letters.html

Riffs will not publish any 'anonymous' letters unless there is a valid reason!!!
If we do not believe that the letters sent to us are completely legitimate we will NOT use them.

Please note that Riffs Letters Page is NOT for self publicity or announcing upcoming gigs - letters may be edited accordingly.

MAY

Hi Riffs,
Played The Crown, Crook last night. Although only a small crowd in attendance, this is a relly good venue to play. The band room has a good sized stage, bar, and fantastic acoustics, the sound was tremendous.
Alongside the band room is a beer garden with shelter, and heaters for all you smokers, or people who like to be in the fresh air, but still want to hear the band.
There are good sized doors and access to unload/load the van too.
Soo a really great venue, all it needs is support from you good people. The landlord 'Boss' has put a lot of work into this to try and make it a band venue, and thats what it deserves to be. Go along one Saturday night and see for yourself.

Hi Riffs
Just a quick call for help........
US rocker Adam Bomb is back in the UK later this month. He has two free dates and is looking to fill them with gigs in the North East. The dates are Friday 23rd May and Monday 26th May. If anyone can help please contact Flinty on 07808 917429 or email flinty11@hotmail.com
Ta Flinty

When I’m not drumming with my own band I like to go out for a couple of pints and see other local bands. This weekend gone I got the chance to see two bands at Sleepers in East Boldon, The Whole Hog on Friday night and Whey Aye C/DC on Monday night.
The Whole Hog had a clear, well balanced sound and played quality music with a tightness you only get with years of experience. The singer also plays a mean sax.
Whey Aye C/DC are a solid rock band with a big rock sound. I’m not a massive AC/DC fan but I enjoyed every song these lads played, even the ones I didn’t know. ‘Angus’ and ‘Brian Johnson’ were particularly outstanding.
Two quality bands - keep up the good work lads!
Trev Mugshot

To all bands out there wether rock, folk ,glam or hungarian bazzooky players , if you can get a gig at the victoria inn cassop you will definately have a good night.Rob the owner is a top knotch geezer although the venue is a small affair, so you wont need massive PA stacks but dont be put off.This guy is really making a go of it and the state of pubs and venues this day n age it needs all the encouragement you people can give.KEEP MUSIC LIVE ( while we still have a pulse ).thanks.
Ben

hi all can you put this on your notice board
note to the fuzzjunkies, seen you on the gig list for the fleming shotton on 10th may went passed this venue on thursday and it was all boarded up. just to let you know
might save you a journey.
cheers Alan THE ARRIVAL

APRIL

Hi, just a quick thanks to all the staff and punters at the Wellwood Arms in Amble. They made it a 'Fantastic' night for all the band. Its a cozy little venue but the noise, heat and adulation generated by the punters blew us away.
Here's to playing there again soon.
Cheers
Dave (Bass) NIGHTRAIN.

a big thank you to Erik and the lads for a great opening night last night. What a fantastic set.........Here's to many more!!!!!!!
Thanks again lads
Boss

Thanks to Keith and the lads of TT blue for a good night as I thought it would be good to see a band enjoy what they do.
it wasn't as full as normal but thought it was comfortable again there was a few other bands in the crowed and judging by them they enjoyed it as well.
I know harry the manager was going to ask Keith about the rosie fest don't know what the out come was at mo but hope they can do it as it will always be a pleasure to see this band I know well have them back.
regards Decka

Hi Riffs
Just want to give The Vic in Cassop a mention. Rob the landlord is pulling out all the stops to make this a good music venue, he has 2 bands booked every week, busker nights, and is really into the music.
Last Saturday we played there to a small but very keen crowd who loved their music, including a guy who was up front playing air guitar and talking to himself!
Its good that a new venue is giving the band scene a try, thses guys have to be encouraged, and I hope the pub gets the support it deserves.
Scooby (The Mystery Machine)

Hi Nige and Val
It's not often I put finger to keyboard but I had to write in and mention the Skinny Molly gig that I attended at The Three Tuns.
I'll not go on about the band who were fantastic but more the fact that Paul managed to get them to play at the pub. How he did it I don't know but lets just say hats off to guy. It was great to see a band of this pedigree play at The Tuns when they could so easily graced the stage of the Carling. Talking to Paul before the show he was telling me some of the bands appearing in the future and the next 'biggy' will be Rod Clements. I just wish I could go. If you can get along, please do, as your in for a night of top class entertainment. Dr Feelgood will also be gracing the stage in the near future. Again a big thanks to Paul for managing to get these bands on. It was a fantastic atmosphere in The Tuns the night Skinny Molly appeared. If you weren't there you missed a belter of a gig.
Regards
Gamb

We turned up for a gig at the Venue in Hexham (formerly Sammy Jo's) to find its changed hands once again! The new owner says he plans to keep bands on but has no record of any bands due to play there this year. Its under refurbishment at the moment but is supposed to be ready in 2-3 weeks.
Cheers
Martin (Last Minute)

Just a quick e-mail to give a massive thank you to both the venue and customers at The Wellwood Arms in Amble.
We (Nightrain) played there last night (Sat 26th April) and what a night. The place was packed out from start to finish, not even standing room was available (apart from one or two tables not already being stood or danced on).
The band thoroughly enjoyed the night and from what was said and evident on the night so did the punters and staff, so Thanks again – back there soon hopefully.
Brian (Nightrain)

Skinny Molly played to a sell out crowd last night and most people in the room will cherish memories of a wonderful performance. Of course Sweet Home Alabama and Freebird were massive highlights but other Skynyrd classics like Gimme Three Steps and Whats your Name had the crowd screaming for more. Mike Estes might only have been in Lynyrd Skynyrd for 3 years and 2 albums but anyone doubting his quality after what I saw with my own eyes mustn't be on the same wavelength. Mike and his band recreated the sound of Lynyrd Skynyrd as beautifully as if it had been his former colleagues themselves and what's more he is a thoroughly likeable bloke. Hats off to Skinny Molly, a wonderful band.

Hi All,
Does anyone know if the new manager at this gig (who started 1st April 2008) is still having all the bans on that Pam (previous manager) had booked ?
I have rang the pub - but they have changed the phone number......
When this happens, - usually no one bothers to tell the bands - if the gigs are off...............
Regards
Paul
The Whole Hog

Dear Riffs,
We booked "the Dusty tools" for a gig last saturday at Nunthorpe squash club,Middlesbrough.I'd like to thank the lads for an absolutely fantastic night of brilliantly executed songs,harmonies & professional performance..A superb night was had by all..The amount of people i've had asking about the band has been overwhelming to say the least!.May i add that although the gig started @ 9 'o' clock the band were there at 6;30 setting the gear up!...Professionalism or what!..No sound checks when the punters arrived ..all done & "dusted" (Sorry about that!) beforehand..Again you could tell that this band know the ropes when it comes to sound quality & delivery!..All in all a completely professional package delivered to your door!
Many thanks to Cliff,Johnna,Pete & Bobby for a great night
Cheers lads
Mac

