anyone played recently at the water rats in london ?

[PURPOLARIS]

I didn't send that post twice

[MacDaddy]

[quote name='PURPOLARIS' post='473092' date='Apr 27 2009, 06:38 AM']I didn't send that post twice [/quote]
Posted by Jeckyll and again by Hyde

[MacDaddy]

[quote name='PURPOLARIS' post='473092' date='Apr 27 2009, 06:38 AM']I didn't send that post twice [/quote]
Posted by Jeckyll and again by Hyde

[PURPOLARIS]

Haha that's good. Please tell me you've not got the Jeckyll and Hyde syndrom too

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='473257' date='Apr 27 2009, 11:53 AM']Posted by Jeckyll and again by Hyde [/quote]

[chenzo_1]

I played at the water rats on Saturday,
We got a pretty good turn up and it was nice to play on an actual stage and have some room but other than that I wouldn't play there again after the way the night was run!

1. Backline was terrible (we had to use the backline provided) 2 30watt line 6 spider amps with out channel changers!!!
2. Sound guy was very arsey and gave our drummer a hard time because he wanted to tune the toms and wasn't a particularly good sound man!!
3. 4 bands were advertised and 8 bands played!!
4. Had to buy 60 tickets!! (reduced rate but still £180)

Was really dissappointed!!

Edited June 23, 2009 by chenzo_1

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

Sounds like this place should be renamed ''Dirty Rats''

[tjkennelly]

[quote name='chenzo_1' post='520628' date='Jun 22 2009, 11:56 AM']I played at the water rats on Saturday[/quote]

That's interesting, we were supposed to be playing there on the Sunday but they changed the venue a few days beforehand because there was a leak...

We endud up playing their sister venue but the sound man destroyed us, for the first half of the set you couldn't hear the bass or guitars over the drums yet the bands either side of us had a perfect mix.

They said they want us to come back but seeing this now makes me wonder if we should.

[lee4]

Played the Rats on Sat;when we were booked,the requirement was 40 punters,we told them as it was Glastonbury weekend,and an early gig(7.15),we would only get about 20 people there.They said that that was OK.So just before the soundcheck,the promoter gives our singer a load of verbal,saying we may as well not bother.We had as many people as the other bands,and we put on a bloody good show!
Avoid the Rats,and Monto promotions like the plague,as they clearly don't communicate to each other,and are complete c**ts!
PS,as we were leaving,our drummer told the promoter what he thought of him in broad Anglo-Saxon!
Bass amp is a TE head and Ampeg cab.I had to run it at full blast to get any decent stage level.Just don't bother with the place!

[Linus27]

Interesting reading this. I used to play the Water Rats about 9 years ago and it was ok. Always a pretty good venue.

My new band have been looking at getting some gigs in London and it looks like I might have to avoid the Water Rats now. I did speak to the promoter last week. A guy called Tom Rogerson and he did seem very friendly and made no commebt about having to pre sell tickets. Still. It does sound a dodgy setup.

[matt_citizenbass]

yeah, the water rats is really renowned for having the most ridiculously stupid pay to play service. no one should have to do that. i once spoke to that tom guy on the phone (as mentioned above) and he said they require we sell no less than 50 tickets in advance other wise we won't be allowed on stage. he said he'll keep checking back on whether i think we can do it every month or so and he does each time i saw their number pop up i just let it ring.

pay to play is the biggest joke ever

[dangerboy]

[quote name='matt_citizenbass' post='547124' date='Jul 21 2009, 10:58 PM']yeah, the water rats is really renowned for having the most ridiculously stupid pay to play service. no one should have to do that. i once spoke to that tom guy on the phone (as mentioned above) and he said they require we sell no less than 50 tickets in advance other wise we won't be allowed on stage. he said he'll keep checking back on whether i think we can do it every month or so and he does each time i saw their number pop up i just let it ring.

pay to play is the biggest joke ever[/quote]

Much better to come and play for Duel in the Deep (finally!). How was the gig with BITCHES?

[MacDaddy]

[quote name='matt_citizenbass' post='547124' date='Jul 21 2009, 10:58 PM']i once spoke to that tom guy on the phone (as mentioned above) and he said they require we sell no less than 50 tickets in advance other wise we won't be allowed on stage. he said he'll keep checking back on whether i think we can do it every month or so and he does each time i saw their number pop up i just let it ring.[/quote]

Next time he calls tell him "yes we can sell 50 tickets in advance, so that means we don't actually need you!".

[Linus27]

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='547197' date='Jul 22 2009, 12:18 AM']Next time he calls tell him "yes we can sell 50 tickets in advance, so that means we don't actually need you!".[/quote]

HAHAHAHA

[Doddy]

No band should be made to pay to play-it's bulls*it. I don't care if you think it is experience or an opportunity to
be 'spotted'-it's neither. The only experience you really get is in being ripped off.
The problem is,if bands are willing to pay to play in a venue,the venue will continue to rip them off. If all the
bands refused to do this then things would have to change.
If you want to play for free that's your prerogative,but by actually paying to play you are ultimately hurting
every other band

[Linus27]

Our singer has got us booked in at The Water Rats for the 8th September for a 7pm - 7.30pm show. I can't say I am looking forward to this gig. It says the bass backline is a Hartke 200w head and an Ampeg 4x10. Wondering if I should risk using this on the night.

