Why don't Waterford people enjoy live music?

mrgardener

Just before xmas last year, I was at O'Emperor and ASIWYFA at the Forum. Both weren't even half full.

At the big session with Madrigal, Kodakid etc at the Forum, the crowd were very small. I was at Ham Sandwich last weekend and there was maybe 50/60 people at it! Surely they warrant a near capacity crowd?

King Kong Company nearly filled the place, but was that because it was a one-off?

I understand people not paying in to see local bands that they can watch for free in the pubs, but surely some of the bands mentioned above should be able to get big crowds?

The Freezer sessions last summer was a free gig and had The Minutes, Royseven (i think) and Solar Taxi and yet hardly anyone was there. For a free gig!

Are Waterford people just not interested in live music?

Boooourns

The town has an awful reputation when it comes to gigs. I've lost count of gigs i've been too where there's a really poor turnout, ended up getting sick of it myself as the atmosphere can be poor.

jayboi

mrgardener wrote: »

Just before xmas last year, I was at O'Emperor and ASIWYFA at the Forum. Both weren't even half full.

At the big session with Madrigal, Kodakid etc at the Forum, the crowd were very small. I was at Ham Sandwich last weekend and there was maybe 50/60 people at it! Surely they warrant a near capacity crowd?

King Kong Company nearly filled the place, but was that because it was a one-off?

I understand people not paying in to see local bands that they can watch for free in the pubs, but surely some of the bands mentioned above should be able to get big crowds?

The Freezer sessions last summer was a free gig and had The Minutes, Royseven (i think) and Solar Taxi and yet hardly anyone was there. For a free gig!

Are Waterford people just not interested in live music?

Cos it's too loud god dam it!

cycocycle

At the risk of getting off track I blame dance "music" in the mid to late 90s for killing off live music in General and in Waterford particularly. When I was 18 in 1992 I went to see good bands play in the likes of Breens and the Metroland every weekend. Also caught a few great bands in places like the Back of the Mansion. Waterford was known all over the country as a place for good live music. Then it started to change with the coming of the dance and "E" scene. The Metroland went to 5hit and people stopped going to gigs. A few of my friends who regularly went to gigs got caught up in the new scene and stopped listening to live bands. This was embraced by venue owners who only had to pay a DJ rather than a whole band. They also were selling bottles of water for the price of a pint!
Waterford hasnt got a big enough population to sustain a lot of different "scenes" so the most popular one will choke out the rest. There are other reasons that Im sure the pub and club owners could give you. I just noticed the interest in live music dying off in the mid to late nineties and it has struggled to recover.
The only live bands that do well here are covers bands who play non threatening chart hits and classics for drunks to dance and sing along with.More power to them though it would be nice to see more varied acts passing through and a variety of venues in which to see them.
/Rant.

ziedth

For me I can't bring myself to go to a band where I wouldn't know the songs. The band could be the next Queen and unless I can sing along IE they play cover songs I'm not interested and I'm not into music enough to listen to new bands and learn their new stuff.

Basically I personify all that is wrong with music fans cause I only really listen to mainstream stuff that is popular. That and 80's/90's music, I love cheesy music.

I think I'm not alone in this because smash hits always seem to pull in a crowd and they charge on the door.

Creamsoda

mrgardener wrote: »

The Freezer sessions last summer was a free gig and had The Minutes, Royseven (i think) and Solar Taxi and yet hardly anyone was there. For a free gig!

Are Waterford people just not interested in live music?

That's funny I was at that gig and there was a load of people there. It was quite until about 11 or 11.30 but after that it was packed.

mike65

Music Moves, remember them?

http://www.waterford-news.ie/news/cwsnidgbsn/

Finneen

Ever wonder why Waterford's very own Gilbert O'Sullivan won't perform live in his city?

Max Powers

mrgardener wrote: »

Just before xmas last year, I was at O'Emperor and ASIWYFA at the Forum. Both weren't even half full.

At the big session with Madrigal, Kodakid etc at the Forum, the crowd were very small. I was at Ham Sandwich last weekend and there was maybe 50/60 people at it! Surely they warrant a near capacity crowd?

King Kong Company nearly filled the place, but was that because it was a one-off?

I understand people not paying in to see local bands that they can watch for free in the pubs, but surely some of the bands mentioned above should be able to get big crowds?

The Freezer sessions last summer was a free gig and had The Minutes, Royseven (i think) and Solar Taxi and yet hardly anyone was there. For a free gig!

Are Waterford people just not interested in live music?

I think people will complain about f-all on in the city yet 99% of people who say that havent been into theatre royal, garter lane in years and rarely leave their locals for places like the forum. Im all for supporting local gigs and bands. hard to believe a free gig wasnt packed, especially if it was at weekend. I do believe, if the band is good and the price is right, people will go. People talked about that smash hits (covers band) band a few years ago and they played to packed houses numerous times here, i didnt see them but i heard people rave about them.