Hi
Would just like to mention a metallica tribute band called Mentallica from Dudley (near Birmingham) i saw last saturday at the forum, darlington. As well as this band sounding like metallica the singer was a dead ringer for James Hetfield. The band played a metallica greatest hits set and are well worth going to see when they are next in the North East. My praises also go to the forum for how well they hosted the gig, freindly door staff and freindly bar staff. I will certainly be back at this venue.
Regards,
Christopher Holmes

Nige/Val,
Just writing to say that the 40th Anniversary Free Convention at the Park Hotel in Tynemouth on Friday was absolutely brilliant!!! A night packed full of folk & Free/Bad Company from 8 pm until after 1 am (Now that's what I call a night out!). Featuring four bands starting with a very young originals band called Get Vegas who have featured in Classic Rock Magazine & are surprisingly like Free when they were young & received some stunning applause. Next up the Basing Street Band who only had a short slot but played some crackin Free numbers. Free Spirit were the penultimate band playing Free & Bad Company who were spectacular in a very different way to the headlining band our very own Heavy Load! Two bands playing Bad Company & no Feel Like Making Love - well it just goes to show you can't have everything! Heavy Load were AWESOME! & even had a guest appearance by John on lead guitar of Freeway, 3/4 of whom were in attendance & who have been a miss recently??? I think they had to do four encores as we just wouldn't let them leave the stage. I'm sure they raised a staggering amount for the Northern Brainwaves Appeal as Paul Rodgers himself donated 40 prizes including 2 tickets to see & meet him with Queen later on in the year that went for £340 in auction. Well done to the organisers it was a crackin night & we'll be back again next year - hopefully!
JLH.

Just to let you know that I've had a scammer replying to my ad on Riffs selling an Aria guitar. The usual thing - offering to send me a cheque for a lot more than it's worth provided I bank transfer him the balance. I don't suppose many Riffs readers would be taken in but I thought you might want to know. The guy's name was allegedly Jason Hawk but of course there's no way to trace him (or her)
Dave

HI Val
Just a heads up, Maxine is no longer at the Guidepost in Ryhope and the future of the Friday night gigs looks grim. The relief managers are considering pulling the plug on the live music so it might be an idea for anyone who is booked to give them a call and check they are still on.
Thanks go to Stephen from the Fallen for the mention in his letter, much appreciated!
Angie (Rough Justice)

Hi Everyone,
I just wanted to put into words how fantastic last night's show by STAN at The Three Tuns was. They were absolutely wonderful. Every song was an original and each one a classic. It's incredible that a crowd weaned on rock covers could respond so passionately to a band playing their own material and I don't think one person left before the end of the show. STAN are a very very good band and if you want to book a class act for your venue I'd suggest you take a look at www.myspace.com/stanmyspace before they're fully booked. The guys confirmed last night that they are officially available right now for bookings and whether you're a venue owner, promoter or music fan that has to be very good news indeed.

Hello Riffs,
Firstly let me thank everyone who turned up at the Tuns last Saturday to see Akq Stottin...we had a belta neet, hope everyone enjoyed it as much as us!...Well when I say everyone I mean apart from the mentally deficient balloon who claimed I was doing nazi salutes during the show!..Has this breezeblock got his dungarees on back to front???...Lets get the ball on the deck here...Akq Stottin are 150% anti-nazi, anti-fascist, anti-racist and anti-b****d anything that has the slightest stench of right-wing bullshit about it!...The mere fact that race, religion, sexuality is actually an issue with anybody in todays society is beyond my comprehension, as is the fact that a knuckle-dragging numpty could actually stand and watch somebody performing Rage Against the Machine numbers and then suggest that they maybe right-wing...two more brain cells this kid could've been a dishcloth!...Joking aside if this clown want to make remarks of this nature about myself or any other member of Akq Stottin, please, make yourself known to me at the next gig so I can perform my newly perfected semi-naked flying skull-butt on you...you oxygen thief!!!....
Anyways...keep up the good work riffs much thanks for your continued support..
peace and love Marti

Hi Riffs,
I know its a while since the Force played at the Crescent club in Cullercoats (12th march) but I just want to add my two penny worth about the place they played.
I had never been to the club before the gig, even though I only live up the road, I always considered it to be a bingo type club. How wrong I was and what a great place for a regular band venue.
It has easy transport access, (metro, buses, car) A good size room, fair sized stage, well organised staff, quality decor and most of all cheap tasty beer.
The layout in the concert room means everyone has a great unobscured view of the stage (no pillars). Plus the bar and bogs are out of the way at the back of the room, so nobody passes the band when they are playing and the sound acoustics are better than your average concert venue. Only down side is the hump upstairs for the roadies.
Having said that, if the Force can get their gear in anybody can. They went down a storm as usual and pulled in a decent crowd for a first time visit to what could be a new midweek music gig.
I would suggest a few other bands give the place a ring and get a few gigs booked, especially with so many good places closing down these days.
Les
www.newcastlecityriders.org
k8skis@supanet.com

Hi Riffs,
Just wanted to add to the comments on support bands. We always try to put a second band on at The Rawmones gigs. (Partly inspired by Riffs review of us last year). It makes a better show for the punters, and we enjoy watching the other band anyway so it feels like you've had a bit more of a night out yourself :) And now we've made lots of new mates from the Symptoms, The Creepers, The Slack Rats, AstroChimp, Voodoo Nation etc etc (sorry if I
missed anyone out).
I think it probably works better for tribute bands than covers bands though...
Billy Rawmone

Alreet Riffs,
On the subject of support bands. I would totally agree the established bands should try to give a 'leg up' to the young up and coming bands wherever possible.
It is a policy The Source have practised for some time now. We have played several gigs with The Demountables, The Hostage Rescue Team, Union Divided, (also Mick Arnell on numerous occasions) as support. It gives them a chance of playing to a good crowd, through a decent p.a. and garners them a load of experience as well.
I think it's refreshing to see some hungry younger artists with new ideas and tunes out there playing. I know I'd much rather have one of these innovative young bands on than a dozen middle of the road, trad rock bands that are stifling true growth of our pub scene.
Let me know what you think.
Peace,
Alan Ruddell. The Source.