Also nothing about selling tickets in advance. I even questioned this and confirmed, no pre sale of tickets so I wonder if they have had a change of policy.

Edited August 12, 2009 by Linus27

[Clarky]

[quote name='Linus27' post='566705' date='Aug 12 2009, 01:08 PM']Our singer has got us booked in at The Water Rats for the 8th September for a 7pm - 7.30pm show. I can't say I am looking forward to this gig. It says the bass backline is a Hartke 200w head and an Ampeg 4x10. Wondering if I should risk using this on the night.

Also nothing about selling tickets in advance. I even questioned this and confirmed, no pre sale of tickets so I wonder if they have had a change of policy.[/quote]
The amp is probably the same Hartke HA2000 that I played there some months back (see earlier post) and is a perfectly decent giging amp - quite loud and with a tube preamp so plenty of tonal range. When I played the cab was an Ampeg 1x15 which was fine, can't imagine an Ampeg 4x10 would be rubbish either. I say save the hassle and use the suppied back line

[Linus27]

[quote name='Clarky' post='566714' date='Aug 12 2009, 01:13 PM']The amp is probably the same Hartke HA2000 that I played there some months back (see earlier post) and is a perfectly decent giging amp - quite loud and with a tube preamp so plenty of tonal range. When I played the cab was an Ampeg 1x15 which was fine, can't imagine an Ampeg 4x10 would be rubbish either. I say save the hassle and use the suppied back line[/quote]

Thanks for your help Clarky

[KASH]

Played there last night. Nasty Behringer combo (apparently they didn't let us take our own backline?!?!)

...however, the sound guy knows his sh*t and even though it wasn't the best sound in the world, the stage sound was pretty good and according to the audience, the front sound was brutal!

Oh, didn't pay to play or anything like that, didn't make much money either but we're from london, so no expenses, but had the same 'how many bands are playing tonight after all?' experience too.

must say, the sound is pretty decent, at least for us was.

[Linus27]

[quote name='KASH' post='571787' date='Aug 17 2009, 05:04 PM']Played there last night. Nasty Behringer combo (apparently they didn't let us take our own backline?!?!)

...however, the sound guy knows his sh*t and even though it wasn't the best sound in the world, the stage sound was pretty good and according to the audience, the front sound was brutal!

Oh, didn't pay to play or anything like that, didn't make much money either but we're from london, so no expenses, but had the same 'how many bands are playing tonight after all?' experience too.

must say, the sound is pretty decent, at least for us was.[/quote]

Not good about the Behringer combo. Were the guitarists allowed to use their own amps or did they have to use the water rats backline?

What time were you on and were there many people there?

[KASH]

[quote name='Linus27' post='571934' date='Aug 17 2009, 07:05 PM']Not good about the Behringer combo. Were the guitarists allowed to use their own amps or did they have to use the water rats backline?

What time were you on and were there many people there?[/quote]


My guitarist played through their line 6 combo too...and he's used to play with his loud as f*ck Mesa half stack, sound wasn't too bad to be honest. Behringer is just a signal really and it goes straight into the DI box , can't even hear it lol you'll have to rely on the PA and trust the sound man skills, which was OK after all.

Don't know how many people were there, but not many, we were on at 8pm and the band who was supposed to play after us never turned up!! Also, it was a VERY mixed bill, from hard rock to reggae and indie, etc...not great. I would say avoid play on Sundays, and early, unless you can pull 100 people every time you play:)

[Linus27]

[quote name='KASH' post='572691' date='Aug 18 2009, 10:39 AM']My guitarist played through their line 6 combo too...and he's used to play with his loud as f*ck Mesa half stack, sound wasn't too bad to be honest. Behringer is just a signal really and it goes straight into the DI box , can't even hear it lol you'll have to rely on the PA and trust the sound man skills, which was OK after all.

Don't know how many people were there, but not many, we were on at 8pm and the band who was supposed to play after us never turned up!! Also, it was a VERY mixed bill, from hard rock to reggae and indie, etc...not great. I would say avoid play on Sundays, and early, unless you can pull 100 people every time you play:)[/quote]

Thanks for the info. Was your guitarist allowed to play through his amp or did he just choose to use their Line 6 combo?

[Stylon Pilson]

Bumpity. Has anything changed, or are the promoters at this venue still up to the same tricks?

UPDATE: Apparently yes, they are.

S.P.

Edited November 8, 2010 by Stylon Pilson

[MacDaddy]

[quote name='Stylon Pilson' post='984117' date='Oct 11 2010, 09:53 AM']Bumpity. Has anything changed, or are the promoters at this venue still up to the same tricks?

S.P.[/quote]

was wondering the same. The band I've recently joined tend to gig there and don't seem to have any problems.

[Cat Burrito]

We were due to play there next month but they have suddenly changed the venue to one down the road. Can't remember the name but I'll worry about it nearer the time.