#4gigsin4days

#4gigsin4days - url www.twitter.com/antipopuk - THE BIG 4 this week - Alternative music. Underground sounds from the city. Let it blow your mind!

As the big Summer for music approaches and festival like The Hub and Soundcity will be on the tip of every music lovers tongue, let's have a look at a normal week in Liverpool music as we decide that it doesn't take a whole lot of looking to find great music everywhere in Liverpool - at any time.

Wednesday 6th - #Day 1 - OCEANIS - SICK CIRCUS - ARKHAM KARVERS
Mish Mish @ Envi
The concert square nightspot hosts one of the loudest and heaviest bands in Liverpool OCEANIS. 80s thrash rock/metal Whitesnake, et al. SICK CIRCUS will blow you away! And ARKHAM KARVERS on tour from Sheffield open the night. FREE ENTRY and £2 a pint. The cheapest Wednesday night to get your fill of music. And the Envi soundsystem is awesome too!

Facebook event page for stage times: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=100755743343250



Thursday 7th - #Day 2 - SMILE AND BURN, THE WASTERS, CHIEF, THE LEES
YAM YAM Promotions presents @ Bumper. Regulars CHIEF, tourers SMILE AND BURN, the ever awesome THE LEES. A low cost gig in a vast venue with a good portable soundsystem. Awesome drinks and quality punk shizzle all night!

Facebook event for times: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=191928864161423

Friday 8th - Day 3 - THE VERMIN SUICIDES + BITEBACK
The most fun loving band of semi-hardened wannabe criminals in Liverpool. The Vermin Suicides host their range of dub to punk to classic rock to funk. With a sure to be buzzing performance in the newly reopened and lavish surroundings of Barcelona Bar, Renshaw Street. FREE ENTRY! Doors at 8pm Bands start around 9pm. Support = Biteback (feat: members of Instant Agony)

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=207882279222986





Saturday 9th - Day 4 - ENTROPY, SCARE TACTICS, SPIRES, GODS OF WAR, SCLAVINIA
METAL ASSAULT @ ZANZIBAR Money left and still not a sore neck? Entropy hosts an awesome Saturday night Metal line up of the finest bands in the Liverpool sphere of underground metal music. Definitely worth visiting.

Facebook event for links: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=178738365503408

Liverpool in four days and we really missed out some quality gigs there too. So here's a mention for the Tsunami Relief gig on Friday at Leaf Tea, Bold Street. Hopefully close to all our hearts. We donated some prizes to the raffle/auction for the night. You can help by paying to get in and entering the raffle and catch post-rock sensationalists MinionTV on stage there too.

Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=203086319719063

And even if you don't see any of these shows you will surely see SOME good music because you are in Liverpool! And if you're not, you should be!

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ARTWORK FOLDER

Recent Antipop Artwork. Need a poster for your gig? http://www.antipoprecords.co.uk - info@antipoprecords.co.uk

 
 
 
 

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Tommy Scott and The Red Scare

Never be surprised by what happens next! 

Hidden largely from the sights for the past two years, locked away in recording studios, swapping members and ditching new material before it became old material. This is a band many of the population probably haven't seen, heard or heard of. And now what have they done? They've only changed their name and announced one of the biggest gigs of their careers. Who said a little rebranding doesn't work? (Me!...every time a band changes it's name))

Since 2009, as The Drellas of Scott and co. sum total amounted to an eleven date UK tour on the back of a 7" double-A vinyl, an album that has been recorded and rerecorded endlessly and yet to see the light of day, and a handful of local cameo appearances, most recently supporting past-it punk rockers The Buzzcocks and Liverpool old-wave jewels Deaf School. The question on a lot of people's lips "is this band a stalling catalytic engine or a rumbling jet about to ignite?" The evidence and track record would suggest the former yet recent events suggest different. 

What is categorically undeniable from where I stand out front is there is no better band in Liverpool at present. A lack of  regular tours, new releases is tantamount to criminal behaviour and surely to be addressed beyond this relaunch. The fact still remains this band is locked up behind closed doors penning some of the most retrospective twisted modernistic songs of the current musical spectrum. Anyone who has been lucky enough to hear Boy in a Bodybag can bear witness.

Iggy Pop headlines Chester Rocks Day 2

So if you think £50 for a single day ticket at Chester Rocks to see a bunch of washed-up rockers (excluding Iggy Pop who couldn't be washed up if he went out like Robert Maxwell) is about as good value as a Liverpool Soundcity 2011 VIP wristband, you're not alone. Just don't be forgiven for slotting The Red Scare into the same category as Broudie, McCullough. These guy may be flogging dead horses but Scott is a devious little fucker with tricks up his sleeve so watch out Deva!

That said last month at Liverpool's largest gig-specific venue the psychobilly/jazz/punk/lounge quintet opened for Deaf School and stunned crowds with a rendition of Neighbourhood, the top ten hit for Scott in the 90's hayday of Space. It was a typically bopping version unique to The [then and final outing of] Drellas. It seems that although Tommy Scott and The Red Scare is likely to embrace its hit-pop roots wrangle them into a fusion of molten sax, psychobilly bass and rock drums this will drum up a fat PRS cheque for all concerned.

