Low Ticket Sales = Cancelled Gigs

We are seeing a worrying trend with many bands and venues complaining of low advance ticket sales, forcing gigs to be cancelled. Bands and venues need the reassurance of knowing a certain number of attendees will be there to at least cover the costs of putting on the show.

Many venues are booked by promoters on a hire basis, so the upfront costs of venue hire, sound engineer, lighting, box office and security will easily by in excess of £500-£600. And that's before the band has to take in to account the costs of travel, accommodation, subsistence (food and drink). Hey, and guess what, it'd be nice for the musicians to actually get paid too. They are usually last in line after all the aforementioned costs - the PA engineer always gets paid, the lighting engineer always gets paid, as do the bar staff, the security team, but the people who've probably spent several hours travelling to the venue, loading in, setting up, soundchecking, hanging around for another 2-3 hours waiting for doors to open, performing the show for 1.5-2 hours, breaking the gear down, loading the van, travelling several hours to get home (because they probably can't afford the costs of a hotel...) - very often these people - THE BAND - earn next to nothing, and sometimes absolutely NOTHING!

Support live music. Please buy tickets in advance. It means live music shows can go ahead and bands can perform. Otherwise we are on a slippery slope to venues closing, and bands giving up.