Boxed in tour? (2 Viewers)

[scrawlzine]

One thought about number of venues for touring bands in Ireland. 9 gigs may indeed be possible, but they also need to be 9 gigs with enough punters paying to cover the costs of travelling to get there / paying the band etc. This is why a lot of DIY touring bands / promoters often lose money: bad tour routes, too may gigs with only a handful of people at it.

The reality of the beast is most bands won't tend to come over if they hear Ireland is a sure thing for losing money. Longer tours can often mean a loss, rather than breaking even on costs for a band unless it's well organised and promoted. Locally, I've seen some touring bands pass through where the "promotion" has been sorely lacking and consists of posts on forums where the same 5 people reads them and 20 badly photocopied A4 sheets 2 days before. Not that money is everything, but it is a factor that needs addressed when planning a "tour circuit" or whatever.

I do think longer tour circuits in Ireland are possible, and are done from time to time, but there needs to be co-ordination between diferent areas for it to work...but I still wonder whether the interest is out there (for live alternative music in general).

 

[scrawlzine]

Also... more bands would come over on cheap flights if people could supply backline at each gig. If anything, this is the most crucial aspect! This means bands do not have to bring a van necessarily and flights tend to work out way cheaper. Its also more enticing for more bands based in mainland Europe to play here via this method - they don't have to do a 2 week tour of the UK hitting Ireland on the way past, they can simply do a long weekend or whatever!

 

[error type 11]

Also... more bands would come over on cheap flights if people could supply backline at each gig. If anything, this is the most crucial aspect! This means bands do not have to bring a van necessarily and flights tend to work out way cheaper. Its also more enticing for more bands based in mainland Europe to play here via this method - they don't have to do a 2 week tour of the UK hitting Ireland on the way past, they can simply do a long weekend or whatever!

Not being a musical virtuoso of any standard whatsoever, I am surprised that this method of bringing bands to Ireland doesn't occur more often. Im assuming that some bands wouldn't be willing to travel in that manner because they have no idea what quality of equipment they would end up with on the evening in questionbut back when you were organising the Tragedy jaunt in that manner earlier this year you had a basic level of equipment that was required and should prove to be possible to provide for a gig.

 

[oh shit]

Also... more bands would come over on cheap flights if people could supply backline at each gig. If anything, this is the most crucial aspect! This means bands do not have to bring a van necessarily and flights tend to work out way cheaper. Its also more enticing for more bands based in mainland Europe to play here via this method - they don't have to do a 2 week tour of the UK hitting Ireland on the way past, they can simply do a long weekend or whatever!

i'm a guitar cab, a bass cab, and a repair job short of a full backline right now. would be nice to let bands take it on tour but realistically it wouldn't last long. still, it's there for belfast anytime i'm not using it elsewhere.

 

[error type 11]

I think Skippy has the new album!!(which i`m also SELLING FOR 8 EURO!Hint...hint...)

Boxed-In kick ass.

Only just saw this now, do you meet the man they call Meehan in Limerick semi regularly, I could send some sheckles your way via him and he could return to the real capital with a copy of said recording

 

[kenn]

the hope with my van is to also provide a good backline so that touring bands would use the same gear each night, have found a van, the van is looking very promising, just need to have a mechanic look over the engine, if I get a clean bill of health from the mechanic it should be on the road next week, this is the coolest van i have ever seen, Mercedes LWB, 6 seats, fridge, wired for a t.v and playstation but not sure if i will put one in, good stereo and speakers. POSH. will be disappointed if i don't get the go ahead of the mechanic, but sure we'll see.

So around Ireland till march/april if people are interested. Tour in style

 

[GARYXKNIFEDX]

A lot of the things mentioned in the last few posts were brought up in a previous thread about the tour circuit. But it's good they are getting mentioned again.
The main reason I brought that stuff up before is not to have every band come over and do huge irish tours but to improve the situation in general. Hopefully so that at the very least irish bands can tour ireland,become a little known,then when a touring band comes from overseas this "draw" can help the whole thing. I don't think any of that is impossibl. Bu tyes,it does need a lot of people in different places communicating and that's why it's good to be discussed here.