And then where it goes from there is anyone's guess!

www.chester-rocks.com

alec@antipoprecords.co.uk

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WOTLAD!

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Is Your Band Biog Boring???

It's not much of a blog entry, I know. It's just a quick link with a message behind it.

I could've put this on facebook where more people would have seen it, but then you wouldn't feel as exclusive and privileged as you should do for being here. I will relink and repost and you should too. (Thanks in advance)

http://www.thosebloodysnakes.co.uk/

Here's what to do. Click the link above, enter the site and then visit the page called 'The Band' and read the profiles for the band members of Those Bloody Snakes.

Is your band biog this funny, articulate and imaginative? Well, maybe it should be. A band biog like this, although not entirely 100% truthful and serious, can really make someone want to listen to/go see/meet your band. Don't you agree?

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Demo Review : SpaceGod

SpaceGod in ten words or less: "An introspective psychedelic blues explosion of a tortured robotic...dog"

Combining Dire Straits guitars, Jim Morrison vocals and Pink Floyd soundscapes can't be easy. The ambition in these three tracks that draws on influences past and future is actually worthy of a daft overblown name like SpaceGod. They may as well be called Europa or Utopian Wild Berry Fantasy, or some other shampoo sounding name. The bottom line, jokes and jibes aside, is here is a demo you may actually want to listen to again...and again.

These early recordings are the greatest testament to the daring ideas SpaceGod harbour and although it loses it grip at times and drags like an extended version of Lord of the Rings in others the sheer sublime moments of beauty are worth the listen alone.

It's just comforting to know that as the world turns to shit and drags music down with it people are still writing ambitious songs with this much creative energy. The world would less exciting if people didn't or hadn't attempted to make music like this. The world would be a more boring place without SpaceGod.



You can listen to these demos at:
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The difference between pay to play and selling tickets.

PAY TO PLAY: Buy tickets in advance. And you have to give the promoter/venue manager the money per ticket and you keep the extra money per ticket. E.g. Buy 50 tickets @ £5 and you can sell for whatever.

Advantage: you can choose how much you make per ticket.

Disadvantage: You need all the money up front.

Question: Can you refund any unsold tickets in the night?

Why do people do this?

A: Stupid.

B: Really want the gig (it might be high profile and boost the profile of the band.)

C: Might have a lot of money and be confident the tickets can be sold.

SELLING TICKETS: No money is paid in advance. Tickets are priced and a deal between how much money the band gets and how much the venue gets. e.g. Tickets face value £5. Split £4 to promoter/venue. £1 to band per ticket sold.

Advantage: The band can get tickets to friends/fans/family. Can avoid a rise in ticket price on the day (additional venue booking fee) Promoter knows how many people came to see your band. People are more likely to attend a gig if they have a ticket in advance.

Disadvantage: Confusing. Time consumimg. Extra responsibility. Requires organisation.

Question: is there a minimum number to be sold before this split occurs? i.e. Band must sell 25 tickets and then receive £1 per ticket sold over specified amount.

Why do people do this?

A: A good gig might seem worth doing to boost profile of band.

B: Band wants to impress certain promoters with high ticket sales.

C: Bigger venues offer this type of deal and bigger venues have bigger PA, better lights, nicer dressing rooms etc.

How to sell tickets: Advertise you have tickets and the price of the tickets through your website, facebook, myspace, mailing list, etc. Make sure you explain the tickets are cheaper from the band than on the door on the night (if this is the case.)

How to get tickets to people: Split the tickets between members, keep the tickets and ticket money in one envelope, wallet or box. Can you meet people on lunch break, at work, after work? *Do not post tickets unless completely necessary. Extra cost to you and not 100% reliable* If you have trouble getting tickets to people do not worry. Make a list of the names of people who you think will come but haven't received tickets and give this list to the cashier/door collector/box office person along with the unsold tickets. If a person is definitely coming you can put their tickets in an envelope with their name on. (And if you have lots of these put them in alphabetical order to save the box office time.)


REMEMBER!** Ultimately it doesn't matter how many tickets you sell for a gig. A promoter may not be overjoyed but do not buy your own tickets. You are advertising a gig on behalf of a promoter. You should not be contracted nor obliged to sell ANY tickets in advance. Any tickets you do sell are a bonus for the promoter. Yes you want people there, you want an atmosphere, you want to impress but you are a band not a promoter. Hand over the money for the sold tickets to promoter upon arrival at venue. Do not wait until doors do not sell to friends outside do not sell to people in the queue to boost your sales. You are musicians not ticket touts.

Concentrate on the gig. Hand your money, your tickets and your names list (people you haven't been able to get tickets to but said they will attend) over to the cashier and let them count while you are there. If they don't, ask them to. Ideally they will give you a form to sign that verifies your count and their count matches.

After you have played. Check to see how many people came to see you play. Don't pester the poor person every two minutes. Do not leave the venue until you have collected your payment. Make sure you read all the paperwork, do not rush. If there is anything you don't understand make sure you ask. If you think there is a mistake don't be afriad to point it out or question it.

*Make sure no tickets are lost. Bands are charged for tickets that are lost! All tickets should be numbered so if you divide the tickets between member you can make a note who has which numbers if any go missing. Try not to leave this to the last minute although inevitably this occurs.

alec@antipoporecords.co.uk

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