Advertising!

[Quazi Washboard]

I went around town the other day, handing out posters for Ripfest and asking in certain shops if they'd put one up for me. I usually get them put up in Electron Records, Alternative Sounds, Weird & Wonderfull, Hellraisers, (used to be on Parliment st. now in the market)The Creepy Crawly shop, that Jazzy barbers across from Paradise Island, and probably most important of all, the Library, where they actually have three seperate public notice boards. Fly posting is illegal in Burnley now (and if they don't catch you doing it red handed, they turn up to the event you're advertising and get you that way) so this is the only way for me to get posters up advertising events I have organised.
When I went to the Library, I was told "Sorry, but we can't put that up." I asked why not and the lady replied "Because it's a profit making event." She went on to tell me that even if it was for charity, I still wouldn't be able to put a poster up on the public notice board in probably THE most public building in Burnley, because someone would still be profiting from it.
"But hang on a minute" I said, "What about that poster for a live concert that you have on the board?"
"Oh that's different," she replied "That's at the Mechanics and they're run by the council!"

I'm not happy, I smell a rat and I'm going to see what I can do about this situation because I really don't think it's fair that the council can stop you advertising your event in a public place and effectively own the monopoly on it.
A while ago, I helped to organise the M3 Whitesnake gig at the Mechanics, an event that sold out compleatly with hard drinking punters, they probably made more profit that night than almost any other event that they organise and this is the thanks I get?
Sod 'em!

[Digsyboy]

dON'T SOD EM MATE, WRITE TO THE COUNCIL AND MP
As you say, it's a public building and if it's one law for one, and one law for others then it's wrong. After all, it's you guy's council tax that is funding the library and mechanics in the first place
I think you are doin a good job
Give em some stick

[Quazi Washboard]

Cheers mate!

I'm thinking "letter to the Burnley Express" first. ;)

[Col.Kurtz]

"Council" and "organise" - two words that don't quite go together. They couldn't make a do the last time the Mechanics bar was open despite it being packed out. Mind you they used to bar their regular customers...but that's another story! Good luck Quazi, I thought there was a puiblic notice board near the bus station at one time.

[Digsyboy]

Bring back the town cryer
Oh yeah Oh yeah . . . . . . . .

[Jason]

Take it to the top..........write to the Express,mp Peter Pike or council leader AND MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD.........These proletariats think they own the world!!
Bring them back down i say!

[wayneyboy1942]

Quazi the library advertising ban seems odd,round here,Thornton/Cleveleys libraries have stacks of leaflets at the doors,for bus times whats on and where to go in Lancs,but I don't know if they charge? Radio lancs had a whats on guide at one time try them,but going back to the library I got told by a painter that some won't let them show paintings as well.
Do'nt give in and ask why not? As for the Mechanics the bar as Col said used to be full but I think there was a bit of fiddling going on!

[ollie]

once had Christmas Dinner at a works do at the Mechanics, was the worst meal I have ever eaten, apart from that the only other time I have visited the place was the Whitesnake concert (when I was on the guest list Col Kurtz) but bet I have paid thousands to the place in council tax. Not bloody fair!:( Upstairs in the Circ we have an auditorioum (cant spell that) that holds 500, we are already licenced to hold 450, which makes us bigger than the Mechanics, but can we get any public funding or lottery money? Can we hell! We were willing to let local opera and theatre groups use upstairs free of charge, the Mechanics charge £5 a seat. I dont know what they take off promoters who hold gigs but is probably silly money, Quazi do you know? If anyone promotes a gig at ours they get all the door money and help if they are short to pay the bands, plus little bands can rehearse free and put on gigs free. We need live music in Burnley but we need help to do it. Should all boycott the Mechanics and the library while Quazi can put his ripfest poster up.!!! Lets have a riot! Or a petition... or a cup of cocoa and a jam doughnut.....

[Quazi Washboard]

Right, that's it, you've all got me gee'd up now. :D
First thing tomorrow I'm writing a letter to the Express. I'll put a copy of it up here as soon as I've composed it.
Now If I could ask a favour of you lot, if and when the letter is printed, could you all write in with your own views on the matter to the Express? They love a good debate with lots of replies at the Express so they are bound to print 'em! But it also sets the council up nicely to be asked "politely" to change their policy on public notices.

