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Tony Ball

Getting Orgazmatron a gig

I needed to book a local gig for my group ‘Orgazmatron’ I found two main local venues, Harlow Square being my first option as it has a bigger market area and it was closest to where most of our advertisement will be displayed. My second option was Hertford marquee that acquires possible audiences to travel to via train. If that were the case I would advertise in my home area of Cheshunt, as the distance is just as great from that area as well as Harlow.

 

Contacting The Square

 

Thursday 1^st November I took down the telephone number for local club Harlow Square. Later in the evening I called The Square to try and sort out gig free date to book and organise a gig for our band. I gain a contact name and was informed he’ll be available to talk the next day. For the following week I hadn’t been able to contact Steve Harcourt until Wednesday 7^th November.

I briefly explained to Steve who I was and our target we aim to meet for our project and asked if there is any possibility of hosting our concert at The Square. Steve seems optimistic to let us host an evening at The Square but is afraid that he is fully booked for the winter months which may cause us to reconsider where we host our event.

Steve offered help in finding a space at The Square and has asked me for a list of everything I want in an email and he’ll see what he can do and contact me back.

This is what I sent:

 

‘Hello Steve,

 

I contacted you yesterday asking if you had any free space for a band I’m promoting to perform at The Square for my media project.

 

What we need exactly is just an evening sometime during the week, Preferably nearer to the weekend. Ideally we would like our band ‘Orgazmatron’ on as headliner so that we could advertise them as a main event. However if we could possibley slot them in as a supporting act that may also be fine.

 

As it’s for our project we’ll need some space around the stage to record their performance, just one camera either side of the stage would be grand so we could get a variety of angles. If possible a gig sometime in December would be brilliant and it will fit in some time for us to get preparations ready for it.

 

Thank you taking your time to listen and I’ll really appreciate it if you could slot in a date.

 

Tony’

 

Once I sent this message Steve didn’t contact me back for the best part of a week and I was starting to get worried our time was coming to an end to find and sort out a gig for our band. I decided to ring Steve’s contact number at the square again. Once I got through I explained that my time was short and I needed a reply extremely soon. He told me he thinks all the main event evenings are fully booked and our best option is to see if I could get the band a show case night which are for the more amateur bands. He told me he’ll speak to a man called Shane who is the organiser to these nights for me to see if any dates were available and he will read my email tomorrow as he hasn’t been able to do so yet.

To this he replied:

 

‘I have spoken to Shane and the Showcase nights are fully booked, as are the Fridays until the new year.

 

The only thing I can suggest is that we try to sort something out for the new year, but obviously the earlier the better, as things will get booked up soon.

 

Sorry about that and I hope we can sort it out!’

At this point I sensed that to continue trying to get a gig at the square would be extremely difficult and whilst I was awaiting Steve’s reply I contacted the marquee.

 

 

 

 

 

Contacting The Marquee

 

I wasn’t entirely sure to what address to contact the marquee when I visited their online website but I sent out an email similar to the one I sent to the square to a man named Kevin who works at the marquee. I gave Kevin a day in order to reply but I wasn’t confident that I contacted the right address. 

At this point I thought my safest option was to contact the marquee through the Internet website Myspace as I know they update that quite regularly.

This is what I sent:

 

 

—————– Original Message —————–

From: <a href=’http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcHJvZmlsZS5teXNwYWNlLmNvbS9pbmRleC5jZm0/ZnVzZWFjdGlvbj11c2VyLnZpZXdwcm9maWxlJmZyaWVuZGlkPTE0NjU0MDMyOCZNeVRva2VuPWFkNmQwMTBhLWI0MTItNGE1OS1iMGExLWYwYWIwNjA3NTg3MQ==’>Tony</a>

Date: 16 Nov 2007, 13:44

 

 

hi i’m tony, i come from harlow college and i’m studying media A2. For our project we need to promote a band, and in a part of that we need them to perform at a local venue.

 

We ideally need to get them a gig in early or mid december.

 

please contact me back if there is a possiblity you have space.

 

 

thankyou,

tony

 

 

 

I was please to find that the marquee replied to my message very quickly and already things seemed promising, as they sounded interested to hear more of the band. I replied enthusiastically and gave them as much information they needed.

 

 

 

 

—————– Original Message —————–

From: <a href=’http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcHJvZmlsZS5teXNwYWNlLmNvbS9pbmRleC5jZm0/ZnVzZWFjdGlvbj11c2VyLnZpZXdwcm9maWxlJmZyaWVuZGlkPTI0Mzk2MDQ2OSZNeVRva2VuPTMzNzAxNjc2LWFmYmEtNDUzOS05MTYzLWRmZmYyZDVkNWRkNQ==’>The Strange Place Club – Herts</a>

Date: 18 Nov 2007, 03:06

 

 

Hi.

