6 Music Festival 2020

[Johndenis]

On 12/17/2019 at 12:57 PM, jannybruck said:

They had an album out at the same time. Doing the 6music festival is a reciprocal thing – you're guaranteed radio play and a broadcast of your live set. It's just a loss-leading promo opportunity for most bands, the same way they'd do a TV show.

@clarkete @Gilgamesh69 hello all, I've always been kind of curious about how the 6 Music Festival is organized and funded.  Is it priced to break even?  What if it loses money?  It sounds like Liverpool in 2019 didn't sell out.  I've looked at BBC annual reports and it's not explained.  Is it outsourced to a local promoter - how does the BBC have the expertise otherwise?  If I was a promoter in the area and the BBC turned up with these kind of line ups to clash with an event I was already promoting, I would be pretty upset.  On the other hand, is it being outsourced and do local promoters have a chance to make a few quid?  I attended the first one in Manchester and it seemed like it was an excuse for the station to have a party.   The venue was the Victoria Warehouse which was obviously a choice inspired by WHP (the Warehouse Project),  but unfortunately the venue was unsuited to live bands (I'm not sure it was thought through too carefully).  You had (for example) The National playing in a huge hall and James Blake playing at exactly the same time in a small room.  It was overall OK - it felt like all the DJs were in the same place and the atmosphere as fun.  I met Shaun Keaveny and had a laugh.  I attended the Glasgow one a few years later by which time it had changed into a "series of related gigs in different venues" format. Having it in Camden feels a bit silly, and perhaps it's time up.

Edited March 10, 2020 by Johndenis

[Muppetmark]

3 hours ago, Johndenis said:

The venue was the Victoria Warehouse which was obviously a choice inspired by WHP (the Warehouse Project),  but unfortunately the venue was unsuited to live bands (I'm not sure it was thought through too carefully).  

The warehouse project isnt tied to victoria warehouse and was at store street for most of its run.
Victoria warehouse is not the best venue for live bands but it is good enough. 

[Dancers Stand Very Still]

As I eluded to above, the Gateshead edition was my favourite - 3 stages in one (beautiful) venue, which you could move between at will with one ticket for the 'by night' events and The Cluny in Newcastle 'by day'.

The line-up was damn good too - I caught Maximo Park, Villagers, The Fall, Kate Tempest, Django Django, British Sea Power, King Creosote, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Young Fathers, Public Service Broadcasting and The Maccabees across the two 'by night' events.

I think that format was better than the glorified gigs of the last few years, but only really makes sense for an evening (rather than all day city event) if it's in one multi-space venue. I'm not sure how many places would be able to offer that?

[Johndenis]

16 hours ago, Muppetmark said:

The warehouse project isnt tied to victoria warehouse and was at store street for most of its run.
Victoria warehouse is not the best venue for live bands but it is good enough. 

The Manchester 6 Music Festival was in 2014 and after (or towards the end?) of WHP's run at Victoria Warehouse - I know because I had been to WHP at the Warehouse in 2012 (Factory Floor and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs) and 2013 (Hot Chip and Chic).  (The WHP gigs actually felt over-sold, to a potentially dangerous degree - borne out by the venue feeling much less busy for the sold-out BBC event.)  In any event it's clear the choice of venue was inspired by WHP.

Edited March 11, 2020 by Johndenis