Right, I'm being tempted AGAIN (despite having said at least twice that I'm never putting myself through organising another one
) - between McToot mentioning one of the old 'fests and making me all misty-eyed and the talk of giving UK-based builders/manufacturers a bit of a platform with this forum, I'm kicking around the idea of another meet-up.
For those who haven't been around since this was all fields (aw, the old InterMusic forum days *sob*), a lovely lady named Sian used to put on a charity meet-up down Bristol way known as the 'GASfest' - she put heart and soul into it, gave loads of us really good nights away and raised loadsamoney for the Drake Music foundation (helping people with disabilities play music).
Over the years a few of us put on frankly pale imitiations of her event, usually with more focus on heavy drinking and playing loudly (whilst raising money for charity with raffles and quizzes and such, we're not animals
), in (IIRC) Redcar, Walsall and Swindon (apologies if I've missed any). I did a few vaguely successful ones myself but haven't had the inclination or the contacts to do another as I've been moving around a bit - I'm now settled in Birmingham and have a few contacts with rehearsal rooms, pubs and venues so in a position to put on another one if there's enough interest!
I'm thinking EITHER a room with a stage, a bar, a PA and a drum kit/backline (same one as we used last time, for the few who turned out) booked for, say, seven to 11pm for the purposes of hanging out, talking bollocks, trying gear, drinking beer and playing loudly, OR if we wanted to go a bit further (i.e. had enough interest from some builders/manufacturers and enough people wanting to make a day of it) could book that room plus a rehearsal room or two from about lunchtime and have the whole afternoon of gear trying/ogling/buying before retiring upstairs for beer and loud noises.
Should you be interested let me know on here - if we were looking at the simple talk/drink/play model could look at it for late October/early November (late enough to get it properly organised, not so late that people are thinking about Christmas), for a full-on job it'd be into next year (and I'd probably have to look into the logistics of getting Joe Public in as well to make it viable for the professional guys).
Anyway, let me know your thoughts/preferences!
Comments
I'd like to give it a go too.
I'd also like to explore the idea of getting the builders involved too. Might need to set expectations a little - ie I'd be surprised it too many people took out £2k from their back pockets to actually buy something at the Fest - in that it would be more of a social gathering with a bit of awareness raising thrown in for free, rather than an out-and-out "show". Unless there was the demand, and we could do something "showy" sometime earlier in the day.
If it's going to be later in the year, we should have increased the forum membership and FB/Twitter traffic substantially by then, and if we use all media, we should reach quite a wide group of potential attendees. Plus I'd be interested in us doing some post-show write-ups & reviews, to be published on the forum/FB/Twitter, and perhaps we'd have a YT channel by then too. That could be used to generate more profile for the attending builders (ie more value in attending for them).
Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21)
The last one was good.
:-)
>:D<
Ringleader of the Cambridge cartel, pedal champ and king of the dirt boxes (down to 21)
Instagram
I too shall come along unless I (a) decide not to, or (b) forget.
Ed Conway & The Unlawful Men - Alt Prog Folk: The FaceBook and The SoundCloud
'Rope Or A Ladder', 'Don't Sing Love Songs', and 'Poke The Frog' albums available now - see FaceBook page for details
That said it was quiet and clean and comfy and cheap. Just weird. And lacking in breakfast as I recall.
Bandcamp
Spotify, Apple et al