Dissertation Proper

1
‘An investigation in to live music promotion in the UK in small-to-medium
sized venues: Understanding the role of the promoter and the increased
pressure they face’
12006706
Dissertation II
MUT – 30008
2015

2
‘An investigation in to live music promotion in the UK in small-to-medium
sized venues: Understanding the role of the promoter and the increased
pressure they face’
12006706
Dissertation II
MUT – 30008
2015
Word Count: 8543

3
Abstract
This paper examines live music promotion in the UK in small to medium-sized
venues (SMSV’s). Large corporate venues have long side-lined SMSV’s and since
the financial downturn of 2007 they continue to see revenue and ticket sales rise,
something that SMSV’s cannot compete with. Within this context, I will consider the
role of the promoter and the increasing risks they face when competing with large
venues to attract audiences.

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Table of Contents
Page No.
Abstract 3
TableofContents 4
Acknowledgements 5
Introduction 6
ChapterOne: Promoters 1.1 Introduction 8
1.2 What is a Promoter? 8
1.3 The role of a Promoter 8
1.4 Different types of Promoters 9
1.5 Increasing pressures on Promoters 9
1.6 Social Media Promotion 10
ChapterTwo:Licensing
in the UK
2.1 Introduction 18
2.2 The LiveMusic Forum 18
2.3 ‘Live Music Red Tape Lifted’ 22
ChapterThree:Personal
Experiences
3.1 Introduction 23
3.2 Promoters and artists working together 24
3.3 Increasing pressure on Promoters 28
3.4 Experiences with ‘Pay-to-Play’ 31
3.5 Promoters struggle to pay artists / bands 33
Conclusion 35
Bibliography 39

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Acknowledgements
Many thanks must go to Dr. Diego Garro, my Supervisor, for his time overseeing
this dissertation. His reading of countless drafts and making suggestions has been
of great help to me. His questioning of my statements has led me to expand my
knowledge of this subject.
Thanks also to my parents for challenging my ideas, making me think differently
and for their assistance both with proof reading and grammar checks - this has not
gone unnoticed and I am indebted to them for that.

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Introduction
Unsigned music acts performing in small to medium sized music venues (SMSV’s)
are frequently overlooked, with fewer people than ever attending events due to
the impact of large arena tours, stadium events and the growing number of music
festivals. In 2010 alone, boxoffice sales of the world’s top 50 tours totaled £1.9
billion1, a figure that SMSV’s cannot match. This has led to the closure of many
smaller venues through lack of public support.
The role of the promoter and the impact effective promotion has on live music is not
wholly understood. This investigation examines both the role of the promoter and
their influence on live music. While the role of the promoter appears
straightforward (i.e. booking a band and paying them), it’s a more complex role that
also carries a degree of risk.
The UK licensing law has been the widely debated over the past two decades.
Professionals and enthusiasts alike have blamed the previous law for the demise of
many SMSV’s. I will consider the impact the previous licensing law had on live music
in the UK from the perspective of activists such as the ‘Live Music Forum’ and ‘UK
Music’, who sought to overturn a law they considered exceptionally damaging. In
2012, the law relating to venues with a capacity of fewer than 200 people was
amended, which allowed what was predicted to be 13,000 more venues to hold live
music events2. Finally, I consider the impact promotion has on live music in SMSV’s,
the growing significance of social media in successfully promoting events during
1 Rushe, D. (2010). Rock concert sales plunge as recession forces promoters into discounts.
Available: http://www.theguardian.com/business/2010/dec/30/rock-concert-sales- plunge.
Last accessed 21st March 2015.
2 Entertainments and Arts. (2012). Live music red tape lifted for small venues. Available:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment--arts--19783855. Last accessed 23rd March 2015.

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the last decade, the various styles of promotion that are deployed and the
increased risks assumed by promoters. Importantly, I will examine the symbiotic
relationship that exists between promoters and bands and consider the impact of
promotion from a personal perspective, having had involvement in the subject
matter over recent months.

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Chapter 1: Promoters
This chapter outlines the role of the ‘promoter’ in SMSV’s. While their role can often be
misinterpreted, they have a strong influence over the success or failure of an event.
Promoters are often criticised for being ‘aggressive wheeler dealers’3 (schemers), however
it’s important to consider various opinions and also reflect upon these from the artists’ point
of view.
A ‘promoter’ is someone who essentially organises an event. Responsible for assembling an
attractive line-up, effective marketing and overall financial management - against which they
must balance any personal financial liability and reputational risk - their role is multifaceted,
and it’s therefore important to examine it in greater depth to gain an increased
understanding.
The promoter liaises with venues and artists to produce a successful event. They negotiate
fees with venues, bands, tour managers and record labels (depending on the size of the
artist), market the event to maximise ticket sales, arrange crowd management, adhere to
health and safety laws and liaise with production staff i.e. sound and lighting technicians.
Geoff Ellis, previously chief promoter for King Tut’s in Glasgow, summarises this:
You arrange dates. You do a full costing. You offer the artist a guarantee, plus a
percentage of the profits. People think if you’re selling a lot of tickets you’re
making a lot of money. But the live industry is probably a 5% business in terms
3 Negus, K. (1992) Producing pop: culture and conflict in the popular music industry.
London, Arnold.