Totally agree with Mark (The Reet hot chilli peppers) last letter, great view and totally agree, we The Fallen have been together for around 4 years and have established ourselves within the Teesside area as a good live band, But I must make the point that if it was not for bands like Limehouse lizzy who we have supported a couple of times, The Quireboys and Bryan Adams experience to name but a couple, that have given us support slots which have helped us build our confidence as a band and help build or reputation in Teesside.
It is difficult to gain new gigs, when not known as we are finding when trying to break up in the North east, we have now had many young bands and mature men who are starting new bands who have supported ourselves and have are been very great full for the experience. There are a lot of great young bands out there rough justice sticks out in mind as one of the best, Madison fallout again another good band.
We need to bring the new talent through, and give more bands more chance to progress….Thanks for reading my rant.
Stephen The Fallen

HI NIGE & VAL
Right before I start I will apologise for my inane ramblings and probably the bad spelling/grammar as I am writing this at work and its really easy to get distracted by the pest of a boss I have... anyways.
What's your opinions on Support bands?
We (The Reet Hot Chili Peppers) have just took on a gig at The Grange in Sunderland (no pimp intended) and have got the lads from Young band Apex to support us. Now admittedly we are having them supporting us cos we have took this gig at fairly short notice and before we our first full length gig, but it got me thinking... dangerous, I know.
Apex were on at The Ropery when we are on and yeah there's rough edges to them, but they are still very young and have great potential if they get out there and gig. Speaking to Bobby at the Ropery he is a really canny lad and has the attitude of "look, I am not bothered about making loads of cash - if you ever need a support slot we will gladly do it to get our names out there"
Now this got me thinking - there are a lot of young bands out there who are struggling to get venues to give them a gig because they have not heard of them or anyone in the band. On that basis, should it not be the duty of the more established bands out there to help these young lads get started? I am the first to admit that when I was ringing places for gigs it was so much easier that I could say we had the bassist from Bessie and the Zinc Buckets and the drummer from The Rawmones... The Scene can be viewed as being terribly cliquey, venues as much as anyone.. they will book a new band that hasn't rehearsed yet rather than a young band that is already gigging on the basis they know of peoples previous bands.
When Vertigo did Steels we had the Whodlums support us... at the time they were fairly new and were trying to get a gig at Steels themselves... worked well on both fronts as they dragged a canny few people with them, these young bands are the same.. book them for a support and they will drag a load of people they know along with them?
The thing of support slots seems to be a regular thing with the punk bands and works well for them, now yes for most bands you don't want to shorten your show but would imagine most bands are like us and you like to get there at 7 anyway and then end up sitting around after setting up til 9pm anyway. Why couldn't the gig start earlier with a support slot?
anyway, may not make sense to me but when playing some places it would make sense to me to help these young lads out.. you never know if it works and packs out bars it may be beneficial to bars, us, them, everyone...
Mark

hi riffs.
heard a comment about AKQ Stottin' singer marty making nazi salutes at the three tuns gig last saturday.. ABSOLUTE BOLLOCKS! marty is not a nazi and we are f**king far from a racist band.. i'm not the type to write letters and that but this has so pissed me off, i had to say something.. thanks to all who turned up at the tuns gig and made it a good night.. and to the guy who made these comments, think again pal...
GAS

Can John or one of the lads from Freeway contact Paul at the Three Tuns on 07940715824 or paul@justviziting.com as there appears to be some confusion over a future gig and the Freeway website is out of action at present. I have Saturday 23rd August as the booked date but apparently the guys believe it's Friday 22nd. I hope we can sort this out without too many problems as it's been far too long since this excellent band played the Tuns. I know why this confusion has happened and I take full responsibility but we have 4 months to put it right. I recently made a mess of a booking with The Dusty Tools and I think I better get a secretary. Incidentally the Dusty Tools will be playing plenty gigs at The Three Tuns in the very near future so check out the gig guides. Very briefly can I say that I caught Molotov Dragons at The Office on Friday and once these guys grow in confidence they're gonna be a welcome addition to the finest north east pub bands circuit. They have a very good band about to break out I reckon. Also it was excellent to see a venue supported by so many bands in the crowd, the atmosphere was great although it must have been intimidating for Micky Luv and his men to be playing to some of the regions finest. Finally it's here at last that's STAN I mean, can't wait...............

hi alan from the innisfree club in longbenton here we are still taking bookings for bands on a saturday night my email address is alanlsmith@hotmail.com. we are not having any acts on a sunday night anymore thanks

Hiya Nige.
Could you please convey our thanks through Riffs for the amazing turnout at the star last night (fri)The audience were absolutely fantastic.It really felt like what Newcastle is all about,and a special thanks to all the good people of Allendale who made the trek,you certainly know how to party.
thanks Dave F.M.

MARCH
Just to let everyone know, Tony has moved on from the Lord Nelson, Stockton and the no more bands will be playing under the new management. Another good venue lost...........regards, Mick.

The Duke of Cumberland,Felling has recently been taken over by local lad Steve. He was left no
info by previous manager Ian as to who/what bands were booked so wishes to let all the bands
know that anything booked by Ian (or Terry Gorman) is cancelled. Steve has asked me to help him
out with booking the bands in future and I will be endeavouring to start regular Friday rock
nights with well established bands from May onwards. The long term plan is to return the Duke
back to two rooms i.e. music lounge/bar. Obviously these things don't happen overnight but
hopefully with luck we can restore the Duke to it's former glory. Any bands wanting
further info can email me on info@powerage1.com but please be aware that recent policy
of simply booking any band for any night is now history and I am looking to use well
established/popular bands as much as possible in future. The only surviving gig is
that of Robot Elvis this Saturday 29th March which with the reputation of Baz Warne
and cohorts Jos and Baz should hopefully be a really good one.
All the best Mick Conroy

Our apologies go out to O'Gradys and anyone who was planning to come along tonight. Unfortunately Higgy is still not well enough to play so we have had to cancel the gig. Our thanks to Young Guns for stepping in at short notice to fill the slot. Hopefully we will be back to full strength for the next one at the Guidepost, Ryhope! (Rough Justice)
Cheers!
Angie

Just to let everyone know, Tony has moved on from the Lord Nelson, Stockton and the no more bands will be playing under the new management. Another good venue lost...........
regards, Mick.

Hi Maddog Mick,
relating to your letter back in Feb, I find myself in exactly the same situation, a cracking concert room crying out for live bands, been trying to achieve the same since joining the committee at Cullercoats Crescent Club, sometimes successful sometimes not, if you fancy a bit crack n a pint sometime let me know, ( sdunn5@btinternet.com ) it could lead to broader discussions involving the bands themselves.
Keep up your good work cheers Steve.

Went to see the Force at sleepers on Easter Sunday and all I can say was Pure Class that’s the only way to describe the bands performance. There was a full house and a great atmosphere before and during the bands performance which always adds to having a great night. The sound was top draw and a good lightshow to go with it makes it even better. All the songs were played with such skill and enthusiasm during both sets and also the set selection was great. It’s nice also to see the 2 guitarists taking on lead vocals well done lads to you all and your crew.
Cheers Jon.

