Venue Prices

[Chalky]

I've seen and heard complaints about prices into soul venues for some time (no dig at anyone who psoted on SS btw) but why do we expect everything on the cheap on the soul scene.

I don't think ordinary punters realise what it costs to put on an event to be honest, what a dj costs, the cost of venue and equipment hire.

I've heard many a complaint about £12 to get into an all-nighter

I've just looked at gatecrasher for instance, £14, dunno the price of your ordinary nightclub, not something I frequent

So why do soulies expect everything on the cheap?

[Steve G]

I've seen and heard complaints about prices into soul venues for some time (no dig at anyone who psoted on SS btw) but why do we expect everything on the cheap on the soul scene.

I don't think ordinary punters realise what it costs to put on an event to be honest, what a dj costs, the cost of venue and equipment hire.

I've heard many a complaint about £12 to get into an all-nighter

I've just looked at gatecrasher for instance, £14, dunno the price of your ordinary nightclub, not something I frequent

So why do soulies expect everything on the cheap?

Venues generally are cheap IMHO compared to the cost of everything else. + Soul DJ's aren't exactly well paid compared to our friends on the funk and jazz scene.

Edited November 25, 2007 by Steve G

[Guest Baz]

Dont mind paying prices if i know im getting quality sound, venue, DJs ect.

Places like Gatecrasher have it made they are attracting hundreds of punters every week at £14 a pop, with a grenteed full house, not the same healthy situation on the soul scene in many cases there is a massive risk in putting on nighter venues.

I would say at a guess the average cost of putting a nighter on is around £1500? depending on venue DJs and set up

[vaultofsouler]

I've seen and heard complaints about prices into soul venues for some time (no dig at anyone who psoted on SS btw) but why do we expect everything on the cheap on the soul scene.

I don't think ordinary punters realise what it costs to put on an event to be honest, what a dj costs, the cost of venue and equipment hire.

I've heard many a complaint about £12 to get into an all-nighter

I've just looked at gatecrasher for instance, £14, dunno the price of your ordinary nightclub, not something I frequent

So why do soulies expect everything on the cheap?

Retro scene, retro prices thought pattern perhaps ....

Nah, seriously.... not sure Chalky....

To me anywhere around a tenner for a nighter is cheap enough due to costs involved as you say.... so £12 as you state is fine....

For a soul nite.... anything up to a fiver for a decent one....

Dayers.... again up to a tenner taking into account costs for extra DJs, etc.....

This all seems about the norm to me and what I'd expect to pay....

[Steve G]

For a soul nite.... anything up to a fiver for a decent one....

Tight a*se

[vaultofsouler]

Tight a*se

Only a rounded off figure Steve ....

Oh alright.... a sixer then ....

[Chalky]

Dont mind paying prices if i know im getting quality sound, venue, DJs ect.

Places like Gatecrasher have it made they are attracting hundreds of punters every week at £14 a pop, with a grenteed full house, not the same healthy situation on the soul scene in many cases there is a massive risk in putting on nighter venues.

I would say at a guess the average cost of putting a nighter on is around £1500? depending on venue DJs and set up

it's still a cheap scene regardless of the number in, that shouldn't be the issue here, you never know how many you will get throught the door wehn promoting. Nighters were a tenner years ago and prices haven't really changed that much yet still comploiants are made?

A decent sound system can cost a few hundred, top dj's command a price of at least £150 so with 4 top dj at an all-nighter, the outlay for not DJ's a step down the ladder, the system and of course venue hire which is usually a few hundred for a large venue, flyers adverts etc, bet not much change out of £2000.

[Guest andrew bin]

Dont mind paying prices if i know im getting quality sound, venue, DJs ect.

Places like Gatecrasher have it made they are attracting hundreds of punters every week at £14 a pop, with a grenteed full house, not the same healthy situation on the soul scene in many cases there is a massive risk in putting on nighter venues.

I would say at a guess the average cost of putting a nighter on is around £1500? depending on venue DJs and set up

it costs nearly £2000 just to hire the coal exchange venue in cardiff (that includes door staff) but it doesn't include insurance which is another £175, the sound system cost £500

[Jumpinjoan]

I can't believe people are moaning about paying £12 or whatever to get into a venue...

That works out at what... £1.50 an hour for a niter?

Jeez... there's something seriously wrong with you people.

[Chalky]

it costs nearly £2000 just to hire the coal exchange venue in cardiff (that includes door staff) but it doesn't include insurance which is another £175, the sound system cost £500

forgot the door staff. Public Liabilty should be covered by the venue????