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of your profit-to-turnover ratio4.
In an interview with ‘The Herald’ (a Scottish newspaper) he outlines how promoting live
music is a passion and not a ‘job’5, admitting that he would still attend 4 gigs a night with the
aim of discovering something new and exciting, saying: ‘If you lost that passion for it, you’d
just be doing your job’.
At a basic level there are four types of promoter: local, regional, national and
international. Local promoters work to secure local bands for support slots with national
acts or local bands that have a large following and are able to headline shows by selling a
large number of tickets. They are often tied to a venue, but if not they will sometimes
venture ‘out-oftown’ to stage events. Regional promoters promote over a larger area, most
usually by county or extended geographical areas. They work with a higher volume of acts
and venues.
Concert promotion in SMSV’s has rapidly evolved over the past two decades. One reason is
that local and regional promoters in particular have come under increased pressure from
artists, tour managers and venue proprietors. To understand why, we must consider in turn
who the artists and tour managers come under pressure from. Typically, when a band or
artist goes on tour, it will be organised by a booking agent (a person who arranges shows for
an artist), who devises an itinerary that a tour manager will oversee. Due to the multitude of
jobs the tour manager undertakes, they do not have time to ‘promote’ and sell tickets in each
location; this places greater pressure on the promoter to endorse the show and heavily
promote the main act to maximise ticket sales. It is standard practice for a fee to have been
agreed prior to the event that the promoter/venue is obliged to pay. This will be legally
4 Jamieson, T. (2010). Face to Face: Geoff Ellis, music promoter. Available:
http://www.heraldscotland.com/life--style/real--lives/face--to--face--geoff--ellis--music- promoter--1.1069968.
Last accessed 21st March 2015.
5 Jamieson, T. (2010).

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binding, so the promoter/venue needs to secure sufficient revenue to both pay the artist and
make a profit. Promoters also face scrutiny from the venue owners who they work for. Over
the past decades, numerous venues have closed due to falling revenues. The most famous of
these are ‘The Luminaire’6 and ‘The Hacienda’, a prominent Manchester venue during the
acid house scene that thrived in the 1980’s and 1990’s which closed in 20077. With this in
mind, venue owners rely on promoters to attract both the best talent and largest audiences.
Venue owners and promoters are fully aware that some shows will lose money - that is
the nature of the live music industry. Tony Gleed from Bugbear Bookings - an experienced
promoter - alludes to this; when asked whether he puts on shows that lose money from time
to time he replied:
Yes! Every week these days unfortunately, because it's very competitive now
and everyone is skint. Too many venues, not enough punters with the cash to
attend means we inevitably lose money on some mid-week shows.8
Since the turn of the 21st century, social media has become the key tool to successfully
advertise an event. There are a myriad of platforms that can be utilised effectively -
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Vine are all crucial to the modern-day promoter.
Depending on the fan base of the artist, the site that is used can change. For example,
different social media outlets will be used if the artists fan base is predominately 40-50
years old, compared to an artist who appeals to teenage girls. Facebook is used by people
of all ages, whereas Vine targets a younger demographic. According to research by insight
6 Topping, A. (2010). Live venues close as 'overbearing licensing laws' bite. Available:
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/dec/31/live--venues--licensing--laws- luminaire. Last accessed
21st March 2015.
7 Keeble, E. (2014). Closed Down: 14 Legendary Music Venues That Have Been
Lost. Available: http://www.gigwise.com/photos/92945/3/closed--down--14--legendary- music--venues--
that--have--been--lost#gallery. Last accessed 12th February 2015.
8 Dodgson, L. (2013). Get The Lowdown on Gig Promoters . Available:
http://members.theunsignedguide.com/blog/467. Last accessed 25th March 2015.

11
provider Onavo, the majority of Vine users are 18-20 years old.9 As stated by Pew
Research Centre’s social media usage research in 2013, Twitter is used most commonly by
people aged 18-2910 years old followed by people aged 30-4911 years old, so this is the
platform that promoters will use most frequently for artists who appeal to those two distinct
age demographics.
Promoters face an occupational risk with live music in the current climate in that since the
mid-nineties ticket prices have risen faster than inflation (see below)12.
Figure 1: Growth in ticket prices compared to inflation
It is also increasingly important that artists actively promote their own shows. If the artist
has negotiated an agreed payment based on ticket sales then the artist needs to be proactive
in advertising their show via their own social media channels, word of mouth, mail listings
and SMS.
In effect there are two ‘types’ of promoter - one who does it because it is a passion and the
other who is financially driven. The passionate promoter does the job for the love of live
music while understanding their responsibility for advertising and endorsing an event.
9 Onavo. (2013). Social Media By Age. Available: http;//insights.onavo.com/blog/wp-
content/uploads/2013/09/Social--media--by--age.png. Last accessed 13th March 2015.
10 Duggan, M and Smith, A. (2013). Social Media Update 2013. Available:
http://www.pewinternet.org/files/old
11 Duggan, M and Smith, A. (2013).
12 Vandivier, D. (2013). Rock and Roll, Economics, and Rebuilding the Middle Class. Available:
https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/06/12/rock--and--roll- economics--and--rebuilding--middle--class.
Last accessed 29th February 2015.

