Nottingham / The Levellers
I'm pleased to report that a few days of going to bed before 9pm leaves me much rested. I've also been getting up late, and spending my few remaining waking hours arguing with HMRC about VAT. If you consider that the VAT system essentially forces businesses to work, unpaid, as tax collectors for the state, the least they could do is make the system vaguely functional, or at least comprehensible. As it is, I feel like their "help" page is almost actionable under Advertising Standards legislation.
How deeply un-rock'n'roll of me - complaining about tax admin on my blog. Actually I've been snorting crack off hookers all day, honest. Seriously though, being self-employed can be a fucking pain in the arse sometimes - although at the end of the day, I am my own boss and am (nearly) fearless in the face of Kafka-esque obfuscation. PAYE is for pussies.
Right, what was I talking about? Uhm. Ah yes. Nottingham. As we all know, Halloween saw me retching into a bucket backstage at the Rescue Rooms rather than finishing the show, something that goes against my principles, but couldn't biologically be helped. Anyways, we've been looking into a replacement show, initially in January. A problem, however, has arisen, in the dirty backstreet politics (JOKE) of the industry. The wonderful guys in The Gaslight Anthem are taking me on tour, and we're sharing a stage together at Rock City on 3rd March. Their people requested that I don't do another show in Notts before that show. So things have been put back. This has then been added to by the fact that, as far as Rescue Rooms are concerned, the fact that we did 11 out of 14 songs at the October show means no refunds.
SO. What to do. On the one hand, basically, anyone holding onto tickets should probably consign them to their shoebox archives (or ebay or whatever). They won't be valid for the Gaslight show I'm afraid. This leaves me feeling a little uncomfortable about promises unfulfilled, so the solution seems to be this: I'm going to look at scheduling a Notts-only show in early April (ish) which will probably be free entry, or something like that. Hopefully that will make sure everyone is happy. Crappy situation.
(Although I might point out in my defence that a few days before my abortive show in Notts, another famous indie band who shall remain nameless cut off a show after 4 songs in the big room at Rock City on the grounds they were... too pissed to bother finishing. No apologies or re-schedules. Wankers)
The other thing worth mentioning here and now is about The Levellers shows which start tomorrow. I'm going to be on early, so if you're coming to see yours truly, get down there for the start. See you there.
How deeply un-rock'n'roll of me - complaining about tax admin on my blog. Actually I've been snorting crack off hookers all day, honest. Seriously though, being self-employed can be a fucking pain in the arse sometimes - although at the end of the day, I am my own boss and am (nearly) fearless in the face of Kafka-esque obfuscation. PAYE is for pussies.
Right, what was I talking about? Uhm. Ah yes. Nottingham. As we all know, Halloween saw me retching into a bucket backstage at the Rescue Rooms rather than finishing the show, something that goes against my principles, but couldn't biologically be helped. Anyways, we've been looking into a replacement show, initially in January. A problem, however, has arisen, in the dirty backstreet politics (JOKE) of the industry. The wonderful guys in The Gaslight Anthem are taking me on tour, and we're sharing a stage together at Rock City on 3rd March. Their people requested that I don't do another show in Notts before that show. So things have been put back. This has then been added to by the fact that, as far as Rescue Rooms are concerned, the fact that we did 11 out of 14 songs at the October show means no refunds.
SO. What to do. On the one hand, basically, anyone holding onto tickets should probably consign them to their shoebox archives (or ebay or whatever). They won't be valid for the Gaslight show I'm afraid. This leaves me feeling a little uncomfortable about promises unfulfilled, so the solution seems to be this: I'm going to look at scheduling a Notts-only show in early April (ish) which will probably be free entry, or something like that. Hopefully that will make sure everyone is happy. Crappy situation.
(Although I might point out in my defence that a few days before my abortive show in Notts, another famous indie band who shall remain nameless cut off a show after 4 songs in the big room at Rock City on the grounds they were... too pissed to bother finishing. No apologies or re-schedules. Wankers)
The other thing worth mentioning here and now is about The Levellers shows which start tomorrow. I'm going to be on early, so if you're coming to see yours truly, get down there for the start. See you there.
posted by frank at 5:19 PM
14 Comments:
Good on you Frank, its a wonder your making an effort anyway. I doubt there are many artists around today who would even think to reschedule shows.
eagerly awaiting my new three years cd.
see you at cambridge.
hamish
Shitty but not your fault Frank.
