Went to see Miles Hunt from The Wonderstuff in Dolans Warehouse in Limerick last night. Excellent gig. €14 -worth it just to drool over Erica -his delicious fiddle player. I strongly recommend catching the remaining Irish dates to anyone.
The warehouse is a 350-400 capacity venue.
Less than 40 people turned up to watch a man who is truly one of his generations gifted songwriters.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie
That's sad. And how many were at Miles Hunt?
I remember a few years ago he played Sir Henrys and similarly about 40 people turned up. then you see the likes of The Frames, Bell X1 etc. filling large venues. Something wrong there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie
Like I said ...I despair.Quote:
Originally Posted by The Good Son
Though in a sense I'm almost relieved you say it's not the first time he's played to thin crowds here. It means he came back!!!
Happens too often here though. That was hardly an overpriced gig, not a bad night, some jazzy soul band upstairs so not competing for a crowd ...no excuse I can see beyond disinterest and complacency.
I know there's other factors as well -not least too many bloody festivals these days.
*Someone offered me a Bell X1/Juniper (remember 'weather man'? They should've been shot in the face for 'weather man') ticket for €30 yesterday morning. mercifully it was by e-mail so they didn't see the social faux pas that was my squeal of laughter. They're playing the point? Jesus wept.
When he played he put on a great show, and even seemed to enjoy it despite the poor turnout. A very funny man as well as great songwriter.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie
Yeah he didn't seem put out by it at all last night. Crackin jokes and tellin tales. Dedicated 'Mission Drive' to the late Martin Gilks (which was nice I suppose as it's no secret they didn't get on at all and had parted on very bad terms) and Bass Thing.
I heckled and heckled and got two encores out of him.
They'd finished with 'Caught In My Shadow' and 40 peoples applause dies out quickly so I started a heckle -came back out and did 'Piece of Sky' and went off.
So I started another heckle and he came back out and did 'Golden Green' and 'Don't Let Me Down (Gently)'.
Did he have this Erica lass with him last time?
Raging I didn't have a camera. She'd have gone straight in the w@nk bank!:eek:
:D
genuinely I'm not surprised by Miles Hunt only drawing that number of crowd. i know it was only 14euro in, but when you factor in about 6-10 pints, maybe something to eat afterwards and a taxi home if needed you're looking at paying anywhere from 40 to 70euro just to watch a guy who used to be in a band that was okay (honestly there isn't that many Wonderstuff fans left).
As far as Limerick is concerned I'd be more worried about the **** poor local talent that is knocking around there. the problem we had for a few years was that the AMC hyped up every single band as being the new standard bearers of Irish indie to the point where people starting going to *insert random crap Limerick act* and be so disappointed at the standard that they just stopped bothering going to any local act. This coincided with said crap Limerick indie/rock acts truly believing the AMC hype about them having talent, and hence they never improved their act
Sounds like a great show. He didn't have Erica with him the last time in Henrys I think, my memory isn't the best at this stage, but I think he was just him on his own. I remember it being advertised as him and Malcom Treece but ended up only being him.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie
Reading your post Jebus I can see why the AMC folks just said "Y'know what ...fcuk this".Quote:
Originally Posted by jebus
I'd love to know where you're getting to see all this "**** poor local talent" because there aren't too many gigs on in Limerick for them to get it together. If it wasn't for the Spacelab lads running gigs in the boatclub -which is about to close -and the very occasional one in Riddlers there'd be little new music on show in Limerick -Dolans aside which many younger, newer or lower profile bands find prohibitive because of the higher overheads. (Though Upstairs is surprisingly cheap to book)
As for the Aspersion Music Collective -their aim, if I'm right and I believe I am, was to try and get as much new music as possible on show IN Limerick -NOT neccesarily from Limerick. It was to get bands to visit and play.
Limerick bands themselves didn't actually come into the equation for the most part beyond support slots.
In fact I've heard more than one member of local acts complaining that "the AMC does nothin' for us" -like the AMC was somehow mandated to organise their friggin gigs for them. They'd want their arses wiped next.
I always found the AMC lads ridiculously helpful when it came to organising gigs. They wouldn't organise 'em for me (and why should they?) but once I'd that done They'd stick up my posters, txt people, put the word out through their site, they did the door, they manned merch stalls ...and wouldn't take a penny for any of it.
As for "hyping the gigs" ...what the fck were they supposed to do? NOT promote them? ...and as I said they would rarely have been "hyping" local acts as they weren't in business to push local acts.
If the AMC were a "problem" ...well we're truly fcuked now without them.
