LIVE VENUES,
BOOKING AGENTS & PROMOTERS
Glasgow
- Big
Bud Promotions 2/R, 34 Strathcona Drive, Glasgow,
01698286 882,07971 231956, bigbudney@
yahoo.co.uk. Promoting live bands in Glasgow
for the last five years, Big Bud regularly
puts gigs on at the 13th Note and Nice n
Sleazy. All styles are welcome, just post a demo
to the address above. Posters and flyers are printed
up for each event and are listed and promoted by
the venues themselves.
-
DF Concerts King
Tuts Wah Wah Hut,
272a St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, 0141 248 5158,
www.kingtuts.co.uk,
www.gigsinscotland.com,
davem@dfconcerts.co.uk.
The 300 capacity King Tuts has long been putting
on unsigned and touring bands via its parent company
DF, and its reputation as a showcase for young talent
is well founded: just ask Oasis Send your demo to
Dave McGeachan and include a biography. Youll
be expected to sell a few tickets before the night,
and DF will make sure your name is in all the local
press, radio and on its monthly Alsized flyposters.
DF puts on bands at a variety of venues, from the
13th Note and Nice n Sleazy right up
to the Barrow land and SECC, and offers support
slots for touring bands if it thinks youre
up to it. Its also the place to contact if
you fancy your chances playing at T Break shows
- address inquiries to Keren McKean.
- Glasgow
Music Collective 51 Fairlie, East Kilbride,
0775 416 30 14, gmclist@hotmail.com.
The GMC accepts demos from all disciplines, although
it mainly books touring American and European punk
bands into venues such as the 13th Note and Nice
n Sleazy. Support slots may be available,
but when sending your demos to Steve, do include
lyrics. Being from the leftist punk old school,
if theres any hint of bigotry, racism or other
narrow-mindedness on your tape, hell bin it.
-
King Sonic Promotions
The Cathouse Nightclub, 15 Union Street, Glasgow
G I 3RB, www.kingsonic.net,
info@kingsonic.net.
King Sonic puts on the regular Stepping Stone showcases
at the Cathouse, where theres no need to worry
about the venues musical tendencies as all
styles are welcome and bills are roughly worked
out generically. Youll need to have sold 30
tickets to cover costs for the full backline, sizable
PA and services of a stage manager, and if you shine
on the night King Sonic can also get you support
slots.
-
Nice n Sleazy 421 Sauchiehall
Street, Glasgow, 01413339637, www.nicensleazy.com,
sleazys@hotmail.com
Mig gets you gigs in Sleazys basement if you
send him a competent-sounding demo; you might help
your cause if you suggest another couple
of bands to play with the gig will be advertised
in all local listings, and in 50,000 issues of The
Fly, a free magazine distributed throughout
Scotland. Youll need to pay for the hire of
the PA and services of a sound engineer, but the
door takings should cover that and leave you with
enough for a few pints afterwards.
- Radaar! radaar.co.uk radaar@hotmail.co.uk promotes
in all sorts of venues across Glasgow with many touring bands including
Streetlight Manifesto, Undying, Cursed, Million Of Dead Cops + Many More.
- R&A
Music c/o Fury Murrys (Glasgow)
LTD, 96 Maxwell St, Glasgow G1 4EQ, 01414233050, www.furyslive.co.uk,
gigs@furyslive.co.uk.
R&A will book you a gig in Fury Murrys
if your demo proves youre competent enough
and if youre of the indie bent. Youll
be expected to sell a certain amount of tickets
to cover costs, after which youll keep the
profits; bands also get some beer, free entry to
the subsequent club night and their name in the
local papers.
-
The Shameful Phallic Hymn 170 Tweedsmuir
Road, Glasgow G52 2ED, 0141883 8189, britishlung@hotmail.com.
The Hymn aka Brian Reynolds puts gigs on roughly
once a month in local venues, usually at the Note
or Sleazys. All styles are welcome, but its
predominantly metal, punk and hardcore fare, as
Reynolds management of Lapsus Linguae and
Torqamada testifies. The Hymn also runs the occasional
over-14s shows, which have featured Lapsus and Senator.
-
Showcase Scotland PO Box 3496, Hamilton ML3
8WA, 07951 230677, www.geocities.com/strawberryfieldsnightclub,
sally.franklin@btinternet.com.
Showcase books bands for Strawberry Fields on Fri
and Sat, where all styles are welcome, though you
might have to wait three months to get a gig. Address
demos to Sally Franklin, who recommends sending
in your freshest material, even if its just
roughly recorded. Bands receive 100 tickets to sell
prior to the gig, of which theyre expected
to sell at least 20 to cover costs; the money from
the rest is yours.
-
The 13th Note TBC, see www.help13.co.uk,
eightothree@aol.com.