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Stuart Coupe, an Australian journalist and promoter says:
‘The reasons [for promoting] are varied – but basically come down to two
things: the desire to make money, and the excitement and satisfaction of doing
something different, presenting an artist the would-be promoter has a passion
for.13
Many promoters begin their careers by staging events with artists they support and where
there are few financial constraints upon them, however this model changes over time as
they need to operate more commercially in order to deliver the financial needs of the artist,
the venue and of course themselves. Michael Copell, an Australian promoter, exemplifies this
ethos:
I started off just touring people that I personally really wanted to see [but] I
realised after a while that it would have been cheaper for me to get a first-class
air ticket to the United States, hire a limousine and follow them around to half a
dozen shows.14
The second type of promoter doesn’t necessarily have less of a passion for live music but
is more commercially motivated. They are seen as the reason for the rising popularity of
‘pay-to-play’ policies - a simple concept where the artist is asked to provide a
promoter/venue with cash up front for the tickets they need to sell. For promoters, this is
a safety net that limits the risk on their side, but it increases the danger for the artist as
it puts pressure on them to sell a high number of tickets in order to cover their outlay. Quite
often ‘pay-to-play’ exists in slightly larger venues, for example, O2 Academy venues. Guy
Garvey of Elbow says,
13 Coupe, S. (2003) The promoters: inside stories from the Australian rock industry.
Sydney, Hodder.
14 Coupe, S. (2003).

13
There needs to be something really strong in place if a promoter is found to be
ripping off young bands. It’s really, really unfair. It’s basically playing on the
hopes and dreams of people who are at the very first hurdle of their musical
careers.15
One growing industry practice is for unsigned artists to be invited to ‘buy’ on to tours.
Buying on to a tour involves paying a booking agent a fee to guarantee a slot as a support
for any length of time i.e. a week or even a whole tour. This is looked upon with a degree of
scepticism. Either you break even and grow your own fan base, or you support a national
act with a small fan base in towns/cities where they haven’t established a fan base and
don’t have the ability to sell a substantial amount of tickets, therefore playing to an
empty room, not receiving a payment and thus making a loss. An example of the
financials of buying on to a tour can be seen below.16
15 NME. (2010). Elbow's Guy Garvey: 'Something needs to be done about promoters
ripping off young bands' Read more at http://www.nme.com/news/elbow/53403#1zBq4jYUgADLuYXf.99.
Available: http://www.nme.com/news/elbow/53403. Last accessed 21st December 2014.
16 Faderhead. (2012). Tour Buy-on Explained! Available:
http://faderhead.com/blog/tour-buy-on-explained/comment-page- 1/#comment-15637. Last
accessed March 14th 2015.

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Figure 2: Cost of buying on to a tour with US band ‘Faderhead’.
Figure 2 shows how, prior to any payout, there is only a minimal difference in the tour ‘buy-
on’ cost of either option.
Prior to advertising an event, the promoter must first create it. An article on ‘the unsigned
guide’17 (an online contacts directory for musicians founded in 2003), questioned four
promoters - ‘Bugbear Bookings’, a booking agent based in Camden, ‘Artful Noise’, a full-time
management company who also book acts for genre-specific nights, ‘Bad Owl Presents’, a
booking agent based in Leeds specialising in post–hardcore/math–rock/post-rock events,
and ‘It’s All Happening’, who put on shows simply because of the excitement and passion
they have for live music. No matter the size of a show, there needs to be a lineup; Gleed of
Bugbear Bookings always endeavours to create a line-up of acts that are similar in style
to each other. He explains:
17 Dodgson, L. (2013). Get The Lowdown on Gig Promoters. Available:
http://members.theunsignedguide.com/blog/467. Last accessed 25th March 2015

15
We endeavour to match bills as well as possible. Our nights aren't dedicated
theme nights as such but we also try to avoid the scattergun approach
certain other promoters use. We like to have acts that complement each
other well on any given show.18
Whilst they are keen to get new bands involved in the scene they are wary of booking
bands that aren’t ‘particularly great’19 says Gleed. However, he is keen to stress that this is a
completely subjective matter and if the case arises whereby they book a young band who
have not reached their prime he says that the rest of the bill ‘has to be A1’ (of high
quality) to accommodate for this. As previously mentioned by Michael Copell, a lot of
promoters start off by putting on shows featuring artists they are fans of, something Dan
Piner from ‘It’s All Happening’ agrees with:
We receive a lot of emails and enquiries from acts looking to play, so we listen
to these and often give these bands support slots. The headliners are usually
bands we have seen and loved before, or wanted to see but haven't been able
to!20
Each of the promoters agrees that it is their job to sell a show. Although this is their stance
and they don’t enforce a policy of telling bands to sell a certain amount of tickets, collectively
they agree that artists should be proactive in advertising their own shows. Peter Cornish
Barlow from ‘Artful Noise’ illustrates this opinion:
I promote from my end but do encourage the act to push themselves because at
the end of the day they want their fans there to see them. I take a chance, if they
18 Dodgson, L. (2013)
19 Dodgson, L. (2013)
http://members.theunsignedguide.com/blog/467. Last accessed 25th March 2015

16
don't pull a reasonable crowd or are not seen to promote a bit at their end,
then I would reconsider asking them back again.21
Stewart Ramsay of ‘Bad Owl Presents’ explains that whilst it is the promoter’s job to
endorse a show and attract an audience, it makes for a better event if bands also
promote themselves:
As the promoter we feel that the buck generally stops with us when it comes to
ensuring people turn up for the event. It does help immensely if the band do
spread the word and keep people updated with the event details. At the end of
the day, though, it's essentially our job to promote and the bands job to
entertain.22
21 Dodgson, L. (2013).
22 Dodgson, L. (2013).

