Shakermaker Promotions
28-05-2008, 09:54 AM
Hi all,
Still feeling absolute pants today but just had an email confirming a new residency on a wednesday night and thought I would let you know about it.
Got a call the other day from the manager of the local Chicago Rock Cafe. He had been given my name by someone, I still haven't found out who as yet but anyway...here's the background to it.
Chicago Rock Cafe's are owned by Luminar Leisure...another one of their brands are the Liquid group of clubs. Basingstoke has both of these, both are busy but for different crowds. I was asked a long time ago if I wanted to DJ at Chicagos and I said no because at the time, their policy was to play music from the 50's and up to 1989 and that was it. Not only that but the money was bad and they taxed you too so for a pretty hefty set, it worked out really bad (and that was on a saturday night at the time). Anyway, it's all changed now and certain Chicagos venues around the country are getting re-branded so that they appeal to more people and not just the retro crowd. They will get their own individual identities (new names and refurbs etc).
I had a meeting with the manager the other day following a phone conversation and went down to see the place which is slowly being transformed. No more dodgy memorabillia on the walls, no more trying to look like a diner out of 'Happy Days' or 'Grease' etc... They are not doing food anymore etc etc...the place was looking 100 times better when I was in there last week.
So, currently, on a wednesday night the Liquid club (owned by the same company remember) stages what they call their 'Student Night'....it's not really in my view as it plays (apparently) the same music as they play on a typical friday or saturday night but just labels it as a Student Night by cutting the entry fee and discounting the drinks slightly. What Chicagos (or Dusk as it will be known soon) want me to do, is a proper Student Night on a wednesday which will mean it will be more Indie/Alternative but also play some Chart and RnB stuff etc too...Not only that, it will be FREE entry and also £1.50 drinks all night. They've asked me to design a flyer which they will print up and they are going to promote it big time. At the moment, they have come up with the name 'TWISTED'...not sure why but hey, it's only a name.
The reason I mention this is because of two things - (1) It can only do good things for my business in the long run as I will be opened up to a whole new bunch of people that may not know me and the usual "Do you do private stuff?" questions will more than likely arise, and also (2) It will be good for me to have another regular night every week which will mean that I am out for 3 nights a week definitely and one week a month I will be out 4 nights. The venue can probably hold 400 people I reckon and I can see this being a big night. I have put the word out on my Facebook and Myspace already and the reaction has been fantastic. We are looking to start in the next couple of weeks. My only concern is that the students finish for summer soon but saying that, Basingstoke does not have a Uni....just 2 colleges and most of the people that go to them are from town or nearby.
Happy days....now I'm going to carry on feeling rough.
Cheers
G
Still feeling absolute pants today but just had an email confirming a new residency on a wednesday night and thought I would let you know about it.
Got a call the other day from the manager of the local Chicago Rock Cafe. He had been given my name by someone, I still haven't found out who as yet but anyway...here's the background to it.
Chicago Rock Cafe's are owned by Luminar Leisure...another one of their brands are the Liquid group of clubs. Basingstoke has both of these, both are busy but for different crowds. I was asked a long time ago if I wanted to DJ at Chicagos and I said no because at the time, their policy was to play music from the 50's and up to 1989 and that was it. Not only that but the money was bad and they taxed you too so for a pretty hefty set, it worked out really bad (and that was on a saturday night at the time). Anyway, it's all changed now and certain Chicagos venues around the country are getting re-branded so that they appeal to more people and not just the retro crowd. They will get their own individual identities (new names and refurbs etc).
I had a meeting with the manager the other day following a phone conversation and went down to see the place which is slowly being transformed. No more dodgy memorabillia on the walls, no more trying to look like a diner out of 'Happy Days' or 'Grease' etc... They are not doing food anymore etc etc...the place was looking 100 times better when I was in there last week.
So, currently, on a wednesday night the Liquid club (owned by the same company remember) stages what they call their 'Student Night'....it's not really in my view as it plays (apparently) the same music as they play on a typical friday or saturday night but just labels it as a Student Night by cutting the entry fee and discounting the drinks slightly. What Chicagos (or Dusk as it will be known soon) want me to do, is a proper Student Night on a wednesday which will mean it will be more Indie/Alternative but also play some Chart and RnB stuff etc too...Not only that, it will be FREE entry and also £1.50 drinks all night. They've asked me to design a flyer which they will print up and they are going to promote it big time. At the moment, they have come up with the name 'TWISTED'...not sure why but hey, it's only a name.
The reason I mention this is because of two things - (1) It can only do good things for my business in the long run as I will be opened up to a whole new bunch of people that may not know me and the usual "Do you do private stuff?" questions will more than likely arise, and also (2) It will be good for me to have another regular night every week which will mean that I am out for 3 nights a week definitely and one week a month I will be out 4 nights. The venue can probably hold 400 people I reckon and I can see this being a big night. I have put the word out on my Facebook and Myspace already and the reaction has been fantastic. We are looking to start in the next couple of weeks. My only concern is that the students finish for summer soon but saying that, Basingstoke does not have a Uni....just 2 colleges and most of the people that go to them are from town or nearby.
Happy days....now I'm going to carry on feeling rough.
Cheers
G