Bingo hall to become music venue

[Hammer]

Yes they do. You might not know the bands because they don't appeal to you but they do appeal to students and most gigs sell out or are very popular.

Just checked Cardiff student unions upcoming gigs and they have

Chase and Status
Deadmau5
the Noisettes
Bat For Lashes
Tinchy Stryder
Scratch Perverts, Skream, Caspa and Andy C
Simian Mobile Disco
Frank Turner
Biffy Clyro
Mr Scruff
Babyshambles
White Lies

booked so far for the first two months of the autumn semester and they won't have booked all the bands yet. All of those are well known bands.

 ''All those are well known bands'' ? Huh ? Are you having a fucking giraffe. I've heard of five of them ; do they get any airtime on radio ? Let me make a comparison with Keele University 1981/82 : Hawkwind, Simple Minds, Altered Images, UB40, Gary Glitter, U2, Slade. Others I have forgotten. They are what I would call known bands, with at least some charting history !

[mexico red]

hahahaha hammer you old cunt.

[flammableBen]

Maybe your knowledge of music was better in 81/82 than it is now?

[Hammer]

Maybe your knowledge of music was better in 81/82 than it is now?

  Fair comment. But I think if you compare the calibre of the aforementioned bands then maybe the definition of a 'known' band has changed.

[Nemo]

Serious question as I'm not old enough, how well know were those bands at the time? Obviously a lot of them (notably U2) have become huge but were they that big at the time? Who knows, some of the Cardiff Bands might be U2 level massive bands in 20 years time.

[flammableBen]

  Fair comment. But I think if you compare the calibre of the aforementioned bands then maybe the definition of a 'known' band has changed.

I think the way that bands are known has probably changed a fair bit. A big selling single, an appearance on top of the pops and a bit of radio play has gone the way of VHS and Casette Tapes. I'm guessing that most of the people BWB listed have had a fairly high ranking top 40 album, and the ones which haven't are probably quite well known in there own dance/dnb/whatever circles.

[Hammer]

Serious question as I'm not old enough, how well know were those bands at the time? Obviously a lot of them (notably U2) have become huge but were they that big at the time? Who knows, some of the Cardiff Bands might be U2 level massive bands in 20 years time.

 The likes of Slade, Gary Glitter, Hawkwind & UB40 had all previously scored in the singles & album charts. Altered Images were at no.2 in the singles chart. Simple Minds had already released 4 albums and were on the up. U2 had released their first album 'Boy' and were regarded as a biggish band. So...all quite well known really.

[Ginginho]

Glitter was a huge fan of 'Boy', apparently

[Hammer]

I think the way that bands are known has probably changed a fair bit. A big selling single, an appearance on top of the pops and a bit of radio play has gone the way of VHS and Casette Tapes. I'm guessing that most of the people BWB listed have had a fairly high ranking top 40 album, and the ones which haven't are probably quite well known in there own dance/dnb/whatever circles.

         
  I understand that. Yet surely a big selling single or radio/tv exposure is paramount to popularity. Reverting to the origins of this thread, popularity within a small circle or niche will not fill a 1300 capacity venue whereas a more general popularity would at least give it a chance.

[Bob's Orange]

For once I agree with BWB, however on that list I have genuinely heard of 6 of those bands. Actually 7, I have heard of the scratch perverts.

[RobertT]

Surely the point here is that Swindon is getting a concert hall of decent size that could host some decent quality bands or club nights as required, even if that market may be a little depressed right now (or not, who really knows without some numbers).  The Oasis is doing well enough to draw in decent bands in the past 12 months and the next 6 months at least, which must have given some confidence that the area can support this.  We seem to be hitting a point where the economy has stopped getting worse so in about 18 months/2years time we should see growth that we can feel in our pockets again, by which time we'll have this place set-up and ready.

Who really gives a fuck whether Slade will play it or not?

[flammableBen]

         
  I understand that. Yet surely a big selling single or radio/tv exposure is paramount to popularity. Reverting to the origins of this thread, popularity within a small circle or niche will not fill a 1300 capacity venue whereas a more general popularity would at least give it a chance.

Fair point, the comparisons of gigs in Autumn in Cardiff 2009 and Keele University 81/82 is getting a bit off topic.

But it does raise the point on whether or not Swindon can support gigs which have a more specialised appeal. This new place isn't going to get the likes of the bands which have been playing the Oasis every month. It's all well and good selling out for The Kings of Leon or whatever other middle of the road radio 1/2 band is playing, but it's going to have to do some good business on other bookings.

Edit: On top of pulling off some decent club nights as was mentioned earlier.

[Hammer]

Fair point, the comparisons of gigs in Autumn in Cardiff 2009 and Keele University 81/82 is getting a bit off topic.

But it does raise the point on whether or not Swindon can support gigs which have a more specialised appeal. This new place isn't going to get the likes of the bands which have been playing the Oasis every month. It's all well and good selling out for The Kings of Leon or whatever other middle of the road radio 1/2 band is playing, but it's going to have to do some good business on other bookings.

Edit: On top of pulling off some decent club nights as was mentioned earlier.

  Generally agree. Ever since the Who played the Locarno, Swindon has always struggled to attract bands which could entertain a full house, so artists with a more specialised appeal don't stand a chance. 'Club nights' and other forms of non-mainstream entertainment would help balance the books but...guess what...the proprietors would look at the less profitable aspects. Hey presto...no more live music. Swindon has always been pretty non-descript : the western expansion, influx of cocknies & plastic moonrakers, as well as the establishment of poncy new housing estates has done nothing to help the town centre. Never has done, never will do.

[Ben Wah Balls]

 ''All those are well known bands'' ? Huh ? Are you having a fucking giraffe. I've heard of five of them ; do they get any airtime on radio ? Let me make a comparison with Keele University 1981/82 : Hawkwind, Simple Minds, Altered Images, UB40, Gary Glitter, U2, Slade. Others I have forgotten. They are what I would call known bands, with at least some charting history !

Like I said before Hammer, you aren't the target market, most students will know the majority of those bands and I would bet a lot of those gigs sell out, which is the important thing. Personally I would say this line-up is a hell of a lot better than the Keele one but Gary Glitter and UB40 aren't the kind of gigs I would be interested in.

The other thing to remember is the really huge bands don't play the student union because it's not big enough, Kasabian, Muse and Lily Allen will just play the CIA instead because they can sell that out and the union would sell out immediately. However in that list Tinchy Stryder has had two number one singles and a number 2 album, Biffy Clyro have had a top 5 single and a number 2 album, Skream had a very well known remix of a number 2 song (in for the kill), babyshambles have had top 5 albums and singles, bat for lashes has a top 5 album and White Lies have had a number one album so however you define a "known band", these bands qualify.

It's true that the smaller universities won't have as many big name bands playing but I think a lot of the bigger universities which have decent sized venues will.

If Swindon could attract even half of those bands it would be a huge improvement.

[4D]

  Generally agree. Ever since the Who played the Locarno, Swindon has always struggled to attract bands which could entertain a full house, so artists with a more specialised appeal don't stand a chance. 'Club nights' and other forms of non-mainstream entertainment would help balance the books but...guess what...the proprietors would look at the less profitable aspects. Hey presto...no more live music. Swindon has always been pretty non-descript : the western expansion, influx of cocknies & plastic moonrakers, as well as the establishment of poncy new housing estates has done nothing to help the town centre. Never has done, never will do.

Hammer,

What is a "plastic moonraker"?