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Chapter 2: Licensing in the UK
Since before the turn of the century, it has been the common belief of musicians and music
fans alike that the UK’s overbearing licensing laws have restricted the live music industry.
Previously, any venue - no matter how small - had to possess a license to host an event,
whether it was music or any other form of entertainment. The Licensing Act (2003) itself
was criticised for reducing the number of locations where artists could play to small
crowds, in turn hampering live music at grassroots level. Individuals in the music industry
also claim that the law singled out the playing of musical instruments when compared to
other forms of entertainment.23 To counter these concerns and the impact the law was
having on venues and musicians alike, the ‘Live Music Forum (LMF)’ was set up, chaired by
Feargal Sharkey. In July 2007, the LMF released a report concluding that overall ‘the
Licensing Act has had a neutral effect on the UK’s live musical scene’, however it went on to
say that there should have been more flexibility in the application of the Act on smaller
premises.24
The LMF was founded in 1993 by Phil Little. Its chief aim was to call for the deregulation
of the licensing of live music and - through Music Files (a free live music event guide that
was published in Hastings for five years from 1993)25 - commenced a debate that
eventually led to the Live Music Act 2012. In 2002, following the announcement of the
Licensing Act 2003, Phil Little launched the LMF website which has been a mainstay
throughout the live music campaign. In 2003, Hamish Birchall - who had been lobbying the
House of Commons for the ‘Musicians Union’ on the live music issue - contacted Little, and
21st March 2015.
24 Topping, A. (2010).
25 Little, P. (2012). The History of ‘Music Files’. Available:
http://pierlessmusic.co.uk/blog--posts/phil--little/the--history--of--music--files/. Last accessed 17th January
2015.

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the LMF began to publish Hamish’s live music circulars. In 2006 Lord Clement-Jones -
spokesman for Culture, Media and Sport in the House of Lords - approached Birchall to
become an advisor on live music, and with the help of researcher Tom Kiehl - who was a
member of the Liberal Democrats Whip Office in the House of Lords, the Live Music Bill
was drafted26. In 2007, Australian live music campaigner John Wardle contacted the LMF
after viewing their website, offering valuable advice following a successful campaign in New
South Wales, where a live music exemption for small gigs for up to 300 people had been
won. Wardle was the leader of the ‘Raise The Bar’ campaign, and was a figurehead in the
fight to remove New South Wales’ Place of Public Entertainment (POPE) licenses in 2009,
ultimately freeing up the provision of live music in New South Wales.27
In 2008 the LMF sponsored an online petition which received 16,949 signatures. The party
presenting the petition at 10 Downing Street was joined by Lord Clement-Jones, Lord
Colwyn, John Whittingdale MP of the Conservative Party and musician John Otway.28 In the
same year the forum managed to acquire from the Police a statement that said they did
not associate public disorder with live music. This was a crucial moment in the campaign as
the Local Government Association had used this concern as one of their primary reasons to
oppose deregulation. In 2009, the LMF met with John Penrose - the Minister for Tourism and
Heritage - and further pressed their claim that live music had been badly damaged by the
Licensing Act 2003 and remedial action was urgently required. Following the general
election, Lord Clement-Jones’ Live Music Bill was relaunched and, unusually for a Private
Members Bill, passed through both Houses to become law that finally came in to force on
October 1st 2012.
26 http://www.livemusicforum.co.uk
27 Wardle, John. (2012). Big news for small venues in South Australia. Available:
http://livemusicexchange.org/blog/big--news--for--small--venues--in--south--australia--john- wardle/. Last
accessed 21st February 2015.
28 http://www.livemusicforum.co.uk

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Over the past decade, The LMF’s campaign has significantly helped remove red tape for
SMSV’s. In December 2010, The Luminaire - previously one of London’s most successful and
popular live music venues - was forced to close due to falling revenues and operating losses.
UK Music, an industry-backed group that campaign and lobby for musicians, condemned the
government for its failure to liberate SMSV’s from what it claimed were overbearing
licensing laws.29 In 2009, the Government started a consultation to see if venues with a
maximum 100-person capacity could put on live music without a license. Campaigners
believe that such an exemption could save struggling SMSV’s hundreds of thousands of
pounds every year. Despite a pledge to cut red tape by the current Conservative-Liberal
Democrat coalition, UK Music has become increasingly frustrated at the governments’
inaction. Feargal Sharkey of ‘The Undertones’ and Chief Executive of UK Music has said:
The Licensing Act is failing small venues and that is having a huge impact on the
future of the live industry. We have one of the most successful creative and
commercial music industries in the world, but the first step for many live acts is
to be able to play in front of a few of their mates in a local pub. Things cannot go
on like this, not without long-term consequences. It’s a good thing the Beatles
weren’t trying to make it in 2011.30
Lord Clement-Jones claimed that an exemption for SMSV’s would help the livelihood of pubs,
clubs, bars and village halls as well as young artists and jobbing musicians. In addition to
this claim, the PRS for Music (a society of composers, songwriters and music publishers)
found that pubs that provide music take on average 44% more money than pubs that do
21st March 2015.
21st March 2015