I dont think Waterford has anything but a good reputation when it comes to gigs, we are smaller and less financially well off the most other parts of Ireland, yet some of the best gigs i have been at were local. Waterford had a good reputation going back decades where old style show-band band used to say, if it goes down well here, it will be success everywhere.

It does annoy me where gigs are meant to start at say 10, dont start till 11, Irish people also love to leave it as late as possible which perpetuates this resulting in very late build up of atmosphere at gigs

Professey Chin

Finneen wrote: »

Ever wonder why Waterford's very own Gilbert O'Sullivan won't perform live in his city?

Cause he's an overrrated knob who expected everyone to bow at his feet?

zeppe

The Great Chinholio wrote: »

Cause he's an overrrated knob who expected everyone to bow at his feet?

Not overrated.

From wikipedia," Gilbert O'Sullivan enjoyed nearly five years of success with MAM, a run that included seven UK Top 10 singles and four UK Top 10 albums; three U.S. Top 10 singles and one top 10 album; five Dutch Top 10 singles and three Top 10 albums; five New Zealand Top 10 singles; three Canadian Top 10 singles; and seven Japan Top 10 singles."

Maybe playing to a half empty theatre in your home town would
make you slightly bitter too.

abouttobebanned

I went to see Gilbert in dublin last year and he disgraced himself. First off he wouldn't allow anybody to drink at the show. This is a problem cause u only enjoy his music when I'm drunk. Then he kept complaining about the sound and finally marched off in a huff for a half hour. He constantly complained and it became embarrassing after a while.

Back on topic, I've been saying for ages that Waterford is one if the worse counties in ireland for supporting live music.

Look at a band like the jam tarts. Great and all as they are, they've had the same set for years and they still play 2-3 times a month in the Kazbar. That carry on wouldn't be accepted somewhere else.

Professey Chin

zeppe wrote: »

Not overrated.

From wikipedia," Gilbert O'Sullivan enjoyed nearly five years of success with MAM, a run that included seven UK Top 10 singles and four UK Top 10 albums; three U.S. Top 10 singles and one top 10 album; five Dutch Top 10 singles and three Top 10 albums; five New Zealand Top 10 singles; three Canadian Top 10 singles; and seven Japan Top 10 singles."

Maybe playing to a half empty theatre in your home town would
make you slightly bitter too.

That 5 years was 40 years ago and hes barely done anything of note since.He expected a full house from a generation who dont even know his name just cause its his hometown. The phrase delusions of grandeur come to mind.

Rothko

I saw ASIWYFA in the Forum just before New Years' and I thought the atmosphere was great.

Finneen

Waterford should have a great bands scene as it's cut off from the rest of Ireland when it comes to jobs/news/weather forecasts so why not music? There should be a 'Waterford sound' that's different and better than other parts of this country. Lots of bands with a similar style and attitude that puts Waterford on the music map!

mrgardener

Suas11 wrote: »

I saw AWIWYFA in the Forum just before New Years' and I thought the atmosphere was great.

It was. They were absolutely brilliant. So why wasn't it packed?

I was talking to Mick who books the bands the other day and he said that O'Emperor, Solar Taxi and Katie Kim got approx 250 people, ASIWYFA got 300, King Kong Company got 600, Madrigal, Kodakid etc got 150 and Ham Sandwich got approx 50! All great live bands!

Rothko

mrgardener wrote: »

It was. They were absolutely brilliant. So why wasn't it packed?

I was talking to Mick who books the bands the other day and he said that O'Emperor, Solar Taxi and Katie Kim got approx 250 people, ASIWYFA got 300, King Kong Company got 600, Madrigal, Kodakid etc got 150 and Ham Sandwich got approx 50! All great live bands!

I honestly don't know. It's not like the ticket prices are too high. The ASIWYFA gig was only about €15 after all.

Professey Chin

Id say the forums location has an impact on it. Ive seen lots of great bands in there but theres always people whinging that its too far from town.
Although a lot of these people would give out about price if it was in town, then drinks price, then that the band didnt personally dedicate a song to them

Marchandire

Isn't there an element of over-saturation here? You often only get to see the same bands, or members of older bands in a new group. I get tired of hearing the same names and seeing the same musicians.

I don't think Waterford has a particularly vibrant live music scene, tbh. It might help of a few of the old heads could step aside and let the kids have a go. The town must be full of enthusiastic young musicians - it seemed to be when I was in my teens.

Nypd

The gigs you mentioned are all in one venue, so I don't buy that people don't enjoy live music.
The Forum not a particulary nice looking place, and a lot would say it is out of the way.
It would be a fair enough assumption that it's the venue not the acts.