Was it really 11 out of 14...? I think you could play for hours and we'd still feel it didn't last long enough!
I didn't speak to a single person who didn't praise you after the gig, so don't beat yourself up about it. Just hope I get a Frank Fix again soon, thats all.
Free entry will be scary... I have visions of the bull run in Pamplona... You reckon you can get the Arena... you'd fill it twice I'm sure :)
Take care man.
They did sorta apologise:
http://www.nme.com/news/daily-gossip/40737
hi frank - i'm same as marcus, 11 out of 14 , shocked ! but as for a free show, think that a bad idea m8 as your true fans will miss out to the free loaders, so hows about reduced admission to fans with ticket stubbs from the abbandoned gig coupled with a priority on booking (advanced) or pay full amount and give a freebie cheap t-shirt to holders of said ticket stubbs still with priority booking ? anyway m8 trying my damndest to see you in lincoln friday but failing that see you in amsterdam end of february with the gaslight's !!!! (excited)
Hi Frank
Thanks for coming down to Truro, loved your set - don;t be away too long!
Hi Frank,
good news if you're gonna get back to Nottingham again, but agree re the comments about freeloaders!
Why not charge, give priority bookins to those with tixs from October, and give all the profits to breast cancer research?
Just an idea!
Dooge
;-D
Kyle Falconer said I'm really sorry to have let all our fans down. There's no excuses.
Damn right NO excuses ...
Didn't seem like you did 11 songs (sorry) seemed a lot shorter but anyway, I think it's a bad idea with putting on a gig for free, it's not great news for us fans. I still have my ticket on my pin board and am hoping to use that for the re-schedule and not be a "freebie".
Would have thought the ticket could be used at the Gaslight gig.
I'm with Doogie74!
An email should be automatically generated for the fans that bought the ticket for Rescue Rooms with a link so we can get a priority pass for the next show.
It went quick but then thats because it was ace! you were on for an hour so you don't really us anything so i wouldn't beat yourself up about it - but then you wouldnt be FT if you didnt i guess!!! being humble instead of a wanker makes people appreciate your predicament
priority for tickets/booking history but happy to pay for me - if this is a vote, which i dont it is but hey!
Frank,
1) the view show was at Bodega Social not rock city.
2) the band apologised profusley on the night and officially afterwards.
3) they have also resheduled with original tickets still valid.
4) Get your facts right before you start branding people you don't know 'wankers'... otherwise it's you that looks like the wanker.
Saddened to hear the news re: Nottingham and I must admit it didn't feel like 11 songs, it actually felt shorter but hey ho. As for a free gig, VERY bad idea! How is that going to work in such a small venue as the Rescue Rooms with freeloaders (like has been mentioned above), plus the chance for those of us still holding onto the ticket stubs getting in would be severely minimised by them. I would rather you just did the show again and if I have to wait till April for it, then so be it although why Gaslight are being awkward about you playing a seperate gig is anyones guess!?
damian come on man give him a break. Frank went off because of sickness, purely understandable but not being bothred to finish a gig, that's just pathetic. they may have opolagised and re-scheduled bt that doesn't compensate for the waste of time for the fan and i'm pretty sure the figures on the next gig will be damaged.
all the best frank.
Hmm, damian is technically right about the situation with The View, but then again they are shit and seem to have used the press from that botched show to sell out the Rescue Rooms this time instead of The Social. Also, I'd call them wankers just for being so fucking lame musically.
Anyway, I don't see why people who were at the Halloween gig think they should get in free to a rescheduled show when Frank had to bow out mid-set due to illness: no-one's fault, just an unfortunate situation. If it had been me, I'd pay again.
I totally agree that a free show would be a bad idea too: buying tickets = genuine fans, I find.
Enough from me, see you with Gaslight...
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