Edited November 25, 2007 by chalky

[Pete Eccles]

Here lies the problem of overkill in some parts of the country,

Peeps turning up at a busy venue, think hmmm a couple of decks, a handful of flyers, a few mates with some records,boots,cds, a cheap or free room at their local watering hole, and wey hey all these tenners!!!!!!!! eezy peezy!!!!

[Guest outonthefloor]

I can't believe people are moaning about paying £12 or whatever to get into a venue...

That works out at what... £1.50 an hour for a niter?

Jeez... there's something seriously wrong with you people.

Hear hear!!! excellent value for money. Now the price of petorl you have to pay to get you there...that really is something to moan about!!!!

My daughter asked me for £6.50 to get into one of these under 18s disco and it was only on for 3 hours!!!

Just paid £5.00 to get in to stolen hours anniversary thats 83p an hour plus a free 45!!!

The money it takes to build up a half decent set plus the time travelling up and down the country with a small square box and the agro and effort the promoters put in christ, what else you gonna do for a fiver on a sat nite??? or even £12.00 ???

Not sure I'd pay it to listen to someone playing tunes from a pre programmed lap top tho.......but thats another thread entirely........

Helen

XXXXXXX

[Dave Thorley]

Hi Chalky

Big dance events, provide alot for the money. Great lighting, back projection screens etc, cool clubs, great sound systems and top flight dj's. But they also only have one, two or three dj's on in a night. So you could say they are even better value for money than a soul event.

Where as we run events with a dj every hour, poor venues often, poor sound system and little else cuz we all say it's the music that counts!!!!.

You will know cuz we've talked about this before, that I do have a issue with many soul events where people put a table across the door way, a poor system at the other end of a village hall, hope that the dj's do a good job and take money. No real attempt to entertain, concider the paying public, seating facilites, dance floor, records bar if needed, in general poor promotion.

Trouble is that as that has now become the standard, it's hard to change or charge accordingly. When we ran Soulshakers in Solihull we spent a fair bit trying to dress the place, slideshows on the walls etc and a great sound system in both rooms. The DJ line up was almost as good and exspensive as an allniter, but people put no value on any of this. People arrived at the door and said it only cost £5 down the road at the local soul nite why should we pay more.

If you want to charge more you have to be seen to give more. But it's not likly to happen, why?

Comes back to the current problem of too many venues, all struggling to get in a few people. So most promoters are trying to spend as little money as possible, cheap little sound system, no other dressing of the venue, no door staff if they can get away with it, mates DJing and one name guest.

It has to come from the customers, if they start to demand more then people will have to provide more or stop promoting.

Silly thing is that young people that attend these higher priced dance events often have less disposible cash, than the majority of the middle aged (Familys left home soul fans). Yet it is the better off soul fan who won't pay a little more to see the soul music they claim to passionatly love, prosper.

But you are right, soul events are too cheap on the door.

Edited November 25, 2007 by Dave Thorley

[Chalky]

can't agrue with any of what you say Dave, agree entirely and like you said we've discussed this before and think basically along the same lines.

To many promoters treat the soul crowd with contempt IMHO putting their own selfish interests first rather than those of the paying customer.

I'm all in favour of less DJ's. If the right DJ's are chosen, chosen for their collections and what they have to offer rather than saying yes to all your mates, or trying to please everyone, there is no reason why all the bases can't be covered and something for everyone played!

[Dave Thorley]

P.S. they moan about the door price then spend £30-£50 at the bar, which goes in the pocket of the non-soul fan club owner, not that of the soul fan promoter.

[spot]

Chalky I think you've picked this up from another thread where people are asking, why £15 for saturday, coveniently forgetting that this includes all sessions during the day & night.Well I for one would willingly pay it (And I'm on a set pension income) but have taken the option of buying a weekend ticket for my gang,even though we most likely won't make all fridays sessions or sundays, 'em wonder if I can get a refund of £2 or so for sessions I miss???

We really shouldn't be debating this, if people are unhappy with the door price then don't bother coming but when theres nowhere to go because promotors can't afford to put venues on, or can't be bothered to listen to people bleating on about some crap, then they'll have no one to blame or moan at but themself's.

Here endeth the lesson,

Spot.

ps. See you all at Skeggy.