20
not, a figure which rises to 60% at the weekend.31
Paul Stokes, associate editor of NME, said:
Everyone talks about live music being buoyant, but there has been a lot of
consolidation with a small number of companies (for example 02) running the
majority of venues, and that makes it more difficult for independent venues.32
In 2008, mobile operator 02 entered in to a £22.5 million deal with promotions company
‘Live Nation’ to sponsor 11 music venues across the UK. Originally the deal was meant to
run for five years and it saw Academy branded venues in Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow,
Liverpool, Newcastle, Oxford, Sheffield and Leeds. Since 2008 the deal has been extended
and there are now 4 venues in Glasgow, 3 in Birmingham and 2 in each of Bristol, Liverpool,
Newcastle and Sheffield. As well as this, venues have been added in Islington, Brixton and
Bournemouth. Horace Trubridge, assistant secretary of the Musicians Union, said that
although large venues such as the 02’s were thriving, smaller–scale pubs and clubs were
experiencing a downturn.
People are worried about their jobs and paying for live music is in danger of
being seen as something of a luxury. At grass roots level, things aren’t as good
as they were a few years ago, and it is set to get a lot worse. Bands are
struggling to get in to the area because there are fewer venues. Agents and
promoters are more wary of putting new bands and unsigned acts on their
bills.33
From 2012, venues in England and Wales with a capacity of under 200 people no longer
needed a license. UK Music estimated that the Live Music Act would enable 13,000 more
31 Topping, A. (2010).
32 Topping, A. (2010).
33 Topping, A. (2010).

21
venues to start holding live music events.34 The new Live Music Act also enabled
unamplified music to be played in any location. However, this change in the law has drawn
a negative response from some quarters. Lisa Lavia from the Noise Abatement Society
said there would be a ‘dramatic rise’35 in noise complaints that will ‘set residents at odds
with local businesses’.36 It can take as little as one noise complaint for a venue to be shut
down currently37, but of late venues and fans alike have moved to quash this issue. Aidan
James Stevens, a music fan, set up a petition to block people who have moved in to housing
in close proximity to venues making noise complaints. Stevens says:
People knowingly move within proximity of live music venues, only to try to
have their licenses revoked, or have them closed completely when they take
exception to the noise. It is extremely detrimental to the UK's entertainment
industry, particularly on a grassroots level, when venues start disappearing.
Music is a key British export and to endanger our strong national artist
community is to endanger a key British industry.38
This issue is a natural by -product of live music in venues and there will always be a battle
between residents, musicians and fans, but to date this petition has over 20,000 signatures
– not enough to be reviewed in Parliament, as this requires 100,000 signatures - but many
figures in the music industry continue to push for this waiver to be introduced to allow
live music to flourish and allow music at grassroots level to continue growing.
34 Topping, A. (2010).
35 Entertainments and Arts. (2012). Live music red tape lifted for small venues. Available:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment--arts--19783855. Last accessed 23rd March 2015.
36 Entertainments and Arts. (2012).
37 Entertainments and Arts. (2012).
38 Kielty, M. (2014). Live Music Fan calls For Noise Complaint Waiver. Available:
https://metalhammer.teamrock.com/news/2014--11--25/live--music--fan--calls--for--noise- complaint--waiver.
Last accessed February 25th 2015.

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Chapter 3: Personal Experiences
This chapter compares and contrasts how the various operating principles and strategies
currently used by live music promoters in the UK may potentially work to restrict the
growth of the very industry they seek to promote. At the very least, it could be claimed
that, to varying degrees, these operating principles neither encourage the development of
new music, nor do they provide a basic level of funding that might encourage bands who
lack an alternative source of financial backing.
To summarise the points I have previously made:
Promoters face increasing pressure to break even, let alone make a profit.
Attendance at SMSV’s showcasing unsigned acts has dwindled due to high ticket prices.
Events featuring headline acts are costing more than ever; falling record sales means that
bands are required to earn more of their income from live performances.
Pay-to-play systems - created to reduce the financial risk a promoter faces - have placed a
heavier burden on bands.
Promoters and artists working together ultimately create a successful show at any level.
In considering how each of these impact on the consumer and the artists themselves, I have
used the recent and real-life experiences that the (unsigned) band I am a member of
(Parisian Youth Culture (PYC)) encountered when, from February 2015 to March 2015, we
set out on a 10-date live tour.