[Quazi Washboard]

Originally Posted by ollie

I dont know what they take off promoters who hold gigs but is probably silly money, Quazi do you know?

I don't think they actually take a percentage of what a promoter makes, they just charge a bloody fortune to hire the place so that guys like me, trying to promote local acts can't afford to put gigs on there, which is a shame because it probably has the best stage in the area, with backstage wings, lighting, exellent backstage facillities, plenty of room on stage. Occasionally someone like Lionel Snowden (lovely bloke!) puts on something special like M3 where we have an opportunity to put a local supporting act on, but even then, with all the overheads like PA system hire (for an act like M3, you need a 10,000 watt PA system, which doesn't come cheap.) and actualy paying the headlining act, the bill comes to thousands. Then take into consideration the fact that you are limited to selling 500 tickets, you have to price them just right so that if you only sell half of them you can still afford to pay the bill, but cheap enough so that your average joe on the street can afford to buy one. The extortionate price that the Mechanics charge to hire the room in the first place just puts the final nail in the coffin as far as organising something really good at a decent price, unless you can put on a band like M3 that are guaranteed to sell out all the tickets. But acts that you can safely say will sell out are few and far between, so it just ends up being too risky to do.

[ollie]

lets kill the mechanics!!! dont deserve us!

Originally Posted by Quazi Washboard

I don't think they actually take a percentage of what a promoter makes, they just charge a bloody fortune to hire the place so that guys like me, trying to promote local acts can't afford to put gigs on there, which is a shame because it probably has the best stage in the area, with backstage wings, lighting, exellent backstage facillities, plenty of room on stage. Occasionally someone Lionel Snowden (lovely bloke!) puts on something special like M3 where we have an opportunity to put a local supporting act on, but even then, with all the overheads like PA system hire (for an act like M3, you need a 10,000 watt PA system, which doesn't come cheap.) and actualy paying the headlining act, the bill comes to thousands. Then take into consideration the fact that you are limited to selling 500 tickets, you have to price them just right so that if you only sell half of them you can still afford to pay the bill, but cheap enough so that your average joe on the street can afford to buy one. The extortionate price that the Mechanics charge to hire the room in the first place just puts the final nail in the coffin as far as organising something really good at a decent price, unless you can put on a band like M3 that are guaranteed to sell out all the tickets. But acts that you can safely say will sell out are few and far between, so it just ends up being too risky to do.

[Quazi Washboard]

Originally Posted by ollie

lets kill the mechanics!!!

Have you been on the Mini Guinness's again Ollie! :D

[ollie]

no such luck. Theres a new cocktail in da house. It's callled John Smiths and its a £1 a pint. Pure nectar!

Originally Posted by Quazi Washboard

Have you been on the Mini Guinness's again Ollie! :D

[Quazi Washboard]

Right folks, here's the letter that I'm sending to the Burnley Express via e-mail.
It's basically the same as my original post on this very thread with a few ammendments.

"Dear Sirs.
I'm a local promoter, trying to promote local groups.
I went around town the other day, handing out posters for a local event and asking in certain shops if they'd put one up for me. I usually get them put up in Electron Records, Alternative Sounds, Weird & Wonderfull, Hellraisers, (used to be on Parliment st. now in the market) The Creepy Crawly shop, and probably most important of all, the Library, where they actually have three seperate public notice boards. Fly posting is illegal in Burnley now, and ever since the council removed the public notice boards on the bus station, this is the only way for me to get posters up advertising events I have organised.
When I went to the Library, I was told "Sorry, but we can't put that up." I asked why not and the lady replied "Because it's a profit making event." She went on to tell me that even if it was for charity, I still wouldn't be able to put a poster up on the public notice board in probably THE most public building in Burnley, because someone would still be profiting from it.
"But hang on a minute" I said, "What about that poster for a live concert that you have on the board?"
"Oh that's different," she replied "That's at the Mechanics and they're run by the council!"
I really don't think it's fair that the Council can stop you advertising your event in a public place and effectively own the monopoly on it. It's bad enough that Burnleys g