[MarkWhiteley]

Here lies the problem of overkill in some parts of the country,

Peeps turning up at a busy venue, think hmmm a couple of decks, a handful of flyers, a few mates with some records,boots,cds, a cheap or free room at their local watering hole, and wey hey all these tenners!!!!!!!! eezy peezy!!!!

Spot on I think Pete

[Chalky]

Chalky I think you've picked this up from another thread where people are asking, why £15 for saturday, coveniently forgetting that this includes all sessions during the day & night.Well I for one would willingly pay it (And I'm on a set pension income) but have taken the option of buying a weekend ticket for my gang,even though we most likely won't make all fridays sessions or sundays, 'em wonder if I can get a refund of £2 or so for sessions I miss???

We really shouldn't be debating this, if people are unhappy with the door price then don't bother coming but when theres nowhere to go because promotors can't afford to put venues on, or can't be bothered to listen to people bleating on about some crap, then they'll have no one to blame or moan at but themself's.

Here endeth the lesson,

Spot.

ps. See you all at Skeggy.

I saw the comment on the Upfront topic yes (and like I said no dig at anyone who's commented about prices on SS anywhere) but I've heard comments about the prices for sometime now, especially the "what £12 to get in" Seeing it in the Skeggy topic just made me ask the question.

Edited November 25, 2007 by chalky

[Guest andrew bin]

i think a lot of people just enjoy moaning and complaining if it's not the entrance fee it will be something else, i once had some one come up to me and complain about the cost of the bottle of wine they had just bought from the bar

[Chalky]

i think a lot of people just enjoy moaning and complaining if it's not the entrance fee it will be something else, i once had some one come up to me and complain about the cost of the bottle of wine they had just bought from the bar

[hipshaker 05]

people do sometimes complain without realising the time, effort and expense that goes into all this. and also without realising that there are just some things that you cannot control (like the aforementioned drinks prices).

i'm with dave thorley and the comments he made above. i like to see a decent venue, with proper spound system and security, decent flyers and venue decoration .... all takes money.

[Chalky]

people do sometimes complain without realising the time, effort and expense that goes into all this. and also without realising that there are just some things that you cannot control (like the aforementioned drinks prices).

i'm with dave thorley and the comments he made above. i like to see a decent venue, with proper spound system and security, decent flyers and venue decoration .... all takes money.

with you both on the quality of a venue, sick of going to dumps in the back of pubs or working mens clubs. Why should we settle for the cheapest option. I'd gladly pay a couple of quid extra for a club like Soul Shakers that Dave and Malayka took time and effort to promote and organise.

Makes you wonder at times if it's worth all the effort and aggro that goes with it

[Dave Thorley]

with you both on the quality of a venue, sick of going to dumps in the back of pubs or working mens clubs. Why should we settle for the cheapest option. I'd gladly pay a couple of quid extra for a club like Soul Shakers that Dave and Malayka took time and effort to promote and organise.

Makes you wonder at times if it's worth all the effort and aggro that goes with it

In the end not sure enough people care, lost £1000's on that over the time we ran it. Not moaning in the slightest, those that came had a great time and some stunning music got played, what more can you ask for.

Dave

[Rugby Soul Club]

forgot the door staff. Public Liabilty should be covered by the venue????

...unfortunately not.

Two bouncers at £15 an hour each.....

I'd be well happy if I earned that much.....

[Mace]

...unfortunately not.

Two bouncers at £15 an hour each.....

I'd be well happy if I earned that much.....

.....but if they run the risk of hassle from stopping pissheads getting in from off the street and working unsociable hours (especially at allnighters) then it ain't that great a wage.

If your boss asked you to work all Saturday night and risk getting the odd slap from a pisshead for £15 an hour I bet you'd tell him/her bollox

Edited November 25, 2007 by Mace

[Steve G]

forgot the door staff. Public Liabilty should be covered by the venue????

Some venues (in towns) this comes with the hall booking. As others have said - to keep the monsters out.

[hipshaker 05]

2 door staff? we usually have at least 6. quite expensive game this !!!

[Rugby Soul Club]

2 door staff? we usually have at least 6. quite expensive game this !!!

They have said if I keep getting as many in as we did at the first all-niter, we may need three!!!

The only job they have, as Mace & Steve pointed out, is to keep the locals from coming in...

[Guest dundeedavie]

2 door staff? we usually have at least 6. quite expensive game this !!!

but you're dealing with a different type crowd completely

[hipshaker 05]

indeed we are, and in central locations. but whatever the type of crowd i'd like to think we had an appropriate number of security for the numbers in. would hate to be in a situation where it could be called into question.

at the venue in portsmouth we actually don't have any say in the number anyway.

