Boycott Bingley Music Festival

[Uncle Liam]

It seems that Bingley Music festival has jumped into bed with Live and Unsigned, the worst, most deceitful and unscrupulous of the frankly disgusting Pay to Play ventures around.

http://www.bingleymusiclive.com/news.php#209

Live and Unsigned is an organisation which frankly manipulates and tricks young bands into parting with their money for nothing more than 'opportunities'. On ethical grounds alone, no band should ever be put in a position where they have to play.

This blog post explains better than I could.

http://thislast.blogspot.co.uk/2011/02/live-and-unsigned-scam.html

[Uncle Liam]

Oh, and...

STOP ALL PAY TO PLAY GIGS

[Uncle Liam]

And now under investigation:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-16355713

[Ringo_Spar]

Thanks for info Liam, worth noting. Having had a butchers at their home page they are also now offering the stupidly wealthy wannabee VIP package too, at 250 smackers per person per day.

Looks like Bingley Music Live has lost it. If having the Pidgeon Detectives was not evidence enough.

[lost]

Thanks for info Liam, worth noting. Having had a butchers at their home page they are also now offering the stupidly wealthy wannabee VIP package too, at 250 smackers per person per day.

Looks like Bingley Music Live has lost it. If having the Pidgeon Detectives was not evidence enough.

[Uncle Liam]

What happened to you?

[Paul ™]

Thanks for info Liam, worth noting. Having had a butchers at their home page they are also now offering the stupidly wealthy wannabee VIP package too, at 250 smackers per person per day.

Looks like Bingley Music Live has lost it. If having the Pidgeon Detectives was not evidence enough.

[eFestivals]

I see that some poor festival websites have their logos on the L&U website along with the festivals they've worked with.

[Paul ™]

Quite a few there actually

http://www.liveandunsigned.uk.com/festival_partners

[Pogues Mcgogues]

To be honest, the type of bands that tend to play pay to play gigs are full of idiots anyway. I don't know how anyone can actualy think they might get spotted at these types of things.

I agree 100% that pay to play gigs are bad and should be stopped, but there are always bands with members full of themeselves who'll go on the bill at these god awful events.

[this last]

To be honest, the type of bands that tend to play pay to play gigs are full of idiots anyway. I don't know how anyone can actualy think they might get spotted at these types of things.

I agree 100% that pay to play gigs are bad and should be stopped, but there are always bands with members full of themeselves who'll go on the bill at these god awful events.

[Spliffman]

Bingley Music Live, have just posted on facebook

>

Bingley Music Live has received certain allegations and unfavourable comments about their association with Live and Unsigned. Bingley Music Live has withdrawn the news item on Live and Unsigned from the website and is currently looking into the

Edited April 12, 2012 by Spliffman

[LondonTom]

good on them for taking action! maybe they wern't aware of its process...

[Ringo_Spar]

According to the Live and Unsigned website, there are slots to be won at lots of festivals including Bearded Theory.

Link

[Paul ™]

Fair enough mate, hopefully the right outcome is forthcoming.

[Ringo_Spar]

Fair enough mate, hopefully the right outcome is forthcoming.

[Uncle Liam]

The tide is turning on these fuckers, so a big well done and thanks to anyone who mentioned it to anyone, or posted on another board. Still lots to do before Chris Grayston is on Watchdog, or Crimewatch, but we'll get there.

List of festival which Live and Unsigned associate themselves with, from the poster on their facebook page:

Stockton Weekender

Bearded Theory

B Fest

Norfolk Spectacular

Cockrock

Ozfest

Livefest

Brownstock Festival

Strawberry Fields Festival

Boardmasters

Summertown

Boomtown Fair

Supernova

Guernsey Festival

It would be nice is efestivals became somewhat central to the campaign to stop Pay to Play gigs. Probably a lot to ask of Neil though.

[Uncle Liam]

Just been doing a bit of further research into this, and last years winners won, as part of their prize:

"UK tour of up to 100 shows including covering expenses up to £7,500"

Erm... right. Because that wont leave them out of pocket.

[eFestivals]

It would be nice is efestivals became somewhat central to the campaign to stop Pay to Play gigs. Probably a lot to ask of Neil though.

efestivals has been a central part of the campaign against pay-to-play by deliberately not ever having been involved with pay-to-play organisations.

[Uncle Liam]

efestivals has been a central part of the campaign against pay-to-play by deliberately not ever having been involved with pay-to-play organisations.

[zahidf]

I'm pretty sure Guilfest are pay for play in some way. I know a couple of smaller bands last year had to buy tickets from them to sell on before they were allowed to play. One of my mates got a cheaper ticket from that.

[eFestivals]

I'm pretty sure Guilfest are pay for play in some way. I know a couple of smaller bands last year had to buy tickets from them to sell on before they were allowed to play. One of my mates got a cheaper ticket from that.

It's not "pay to play" in anything like the same way.

I'm not 100% how it works, but bands who put themselves forwards for the smaller stages are offered cheap tickets to sell to their fanbase, it might (I don't know) even be a condition of the fest booking the band.

The point of that is that a band thinks it's good enough to play then it should have an interested audience - and they'll be keen on cheap tickets, or the band can make money out of its fanbase by selling them cheap normal price tickets (and everything in between).

Nothing about this is underhand. If a band feels stitched up by that then they only have themselves to blame for believing they have an audience bigger than they have.

[Pogues Mcgogues]

I'm afraid this doesn't do justice to the situation at all. I have had conversations with a range of bands who have become involved in Live and Unsigned - including naive school kids and a past winner. No one deserves to put in a situation where they are encouraging friends and family to pay high ticket prices for awful gigs and premium rate calls in the stages leading up the final. Sneering at dreams isn't cool. Calling people you have never met idiots is another kind of "blame the victim" thing.