Looking for a Central London gig

[Veils]

I really want to try and get my band on a central London gig next year but obviously being an out of town band it's probably easier said than done. Can anyone with a bit more knowledge suggest a good venue to try? Or alternatively, if anyone can actually get us on a gig, I can probably arrange a swap up this way

Cheers!

[Clarky]

[quote name='Veils' post='683926' date='Dec 14 2009, 01:14 PM']I really want to try and get my band on a central London gig next year but obviously being an out of town band it's probably easier said than done. Can anyone with a bit more knowledge suggest a good venue to try? Or alternatively, if anyone can actually get us on a gig, I can probably arrange a swap up this way

Cheers![/quote]
I reckon the Underworld in Camden is your best bet.

[Veils]

Magic! I really want to gig in Camden as well!!

Will get on the blower to them!

[yorick]

Purpl Turtle Camden. Just down the road from the Underworld.

[Sibob]

Also the Barfly, but neither they or the Underworld book their own gigs!
It's all booked by external promoters. Best bet is to ask similar bands to you their Promoter contacts for that way!

Si

[yorick]

See if you can find Arcane Promotions over on myspace. They used to handle Deathfest at the Underworld. I think they still book gigs in and around London.

[harvey1-8]

[url="http://www.bugbearbookings.com/"]Bugbear[/url] was who we started with.

[Clarky]

Hey Veils, email this lot for bookings at Hope & Anchor, Islington and Dublin Castle, Camden: [email protected]

and call this guy for Underworld and Barfly: Al Douglas of www.wildplum.co.uk Office: +44 (0)207 193 6783 | Mobile: +44 (0)777 1777 998

[Veils]

You guys are legends!

Yorick - is that a metal promoter? I'm not doing metal anymore, gone a bit lighter

[Musky]

[quote name='Clarky' post='684020' date='Dec 14 2009, 02:19 PM']Hey Veils, email this lot for bookings at Hope & Anchor, Islington and Dublin Castle, Camden: [email protected]

and call this guy for Underworld and Barfly: Al Douglas of www.wildplum.co.uk Office: +44 (0)207 193 6783 | Mobile: +44 (0)777 1777 998[/quote]

Are you sure about Wildplum?

Might be Ok if you don't mind having to buy tickets up front, but personally I'd avoid.

[yorick]

[quote name='Veils' post='684027' date='Dec 14 2009, 02:28 PM']You guys are legends!

Yorick - is that a metal promoter? I'm not doing metal anymore, gone a bit lighter [/quote]
Arcane are mainly death/grind etc.

[harvey1-8]

I've had some cracking gigs in London and some of the worst. Needless to say I have mixed feelings about it. I think there's a thread on the Water Rats somewhere which isn't too favorable. Do your research before jumping in.

[Clarky]

[quote name='Musky' post='684066' date='Dec 14 2009, 03:15 PM']Are you sure about Wildplum?

Might be Ok if you don't mind having to buy tickets up front, but personally I'd avoid.[/quote]
Good point, we lost money playing the Underworld. Had to buy £140 of tickets upfront and had a rubbish slot (7-7.30pm) on a RAWWWWKKK evening (when we are more suited to a punk evening)

Unfortunately I don't know of any other way of getting to play the Underworld

[Musky]

What's the payment like with them Clarky? I know it's cash up front, but beyond that I've no idea. Do you get to keep everything of any ticket sales beyond the £140 mark, and is there any payment from people who turn up to see you but pay on the door?

[Veils]

Well Bugbear have kindly offered us 24th Jan at Dublin Castle. Is it a decent venue? We'll probably take it anyway mind

[Clarky]

[quote name='Veils' post='684159' date='Dec 14 2009, 04:43 PM']Well Bugbear have kindly offered us 24th Jan at Dublin Castle. Is it a decent venue? We'll probably take it anyway mind [/quote]
Good venue, not very large but I like it. Raised stage. Its where Blur played their famous peak-of-early-Britpop gig in 1996/7.

[Clarky]

[quote name='Musky' post='684154' date='Dec 14 2009, 04:42 PM']What's the payment like with them Clarky? I know it's cash up front, but beyond that I've no idea. Do you get to keep everything of any ticket sales beyond the £140 mark, and is there any payment from people who turn up to see you but pay on the door?[/quote]
Yep, you keep the excess whether its from ticket sales or on the door. We didn't get enough people along :-(

[Musky]

[quote name='Veils' post='684159' date='Dec 14 2009, 04:43 PM']Well Bugbear have kindly offered us 24th Jan at Dublin Castle. Is it a decent venue? We'll probably take it anyway mind [/quote]

It decent enough - smallish black painted room at the back of a pub basically. Being a well established venue in an area know for it's venues is probably the best thing going for it though.

[Musky]

[quote name='Clarky' post='684167' date='Dec 14 2009, 04:49 PM']Yep, you keep the excess whether its from ticket sales or on the door. We didn't get enough people along :-([/quote]

Not too shabby if you can can get 50+ along then - though that can be a big ask in London.

I was half expecting that they'd be asking for a slice of the total sales.

[harvey1-8]

[quote name='Veils' post='684159' date='Dec 14 2009, 04:43 PM']Well Bugbear have kindly offered us 24th Jan at Dublin Castle. Is it a decent venue? We'll probably take it anyway mind [/quote]

I like playing at the Dublin Castle. I think Coldplay played one of their first gigs there as well.

[thinman]

Played our first central London one Thursday at The Old Queens Head in Islington. Nice venue but what a bloody shocking journey. Booked a van that didn't turn up to take us there, finally got another one and it took almost 4 hours to get 17 miles through a gridlocked Docklands. Took nearly as long to get home afterwards. Took the shine off it a bit. Will stick to the provinces for a while I think.

[DangerDan]

The Fiddler's Elbow in Camden are very willing to put bands on, just need call call Dan (no, not me!) on: 07877798233.

Got a gig coming up there myself with AGHAST! (i know, shameless self promotion hey?) on the 22nd of January.

[Veils]

Cool cheers for that!

As it stands we're playing on the 24th and probably coming to London for the weekend, so I might even come watch