The current #1-4 of gig venue peeves would be:
#1 – using only red lighting on the stage
#2 – over selling little venues
#3 – drink prices (alcoholic and non)
#4 – mis-matched lineups
but #5 hit me this morning in the shower as I scrub-a-dub-dubbed at the 7x3cm “Wrangler” (a la jeans) stained on my forearm. When did we consent to being used for advertising space? Recent months I’ve been stamped at venues with all sorts including various URLs, “the Edukators” promoting the movie of that name, and the Youth Group (however that’s forgiven because I was told the band members were doing the door that night so fair play for subtle band self promotion).
If you want me to be a walking billboard then I’ll happily do it if the advertising budget extends beyond the cost of creating a stamp and pays for me to see the band. Go on, line up my favourite bands, allow everyone in for free but keep the numbers to a breathable capacity, hook up a nice lighting rig, provide free drinks and I’ll happily let you cover both my forearms with as many stamps as you can muster.
why not revert to GP #4 – Birdblobs, My Disco and Damn Arms weren’t good enough to carry the Drones gear into the venue, let alone aurally assault MY drums with their generic shite
Im over fucking fairy lights, 3/4 time signatures, lush-tasteful arangements, swing shuffles, stadium rock drumming styles, organising promotions, weeknight shows, not being able to sleep in after weeknight shows, band members who fuck of straight after a set then think its by magic we accumulate various contact details, bookers…but I do like rubbing up people in over packed venues, spilling my drink n ashing on their sleeves!
one of my pet hates is use/overuse of smoke machines. and evil toilets, particularly in venues with super-expensive interiors (they have even less excuse!).
7x3cm… yow, that’s a huge stamp. no doubt that habit will creep north and hit brisbane soon.
i think the worst thing i’ve come across was the stamp at last year’s Covenant gig (run by the Vortex crew at the Gaelic Club). that stuff wouldn’t come off. i scratched it off with my fingernails, only to discover my fingernails were stained purple.