Hi,
Does anyone have a new telephone number for the Duke of Cumberland, Felling?
I've heard stories of gigs being moved and postponed, and I'm trying to confirm an April date, but the old phone (0191 4200568) seems to have been disconnected.
Cheers,
Tony, Skint

Have been asked if any band can play a weeding at Aycliffe Club on Saturday 6th September. They will pay up to 250 quid and want someone who can do a mix of songs, including some Bon Jovi!
If you think you fit the bill Give Debbie a ring on : 07514695591
Cheers
Scooby

Hi,
can I please pay tribute to all the guys of the Force following their performance on Wednesday evening the 12th of March at Cullercoats Crescent Club, they were absolutely fantastic and their talent and professionalism was appreciated by all it was like stepping back into the Mayfair just awesome.
many thanks
Steve

Would all bands who played at Rocketfest 4 please check their vans/cars etc. Someone may have inadvertently picked up a black holdall belonging to me which has all my leads and pedals in.
Contents:
Morley Bad Horsie
Boss DD3
Shure SM58
Peavey mic
Shure Unidir mic
Guitar leads
Mic Leads
Mains leads
Speaker leads
Motorola phone charger
Ernie Ball guitar strings
and probably a few other bits and pieces.
Your help in getting this back to me would be much appreciated.
Thanks Jeff Grant Tommy and The Oddballs
email oddballinfo@yahoo.co.uk

Hi Nige and Val,
Just like to say a big thank you for the support and help you have shown the band over the last 12 months,our Birthday Bash at the Market Taven was a fantastic night.We would also like to thank the Mangement,staff and all the customer of the Market Tavern for always making us feel so welcome and it was a great way to celebrate our first year together,and many more to come.
Spartan

I've just started up a new band and we are looking for somewhere in South Tyneside to rehearse (rehearsal rooms, community centres, school halls - anywhere really!). We don't need anywhere with a PA - just somewhere half decent size that's close by.
Rich
leesy@beethoven9.freeserve.co.uk.

On behalf of the band I would like to thank Anne,the staff and the punters who took the trouble to come and see us at The Derwentside in Consett on Saturday March 1st.A nice place to play with an appreciative audience and a landlady and crew dedicated to bringing good bands ( The Force are on next week)to the area.We will be back in May for more fun and frivolity and look forward to playing the Duke of Cumberland in Gateshead this Saturday (8th).Check us out on www.thismachine.co.uk or via the "bands websites" link on riffs.
Keep Smilin!!!!
Norm (This Machine)

Hi All at Hi All at Rifffs, Here a some new gigs
21st March ( good Fridy so early bar 10.30pm ) The Roosters £1. Cover Charge litle room
plus were have bands on every Friday till the end of the year so would like to thanx everybody who has turn out to help this become a great live rock music venue.
15th Aug Cover Charge £2.00 and 14th Nov Cover Charge £2.00 both dates are Witchkarft the november one is also Maddog's Birthday so get there sharp as it should be a full one
Cheers Maddog
,
We have bands on every Friday till the end of the year so would like to thanx everybody who has turn out to help this become a great live rock music venue.
15th Aug Cover Charge £2.00 and 14th Nov Cover Charge £2.00 both dates are Witchkarft the november one is also Maddog's Birthday so get there sharp as it should be a full one
Cheers Maddog

hi nige,
in response to the caroline it is shut down and has been since around october...apparently the brewery hiked the rates up so the landlord left quickly...hope this is of use....
mick/the kicks

Hiya Nige,
Through your site, could you please convey our thanks to all the folk who turned out last night at the Wardley British Legion,it was truly amazing, bearing in mind ,the weather conditions.Once again, thanks ,It is really good to see clubs like this promote live rock music and we really appreciate people like Mad dog Mick for his perseverance to help make these nights a success,The past couple of weeks i have watched people like Colin Smoult .Mad Dog Mick,The guys who are running Rockfest ,all unselfishly give up their own time to organise these events,You guys are the unseen hero,s,I know Mick is organising a charity event in June for Alan Robsons children care society and it deserves big support,as do ,all these type of events, Take a bow ,guys ,you deserve it
Dave F.M.

Hello, I wonder if anyone can give me a telephone number for any of the following three bands,
The Brew
The Rattlers
Rebels of the Flesh
These are all bands I'm keen on booking but as yet have been unable to contact. I'd appreciate any help to paul@justviziting.com

FEBRUARY

Hi Riffs
Can anyone help ref The Caroline at Houghton-le-Spring. I am trying to contact to confirm a gig but the Tel Number I have is not Recognised ???. This may support the muso grape vine Info that it has stopped bands. ( Please don't tell me this is Old News )
Graham.
Bazooka Joe.

Hi All
just like to put my bit in here about clubs n bands.
Well if anyone has been to the Wardley Rock Nite on a Friday, they'll tell you, that for one thing it's not ya normal club nite, No Bingo for starts and no club turns, Just good bands playing good loud Rock, As for price well the club helps with the bands cost but we / i have to try and pay as much as we can from the Night and if anyone thinks you can pay for a band, room , barstaff etc from £1.00 to £2.00 on the door and a few blind cards etc, when your getting around 40 to 80 people in, even at £150 for the band you sometime don't cover the cost of the band let alone anything else. I had to join the committee to get them to put bands on, on a Friday, which was a dead night about 20 people in the whole club and if i can give other rock fan / live music fan another venue to see a band be it in a club or a pub then i will try my best and if the best bands ( IMO ) are on the pub scene then there the bands i know i want and most of the people who come to the Wardley Rock Nite want.
But this is just ME.
Maddog Mick

Hi Riffs,
Just like to add my side of the argument regarding band fee's from club's. I book the bands at Steels and whilst we do still take some bookings through the agent the majority of Friday night bands that we book are now what most people call pub bands. The fee that we pay the bands depends on what kind of reputation the band has, obviously a bigger name demands a bigger fee and in that respect we expect a better turnout so everybody is happy. As far as the figure of £800 in concerned I'm certain that there are only two occasions when Steels have paid that fee and that was for two double headers which were both a success and for which the entrance fee was £2, however as anyone who has visited Steels will know the cover charge is always £1 so when you consider that a really good night might see something like 250 people in the room the club still has to pull out to cover the cost of most band fee's. As far as Scott's comments are concerned regarding being privileged to see the books of some clubs and that there is a healthy profit to be made I must disagree, when overhead are taken into account there is very little room for profit, with beers and largers from as little as £1.40 we certainly can't be accused of ripping off the punters and I would like to think that most bands are happy with the fee they get from Steels.
Cheers Arthur, Steels Club.

I agree with Dave re clubs charging £500+ for bands. I've had the priveledge of seeing books of some clubs (some
actually publish them for members) and I know that there is a large potential to make a good profit when having
bands on.
Most clubs I've played in easily hold and populate 200+ on a regular basis, A lot charge a minimum £2 entry fee and
profit on an average nightly customer is about £5-7. Then there is the profit made on bingo, key to the box,
sandwiches and hot food and assorted football cards and raffles. At the end of the day its the size of venue which
is a major deciding factor. A lot of pubs can not comfortably hold 100+, certainly not all with a good view of the
band so if you have 200+ paying punters in a club you can expect to pay a great deal more for the band.
I have nothing but admiration for pub bands but having chavs trample all over your gear spilling beer all over the
place means in general you may not want to splash out on top spec gear (this is not an assumption, i've been there
and seen it with other bands on several occasions). If you're using a smaller P.A. and are sometimes using cheaper
equipment in case of damage you can afford to play for less. I'm not saying all bands do this, seeing someone take
a Gibson Les Paul into a rough pub makes me quiver. Playing in clubs gives you a dedicated stage on which to
perform and you can plough the extra money made into good quality gear (P.A. lights, multicore, mixing desk etc etc)
to make the visual and audio performance that little bit better.
The main expense club bands faces are 20-25% agency fees, a lot of people (me included before i joined a club band)
did not realise how big a fee agents received. For a £500 gig you may only see £375 of that, by the time you pay a
soundman and or lighting guy the profits are not that handsome, so while £800 sounds a lot, try taking a look at
the till roll after a busy Saturday night at a club, you'd be surprised........
Scott

Is there a band out there who play well known songs not necessarily too heavy ( I had in mind The Glammed but I think they're busy ) who'd like to play at Springs in Lowfell on Saturday 29th March ? I have told them the fee will be approximately £200 and the band would be guaranteed a large appreciative audience. It's a really nice venue actually and they look after bands really well. Let me know at paul@justviziting.com if you're interested.

