Bingo hall to become music venue

[leefer]

Its what the sleezy guys buy in the Devizes sex shop.

[Hammer]

Hammer,

What is a "plastic moonraker"? 

 Someone who thinks they are a true Wiltshireman with accompanying heritage, then finds out their parents moved here from London or Milton Keynes. Or Oxford.

[Ardiles]

  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.

Funny that.  I'd have said one of the reasons the town has failed to attract much in the way of investment recently is the near absence of a middle class, affluent population.  When I was working in Swindon 10+ years ago, there were plenty of middle/senior managers earning a good salary.  But almost exclusively they would travel in from the Cotswolds, Bath or Bristol.  I'm not too sure where these 'poncey' housing estates are that you're talking about.  Bristol has many, as do Bath, Oxford and Reading.  Swindon?  There are many areas of decent housing, but for a town of its size the notably affluent areas are very thin on the ground.

[Nemo]

The Bramptons

[Hammer]

Funny that.  I'd have said one of the reasons the town has failed to attract much in the way of investment recently is the near absence of a middle class, affluent population.  When I was working in Swindon 10+ years ago, there were plenty of middle/senior managers earning a good salary.  But almost exclusively they would travel in from the Cotswolds, Bath or Bristol.  I'm not too sure where these 'poncey' housing estates are that you're talking about.  Bristol has many, as do Bath, Oxford and Reading.  Swindon?  There are many areas of decent housing, but for a town of its size the notably affluent areas are very thin on the ground.

       
  Good God man. I made no reference to affluence or the class system. When I lived in Swindon 30 years ago places such as Freshbrook and Nythe etc were green fields. People (and businesses) were encouraged to move to Swindon as people naturally aspire to improve their lives. Hence the western expansion. Hence that horrible expression 'credit crunch'. People living beyond their means, encouraged by housing developers. They have made no contribution to the town of Swindon, they wear Arsenal/Chelsea/Manure shirts. Fuck the lot of them.

[Saxondale]

 ''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 !

Hammer as a veteran of running 2 student unions that have done lots of live music I feel I have to chip in.

In the late 80's many student unions did indeed do many gigs.  But during the 90's there was a massive change in student union management and ethos.  Unfortunately they became businesses. Universities demanded that they become viable and able to run themselves without significant investment from the university who were busily turning themselves into businesses rather than services.

As such the unions saw that having a live venue didn't make them much cash.  Typically the cash split between bands and venues was that the band would have a guaranteed fee and then 80% of what was left.   With more dance meaning less interest at that time for live bands, unions had to make the decision to concentrate on non live music.  A major fuck up on union managers part was to split the union departments (bars seperate from ents) and not take into account that the union was making a small fortune over the bar even if they did lose on the door money.  

In the meantime several ex entertainment people from student unions developed companies (the largest of them being SJM and Metropolis).  They then started promoting the gigs that the unions used to do themselves.  They often used the union venues, but with less of the venues being suitable for live (as they'd turned themselves into discos) they had to find other places to do it.  Essentially because of this the student union circuit died.  A few unions still have the live music (Norwich UEA, Manchester, Cardiff, Sheffield) and a couple have had the foresight to make a live commitment to live (Preston and Lincoln notable successfully).

Basically the unions fucked up and lost commitment to live.  It was taken up by the people who had  left unions (I fucked off from my first union, demontfort in Leicester, when they didnt take my advice on a new build and ended up with a disco with a massive bar in the middle of it and no stage.)  However the lack of a union circuit doesn't mean that live music is dying.  Its just moved to different venues.  I did 100 gigs at Demontfort Union from 95 - 2000, 100 at ULU in half that time however in the 8 months I ran Islington academy we were open doing live stuff 4 night a week.  

Live is still there, and its certainly not going away.

On another note, cardiff is a shit venue, terrible to work, and that'll be one where the academy music group go next because they know thats the case.

Here endeth the lesson.

[Hammer]

Hammer as a veteran of running 2 student unions that have done lots of live music I feel I have to chip in.

In the late 80's many student unions did indeed do many gigs.  But during the 90's there was a massive change in student union management and ethos.  Unfortunately they became businesses. Universities demanded that they become viable and able to run themselves without significant investment from the university who were busily turning themselves into businesses rather than services.