 

Please could you send a CD/Press Pack over to the below address so we can have a listen?

 

(Please be sure to address it to A+R)

 

A+R

Strange Place Music

13 Hawthorns

Riddings Lane

Harlow

Essex

CM18 7HT

UK

 

Also please reply to this message with a contact E-Mail address and contact telephone number and we will get in touch when we have had a listen.

 

Thanks

 

 HYPERLINK “mailto:info@strangeplacemusic.co.uk” info@strangeplacemusic.co.uk

 

—————– Original Message —————–

From: <a href=’http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcHJvZmlsZS5teXNwYWNlLmNvbS9pbmRleC5jZm0/ZnVzZWFjdGlvbj11c2VyLnZpZXdwcm9maWxlJmZyaWVuZGlkPTE0NjU0MDMyOCZNeVRva2VuPWNlOWMyZmU5LTdkNTItNDIwNC1hZjRlLWY1M2RmODg4ZTE3Mg==’>Tony</a>

Date: 18 Nov 2007, 13:38

 

sure, i’ll send you a track straight away.

they have a myspace profile page at this address also http://www.myspace.com/orgazmatron

email: tonyjamesball@hotmail.com

mob: 07738 004 294

thanks, tony

 

 

 

The marquee were happier to view their profile page rather than let me send a track through the post and a date finally came up.

 

—————– Original Message —————–

From: <a href=’http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcHJvZmlsZS5teXNwYWNlLmNvbS9pbmRleC5jZm0/ZnVzZWFjdGlvbj11c2VyLnZpZXdwcm9maWxlJmZyaWVuZGlkPTI0Mzk2MDQ2OSZNeVRva2VuPWJmYTRjZTc2LWZjMTQtNGJiMC04YzZhLTEyMGUxNDc5MTg0ZQ==’>The Strange Place Club – Herts</a>

Date: 18 Nov 2007, 06:08

 

 

Tony,

 

Can they do 2nd December?

 

Mark

 

—————– Original Message —————–

From: <a href=’http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcHJvZmlsZS5teXNwYWNlLmNvbS9pbmRleC5jZm0/ZnVzZWFjdGlvbj11c2VyLnZpZXdwcm9maWxlJmZyaWVuZGlkPTE0NjU0MDMyOCZNeVRva2VuPWI1ZTI4Y2E0LWJmNWEtNGQwMC04Zjk4LTIxMDQ3MTk1MWI3NA==’>Tony</a>

Date: 18 Nov 2007, 14:12

 

 

hi mark

 

i’m pretty sure they’re free. but i can’t get through to them now to confirm. could you possibley hold the spot until tomorrow and i can definatly find out for you for then

 

tony

 

—————– Original Message —————–

From: <a href=’http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcHJvZmlsZS5teXNwYWNlLmNvbS9pbmRleC5jZm0/ZnVzZWFjdGlvbj11c2VyLnZpZXdwcm9maWxlJmZyaWVuZGlkPTI0Mzk2MDQ2OSZNeVRva2VuPWQ4NGQ3ODg5LWM5NDItNDNlNi05YzBiLWU1MzBmMGNiMmRhYg==’>The Strange Place Club – Herts</a>

Date: 18 Nov 2007, 06:14

 

 

No problem.

 

Thanks Tony.

 

Speak tomorrow.

 

Mark

 

As I needed to tell the band details of the gig date I thought it would be good if I had more information on whom they will be supporting etc so I messaged the marquee again requesting more information and they were very happy to help.

 

—————– Original Message —————–

From: <a href=’http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcHJvZmlsZS5teXNwYWNlLmNvbS9pbmRleC5jZm0/ZnVzZWFjdGlvbj11c2VyLnZpZXdwcm9maWxlJmZyaWVuZGlkPTE0NjU0MDMyOCZNeVRva2VuPTYwOGJiNzhkLTA2ZjktNDM3Zi1iNmZkLTJkZDY0OWY4Y2U0ZQ==’>Tony</a>

Date: 18 Nov 2007, 14:21

 

 

cheers, is it possible i could have more details of the 2nd of december so i can tell the band when i see them

 

are they a supporting act or headlining and things?

 

thanks, tony

 

 

—————– Original Message —————–

From: <a href=’http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=243960469&MyToken=fa17e81a-7d9f-4d31-aa00-2bf30ac38cbf’>The Strange Place Club – Herts</a>

Date: 18 Nov 2007, 13:47

 

 

Hi Tony.

 

They’d be supporting Middleman – www.myspace.com/middlemanpop from Leeds who are hottly tipped and have had some great radio exposure as of late (Zane Lowe etc)

 

Mark

 

 

 

 

I now needed to contact the band and I decided to do this through two methods. I first sent them a message through Myspace So that they could have the details about the gig but as I wasn’t sure when they will next update their profile I didn’t want to trust that they’ll read it in time so the next day I managed to get a mobile number of the lead singer to the band so I could contact him directly.