Does anyone have a new number for the Royal Tavern in Blyth? Been trying to cancel a gig there for the last few weeks, the number on Riffs (01670 351708) doesn't work.
Jeff
AVATAR

While I appreciate that everybody loves cheap prices, bands accepting £150-200 for club gigs (particularly) are merely feeding the rampant devaluation of music that has been endemic in the UK (and worldwide) for too long.
A band charging £800 in a club environment will have certain expenses that are unavoidable - like the 22.5% + VAT commission their agancy will charge them, the contract hire on the van - could be £600 a month - the upkeep on the PA, Lighting rig, the wages for sound and light guys and so on and so forth. And they're also more likely to be at least semi-professional than hobbyists, if not full-time pros.
Bands undercutting an established payment regime are doing no-one any favours. The live scene is not in a healthy state to begin with (I note another popular (amongst bands) venue night is coming to an end), and a diminution in fees in a circuit which traditionally pays closer to what should be paid needs to be avoided at all costs.
If a venue is budgeting £800, that's great - please let them, and allow those bands who need to charge that to fulfil the gigs.
Regards Dave

Telephone number is 01388765138. Landlord is Pat.
Johna

RE: the fleece crook
has anyone got the tel number for the golden fleece in crook..tried ringing to go and see a band and try ringing to try and book our band with no luck.no ones going to make a journey if the band is not on , .and bands cant play there if there is no number! if venues start getting bands on and has been taking over it would be good for them to put on riifs there contact details or no one is going to know !! just a thought..
carrie_s

Hi Everyone!
I went to catch up with my old bandmates from 20 yrs ago ("Six of the best") at the hastings hill pub in Sunderland.They are are now playing under the name "The Dusty tools" along with Johnna & Pete from "Deek the juice".I travelled up from Middlesbrough expecting a good show & wasnt dissappointed !..They sound as fresh as they did 20 yrs ago!..The sound system was absolutely impeccable to say the least & the variety of songs covered would please any punter anywhere!..I can see this band being booked fairly rapidly at most venues in the N/east..great players & all round nice people.I aint gonna leave it another 20 yrs thats for sure.I just hope they don't end up back on the club circuit as seeing them in a pub enviropment really suited the closeness of the show etc.....They come highly recommended!
Cheers
Mac (ex six of the best)

Just like to make bands and live music fans aware of a little gem called The Golden Fleece (know locally as the Fleece) in Crook. Pat the manager/landlord took over recently and is trying to get this newish venue off the ground with live music, and it really needs everyones support to make it the success that it deserves to be. Cracking little venue with music loving (alreet Bob!, hello Mrs Rock!) punters, and a smashing landlord too - what more could we as bands ask for? Get down and check it out for yourselves if you are in the area. Best of luck Pat, hope it takes off for you.
Johna

After a good argument last night with a friend, I've been tasked by him to find some decent local bands in the North East for our club that play cover songs that everyone knows.You know the sort, all the cheesy songs everyone knows like Smoke On The Water, All Right Now etc.
The argument came about that he insists on spending up to £800 for an agency band, whereas I tried to explain that there are loads of great local bands doing that sort of entertainment for as little as £150 to £250.
So, before I go around scouting these bands out in the hope I'd come across a decent one I thought I'd ask you if you knew any which could get me started.
Any help would be much appreciated.
Regards, Daniel Allsopp danielallsopp@hotmail.com

Hi Val and Nige,
Here's an update from The Paul Rodgers Story. After our debut gig at The Causeway in Hartlepool, which has a friendly and appreciative audience and is well worth a visit, we're about to get stuck into our next run of gigs. So far we've had some positive interest and have been asked to do some great venues and we've been lucky enough to land a cancellation slot at The Grand Hotel in Bishop Auckland on Sat.1st March. We've heard good things about this gig and hope to have a great night there and make some new friends. 2 weeks later and we're at the prestigious Washington FC on the 15th and are looking forward to stretching out on the big stage. Hope to see you there. In the coming months we're looking forward to playing at The Arts Centre in Darlington ( thanks to Mike Prendergast) and in the Summer we're on the bill at "Rock the lass" The Yorkshire Lass in New Marske. There are also a few other regular venues on the list. Please check our website for the full gig list and remember to check with the venue before travelling.
www.thepaulrodgersstory.com
Thanks, Paul

Electrical problems in places of entertainment............there has been for years the need for venues who put on live bands, etc.; to have an annual electrical inspection and it was compulsory.
However a couple of years back local councils stopped insisting that this should be done and certificated by a qualified (competent person), and have seemed to have let things slip into the dark ages (well it would be if the lights went out).
But seriously over the years a number of musicians have been badly hurt and even killed whilst performing on stage, it is not always the fault of the venues installation, remember your amps should be checked from time to time for any damage to leads, etc.; get them PAT tested.
Even so it is the responsibility of the venue to ensure your safety..........30ma RCD protection should be provided to any socket outlet that could be used by the artistes and checked at regular intervals preferably before each performance. If a fire alarm is fitted, then a music cut-out should be incorporated into the system for obvious reasons. I am sure that most venues will have this set up, I spent eight years carrying out PEL(public entertainment licence) tests in various parts of the UK, and most venues comply, I am not saying that the venue mentioned on this page did not, I am sure it will have. This just might highlight the dangers you can face and the care you must take.
Mick.

I was sent an email containing some threads of a message board today complaining of problems with the electricity at The Three Tuns. I want all bands to know how seriously I treat this. I must point out that no-one on Sunday mentioned it to me or I would have immediately pulled the show. I have today instructed John Cullertons electricians to do a full inspection of all the stage area electrics and rectify any potential problems. They will also be leaving a certificate describing the condition of it all before leaving the premises and no-one at all will use any equipment until this situation has been rectified. I totally appreciate how important this is and any bands playing the Tuns from this weekend will know that all these works have been done and inspected and a sign asking anyone who notices anything even slightly suspect to inform me immediately.....I'm grateful for this email but slightly disappointed that no-one thought to mention this to me although I did wrongly email Nick of The Slack Rats and suggest it may have been involved with his equipment when I understood the problem was with guitar strings. A simple case of it being wrongly reported to me. The problem is one for me to deal with and it will be dealt with today and I apologise to the guys on Sunday who put on a great show in what must have been difficult circumstances...
Paul, Three Tuns

touche...
when i said i wasn't bothered whether anyone liked myspace or not...what i really meant was
"can you please elaborate...your initial letter didn't contain enough information"
i now have a much better understanding of "myspace"s many shortcomings and have re-evaluated my opinions accordingly
paul six nowt
ps
oddly enough...since i signed up to myspace i've been bombarded with emails for hair restorer...