As such the unions saw that having a live venue didn't make them much cash.  Typically the cash split between bands and venues was that the band would have a guaranteed fee and then 80% of what was left.   With more dance meaning less interest at that time for live bands, unions had to make the decision to concentrate on non live music.  A major fuck up on union managers part was to split the union departments (bars seperate from ents) and not take into account that the union was making a small fortune over the bar even if they did lose on the door money.  

In the meantime several ex entertainment people from student unions developed companies (the largest of them being SJM and Metropolis).  They then started promoting the gigs that the unions used to do themselves.  They often used the union venues, but with less of the venues being suitable for live (as they'd turned themselves into discos) they had to find other places to do it.  Essentially because of this the student union circuit died.  A few unions still have the live music (Norwich UEA, Manchester, Cardiff, Sheffield) and a couple have had the foresight to make a live commitment to live (Preston and Lincoln notable successfully).

Basically the unions fucked up and lost commitment to live.  It was taken up by the people who had  left unions (I fucked off from my first union, demontfort in Leicester, when they didnt take my advice on a new build and ended up with a disco with a massive bar in the middle of it and no stage.)  However the lack of a union circuit doesn't mean that live music is dying.  Its just moved to different venues.  I did 100 gigs at Demontfort Union from 95 - 2000, 100 at ULU in half that time however in the 8 months I ran Islington academy we were open doing live stuff 4 night a week.  

Live is still there, and its certainly not going away.

On another note, cardiff is a shit venue, terrible to work, and that'll be one where the academy music group go next because they know thats the case.

Here endeth the lesson.

 Thankyou Nasher. Why didn't you say that in the first bleedin place. In other words, Students Unions, don't currently provide the same platform for bands as they used to (barring a few exceptions). Simply because, compared to other similar forms of entertainment, it isn't viable. Don't mention Cardiff !

[mexico red]

on a football related note, I was in the same line of work as Mr Nash for many years and had great fun once defaceing (sp) the oxford venues changing rooms on cowley road with much stfc grafitti. childish yes, satisfying? absolutely.

[Hammer]

on a football related note, I was in the same line of work as Mr Nash for many years and had great fun once defaceing (sp) the oxford venues changing rooms on cowley road with much stfc grafitti. childish yes, satisfying? absolutely.

[Ardiles]

       
  Good God man. I made no reference to affluence or the class system. When I lived in Swindon 30 years ago places such as Freshbrook and Nythe etc were green fields. People (and businesses) were encouraged to move to Swindon as people naturally aspire to improve their lives. Hence the western expansion. Hence that horrible expression 'credit crunch'. People living beyond their means, encouraged by housing developers. They have made no contribution to the town of Swindon, they wear Arsenal/Chelsea/Manure shirts. Fuck the lot of them.

I know...I went off on a bit of a tangent there.  (Welcome to he TEF.)  I agree with a lot of what you say - and particularly the bit about living beyond your means - but stereotyping can sometimes go too far.  We were one of the early families that moved to West Swindon in 1982.  (I was 9.)  Very few connections with the area before that.  Nearly 30 years later, my two brothers, a sister and I are all huge Town fans and I'll be damned if my one year old (who doesn't live in Swindon and probably never will) isn't either when the time comes.

[Saxondale]

Unless Im being massively blindsided on this, its not going to be an academy venue.

[mexico red]

I have heard its a private affair, which probably means without instant success its fucked.

[leefer]

I have heard its a private affair, which probably means without instant success its fucked.

True...but in truth it will be an instant success.

[Saxondale]

Id agree with you there.  With the major promoters part owning venues in bristol and oxford its difficult to see why they would put any gigs into somewhere that they wont get the beer money as well.  Unless there is a strong local promoter I dont know about I cant see it being hugely busy.

[Bogus Dave]

I think it varies from Uni to Uni. Cardiff have a very impressive line up, but I've just had a look a Bath, where I'm going and there's one live band scheduled for October (Kid British) and none yet for November. I hope they get more closer to the time, but much of the SU schedule is parties, discos et al.

Baths shit for live music. I think they put on two gigs last year - The King blues and the twang. we had mystery jets and the wombats during freshers week/end of year ball, but other than that there were two gigs in the whole year