-12.5K
Audioslave 100K+
Bad Religion 25K
Badly Drawn Boy 10-15K
Barenaked Ladies 150K
Basement Jaxx 10K
Beach Boys 75K++
Beck 75K
Ben Folds 35K (plus piano rental)
Billy Corgan 15-20K (theatres only)
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club 10-12.5K
Bloodhound Gang 17.5-25K
Blur * 35-40K
Cardigans, The 7-10K
Counting Crows 50-80K
Green Day 100K+
Jon Spencer Blues Explosion 20K
Keane 35-50K
Kings of Leon 15-20K
Lenny Kravitz 150-200K
Moby 40-50K
Polyphonic Spree 15-20K
Queens of the Stone Age 75-100K
Rancid 20-25K
Weezer 125-150K
I must admit I find this list a tad suspicious. I know all the major promoters in Scotland and I'd be surprised if they were paying this amount. A year last April I supported the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and no way were they on approx. £10K for that show. Still, interesting enough...
Idlewild. You'd certainly get them for a lot less than £35K. Roddy Woomble has done umpteen interviews saying how he likes living in the highlands, and, that it's the best place in the world. If so, am sure he'd like to put his (the Big Gig oraganisers') money where his mouth is. Surely. They've got an album to plug in the new year after all; and Idlewild are probably just on the right side of 'weird' for many, and a name (some) people have heard of.
Another who would make the effort north are Echo & The Bunnymen, they've been here before after all. Popular amongst the kids again, too, is McCulloch and co. Last year they Sold Out every Scottish venue they played.
Biffy Clyro also do this kind of thing, but are perhaps on the other side of the line. Teenage Fanclub, as well as Julian Cope are acts that would love - if everything was organised properly (you'll have to demonstrate that before they'll even talk back) - to come up to the Far North.
I think it's fantastic that people are organising this kind of thing. I wish I was still up north to help in any way I could but difficult to offer any assistance in Aberdeen. I will be north for Big Gig II though.
What I would say is that Idlewild were at the Isle of Skye Music festival last year and I think Woomble and the boys would be seriously tempted by a gig in Thurso.
Biffy Clyro have played just about everywhere in Scotland. And Teenage Fanclub... did they not play in Wick many many moons ago? I'm think 10 years back or so but I'm sure they've played in Caithness.
Other possibilities;
Mylo - He's a Skye lad and might not be so expensive. I think it's also good that the Big Gig attracts younger people and I think Mylo would get a lot of the youngsters in. He also set up the Isle of Skye Festival which is going into it's 4th year next year.
KT Tunstall - She also played Isle of Skye Festival so might make the journey. No idea how much she would cost.
Pepsi, is there anyway through your media circles that you could promote the festival before the line up was finalised to attract some big bands if the TITA wished? I can't see it doing any harm.
At the end of the day, Orkney are getting big names (Embrace, etc), we have Belladrum, Isle of Skye Festival, Loopulla... There is the market for a big festival in Thurso. I do agree with other posters that it is very important that this is a local gig and we don't allienate local bands but these other festivals in the Highlands seem to be able to keep the balance.
Anyway, best of luck with the organisation.
The Pepsi Challenge
21-Nov-06, 18:17
Papers love quirky out-of-the-way festivals. I've already lined up two (feature) possibilities re: coverage should the organisers get it together, and I'm quietly confident they will. I just wonder if the gurnin' swines on the General board will accuse me of selling out my county after that. No doubt they'll decree me for something or other.
I would say that depends on the content of the article!
The Pepsi Challenge
21-Nov-06, 18:20
..........Eh?
Well, if its a well written, honest piece of writing that takes into account the limited resources available for the event, then nobody should have a problem with it.
The Pepsi Challenge
21-Nov-06, 18:25
You really think I'd take a pop at it, huh? And I'm trying to help already. Sheesh! Goodnight...
No, you made a statement, I merely pointed out, that a supportive piece of writing would gather no criticism!
If anyone out there has £12,000 to spare ( which is about what it costs to stage a professional event with) and can guarantee the weather i'd like to see your offer on this website.
I've got £1.28 if that helps at all?
Excellent JEID, someone has to start the fundraising ball rolling! You dont have 12,000 likeminded friends do you ?
Hmmm iv got some bellybutton fluff, a wallace & Gromit mug and some staples if that helps with the fundraising?
Jeid, So kind of you to donate an entire months wages to the cause!
I've just found another Tenner!
Now all we need is 1200 like minded people.... with the power of Myspace... we could do it! ;)
Hmmm iv got some bellybutton fluff, a wallace & Gromit mug and some staples if that helps with the fundraising?
Jeid, So kind of you to donate an entire months wages to the cause!
Likewise... it was kind of you to donate your monthly wages.
I've just found another Tenner!
Now all we need is 1200 like minded people.... with the power of Myspace... we could do it! ;)
Likewise... it was kind of you to donate your monthly wages.
Poor comeback Jeid! I know u can do better than that!
I've just found another Tenner!