Ok so I was being a bit over the top moaning about Myspace and perhaps it's me getting it wrong (probably is) but my experience is and has always been that it is a very difficult site to negotiate. I wasn't even hinting that it effects my booking decisions (I normally use email or telephone) I was just heartened to read someone else on this planet felt like I do. To go on a bit, why for instance do you have to type in an almost indecipherable list of jumbled numbers and letters in order to send a message? and even if you're lucky enough to guess it right it often says you must do it again. Why do bands with Myspace websites invariably fail to respond to messages about gigs and why does this website insist on occasions (as in my continual and to this point unsuccessful efforts to book "Rebels of the Flesh") in making me join the friends of.....to even contact them in the first place? Why is it that since signing up for a Myspace account I have been bombarded with emails for sex products and constantly pestered by weird sounding people from all over the globe and finally why is it that their help site singularly fails to respond to any request for assistance. Now I'm sure some, no most of you have found Myspace a good thing as witnessed by these pages and some again couldn't care less but it's right surely to be able to spout off occasionally and I'm certainly under no illusions that my opinion has any value, I JUST HATE BLOODY MYSPACE.

I must write to disagree with Paul's thoughts on myspace.
If used correctly, myspace provides a valuable link for bands and promoters alike. Not only does it give you a taste of what the bands look and sound like but you can, in most cases, find out a lot of relevant information. Most promoters agree that any band with over 10,000 hits should be considered.
The majority of bands that use the site tend to be young 16-25 year olds. In most cases they are not a 'Pub circuit cover band.' Most are young bands who post their own work, on the site, for all to hear. Myspace provides a valuable service for these bands to network and find gigs. Yes, there is some dross out there but the same can be said about a lot of things, so please don't be so quick to dismiss it.
For instance. Check out this very young band. www.myspace.com/iithesignsii I think you will agree youngster like this need encouraging. These kids are only 14! Where else would they be able to promote themselves if we did not have myspace? It's not all Bad!
Cheers Marty C

Got to say I disagree with Paul's comments about myspace, and a great web site doesn't mean there's a great band behind it .... ; )
I like it from a musicians point of view, my personal one helps me keep in touch with other musicians I've met over the years on various forums etc and introduces me to new ones too. Through myspace I've been invited to take part in online jams and recordings from all corners of the world, chances of that happening from someone stumbling across my web site had I had one would be pretty slim.
The band one i set up because it was quicker and cheaper than getting someone to set one up, it's had nearly 2,000 hits in just 14 days so it must be ok. Folk are emailing me through it and joining up as friends so it's quite positive for me. To set up a good web site takes time as I already mentioned, this way folk can see what gigs we have immediately and it can be updated without relying on anyone else.
Again, for us it's more than ok at this present time, after all a web site is only as good as the person updating it. Look how many Riffs pull because they aren't being kept up to date, look how many shit bands have fantastic web sites and look how many great bands have naff ones.
Each to their own ; )
AINSLEY WILLS
Slip of the Tongue

riffs
can i just say how not bothered i am whether anyone likes "myspace" or not...it's free...and it's use isn't compulsory...incidentally...i don't like dogshit,phlegm or drizzle
anybody else out there not like anything ?
paul six nowt
ps
...keep music fascinating...

Can I just say how heartened I was to hear Dave from diablo call Myspace a "crock of sh*t". It is an absolutely dreadful service and bands using it as their website just turns me off straight away.
Paul Three Tuns

Hi ,
Just like to Thank Nikki , Rob ,Scott and all the staff that made us feel so welcome at Nikhs Bar in Blyth on 16/02/08.What can we say except it's a great venue and we wish you all the best in the future with a place that's as great to play as well as attend.We were met on arrival by Nikki ,who welcomed us and pointed us in the right direction to set up, we had just started to unload the gear when we met Rob and true to all other letters featured on Riffs ran up the stairs lugging gear like a Spartan.We had just got the last of the stuff out of the van when Scott introduce himself to us and asked if we had any nusical requsets he could stick on for us as we set up.Nikhs have got it all right, they care about music and it shows , fantastic venue and we can't wait for our return visit on the 21st of June .See you all there.
Gazza , Kev , Mick & Phil (SPARTAN)
We have just played on saturday night at Nikki's Bar in Blyth and we just want to let Riffs know how well we were treat. We turned up at the venue and were offered help in with our gear, we were then offered a free round of drinks, we were then offered our choice of music on the house disco system, we were then kindly told that when we sound checked the house music would be turned off, we were shown to a hospitality area which consisted of soft chairs and tables, at the end of the night we were helped back out with our gear and were treated as rock gods by the staff. Its is not often that you turn up to a venue and get this sort of help and hospitality and it was a real pleasure to play a venue such as this. Could you pleae express our thanks to the staff at Nikki's Bar and let any other bands know that this is definatly one of the best rock gigs on the circuit.
Thanks
Mick Simpson - Spartan

Hi Riffs,
Just an email for your letters page.
I would just like to wish my good mate Mick Blenkinsop and his mates Graig and Gareth all the very best for their trip to Morroco to raise money for the Great North Air Ambulance Helicopters,
Hope they raise massive amounts this weekend at Crook Football Club, have fun if you go along and take plenty of money !!!
Keith. Next Pistols.

Hi All,
Does anyone have the new contact number for The Lord Nelson, at Stockton? I believe that they've got a new manager in. Also, the contact number for The Victoria, at Saltburn seems to have changed too. Anyone know the new numbers?
Many thanks,
Bri (The Rogues.)

Hi Paul (Mystery Machine)
The Travellers Rest number I had a month ago was 01207 271448 but they did say the famous "ring back in 6 weeks you'll definitely get a gig then, there is a management change". Which is semi-pro rock's equivalent, to a football chairman saying "We stand behind our manager 100%, his job is safe"!!! By the way, tried to email you through the dreaded MySpace but failed. God, I hate that website. What a crock of sh*t! Can Riffs not buy it it and do it properly?
Dave Drums Diablo x

Hi ,
Just a quick note to tell you that there will be a great gig at Crook Town Football Club over the Bank Holiday on March 23rd, featuring Spartan , Skinflint and headlined by Sticky Fingers the event is to kick off at 4pm.
For more details see the link below.
http://www.crooktownafc.co.uk/Events.htm
http://www.stickyfingers.org.uk/index.htm
http://www.skinflintonline.co.uk/
http://www.spartan-rock.com/
Cheers Gazza

Hi
Been trying to contact The Travellers Rest Burnhopefield, the number on the Riffs venue listing is dead. Does anyone have contact deatils and know if they are still hosting bands, we are due to play there this Saturday.
Paul (The Mystery Machine)