The only thing I can meet you anywhere near half way on is that in my experience Irish bands gig way too soon, long before they're ready or tight and all too often don't do "a show" that entertains -but rather half apologise for themselves like they're a charity case.
Don't get me wrong, I know and like a few of the AMC lads, all good people. The problem I had with them was that very often I'd go for a few pints in say the High Stool and there would be a gig on that night. Genuinely if the music is going to be good I don't mind paying a fiver or whatever, but a lot of times I didn't know the act so I'd ask whoever they had on the door, and literally every single time, bar one, I was told that the band were excellent, a mix between *random indie bands* and well worth the cash. Now the odd time they were right, said band were very good, but it happened far too much that the band were some **** poor student union ****e from whatever county/country and it became blatantly obvious that they were just taking the **** at the door. In fact one time when I was leaving one of these hyped up gigs half way through the guy on the door (I know him, but I'm not naming him) apologised for lying to me, well if he was that sorry then refund my ****ing money!
I know for a fact that I wasn't the only one that this happened to, and f\do you know what the end result was? Eventually if one of the lads told me on the street, in HMV, at a party or wherever I'd take everything they said with a pinch of salt and I just stopped going to local gigs that was organised by them.
As for the local talent, name me one quality local band? Giveamanakick are good for what they do, but I know just as many people who don't think much of them as I do that like them, and after that who else? There's a couple of half decent singer songwriters knocking around, but they're two a penny in Ireland these days. Other than that it's just the same overhyped standard indie/rock as we've been getting for years
So what you are saying is not only are people ignoring live football, they won't even go to a gig! Were Munster playing that night on the Telly or something?
P.S. My favourite Limerick band of all time... TUESDAY BLUE!
Jebus ...would you look for a refund in Easons if you didn't enjoy a book, or a refund in Storm if you didn't enjoy a movie?Quote:
Originally Posted by jebus
That's Limerick in a nut shell I'm afraid. ...a fiver or above and the stock response (particularly in the now defunct 'stool) was "Who's on -Guns'n'Roses"?Quote:
Originally Posted by jebus
I'm a good bit out of the loop as regards the "current crop" at the moment as I became a Dad last year so I don't get out as often these days. But why take snapshots of supposed "scenes" when bands come and go very quickly in any event.Quote:
Originally Posted by jebus
Though people only tend to regard a band as good or noteworthy if they've made a name for themselves beyond Ireland ...the town has a bloody good pedegree in producing consistently good bands . ...sometimes in the face of and despite local disinterest, paucity of opportunities to perform, consistently poor "gig infrastructure" in the venues (**** house P.A.'s ...or often ...no house P.A.). We also have a local authority that takes less than no interest in the sector. In fact, while Limerick City Corpo had a "European City of Culture" application submitted and under revue -it was actually issuing fines to bands who stuck posters on derelict buildings advertising what are cultural events. No fines were issued to anyone sticking up "release all Irish POWs" posters though. maybe we should all get the initials of a paramilitary organisation tatoo'd on our knuckles.
No I wouldn't, but then again Storm or Easons aren't trying to work off of people's good faith like the AMC did, and hence aren't taking advantage of said good faith when sending them into something they know to be rubbish. I wouldn't mind them doing this if they and the rest of the Limerick scene didn't have such a bee in their bonnets about how Limerick people have to support the Limerick sceneQuote:
Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie
Again you're forgetting that whatever the cost is in on the door the price of drinks, food and cabs will at least treble that cost (depending on the gig obviously), and because Limerick isn't exactly awash with money a lot of people won't be able to afford to pay that price to go and watch a band they don't know or like that much. And to be honest that was the problem with the Limerick scene, if I didn't want to pay that money into the High Stool it was always a case of the doorman trying to make me feel like I personally am the problem with the scene in Limerick.
...aren't trying to work off peoples good faith? That's nonsensical. They put on a gig, they advertise it to inform as to who's playing. End of.Quote:
Originally Posted by jebus
Nobody sent you into something they "knew to be rubbish" which is entirely subjective in any event.
If they had done, which I repeat they DID NOT do - I would mind them doing it as it'd be counterproductive.Quote:
Originally Posted by jebus
I'm not sure what you mean by "Limerick Scene".
If it involves the concept of people going to listen to actual live bands, be they from home or beyond, rather than going to a disco bar or listening to Led Zeppelin on a duke box and calling that alternative well then it should be supported.
If the AMC made mistakes anywhere it was in indulging venue managers who wanted the punters the AMC'd bring but wouldn't invest in their own facilities for those punters -leaving well meaning volunteers to cobble P.A.s together to supplement dodgy set ups like, for prime example, The High Stool. No-one who ever got good sound in there used the house P.A.
