Is nashville being a bit rashfull

[fingalmacool]

Nashville probably the biggest music weekend in Caithness, year in year out and the organisers should be proud of their staunch efforts to keep the weekend a roaring success, but at what cost, "wait a minute there's a downside" well I'm not sure if it is, but here's the thing. You know the old saying "you always look after your own" well if what I hear is true then this does apply, apparently there was a contingent of travellers that made a condition that they would only travel to the festival if they were guaranteed seats and possibly tables, now given that this seems on the face of it a reasonable request/demand/ultimatum, if it is true then the knock on constraints put on the locals that have been religiously attending for several years were unreasonable in my humble opinion, imagine attending for a number of years and all of a sudden your are met with most of the tables with reserves on, another area that has been mentioned was that, that these travellers were given preferential treatment with regards to queuing, that is they just waltzed, sorry line danced in past the queue, straight into their waiting tables. So if there is any substance in these rumours I am eager to know, but on the other hand if it is a load of bunkum, then I stand corrected, but if there is a squeak of truth in this post then the organisers should hang their heads in shame and remember that it was local support that put them on the map in the first place. So I leave it up to the faceless ones on the Org to DISCUSS?

[Alba.gu.brath]

thats not right I dont think! I thought when you bought a ticket it didnt mean ud get a table... or did it???

[rogermellie]

i don't see a problem with travellers to the festival being given a bit of VIP treatment (if this is in fact the case)

they've made the effort to travel all the way here and then spend a lot of money in the county while they're here.

[philupmaboug]

Think all should be treated the same, and those that supported from the start should not be forgotten. Bad craice

[Bobinovich]

If it's a suitably large contingent purchasing ticets for the full weekend then I don't see any problem with reserving seats/tables for them to secure their booking. They need to sell tickets to raise money to pay artists for this year and next, so turning a block booking away for the sake of ensuring they get sufficient seats and tables is a justifiable price.

[mi16]

Bad craice

What does that mean?
As said I believe that the "reserved" tables were for certian block bookings and sponsors.
I see no issues with this, if you dig deep and sponsor or if you are buying 10 or 15 weekend tickets then a small reserved label on a table is a small price to pay.

What is more concerning is the "local" freeloaders and scroungers who I hear try regulary to get in without a ticket.
You know who you are

[Kodiak]

Nashville probably the biggest music weekend in Caithness, year in year out and the organisers should be proud of their staunch efforts to keep the weekend a roaring success, but at what cost, "wait a minute there's a downside" well I'm not sure if it is, but here's the thing. You know the old saying "you always look after your own" well if what I hear is true then this does apply, apparently there was a contingent of travellers that made a condition that they would only travel to the festival if they were guaranteed seats and possibly tables, now given that this seems on the face of it a reasonable request/demand/ultimatum, if it is true then the knock on constraints put on the locals that have been religiously attending for several years were unreasonable in my humble opinion, imagine attending for a number of years and all of a sudden your are met with most of the tables with reserves on, another area that has been mentioned was that, that these travellers were given preferential treatment with regards to queuing, that is they just waltzed, sorry line danced in past the queue, straight into their waiting tables. So if there is any substance in these rumours I am eager to know, but on the other hand if it is a load of bunkum, then I stand corrected, but if there is a squeak of truth in this post then the organisers should hang their heads in shame and remember that it was local support that put them on the map in the first place. So I leave it up to the faceless ones on the Org to DISCUSS?

Interesting this, but a question.

Would you travel down to say Edinburgh or Glasgow for a festival and and not expect to be able to reserve tables, specially if you were booking for 12 or 15 people?

Sure you would, I know I would otherwise I would not go.

[gollach]

Interesting this, but a question.

Would you travel down to say Edinburgh or Glasgow for a festival and and not expect to be able to reserve tables, specially if you were booking for 12 or 15 people?

Sure you would, I know I would otherwise I would not go.

You make a good point. I've travelled to many festivals in the central belt and have never been able to do this. Is this one of the reasons Halkirk is so appealing to visitors from down south?

[mi16]

I guess it boils down to "if you dont ask, you dont get"
Whilst country and wetern music may not be to everyones taste (mine included). You cannot knock the volunteers that painstaikenly pull it all together for months on end with absolutely no help, financial or otherwise from the local authorities.
I would argue that this event is the single largest boost to local tourism all year, yet some people find reason to gurn and moan about not getting a seat.
If you want to sit then get in at the start of the show!!

[veekay]

If it gets bums on seats, tickets sold and money raised why not. Much better than not getting bums on seats, no tickets sold and no money raised and the whole festival folding