Once a reliable outpost for anyone with a creative
bent and sense of musical adventure, its all
change for the 13th Note, liquidation late last
year has meant the club on Clyde Street is being
sold to Barfly while the previous owners have decanted
to the West End taking over McChuills Way
Out West renaming it West13. The main hub of Glasgows
burgeoning underground scene, famously dogged by
debt-collectors and liquidators. If you can play
any instrument and record it in some way shape or
form, youre likely to get a gig at the Note
and see your name in the local press. Generally,
smaller bands get to play in the cosy cafe basement
on King Street, and more established local acts
and touring bands are scheduled for the more spacious
club on Clyde Street. Cynics might blame the Notes
troubles on its previous free-and-easy policy of
giving bands the door takings, free beer and cheap
veggieburgers, but then theyre missing the
point of the Note. Address demos to Simon Henderson,
or drop one in behind the bar.
- Twisted
Ape Promotions c/o Kelvin Cook, 3/2 234 Allison
Street, Glasgow G42 8RT, twistedape@hotmail.com.
Send your three best songs, preferably on CD, to
Twisted Ape and you may get yourself a gig in a
quality, relevant line-up in the Note, Sleazys
or King Tuts, or even a decent support slot.
Generically, the preferred sounds range from indie
to metal the Ape is responsible for the eight-band
Six Hours Of Hate lineup that sometimes
features in Sleazys
- Wiseguys
Promotions http://www.wiseguys.plus.com/
is a Glasgow based company promoting live bands
throughout the UK and putting on gigs. Wiseguys
accepts demos of all musical styles however works
predominantly with metal, rock and indie bands.
webmaster@wiseguys.plus.com
Edinburgh
- La
Belle Angele
11 Hasties Close, Cowgate, Edinburgh EH1 1JD,
0131 225 2774, bobby@la-belle-angele.co.uk,
www.la-belle-angele.co.uk
Recently refurbished with new dancefloor, lighting
rig and a paint job thrown in, this compact mainstay
of gig circuits is enjoying a revival. Cosmos Promotions
is putting on a lot of less famous but more interesting
touring bands, as well as a healthy number of local
band nights. Also possible to hire yourself, capacity
is around 400 for live music and it costs roughly
£250 depending on the night of the week, the
equipment and all the staff.
- The Bongo
Club 6 New Street, Edinburgh EH8 8DW, 01315588844, admin@outoftheblue.org.uk,
www.outoftheblue.org.uk. An eclectic
all round arts venue, this cool place is home to the widest range of live
music in Edinburgh from reggae to death metal and all points in between. Ally
Hill is the man to speak to about hiring the 340 capacity space, with prices
starting at £ 150 during the week, and that includes a sound engineer.
- Cafe Royal
Bistro Bar
15 West Register Street, Edinburgh EH2 2AA, 0131 5574792. The function room
through the back of this New Town pub tends to have occasional local band
gigs well worth checking out, as well as the odd touring band. With a capacity
of around 250, the charge for hire is negotiable but nevcr too steep, although
you do need to provide your own PA and engineer.
- Cosmos Promotions
26a Bellevue Crescent, Edinburgh EH3 6NF, 0131 558 3146. A long standing veteran
of the Scottish live music scene, Cosmos Promotions is run by George Duffin,
and if youre in a band based in Edinburgh you will inevitably deal with
this man at some stage in your career. They put gigs on in a variety of places
including The Venue and the Cafe Royal, but the emphasis recently has been
on La Belle Angele. Local bands of all flavours and styles are welcome to
send in demos to the above address, and are either put on as part of three-band
bills, or as first band on with touring acts, with earnings depending on your
own ticket sales.
- The Counting
House West Nicolson Street, Edinburgh EH8 9DD, 0131 667 0876. A compact
but homely 250-capacity venue up a few steps in this pub filled street, the
Counting House has only occasional gigs and club nights, which is a shame
because its got a really good vibe about it. During the week it needs
£100 deposit, which you get back if it takes £850 at bar. This
ramps up to £250 deposit and a £1000 bar threshold Fri and Sat,
and for that you get bar, staff and room hire, so you still need to organise
a PA. Licensed till lam but it can apply for an extension on request.
- Liquid Room
9c Victoria Street, Edinburgh EH 1 2HE, 0 131 225 2564. Home to larger touring
bands, this excellent 800 capacity venue still has a number of opportunities
for local bands. All the big promoters put gigs on here, but you can hire
the place out yourself for £450. For that you get the whole package
of sound and light systems, sound and light technicians, security and bar
staff, and its worth it, the sound and vibe here are top class if you
get enough people in. Itll also help out on the promotion side of things.