 

[GARYXKNIFEDX]

One thought about number of venues for touring bands in Ireland. 9 gigs may indeed be possible, but they also need to be 9 gigs with enough punters paying to cover the costs of travelling to get there / paying the band etc. This is why a lot of DIY touring bands / promoters often lose money: bad tour routes, too may gigs with only a handful of people at it.

The reality of the beast is most bands won't tend to come over if they hear Ireland is a sure thing for losing money. Longer tours can often mean a loss, rather than breaking even on costs for a band unless it's well organised and promoted. Locally, I've seen some touring bands pass through where the "promotion" has been sorely lacking and consists of posts on forums where the same 5 people reads them and 20 badly photocopied A4 sheets 2 days before. Not that money is everything, but it is a factor that needs addressed when planning a "tour circuit" or whatever.

I do think longer tour circuits in Ireland are possible, and are done from time to time, but there needs to be co-ordination between diferent areas for it to work...but I still wonder whether the interest is out there (for live alternative music in general).

Glynn,this all makes sense,but why not see if some places are open? All we can do is try,We did gigs in dundalk a few years back and they all covered expenses. No reason why some other places can't have thir time.

 

[Rimbaud]

Only just saw this now, do you meet the man they call Meehan in Limerick semi regularly, I could send some sheckles your way via him and he could return to the real capital with a copy of said recording

I don`t really meet Trev here that much.I`ll be in Cork in 2 weekends time i think - if that any good to ya?
Via post id the only other alternative i think.

 

[scrawlzine]

Boxed In can only do weekend of 21st in May now.
I'm thinking Belfast, Galway, Limerick or Cork, Dublin.

Thoughts...suggestions?

 

[damien]

in fairness, the reason a lot of bands dont come to ireland is that the UK is so shit, we aren't doing too badly over here at all (from what I understand, anyway)... and sometimes middle of knowhere places down through the years (knockrockery, castlebar, etc etc) provide more fun gigs, more punters (no/few other gigs to compete with) and more money (venue usually pays bands, not the other way around) than big cities.

as well the country is desperately in need of a "new breed" of DIY promoters who know the score. most of the people putting gigs on in ireland have been at it for years and are consistently at various levels of burnout. i for one am not planning anything/much for the forseeable future though gz will still be active if its something jill, stephen or clodagh (or whoever! its not a closed collective by any means) are into.

as for bands flying in, borrowing equipment, etc, its all well and good but at the end of the day say if I had to provide a backline for a gig, it would almost double the work/stress/hassle factor than if the touring band was bringing it all. this could of course be solved by them borrowing a backline for the whole tour, but lets face it, if it was randombandyouveneverheardof playing and not tragedy, you're not going to just give them all your equipment for a few days, are you? i certainly wouldnt.

 

[scrawlzine]

My point about the backline was that it would be easier to arrange tours for bands if there was a decent backline available each place they play, negating the need for large vans etc.

As I said though I think things are slowing down "scene " wise - i think the situation in the North of Ireland is chronically bad. Only 9 punters at the Horror Belfast gig - and it was flyered and posted about for 3 weeks previous - same as most gigs I'm involved in. Fair enough, you do get the odd badly attended gig, but a lot of the gigs I've been to this year have been quiet. Real problem with a lack of available support bands also.

I think there's definitely more of an appetite for diy/hc/punk bands in the South of Ireland. Personally, I'm gonna play things by ear and see how other gigs go in Belfast, but I'm rethinking of organising gigs for hc.punk bands in the North at all - there simply appears to be no audience for it...which really is depressing. It's a pity, because we seem to be one of few places where we can pretty much supply everything - backline/kit/vocal PA - if needed.