[Mace]

They have said if I keep getting as many in as we did at the first all-niter, we may need three!!!

The only job they have, as Mace & Steve pointed out, is to keep the locals from coming in...

At the Stafford reunion in Burslem a few years ago we had to have 10 doormen throughout the night.

Door bill alone was over £1200+

If they do insist on you increasing the amount of doorstaff your hire, then try and sort it so the extra body is only working the hours necessary (ie 11 p.m. - 3 a.m.) when your venue is at it's busiest, and when there is more chance of any local knobheads trying to get in.

[Guest WPaulVanDyk]

It seems a fair price but do we not have to include the price of sound system if you have paid for it once and use it at your club all the time then why would you add the price of it ontop of the venue etc again. surely you would say that's the venue price, flyers, and anything else needed.

even cost more if you are lucky to offer a free cd, 45 or patch to first 200 customers.

[Guest nusha]

Northern takes the biscuit...Highest Prices for records..Lowest wages...9 times out of ten "Bad Equiptment" and 1997 admission prices.Forecast..*BLEAK*

[Cheltsoulnights]

it costs nearly £2000 just to hire the coal exchange venue in cardiff (that includes door staff) but it doesn't include insurance which is another £175, the sound system cost £500

Yep must agree with the above, proper venues are not cheap to hire and its by the hour.

also security is by the hour

and unlike rave doos the dj's only do an hour or less

big name rave dj's cost a fortune but do at least 2 hours or more, especially if they bring a posse with them (no sherriff though)

[Guest]

i think a lot of people just enjoy moaning and complaining if it's not the entrance fee it will be something else, i once had some one come up to me and complain about the cost of the bottle of wine they had just bought from the bar

It does get expensive though, I can appreciate that for a couple on a budget or with a family to consider, £24 admission before you've bought a drink or paid petrol/travel costs makes for an expensive night out and there are many other cheaper nights out. It's ok I guess if you've got the funds.

Jayne.x.

[Guest dundeedavie]

hopefully the more expensive the night should coincide with the best quality ...... if you pay £3 you get a £3 soul night

[Guest andrew bin]

we charge £6.00 to get into our soul nights and people still moan about that, now i just say your welcome to have your money back can't be arsed with miserable bas***ds

[Guest]

we charge £6.00 to get into our soul nights and people still moan about that, now i just say your welcome to have your money back can't be arsed with miserable bas***ds

That sounds about right. Most soul nights with a 2am finish and a late bar seem to charge about £6.

Jayne.x

[Guest soul99 easylay]

That sounds about right. Most soul nights with a 2am finish and a late bar seem to charge about £6.

Jayne.x

You've been robbed Jayne - I paid £4 for 99 Soul Club night last Saturday at The Grand in Scarborough - best £4 I've spent in ages (well since the last 99 Soul Club night actually! )

Fookin top night - cracking set by guest DJs Jock Mitchell and Mort and Adi & Mick delivered as always what a top night!! - You aint going to get value like that anywhere else

[Ady Croasdell]

There are also a few promoters who do it for the crack or kudos and can afford to subsidise it for a while, which is up to them but sometimes a bit tough on the competition.

I must point out I've never really suffered from this in London, it's just an observation.

[Rugby Soul Club]

When we started out, the book-keeper in me realised that we needed to charge £10 to cover costs....

the responce I got was non too pleasant, so we reduced to £8 and took the losses as we had faith in what we were doing.

Since we started the freestyle room, a few times we have actually covered our costs....

But like I said, we had faith in what we were doing and bloody love every minute of it.

Now to allnighters and the £10 will/should cover all costs at last....

we made it, without sinking.... ...thanks dad...

But then there's always some who make the comment, you must be making a fortune.

Edited November 26, 2007 by Rugby Soul Club

[Guest dundeedavie]

we charge £5 at BASICS for a night from 11-3am and for that there has always been a guest and every one we've ever done (11 now i think) there has been a free cd and there always will be ......i think thats good value for money and we have no intention of putting the prices up cos we're not interested in making money .

i'm constantly thinking what else we can do for the punters but i don't see projectors etc fitting too well with an R&B night

[Guest barnsey]

carn,t understand anyone moaning about the price of allniters most promoters are on pins half the nite hopeing to get there outlay back nevermind make anything.so if 12 quids abit much for you for allnite entertainment sometimes with three rooms on the go maybee n/soul is not for you.. after all if they all charged a £1 there would,nt be any by next year .why not take up brass rubbing instead in the graveyard allnite with the rest of the zombies

[Guest]

interesting debate this one, and one I've had a few times recently. Its horse for courses; people put on nights for so many different reasons.