Hi,
My name is Ian Wilson and I am General Manager of the Magnesia Bank in North Shields. I have been recommended to visit your website by one or two bands so have had a good look round and am very impressed ! I wasn’t aware that such a great asset to local bands existed ! I noticed that the new contract put in place by Richard at the Magnesia Bank was mentioned once or twice. If you have any questions regarding this I am more than happy to fill you in. On that subject, we have been using the arrangement for the last 6 weeks or so and happily only once has the band been paid less than they would normally ask for. It has a number of benefits, one of the main ones is that the bands promote themselves more so therefore, more people turn up, therefore we take more, therefore the bands earn more ! Win Win Win ! Bands promoting themselves is one of the bigger issues we have had to tackle, most bands are great sending posters and advertising on websites etc but there are a few that complain that their posters cost too much to produce so won’t supply them. Consequently they end up playing in front of a half full pub but not taking half their fee. The ‘Maggie’ has a long history of supporting and featuring many many local bands, usually 3 times a week, and we would love this to continue. You just need to take a look around to see the number of venues that are stopping live music and we don’t want to join that list so we had to get costs under control. The idea is still on a trial basis but now that bands have seen it work and that they can earn more by sharing the risk it looks it might be in for the long term. I have added our gig list for the next few weeks in the hope it may be of interest . We have rehearsal facilities available above the pub in the Bank Suite which we allow bands to use free of charge for the moment.I wish everyone well and hope we can continue entertaining the North East for many years to come.
Best Regards,
Ian Wilson,
The Magnesia Bank.

Hi Riffs,
Betty Rogers is without doubt the most exciting front person in rock music today in my humble opinion. I loved Original Sin and have booked Bullet accordingly but I just have to book Betty's new band Rebels of the Flesh as reported on Riffs. They look like the kind of band my customers will love and I hope they will contact me about a prospective date on 07940715824.
Paul Three Tuns Gateshead.

sorry for the delay but we had drums for clowns on Saturday a local ban with just 3 members.
there was a good turnout but these guys are awesome played a good selection of there own stuff and a few covers in the second spot very well put together. I would advise any venue to give them ago cheers lads keep in touch.
regards Decka

I went to the Grand in Bishop Auckland last night and witnessed what must be The Pistoleros best ever performance for the venue. The changed their set slightly and put in a fantastic performance. whatever the frontman had in his roll ups I want some - he was awesome. They finished the first set with the usual hypnotic cover of Kashmir and the only complaint I have is that they didn't play Powderfinger. More Neil Young please.
Alan Walton

Hi Riffs,
Just a couple of words, firstly to say a big thanks to the drummers who have dep't with The Mystery Machine the past few giggs.
Firstly big Mick from 'Many More' who did a sterling job at The Guidepost Ryhope last Friday, and then young Llloyd from 'The Zoo' who was superb at The Bebside, Blyth last Saturday, two great lads who give 100%.
I would also like to say how much I enjoyed the crowd at The Bebside, people who really know their music, & fans of Riffs too! Really looking forward to going back to The Bebside, great place, great people.
Finally The Mystrey Machine will be performing with their new drummer Bary (formerly The Russ Hird Band), from this weekend, & good luck to our old drummer Chris who has decided to pursue other interests.
Keep up the good work riffs.
Paul Robinson (The Mystery Machine)

Witnessed the DUSTY TOOLS 3rd gig last night (sat 9th feb) at a packed out Hastings Hill pub. These lads are 50% Deek the Juice and 50% Six of the best. Jona(lead vocals and bass)Rob (guitar and vocals)Pete (guitar sax vocals)Cliff (drums vocals) Top notch musicians. The pa quality was top drawer. The vocals cut through as they should complimenting some fantastic harmonising. Jona informs me they are lookin for gigs, well after last nights perfomance I don't think they'll have long to wait
it was an excellent perfomance by 4 excellent musicians. Personal favourites were Mellencamp,Fleetwood Mac,Del Amitri, Men at Work,Eagles,Crowded House to name a few but take from me all the songs these lads did were great.So go and check em out and any venues out there reading this book them you won't be disappointed.
Good luck lads and hope to see you again very soon.
Thanks Steve (OLD CODGER)

Hi Val & Nige,

You know it's just excellent that we have Riffs as a platform for communication between bands. I felt heartily sorry for The Kicks' lads and their experience at The Bensham Jockey. Last month it was Feed The Bear at Luma; Diablo had a wasted journey to Murton a while back - the stories are endless. 100 miles or more wasted time; costs of fuel and maybe PA hire; wasted journeys for band supporters and, though no fault of our own, loss of face for the bands - 'cos we all know the pubs will be telling punters the entire opposite story that they told the bands! It will be our fault somehow! It's a disgrace, and as I said, it's thanks to platforms like Riffs that we can air our grievances and hopefully stop other bands from wasting their time. I'm sure all bands do it, but we have to put a rider on our gig lists and website to forewarn fans as well - DIABLO's is "If you are travelling a distance, PLEASE check with the venue. Sometimes shows are cancelled at the last minute through no fault of the band, and we should hate you to have a wasted journey." With unproven venues or where there is sniff of doubt, the bands should also ring a couple of hours before they set off. Also, if like Diablo, it's a case of four separate cars, make sure
everybody's mobile phone is working to then at least the first one arriving to the bad news can tell the other guys to turn back and save something. The other thing to try if we are standing there with egg on our faces, is to have a knowledge of the other pubs in the vicinity. Then do a quick run round them and see if they'd like a band for the night - even at half fee, and that at least gets the expenses and petrol money back.
Dave Drums Diablo xx

Hi Riffs,
Many many bands play at O'Grady's in Redcar & often you feature articles on your great mag regarding the pub in question.Tonight in the Middlesbrough Evening gazette i was saddened to hear of the passing of a lovely man called Norman Bushby.I know that a lot of the bands on Riffs will know Norman as he was the doorman on O'gradys for years.Lovely fella who as always polite & courteous to all & sundry.The man was THE gentle giant who always took time out to speak to me & the lads in SPIKE whenever we played there.It's such a sad loss for Redcar in general & O'Gradys.The Gazette has done a big article on Norman & we would be grateful if any bands that are on here could leave a little message of condolensce in the gazette.The link is here I'm sure that people will recognise Norman as soon as they open the link....Lovely man with a big heart.
Thanks
Mac (ex Spike)

hi riffs,
just a warning to any bands playing the bensham jockey gateshead as there is new management and bands are now only on one night per month.and last night wasnt it..played there a few times without problem previously...
we found this out last night after turning up and after our singer unloading half the gear to be told that theres no band on.one happy man.re loads van.rest of band arrive with encore of ITS CANCELLED...! reply in stereo F--- OFF..............sure youve been there....
apologies to those who turned up to watch as we were left to explain that we wouldnt be playing to their disappointment.apparently the pub had tried to contact us via website and those little things called telephones which amazingly all have answerphones as its 2008,but alas no messages or e-mails received by us..yes we should have rang which we often do but on this occasion didnt.....
so please check with venues and if youre booked here check your booking......
just a note to some landlords here that yes its tough when bands cancel and its your business but at least we take the time to ring you to cancel when occasionally we have to....WE ALL HAVE FULL TIME JOBS/WIVES/CHILDREN/FAMILIES/COMMITMENTS ,gigs are booked a year in advance as you know things happen and are occasionally avoidable....
SO THANKS AGAIN TO THE BENSHAM JOCKEY .
FROM THE KICKS ,(just calculated between us a round trip of over 100 miles,(3 vehicles due to geography)petrol prices etc,out of pocket,out of fettle with our partners who by the time we get home tell us its too late to do anything ,which it is ......
AND YET WE STILL CARRY ON DOING THIS AND WILL TURN UP AT SMUGGLERS IN SUNDERLAND WITH OUR BUCKETS AND SPADES,TOMORROW NIGHT......but i will ring paul first ....