I'll match your tenner ;)
Come on Moncur, put your money where your mouth is!! :)
I'll match your tenner
Come on Moncur, put your money where your mouth is!! :)
He doesn't make money... well, unless he's offering his services... pennies don't count though ;)
Be careful where you tread with this fundraising venture.
roblovesplastic, Gleber2 and I got caught in quite a tangle around gogglebox's first Big Gig. Originally motivated to raise some pounds for the hospital, we ended up singing madrigals outside the org jail.
Just for your reference chaps. I was the treasurer at all the Edge of the World festivals staged in Caithness (1990 - 1997). The last one in 1997 had a gross turnover of £15K.
We were paying our headline acts back then about £1000 to £1500 for an hours set (plus riders). PA systems, marquees, staging, security, catering, fencing, promotion etc. etc. costs lots of money if you don't want to wallow in a mire of borrowed local dog doo!! (And I did all of that as well in previous years).
Only one tiny small problem. Six weeks before our very carefully scheduled date choice to avoid all the local highland games, galas, county shows etc. Thurso Gala moved their date to ours!! The nett result was very few local punters bothered to come and see this expensive extravaganza (admittedly the weather wasn't too kind on the Friday night either). Also organisations like the local council and tourist board were terrible and inept in their contribution. It almost felt as if they were actively against anything that would bring tourists and money into the county. How different Caithness is from the Orkney set-up in these areas!!! (And still seems to be).
I wish this new Big Gig venture all the best and a genuiely hope it is a great success. You will need lots of luck and the weather gods to be on your side. A large stash of cash is also VERY useful.
PS: Neill Fearns has been promising me for about 6 months now to copy the DVDs I have of lots of local musical stuff from this era and post it on Caithness .org (Still waiting Neill . . . . . . ):confused
The Pepsi Challenge
23-Nov-06, 16:40
Quite. The organisers will also have to figure out how they're going to afford Stevie Taylor's dressing room demands. An on-hand hair stylist can be pretty pricey you know. Which - going off topic here - reminds me: there must be more taxi firms and hairdressing salons in Thurso than there are stars in the sky, yet it's almost impossible to get one.
The Pepsi Challenge
23-Nov-06, 16:44
Also organisations like the local council and tourist board were terrible and inept in their contribution. It almost felt as if they were actively against anything that would bring tourists and money into the county. How different Caithness is from the Orkney set-up in these areas!!! (And still seems to be).
And not a truer word said. Their distinct lack of vision was (still is?) nearsighted at best. Indeed, look to Orkney - and Shetland, in particular - to see how councils get behind community-based projects.
In a way, Thurso is like an architects model: we're all doing similar things in different areas, yet not coming together for the greater good. I hope this changes.
The Pepsi Challenge
23-Nov-06, 16:47
PS: Neill Fearns has been promising me for about 6 months now to copy the DVDs I have of lots of local musical stuff from this era and post it on Caithness .org (Still waiting Neill . . . . . . ):confused
I'm very much looking forward to this. Neil, get with it, baby!
I had the exact same conversation with my boss yesterday(with regards to Caithness people not turning out)
People seem to scream for stuff to be on all the time, yet, when it's on, they never turn up. What's with that? Yet, Orkney and Shetland seem to be able to draw a crowd no matter what.
orkney have been doing this concert thing for years and the more thay do it each year comes a slightly bigger profit to go next years gig, also the community thang sets up our gigs so any profit thats made has to go next years community profits AND the gig. lots of red tape involved too i believe.
The Pepsi Challenge
24-Nov-06, 11:26
People seem to scream for stuff to be on all the time, yet, when it's on, they never turn up. What's with that? Yet, Orkney and Shetland seem to be able to draw a crowd no matter what.
That's the way it's always been, Jeid, sadly - no shock there.
And yet, how many tear down to T in th Park every year? (and at what cost overall!!)
I think there IS a market for this sort of event it's just a fine balance between practicable budget/quality bands that WILL draw a good crowd and all the other bells and whistles that these sort of events entail.
How you find this balance is the key (and sometimes just pure luck - ie. the weather). I recall just one of the five Viewfirth based Edge of the World Festivals having GREAT weather. And what a difference that made to the whole event. (And I have some great movie footage of this).
The Pepsi Challenge
24-Nov-06, 13:15
DF Concerts - who organise TITP - have the monopoly on the Scottish music industry therefore they can afford it.
Promoting a festival is a tricky business, demanding the logistical and planning skills of a military tactician, combined with the steely nerve of the gambler.
But to organise a weekend music festival is a massive undertaking, particularly when it involves commercial artists. Compiling a bill and selecting a venue that will capture the public's imagination is an incredible stress and strain. But it can be done.
Question: will it be free? Or ticketed?
Regards commercial bands, then:
Having one major act capable of shifting the requisite amount of tickets, make the festival a high-risk event and siting it in The Dammies compounds that risk. It has no proven record as a music venue, with the Big Gig there last year the only show (I can recall) to be staged there.