24
Figure3: Map showingtowns/cities played - Huddersfield, Newcastle, London, Reading, Keele, Stoke, Lincolnand
Harrogate
The 10 dates were entirely self-funded and were organised by the individual members of the
band. No booking agents were used, as generally they command a fee, which we were not
able to budget for.
Collectively, we agreed that the key factor in determining the success of the tour was effective
promotional activity. Since we would be performing in locations where we had not previously
played, it was paramount that we promote each show using every (free) tool available to us. I
previously reviewed an article by Louise Dodgson, Editor of the ‘Unsigned Guide’, featuring
the views of four different promoters39. The overriding message was that promoters
naturally work hard to fulfill their part of any business relationship with a band as they are
largely self-employed entrepreneurs, thus it is beneficial for them to attract as large an
audience as is possible to their shows. As Dan Piner, Commissioning Editor from ‘It’s All

25
Happening’ states:
The promoter should promote the gigs, and the bands should also make their
fans aware of it. We use posters, flyers, our blog and social media. If a band we
are putting on is playing other London shows in the build up to our gig then we
will flyer those gigs and this is usually a very successful method of attracting
people.40
This is a notion that Peter Cornish - Barlow of ‘Artful Noise’ - an A&R company - agrees
with:
It is important that as a promoter we do everything we can to shout about the
show as it benefits us as much as the act. But as I mentioned before, it is also
important that the act also put in a little bit of work themselves.41
Prior to the show taking place, if the promoter is not tied to a venue they will have to hire a
venue, leaving them out of pocket immediately. The promoters in the locations we played had
taken a risk with us, so it was important that we promoted the shows properly ourselves. We
set out to maximise the promotion of each date through the most economical and most
effective medium of social media. As previously mentioned, different social networking sites
are used by different demographics.
40 Dodgson, L. (2013).
41 Dodgson, L. (2013).

26
Figure 4: Age demographics of Facebook users (2013)
In Lincoln we were supporting a Scottish band – Prides - who we knew would
sell a substantial number of tickets, but by comparison we were an unknown act
having never previously played in Lincoln or even in the surrounding area.
We created a Facebook advert targeted at 18-25 year olds in Lincolnshire and
nearby areas. This proved a success as the table below shows.

27
Figure 5: Location of Facebook 'likes' on our official page
Additionally we utilised our Twitter account to promote the show. For example,
Prides’ official Twitter account has over 10,000 followers, so whenever we tweeted
we tagged ‘Prides’ in so that they would ‘re-tweet’ (re-posting someone else’s
original post) and their fans would be able to access our page and listen to our
music before the show something we found to be very effective.
We made a concerted effort to work with reliable promoters throughout the
dates we played, liaising with bands that had either previously played in certain
locations or worked with the different promoters we were engaging with.

28
A promoter that we worked with who embodied the quote from Geoff Ellis
(previously chief promoter for King Tut’s in Glasgow) in the Herald Scotland (see
Chapter One) was Charlie Dancer, owner of the promotion company ‘Beyond The
Wall’ in Newcastle-uponTyne. ‘Beyond The Wall’ manage events across Newcastle
and we played their fourth event at The Head of Steam. The event was promoted
endlessly, something Dancer prides himself on, with features in NARC Magazine42,
a publication that focuses on alternative music and culture in the North East of
England and on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter where events
were created to advertise the gig.
No matter the financial outcome of a show, an agent or headline act will always be
paid - but a promoter will not be if for any given reason tickets don’t sell. That is
the occupational risk associated with being a promoter for commercial gain, rather
than being an ‘enthusiast’. Due to this risk there are several ways in which
promoters now work to minimise their personal risk. ‘Pay-to-play’ is deployed to
keep the promoters risk at a minimum and transfer this burden on to the
artist. Free shows - where there is no monetary exchange between the promoter
and the artist and no entrance fee - are a common practice, albeit mostly in
pubs and small clubs and shows where a ‘busking’ arrangement is used - where
the audiences pay what they can to the artist. On the other hand, there are
promoters and venues that have flat fee guarantees - where a monetary fee is
agreed between the artist and promoter – or a ‘guarantee plus profit payment’
system, though this is very rare and is usually only paid to artists and bands that
earn large sums and can be offeredlucrative fees by ‘in demand’ and very popular
42 Narc. (2014). About Us. Available: http://narcmagazine.com/about/. Last accessed April 13th
2015.

29
venues.
Another reason why promoters have come under increased pressure is that
frequently they are employed by venues and so the proprietors aren’t just looking
to break even - they are looking to make a reasonable profit. In the past 20 years
the UK has seen a steady decline in the number of SMSV’s due to both the
economic climate i.e. people have less money to spend on leisure activities43, and
the previous overbearing licensing law.44
One of our shows was at The Sugarmill in Stoke-on-Trent, voted NME’s best small
venue in the Midlands in 201445. Supporting a band from Sheffield who had
gathered a good following after extensive radio-play on BBC Radio 1 and 6, the
venue had expected ticket sales to be excellent considering they had already sold
out 3 similar sized venues (400-person capacity) in Sheffield, Manchester and
43 Bidwell. (2014). Retail and Leisure. Available:
http://m.bidwells.co.uk/property/Config/Bidwells/Media/Brochures/PDFs/Retail- and--
Leisure--Spring--2014.pdf. Last accessed 29th March 2015.
44 Bidwell. (2O14).
45 NME Blog. (2013). Britain's Best Small Venue Shortlist - Stoke Sugarmill Read more at
http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme--blogs/britains--best--small--venue--shortlist--stoke-
sugarmill#bmmOfKg1CIuLmfU1.99. Available: http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme- blogs/britains--
best--small--venue--shortlist--stoke--sugarmill. Last accessed 14th March 2015.
Figure 6: Decline in leisure expenditure since UK financial crisis