Another one had to be found, rented and brought. This drives up cost bases for all involved.
Highlighting the crux. There is this not at all uncommon mental block people have about paying to go into a pub -regardless of the fact that maybe one of the bands that are on have travelled from overseas. Two of the AMCs most memorable gigs involved Electric Eel Shock and Ex-Girl and at both gigs I witnessed people whingeing at the door (High Stool don't you know) about paying €6.00 to see bands that had travelled from Japan to play there. Likewise with Anti-Product (UK €5.00) and Crash (Norway €4.00). You couldn't make it up.Quote:
Originally Posted by jebus
Again, due to often having their backs to the wall on venue availablity, I would say the AMC indulgence of places like the High Stool was long term counter-productive. But hey they tried.
You lost me at telling me that something that happened to me personally never happened, how on earth would you know? Hasn't a member of the AMC ever lied about anything? Is that what's so hard to take?
While I won't argue with paying in six bucks to see Ex-Girl and Electric Eel Shock (two gigs I enjoyed wouldn't you know) could you never see why people who's local pub was the High Stool may have been ****ed off for being asked to pay a cover charge for a band they had never heard of, only to find a total of ten people inside and some horrible band hammering out absolute garbage?
Oh and I'd count Easons and Storm as national companies who advertise a, usually, well-known product at a certain cost and then leave it up to the consumer as to whether they want to make the purchase or not. It's a bit different to a group of individuals, usually working off of the word of mouth from friends and aquaintences to get people out to gigs and pay money for a product/band that they know little or nothing about, hence when said aquaintence loses a days pay packet on going to a gig 'recommended' by a member of the AMC and then realises that said member knew that a) there would be no-one at the gig, and b) that was because the band were (at best) pretty poor, the aquaintence feels a bit put out
Your taking your complaint up with the wrong people. The High Stool was branding itself an "Alternative Live Music" venue. Your complaint is with them -NOT the AMC. Why be a "regular" in a bar you know to be a cover charging live music venue if you've a problem with cover charges btw. Those multiple gigs you went to with poor bands and attendances ...who do you think payed the bands at the end of the night? The 'Stool? Don't make me laugh.Quote:
Originally Posted by jebus
I've played in plenty of places that styled themselves live rock venues, as the stool did, in much smaller places than Limerick where the venue negotiated fair flat fees with the bands and let the punters in for nothing -knowing they'd probably clean up on the bar. Not the stool though -not generally or even often at least -and as far as I'm aware never for an AMC gig.
Yeah it is different ...I'd say they deserve a pat on the back and a pint of whatever they're having for giving a flyin fcuk.Quote:
Originally Posted by jebus
So you're blaming the AMC for you, of your own volition, spending "half a days wages"? what's that about? they didn't force you to drink a skinful, buy a kebab and bacon cheese chip and get a taxi home. If you'd skipped the taxi and got wet would that have been their fault too?
How could They know there'd be "no-one at the gig"? How is that their fault even if they mystic meg-like did know? Because the band were "at best poor"? You're being ridiculously subjective again. Scarcely rational either.
Some of the best attended gigs anywhere regularly feature some of the ****tiest bands about (only my opinion mind ...earlier in the thread we mentioned the goddawful Bellx1 playing feckin point).
Right I'm going to end this because we have gone around in circles and ended up at some place where I'm not even sure what I'm arguing about. The only comment I'll make about your last post about 'how could they know that no-one was there'. Well it's Wednesday night, half ten, the band have just come on and there are 5 people already inside, so when they are asked, is there much inside, they don't need to be mystic meg to give an honest answer.
Anyway my original point was that the AMC hyped up bands way too much, thats why people turned on the AMC and stopped attending there gigs in the end. They do indeed deserve a clap on the back for giving a ****e in the first place and for trying to encourage a few more people out into pubs and clubs, but they should have been more realistic in their appraisals of certain bands, thats all I'm saying here, nothing more, nothing less
You're right Jebus we're going round in circles.Quote:
Originally Posted by jebus
Just on the 10.30pm/5 people in the venue point though. I'd never have taken that as evidence that people weren't coming to the 'Stool for a gig. Remember the 'Stool had a club licence and served til 1.30 or 2am.
I know people who'd often not go til after 11 as they only wanted to see maybe the headliner.
If you're looking for a good gig tomorrow night (friday 27th) go to Dolans Upstairs. Jinx Lennon, Windings and myself. I'm not promising you it'll be mobbed or that you'll get your leg over some nubile young lovely. Those AMC folks spoilt you rotten :D
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lionel Ritchie
And got me some jail time!:D :o :(