Then there's the question of timing. Large festivals like T in the Park are scheduled so that they are part of a European circuit, effectively reducing the cost of bringing in artists from America and increasing the prospect of those artists availability. This is something to be thoughtful of.
If it's free on the other hand - and I expect it will (should?) be - then we're reliant on funding and fund-raising. If the gig was for a charitable cause, some 'big' bands may be attracted, should their expenses be covered, a big fee in itself.
Doom and gloom aside, I think there is scope to attract a people-drawing crowd and for the event to become a yearly success. So long as the weather is good... we're due a day in the sun, surely.
Gogglebox
13-Dec-06, 23:06
A WEE UPDATE for those that are interested in THe Big Gig
Due to health problems (Ongoing Severe Back Problems ) i have had to stand down from Thurso Town Improvements and also the organisation of the Big Gig in 2007
If any of you were interested in in helping TTIA organise the BIG Gig could you pm me.
I fear that if we dont get somebody to lead the project it may not go ahead.
I would happily hand over any info i have and advice if required but you would get a fairly free hand to do the thing and it is quite enjoyable
Anybody or a group intrested contact me by pm or on info@thurso.org
Jeemag_USA
14-Dec-06, 04:41
As for location I agree with someone it shoudl be in the middle of the county, and somewhere special. Its hard to pinpoint the middle though because someone will always think its too far away. There are a number of places where I would love to watch a gig and they are not all in the middle of the county.
One of the best outdoor gigs I went to was at Millbank, between the river, the mill and the boating pond, was such a good night so many moons ago, for anyone that was there you will remember George Dobie swinging of the scaffolding at the end, what a chiel!!
Anyway, I always like the area around Loch Calder, even the banks of Loch Calder at the north end, not sure if I got my bearings right on that one. Thats one idea.
But to be honest I think if the electricty could be supplied, somewhere on the north side of Morven, under Morven's shadow and the Maiden Paps shadow, that skyline is always etched into my memory so much, its a beautiful place, there has to be somewhere there to do it, and that would be my ideal place. Head for the Hills.
I don't see the point in having a band from south being the headline act though, how can it be a Caithness County Gig if that was the case, makes no sense. I think some of the older long standing acts in the county should play with the newer acts and be suportive of each other, be a county together or not at all. A festival of peace and good music for all the caithness chielies in them hills.
I don't know any of the younger bands now, but I would feel the Gaels, Fats and Ian Sinclairs band woudl have to be there, and maybe some collaboration from all local talent for a finale.
The Pepsi Challenge
14-Dec-06, 06:24
One of the best outdoor gigs I went to was at Millbank, between the river, the mill and the boating pond, was such a good night so many moons ago, for anyone that was there you will remember George Dobie swinging of the scaffolding at the end, what a chiel!!
My God - was that you? If it's the time Blues 'N' Trouble were headlining, then it would have been June 1989. I was there standing at the side of the stage (with a can of Sweetheart Stout) enjoying one of my first-ever gigs. A great night it was. Blues 'N' Trouble are still on the go, incidentally. Am very good pals with the band; Wick's very own Mr. Boom even plays drums for them nowadays.
The Pepsi Challenge
14-Dec-06, 06:27
A WEE UPDATE for those that are interested in THe Big Gig
Due to health problems (Ongoing Severe Back Problems ) i have had to stand down from Thurso Town Improvements and also the organisation of the Big Gig in 2007
If any of you were interested in in helping TTIA organise the BIG Gig could you pm me.
I fear that if we dont get somebody to lead the project it may not go ahead.
I would happily hand over any info i have and advice if required but you would get a fairly free hand to do the thing and it is quite enjoyable
Anybody or a group intrested contact me by pm or on info@thurso.org
Am very sorry to hear that Gogglebox. I hope your problems aren't severe, and, that, you return to full health soon as possible. You did fantastically well in regards to the Big Gig this year - many thanks for your efforts, and for taking the initiative. Hopefully someone with verve, guile and determination will take on the role. Get well soon, lad!
Jeemag_USA
14-Dec-06, 15:06
My God - was that you? If it's the time Blues 'N' Trouble were headlining, then it would have been June 1989. I was there standing at the side of the stage (with a can of Sweetheart Stout) enjoying one of my first-ever gigs. A great night it was. Blues 'N' Trouble are still on the go, incidentally. Am very good pals with the band; Wick's very own Mr. Boom even plays drums for them nowadays.
No it was well before that, I was a nipper of about 15 or 16 maybe, so it had to be around mid eighties, I think it was around Live Aid time, I can't remember much of the music but I remember Silver Dollar played?
Sorry to hear about that Gogglebox. Thanks very much for all the efforts last year. Hope your health problems sort themselves out.
Gogglebox
22-Dec-06, 12:06
Hi all
We have managed to find somebody willing to organise and run The Big Gig in 2007
Org username K dragon, otherwise called David Hobbs is going to head up The Big Gig and sort out the direction and plans for the event.
He can be contacted on Blackheart2002@aol.com
So THE BIG GIG goes on - -
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