30
Birmingham. However, ticket sales were slow and the promoter was forced to act.
In order to increase footfall, tickets were sold with the offer of ‘buy-one-get-one-
free’. Although this adversely affected revenue through ticket sales, the thought
was that additional profit would be made through bar sales. This is another
example of how promoters are forced to act when under pressure to deliver
successful and profitableshows.
Many artists struggle to get shows in larger cities where they haven’t played
before. PYC have experience of this in the case of cities such as Liverpool and
Birmingham. We have previously spoken to local promoters and they have listened
to our music and been impressed. They have tentatively offered a midweek slot
where we had to bring 20-30 people to the venue to meet their costs, but this was
problematic being based in a city 50 miles away. In this case, it isn’t that the
promoters don’t want to book you because they feel that your music isn’t good
enough, it is more that they are unable to take risks on unsigned ‘out of town’
bands who are not able to bring a crowd with them, as ultimately they may not
make money and their business could fail.
The ‘pay-to-play’ system was created to limit a promoter’s financial risk. Promoters
who operate this system have come under pressure from ethics committees, artists
and the media who portray them as greedy and selfish, however these promoters
and venues argue that they have a lot to contend with, a great deal of
competition and that ultimately it is their livelihood and they need to have a
guarantee of income from every show. In spite of this, many promoters reject this
system, and in the previously mentioned article by Louise Dodgson all of the
promoters agreed that ‘pay-to-play’ is a flawed idea that is unfair on the artists.
Cornish-Barlow says:

31
Bands selling tickets up front is a shocking approach and it upsets me
that I know it still goes on. I understand the standpoint of those kind of
promoters – it’s most likely their full-time job so they rely on that
income. But musicians struggle as it is so to ask for a lump sum upfront
and pay-to-play is disgusting in my opinion.46
Many bands have used ‘pay-to-play’ to their benefit and have had excellent
shows as a result of good promotion and hard work, however it often involves
making a significant upfront cash payment. In early 2015 a newly-formed artist
management company reached out to PYC offering a four-to-six day tour that they
would have organised and promoted, for a fee of £195. In return, we would not
have to sell any tickets and would play to good crowds, as they had accumulated a
reliable network of promoters. We declined this offer, as we had been able to
book the dates ourselves for no fee, but there have been many bands that have
worked with this company and had successful tours, so it is important to
consider this strategy with some degree of objectivity.
Solo artists and bands alike need SMSV’s when they get started, whether they are
pubs or clubs or independent music venues. They are crucial in enabling new artists
the opportunity to showcase their music, and often these venues acquire prestige as
a result of the commercial success of the acts that pass through during their early
career. Over the years, many of the world’s most renowned bands have drawn
influence from watching other bands at SMSV’s. ‘Peace’, a 4-piece indie rock band
hailing from Worcester, often play SMSV’s as they consider it important to provide
ongoing support. Being more accustomed to playing larger venues and arenas, lead

32
singer Harry Koisser says: ‘It’s good to be a band that can support these places,
because all these smaller venues are struggling, and there’s no place to hide’.47
Taking all of this into consideration, when we planned our tour we decided that
making money was not our primary concern. Instead, we focused on finding small
intimate venues and working with wellrespected promoters. Post-tour, we
calculated that we had made a substantial net loss, confirming that selffunded tours
are unlikely to make any profit due to the high overhead costs.
Figure 7: Breakdown of tour expenditure
Figure 8: Summary of expenses by category and percentage
47
Gill, A. (2015). Peace interview: 'The ones who get bored with touring are the ones who
don't need to tour to exist'. Available: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-
entertainment/music/features/peace--interview--the--ones--who--get--bored--with--touring- are--the--
ones--who--dont--need--to--tour--to--exist--10091121.html. Last accessed 26th March 2015.
Expense Categories Total Cost % of Expenses
Travel / Transportation 974£ 35%
Capital Expenditure 760£ 28%
Food / Subsistence 600£ 22%
Equipment Renewal 155£ 6%
Merchandising 152£ 6%
Accomodation 110£ 4%
Total 2,751£ 100%

33
Figure 9: Revenue and Profit / Loss Projection
While every show was successful with turnouts we had not previously experienced,
we were not playing in premier small venues; instead, we played at wellsupported
independent venues partnering with promoters that had worked hard to create
sustainable and thriving environments for many unsigned bands.
A persistent issue with being an unsigned band is the rarity of receiving a payment
after shows.
Louise Dodgson, on the ‘Unsigned Guide’, asks: ‘Do you think all bands should be paid
for playing gigs (regardless of attendance numbers) or have their expenses covered?
Is this realistic and economical for a promoter?’ This question was met with the
same response from all four promoters, who all agreed that in an ideal world every
artist should be paid - that if a fee is not appropriate due to takings on the night then
at least travel costs should be met. Gleed of Bugbear Bookings says:
It would be great if we could pay the bands a guaranteed sum but it's not
possible. The promoter has no guaranteed income either. Expenses will
be covered and more besides if the band generate an audience.48
48 Dodgson, L. (2013).

34
Ramsay of Bad Owl promotions also agrees with this sentiment, explaining that they
‘tend not to offer a specific guarantee of payment to the bands performing’ but
instead ‘build an element of trust that we will look after them as much as possible on
the night’ and that they will usually offer to provide accommodation for the night
for travelling bands.49
In summary, the key points that I have reviewed in this chapter are:
 The lack of earnings that small bands receive from funding their own
shows/tours
 Promoters being wary of taking risks
 The notion that a successful event requires promoters and artists to work in
partnership.
49 Dodgson, L. (2013).