I've watched interest ebb and flow over the years in Belfast, but outside of ska and pop-punk, there doesn't seem to be anybody bothered about the kind of bands I personally like. I wish it were otherwise.

I haven't really had the chance, but I'd be interested in knowing what Bernard and Phil/Pete thnik of the situation. They've been organising more stuff than myself this year and perhaps have a slightly better perspective.

 

[NecroSteve]

Boxed In and Knifed are pegged for Drumshanbo some time early next year, courtesy of Poo Promotions Unltd., I believe.


By the way, if I can sort out any accomodation whatsoever in the near future, I'll try to sort out a gig in Wexford.

 

[sned]

now then, happy new year and that!

as i'd mentioned to glyn / gary - we're aiming for dates around the weekend of 21st may ( i'm thinking thu 19th - sun 22nd) which fits inbetween the football and the family weddings and work and blah blah blah, there are chinese whispers here that the dagda are playing these gigs ????

 

[bohs punks]

necrosteve, we can put up bands for gigs in wexford, its about a 25 minute drive so driver have to stay sober but no problem with accom, food , session or whatever after a gig or even feeding a band before and then hitting wexford town.

 

[Cormcolash]

My point about the backline was that it would be easier to arrange tours for bands if there was a decent backline available each place they play, negating the need for large vans etc.

As I said though I think things are slowing down "scene " wise - i think the situation in the North of Ireland is chronically bad. Only 9 punters at the Horror Belfast gig - and it was flyered and posted about for 3 weeks previous - same as most gigs I'm involved in. Fair enough, you do get the odd badly attended gig, but a lot of the gigs I've been to this year have been quiet. Real problem with a lack of available support bands also.

I think there's definitely more of an appetite for diy/hc/punk bands in the South of Ireland. Personally, I'm gonna play things by ear and see how other gigs go in Belfast, but I'm rethinking of organising gigs for hc.punk bands in the North at all - there simply appears to be no audience for it...which really is depressing. It's a pity, because we seem to be one of few places where we can pretty much supply everything - backline/kit/vocal PA - if needed.

I've watched interest ebb and flow over the years in Belfast, but outside of ska and pop-punk, there doesn't seem to be anybody bothered about the kind of bands I personally like. I wish it were otherwise.

I haven't really had the chance, but I'd be interested in knowing what Bernard and Phil/Pete thnik of the situation. They've been organising more stuff than myself this year and perhaps have a slightly better perspective.

I'd say you're pretty much right with all that stuff. There does seem to be a distinct lack of bands that I would really be into playing in Belfast these days, but there are bands playing the odd time that I can enjoy, and plenty of bands that I think are pretty good. I reckon though that if you're putting on a gig like The Horror or something, try and get a support bill with a couple of different sounding bands, that way it is possible to get people along to the gig even if they don't want to see the main touring band. Look at the Asschapel gig for instance, it was amazing and there were a good lot of metallers at it who might not have gone except that they saw support bands they like. If you see what I mean.

As for the backline thing, I know it can be hassle for people to sort out, but it really should be quite easy to have a backline available for a touring band in Ireland in each town/city they play in, there's always people with the right stuff that will be willing to lend it out for the night. Its nice that we never really have a problem with it in Belfast, I just think it could be alot easier for other places to sort it out too if people put their minds to it.

 

[GARYXKNIFEDX]

now then, happy new year and that!

as i'd mentioned to glyn / gary - we're aiming for dates around the weekend of 21st may ( i'm thinking thu 19th - sun 22nd) which fits inbetween the football and the family weddings and work and blah blah blah, there are chinese whispers here that the dagda are playing these gigs ????

Sned,I thought it was Knifed or my new band,haha.

 

[GARYXKNIFEDX]

Looks likely that the Boxed In Gigs will be later in the summer. Newcastle are doing well in the FA cup and Ash doesn't want to curse it.