As a punter, I find most nights are priced about right, but not always. £2 for These Old Shoes was a bargain for example. As a punter with limited funds and an expensive record collection to fund (I think I buy about 400 singles a year at a guess, across a few 50s/60s genres) I find myself attracted to the cheaper events. However if I was 10 years older and more financially secure I probably wouldn't care what the entry price was. Although a friend, a 39 year old, told me recently he still thought £10 was too much to pay for a club, even an allinighter. But then again, he doesn't know the cost of putting on such events...

And as a promoter I need to make money, not just recuperate costs, as I spend half my life organising them and thus don't have a day job to fall back on. However I still think you can do an allnighter for £8 and make it work. However if the bottom line becomes a line of bottoms and those annoying little figues don't add up then prices have to be put up. We're lucky with Tune Up in that our venue isn't charging a bomb, however others cannot be so lucky. For example I'm sure the 100 Club charge a fair amount as its a quality venue in the West End.

So in conclusion (drum roll please!) you should always pay the appropriate price. If you got £12s worth of entertainment at a night then thats fine. If you didn't then don't go back!

[Guest]

You've been robbed Jayne - I paid £4 for 99 Soul Club night last Saturday at The Grand in Scarborough - best £4 I've spent in ages (well since the last 99 Soul Club night actually! )

Fookin top night - cracking set by guest DJs Jock Mitchell and Mort and Adi & Mick delivered as always what a top night!! - You aint going to get value like that anywhere else

Sorry - I should have said, £6 for all the Two room venue's running 6 hour sessions. If Its a one room event (which I think Scarborough is - it was last time I was there) then £4 is probably right, costs will be lower with just one room to run.

Jayne.x.

[Paul McKay]

interesting debate this one, and one I've had a few times recently. Its horse for courses; people put on nights for so many different reasons.

As a punter, I find most nights are priced about right, but not always. £2 for These Old Shoes was a bargain for example.

Yes £2 was a bargain, but don't forget that all the Djs gave their time for free for PTPs 50th birthday. Most of us don't get paid too often anyway. At Soul in the City we always paid our guests, except at our All Dayers which were either free entry or in aid of charity and that included the likes of Kenny Burrell and Ady Croasdell! When turnouts are poor I've waived any promised fees as well. It's nice to get paid and most promoters do pay when they have a healthy turn out.

I've only been to one do this year which I thought was overpriced but it was still a reasonable per hour cost. £10-12 for an all nighter isn't bad all things considered.

[Rob Wigley]

In the end not sure enough people care, lost £1000's on that over the time we ran it. Not moaning in the slightest, those that came had a great time and some stunning music got played, what more can you ask for.

Dave

At the end of the day we put on events for people to enjoy themselves, but try chucking live acts into the melting pot as well.

Add in days taken off work, lugging sound systems in and out etc. We now prefare to do one off or bigger venues and are still looking to bring over individual acts when we can afford to do it.

Karens party cost somewhere in the region of £2,000 and all the DJs did it for free, including Richie Pitts, but what a fantastic selection of music got played ! everyone seemed to enjoythemselves and thats what it is all about.

We will keep on doing what we love no matter what happens and if we loose money along the way then we won't worry either

however when we did the Masonic hall in Worksop we broke even or lost money and they took a fortune over the bar, they them tried to up the room price from £200 to £300 ! Told them where to stick their venue and walked away sooner than increase the doorprice from £5 to £6.

Northern do's are great value for money and I suspect are cheap because we have always travelled to get to them, thus incuring costs of petrol train fares etc. Add the cost of the travell on to you door price and it about evens out to a "Local" p**sheads nbightclub.

Rob & Karen

(saving up for our next event !)

[Rob Wigley]

Just had a text from Martin Dixon

MODERNISM soul night this friday (see his thread)

£3 to get in or £5 per couple --he must be making a fortune

[Guest]

Karens party cost somewhere in the region of £2,000 and all the DJs did it for free,

I'd better start saving up for mine then

2 and a half years and counting.....

[Guest]

I'd better start saving up for mine then

2 and a half years and counting.....

We'll have to have a joint one

Kx