AdMMM

A lot of the bands that have played in The Forum in the past, I would have happily gone all the way up to Dublin to see, where I would have expected to pay a lot more than asked in Waterford. I think we're very lucky to have someone like Mick in Waterford, who has the connections to bring exciting bands to the City.

I do worry for the live scene in Waterford however, especially when you start to hear excuses like The Forum being too far away or €10 being too expensive to see well-established bands. If people aren't willing to walk 10 minutes, or pay €10 (much less than comparable venues around the country) then you really do begin to despair!

mrgardener

Nypd wrote: »

The gigs you mentioned are all in one venue, so I don't buy that people don't enjoy live music.
The Forum not a particulary nice looking place, and a lot would say it is out of the way.
It would be a fair enough assumption that it's the venue not the acts.

I hear what you're saying about the Forum, but as music venues go, its actually not bad. Its dark, theres a stage, lights, p.a. etc.
I've certainly been to worse around the country.
Its probably up to the band to make it a memorable night anyways.
So, I wouldn't buy the arguement at all, thats its the venue's fault. Personally, if i wanted to see a band, i'd go watch them in a field.........

Nypd

mrgardener wrote: »

Nypd wrote: »

The gigs you mentioned are all in one venue, so I don't buy that people don't enjoy live music.
The Forum not a particulary nice looking place, and a lot would say it is out of the way.
It would be a fair enough assumption that it's the venue not the acts.

I hear what you're saying about the Forum, but as music venues go, its actually not bad. Its dark, theres a stage, lights, p.a. etc.
I've certainly been to worse around the country.
Its probably up to the band to make it a memorable night anyways.
So, I wouldn't buy the arguement at all, thats its the venue's fault. Personally, if i wanted to see a band, i'd go watch them in a field.........

I agree totally with you, I too would go anywhere to watch a good band.
My point is that compare the forum to other venues in the city, the quality is pretty high when it comes to decor and comfort, the forum is just a shabby black box compared to them.

CardBordWindow

I'm just wondering, has advertisment for gigs got a role to play? Often I don't hear about some gigs until after they've been on. The only reason that I knew that Ham Sandwich were playing was that I saw a poster on the wall of Lombard Street Takeaway, and that was the day before it!

Nypd

CardBordWindow wrote: »

I'm just wondering, has advertisment for gigs got a role to play? Often I don't hear about some gigs until after they've been on. The only reason that I knew that Ham Sandwich were playing was that I saw a poster on the wall of Lombard Street Takeaway, and that was the day before it!

Good point, I never really hear much advertising from any venue

AdMMM

CardBordWindow wrote: »

I'm just wondering, has advertisment for gigs got a role to play? Often I don't hear about some gigs until after they've been on. The only reason that I knew that Ham Sandwich were playing was that I saw a poster on the wall of Lombard Street Takeaway, and that was the day before it!

That's traditionally how gigs are advertised by promoters - posters in places where a lot of people will be exposed to it (e.g. pubs and chippers and street walls) and ads in local papers. They'll also usually get a mention in any Community Notices on local radio. Only the likes of MCD or AIKEN who deal with the marquee names of national interest in big venues (The O2, Phoenix Park) need to take out ads on national media. Obviously the internet has changed this but most events are now listed on Facebook and on websites (both of the promoter and the band) well in advance.

It would definitely be interesting to hear a promoters side of the story, as I know a lot post on here and even more lurk!

smirkydee

So who was there, I was dancing my socks off. That's the thing about King Kong Company, not only are the songs deadly but you can dance away to them

smirkydee

my 2 cents is that people do know about the gigs, if people were interested in going to gigs, there's always information in the local newspapers like Waterford Today. Maybe all the gig going people from Waterford moved to places like Cork or Dublin etc

deiselack

I think they don't have enough of a diverese rang of music, IMO there's a lot of metal or dickie rock type bands. Also as previous posters have mentioned, they're badly advertised. Waterford Today, Whazon and the Munster all do advertise but they need to get the message out about live bands more.

I love a good live band but I'm no longer a pub/club type person so that's kind of offputting aswell. They need to put on more performances like they did for the tall ships, the harvest festival etc..these drew huge crowds!

AdMMM

Em, the gigs at the Harvest Festival and Tall Ships attracted huge crowds because there were huge crowds in town... and were free! These one-off events (or at most annual) simply can't be compared to the week-to-week events in venues...

old gregg

I suppose to some degree it's become a self perpetuating problem. Bands don't like coming to Waterford because the place has a reputation for not supporting live music so we don't get the choice and people go clubbing instead.
For me personally, I love a live band so will travel pretty much anywhere to hear the music I like. I'd also love techno but find it more fun to skip up to the Twisted Pepper in Dublin than deal with the local clubs. It's also the case for me as a producer that I can get gigs easier outside of Ireland than in Waterford where I live.

But when it comes to live music in Waterford, it's hats off to Luminous Live & the Speakeasy Sessions down in Sals.