35
Conclusion
In general, small-venue promoters are wary of taking the risk of offering unsigned
bands the opportunity to promote themselves in new towns or cities, due to
dwindling audiences. Financially it has become difficult for SMSV’s to compete with
larger venues and with this in mind promoters have had to become more astute,
hence the ‘pay-to-play’ system. Figure 10 shows an example of how attendances
in SMSV’s have fallen compared to larger venues since the economic downturn.50
Figure 10: Attendance at small venues compared to pubs, bars and large venues across the UK
While research indicates that live music is flourishing across the UK,51 this is not a
view shared across the board by venues of all sizes. Revenues in large venues have
steadily increased since 2005/2006, while audience footfall in SMSV’s has fallen.
Research shows that owners and promoters don’t believe this is due to changes in
the licensing laws. It is viewed as a by-product of the dramatic fall in profit from
50 Department for Culture, Media and Sports. (2010). Changes in live music between 2005 and
2009. Available:
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http:/www.culture.gov.uk/images/resear
ch/Increases_in_live_music_between_2005_and_2009updated.pdf. Last accessed 11th April
2015.
51 Department for Culture, Media and Sports. (2010)

36
recorded music, resulting in greater investment in promoting events at large
venues to support bigger and better known artists. The PRS for Music estimate that
there has been a 13% increase in the value of the live music sector since 2008.52 In
relation to the changes to the Licensing Act previously cited, a high proportion
(72%) of small venues have claimed that it has had no bearing on their decision to
stage live music and only 8% of respondents stated that the Act had made it
easier.53 While much has been made of the negative impact the Licensing Act has
had on SMSV’s, with venues closing due to lack of funds and noise complaints,
alterations in the law do not appear to have had a negative impact.
Financial hardship has also had an impact on both the promoter and the artist.
From the economic downturn of 2007 to 2009, audience attendance at SMSV’s
decreased significantly, as the table below shows.
Figure 11: Attendance at live music events by venue size. Taken from the National Archives of the
Department of Culture, Media and Sport54
This shows that - from 2005/06 to 2008/09 – 4.1% fewer people attended
small venues, whereas 26.2% more people attended shows at medium/large
venues. Promoters therefore face difficult circumstances. They are less inclined
to take risks on unknown acts, and as the market has become more saturated

37
with bands wanting to be successful, bands are often left to simply play ‘open’
nights and free shows in pubs and bars. Promoters and venues alike have been
forced to seek alternative routes to make money, leading to the evolvement of
the ‘pay-to-play’ system and of payments ‘in-kind’.
‘The Forum’ in Tunbridge Wells has hosted numerous acts that have gone on to sell
out arena tours, including Coldplay, Ellie Goulding and Muse. It is now run entirely
by volunteers, as the venue faced closure due to falling ticket sales and consequently
rising debts. In 2012 the venue was hosting a show headlined by Palma Violets, who
had been on the front cover of the ‘New Musical Express’ (a weekly British music
journal) a few weeks prior; however, the event had not sold out. Chris Pritchard -
bookings manager for The Forum – said ‘the fact that we can't sell out the room for a
band that were just on the cover of the NME is a frightening situation’,55 further
evidence of the hardship small venues and promoters are experiencing whilst larger
venues prosper.
When considering the current economic climate in which artists and bands are
trying to achieve both musical and financial success, it’s imperative that concerted
efforts are made to work in partnership to create successful events, such that
neither party ends up being out of pocket and ultimately disappointed. Cornish
Barlow of Artful Noise echoes these thoughts:
It is important that as a promoter we do everything we can to shout
about the show as it benefits us as much as the act. But as I mentioned
before, it is also important that the act also put in a little bit of work
55 Lamont, T. (2012). Powered by pure passion: the music venue that runs onlove alone. Available:
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/nov/25/small--venues- survive--forum--tunbridge--
feature. Last accessed 21st April 2015

38
themselves.56
There is clearly a need for further research in this field. Statistics for attendances
and financial performance at small, independent venues is not easily accessible, as
I found when I requested an interview with a promoter who had to decline as he
was bound by confidentiality agreements. This makes it difficult to access key
information and gather the true opinions of promoters. Since tickets for events at
large venues are usually sold through external websites such as ‘Ticketmaster’,
sales analytics are readily available, however SMSV’s do not have sufficient
resource or manpower to prepare, analyse or publish such data. In relation to my
research, it would have been useful to have had access to information relating to
regional music preferences and whether this has an impact on the type of shows
promoters’ organise, as this might well be the motivation for the various genres of
events promoters have to put on regularly. In turn this would imply a further
pressure applied to promoters by venue operators.
In summary, this report has highlighted the difficulties small to medium sized
venues face compared to the currently thriving climate of arena tours. Some in the
industry face serious consequences to their livelihood, with dwindling attendances,
sales and therefore profits more apparent than ever. Musicians, venue operators
and promoters alike claim that financial assistance must be provided to ensure that
SMSV’s are able to ensure their continuing existence. Such venues are the life-blood
of the UK music industry, and since all artists must begin somewhere their
continued existence is vital in securing both the industry’s long-term future and the
iconic status of some of the UK’s small/medium sized venues.
56 Dodgson, L. (2013).

39
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