Here’s The Message I sent to their Myspace Profile:

 

 

hey guys im tony i’m part of the media group luci’s in at harlow college. sorry i haven’t been around to see ya play yet.

 

im talking to the marquee at the moment and its most likely that your gig will be held there.

 

you have an offer on the 2nd of december and i need to know if that is possible for you guys. if not i need to know all the dates you can do so i can negotiate.

 

i will be ringing you tomorrow hopefully if i can get a number off luci to talk about it more.

 

see ya later

 

tony

 

They didn’t reply to this message but I got feedback from the singer via text message.

Here is the text message conversation I shared with the singer over the next couple of days:

 

From: Tony

To: Reece

18-11-07

 

Body: Hi, Reece my name is Tony, I’m in the media group with Luci. Just to let you know I’ve managed to get your group a gig at Hertford marquee on Dec 2nd. I’ve sent you more details to your myspace profile but I need to know if you can make the gig. Tony

From: Reece

To: Tony

18-11-07

 

Body: Is it OK if I get back to you tomorrow mate? A bit of s**t’s been going with the band that I need to clear up before I confirm.

 

From: Tony

To: Reece

18-11-07

 

Body: yeah sure that’s no problem, I got the marquee to reserve us that spot until tomorrow by which I’ll need to tell them if you can make that date or not. Speak to ya soon mate. Tony

 

From: Reece

To: Tony

19-11-07

 

Body: Hiya. I’m really sorry to let you down but we’re not guna be able to do that gig. Our bassist left the band the other day and we are just not guna be able to find someone to replace him by December. Again, I’m really sorry but I’m sure you understand that I’m as shocked as anyone about this

 

From: Tony

To: Reece

19-11-07

Body: OK then, is it possible you could find a temporary bassist to step in for this one gig? 

 

From: Reece

To: Tony

19-11-07

Body: That’s what I’ve been trying to do for the last few days, but no luck as of yet. I feel like a right c**t but it’s kinda out of my hands 

 

From: Tony

To: Reece

19-11-07

Body: Alright then, keep trying. I’ll tell marquee you cannot make the gig. And I’ll speak to my tutors to see what we should do next.

 

 

 

I really didn’t know what to do next with the whole situation, I managed to get the band a gig but it couldn’t go further due to band issues which were out of my hands. My first responsibility was to inform the marquee that the group couldn’t make that date but I decided to ask them for future dates in the new year so that the group could have more time to find a temporary bassist

This is the message I sent to the Marquee:

 

—————– Original Message —————–

From: <a href=’http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vcHJvZmlsZS5teXNwYWNlLmNvbS9pbmRleC5jZm0/ZnVzZWFjdGlvbj11c2VyLnZpZXdwcm9maWxlJmZyaWVuZGlkPTE0NjU0MDMyOCZNeVRva2VuPTYwOGJiNzhkLTA2ZjktNDM3Zi1iNmZkLTJkZDY0OWY4Y2U0ZQ==’>Tony</a>

Date: 19 Nov 2007, 17:43

 

hey mark

 

i contacted the band and they cannot make the 2nd of december as their bassist has quit the band. 

 

i asked if they could find a temporary bassist, but they’ll need to find one.

 

so i was wondering what dates you have free in the new year.

 

thanks again

 

tony

 

 

Contacting The Square Again

The marquee didn’t reply to my request but I decided not to chase it up as I felt it was pointless to book another gig in the new year when it was not for sure that the band with be able to get a temporary bassist.

However the band managed to reorganise themselves so that they were able to perform again. So I carried on searching for a possible gig date but this time in the new year. 

As I now had this new extension of time I decided to contact the square again.

So I sent out a new email to Steve at the square

 

hello steve,

i contacted you some time ago asking if you had any free space indecember. Our plans have changed now and I'm now looking for a slotsomeplace in january next year. Square is still our number one choise for a venue and i was hoping you willhave space in the new year. thanks for your time,tony

In Reply Steve said:

I have spoken to Reece Jones, from Orgazmatron and he seemed ok for 

things in the new year.I will liaise with Shane.If you could send over a revised plan for what you want to do, that would be useful.Cheers.

Steve Harcourt 

I sent steve a message explaining that I wanted to record the bands performance sing 1 or 2 cameras (I initially wanted 2 so that it would be easier to capture more angles) but steve explained that due to the venues health and safety regulations we were only entitled to bring one camera. I was happy with this and Steve finally got back to me with an availible date on the 24th of January 2008.

I contacted the band who were pleased to say they were capable to perform on that night and i then send steve another message confirming the date.