- The Mercat
28 West Maitland Street, Edinburgh EH12 5DX, 0131 225 3861. A pretty tiny
Haymarket bunker of
a venue, this isnt exactly the Corn Exchange, but regular local band
nights are building a great reputation for quality value entertainment. At
the moment, So Purple put on regular Sat night bills of local talent and at
200 capacity its ideal for bands just getting started.
- Regular Music
42 York Place, Edinburgh EH1 3HU, 0131 525 6700. The big boys of Edinburgh
gig promotion, Regular puts on every kind of show from massive Corn Exchange
extravaganzas to more intimate affairs at the likes of La Belle Angele and
the Liquid Room. Although opportunities for local acts are few, it does listen
to any demos sent, and is keen to promote local talent, either as support
to touring bands or in the occasional all-local do. Definitely people worth
getting to know.
- So Purple
59 Thomson Drive, Currie, Midlothian EH14 5EU, 0131 449 2927. Dave Cairns
is Mr So Purple, and he welcomes demos of any musical flavour. Also involved
in management and a record label, Cairns puts local and smaller touring bands
on at the Mercat and Studio 24. For shows at the Mercat bands get to keep
all their own ticket sale revenue, but due to bigger overheads at Studio 24,
the split is 50/50. Cairns is also planning a whole bunch of music workshops
on every facet of rock n roll over the summer for aspiring stars.
- Studio 24
24 Calton Road, Edinburgh EH8 8DP, 0131 558 3758. Recently reemerged as a
live music venue, Studio 24 is a fair old size with a capacity of 700. Although
there still isnt that much action here, So Purple has started a regular
Wed bill of larger local outfits, and you should get in touch for details
about hiring the place yourself.
- The
Venue 15 Calton Road, Edinburgh EH8 8DL, 0131
557 3073, www.edinburghvenue.co.uk.
The Venue is a Mecca for fans of live music, although
it isnt quite the force it once was. Every
band in the history of the world has trodden the
boards of this 400 capacity stalwart, and there
is still a reasonable mix of local band nights and
touring artists. Cosmos Promotions puts on a number
of shows here, but you can also hire the place out
yourself. Contact Lloyd McDerrnott for details.
Aberdeen
- Drakes Basement
Bar The Castlegate, Aberdeen, 01224 638866. Hidden under an Italian restaurant,
this basement bar is small, atmospheric and perfect for bands who love playing
in sweat-box type venues. Drakes has regular punk, metal, blues and jazz nights,
but will book almost anything. This
is the venue for a nervous first gig. Budding DJs are also welcome here.
- Fuse Promotions
c/o Lava, Belmont Street, Aberdeen AB10 1JR, 01224 648000. Born out of the
ashes of Lavas (formerly Glow) in-house promotions team, this company
mostly operates in this well established club/venue. Bands playing here are
mostly signed or touring, but local lads and up-and-coming bands are welcome
to submit tapes/CDs. As far as genre is concerned, Fuse welcomes anything
that flies.
-
The Lemon Tree 5 West North Street, Aberdeen
AB24 5AT, 01224 647999, www.lemontree.org.
This centre for performing arts has become a mainstay
of the Aberdeen music scene. Hosting International
and local band alike, the Lemon Tree incorporates
every genre imaginable. Stand out points for performers
are the state of the art sound system and engineers
who take the nightmare out of setting up and sound
checking. Also, the best dressing room an unsigned
act is ever likely to see.
- The Malt
Mill
82 King Street, Aberdeen AB10 6BY, 01224 573830/ 581076. Aberdeens Malt
Mill is locally renowned for its varied bill of live music and ideal for young,
up-and-coming bands looking for a first gig or to add another performance
to their list of achievements. There is a small regular crowd, but getting
your mates along will make the room look healthier.
- Pro-motion
07711 525209. Formerly Mad hatter promotions and management, Pro-motion promotes
indie, alternative, punk, and rock bands and club nights. Although the live
music aspect of its business is experiencing a hiatus, it is accepting tapes/CDs
with a view to future bookings for various venues in Aberdeen.
- Riptide
Music See Recording studios.
- The Subway
Hotel Metro, 17 Market Street, Aberdeen, AB11 5PY, 07759494066. Formerly the
Pelican Club, this venue has a long and distinguished history of live music
and club nights and although the live music aspect has faded recently, it
is set to be redeveloped Recently refurbished, Subway now boasts a purpose
engineered sound system and impressive lighting rig. Subway is now accepting
tapes/CDs from live dance music acts and bands.
- The Triple
Kirks/Exodus School Hill, Aberdeen AB 10 1JX, 01224 622222. Situated in
a complex of old church buildings, this pub and club pairing often plays host
to live music. From folk to punk. There isnt much of a stage
here but that hasnt stopped many a band thrashing it up in this venue.