Hi guys, ive just this minute got back from the bensham jockey finding out that they've cancelled our gig - telling us just as we walked through the door! 'Oh we tried to contact you, but there was no number on your website, but we sent you an email' - bloody nonsense! we've not had any email. Anyway she went on; the pub has changed hands, the brewery only wants bands on once a month, blah blah blah...
So i'd just like to put an apology out to those who turned up to watch us play, and had to go away dissapointed. Hope to see you at another gig soon.
Garren,
The Kicks

Hi Chaps,

Update on the charity event the band held for Macmillan Nurses at the Clavering Club, Dunston on Thursday 7th February.
We would like to thank everyone who supported this event which was held in memory of Christine, one of the bands loyal supporters.
All the prizes kindly donated by local business's and pubs were raffled off, and a pop quiz was held also which helped to make this a cracking night. The final tally for the evening was over £2,700.
A very special thanks to the girls at the Whickham branch of The Halifax who played an absolute blinder on the night, especially Margaret and Paula for all their hard work, and also to The Halifax for their generous donation. The Clavering Club provided the room, including a donation to the fund.
The crowd on the night rose to the occasion, and I think it is fair to say we had a really decent evening. Once again from everyone who participated to make this a special occasion, many, many thanks.
Best regards
Bob, and the rest of Frankies Café

caught Saxon and local band The Brew at the Independant in Sunderland on Wednesday 6th Feb. Both bands played their hearts out but the "punter" turn out was poor. The young guitarist with the Brew is "scary" 18 years old and all that skill. The gig wasn't advertised much, didn't even see it on your gig guide. I know the independant ain't the best venue in Sunderland but its one of the few, don't want to lose another venue in Sunderland due to "punters" not knowing whats on. If you have a venue there is plenty of opportunity for free advertising to bring in the "punters" (riffs and davy's to start with). Thats my whinge over.
attached are a cople of photo's of Saxon from Dave Caslaw
Thanks
Paul T
(well Paul, you're right. If they don't publicise their gigs there is little chance of getting many punters in. Not only would Riffs have pushed the gig if we had known, but we would have attended and took some pics..................)

We (OLD CODGER) Played Easington Lane Club Fri 1st feb
and what a brilliant night it was. Walter and the gang were there as well as a full house of very enthusiastic dancers including the two young girls showing off there stocking tops(brill). overall excellent night can't wait to go back

Hi everybody,
I thought I would drop you a line and let you know of a great venue called Harry's Bar in Thornley, what a great bar, it has recently been renovated to a very high standard.
I called in to see Stevie Fothergill, lead singer of The Zoo playing an acoustic set, Stevie was superb and played a wide variety of songs which were richly appreciated by an almost full venue.
I will be returning most Sunday afternoons if this is the norm, a great afternoons entertainment in nice friendly pub.
Cheers Steve

Hi:
Zep3played Steels to a Full House on Friday 1st, there was a good 2 hours of music played straight through with "no bingo".
Superb musicians were on show with Russ, Colin and Jeff excelling in their "forte". Lights and Sound were to their usual high level and made the gig.
It shows how good you are when other bands turn up to see you play, won't drop any names but they was a few.
Hope to see the band again soon.
Paul, Neen, Zarha, Chris and Jordan

hi any body got t/phone no for electric circus thanks
Bartlett955@aol.com

JANUARY

cheers,
my name is stuart watson and i'm in a band called Custodain who do original prog rock/metal (with some covers) and i thought i'd drop you a line saying well done on promoting live rock/metal when everyone else seems intent on doing blues nights ad nauseum. my band, Custodian, now have a page on myspace with demo songs and info. We recorded the stuff on a laptop with an interface called a guitarport (£50 second hand). i'm normally a complete idiot when it comes to technology but this was relatively easy, even for a klutz like me. i reckon it's pretty damn good considering. I hope things are going well with you. We also update the site regularly with us playing live too. If you fancy a listen please see the attached link/address below. We're looking for gigs now and have a full and varied setlist. If you have any space for gigs or any cancellations then please contact us; we're ready at the drop of a hat. hope you enjoy the demo; we're trying to push the boundaries of metal as far as we can while remaing listenable! cheers, stu
http://www.myspace.com/mycustodian

Alreet Riffs,
What a terrific weekend of live music The Source have been privileged enough to take part in.
First up on Friday was The Durham Ox in Counden. First time we had played there and it`s been roughly 18 months since we were last in Counden, but absolutely spot on. First of all a warm, sincere welcome from the landlord. Nothing was a problem, absolute Gent. Then the gig itself, top class crowd who genuinely appreciated the music and created a great atmosphere. Cheers.
Saturday came and I had been planing to go and see Krisis but unfortunately they had to cancel and I couldn't arrange a replacement band for the night.
Then the Sabbath,with an afternoon visit to the newly re-opened to bands, The Ropery in Sunderland. Obviously a bit of trepidation when there has been no bands on a Sunday for a while, but we needn't have worried as the Sunderland Sourcettes were in mass attendance. A cracking afternoon was had by all. I hope people get behind this venue for Linda Cross, because it is a belter, and lets be honest, who doesn't enjoy a tipple on a Sunday afternoon before returning to the daily drudgery!
We are so lucky in this area, to have pubs, landlords, and most of all, punters who go out of their way to support our scene week in and out.
Gawd bless us one and all!
Cheers,
Alan ( The Source ). Mob: 07837274994

Neil from RELOAD here.We have been informed by Washington Football Club that they are stopping bands on Friday nights. We were due to play there next Friday and had other bookings for later in the year.I think it would be wise for any bands with Friday bookings to check it out. It's a shame if this is true, as Big Davey in particular was always a great supporter of local bands.
Neil

An absolute cracking gig by JUDAS BEAST at The Derwentside, Blackhill on Saturday night - was looking forward to the night from info picked up about the band on RIFFS, however their performance went beyond my expectations. Singer Martins voice was incredible, supported by some superb musicianship from the rest of the band and the sound was spot on..
Even though the crowd was relatively disappointing 30/40, the band give 100%, could not be faulted and put on a great show - my other half, was working behind the bar in the room, not knowing much by Priest, wasn't too sure if she would enjoy her 'shift' , however she thought they were superb (the leather probably helped) and that was the view of regulars like myself (not the leather bit) and a few strangers who I spoke to, who all thought they were outstanding.
A canny bunch of lads provided a thoroughly entertaining night - great stuff.
Mark.

HI JUST TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT THE CONSTITUTIONAL CLUB, PILGRIM STREET, NEWCASTE IS STARTING TO HOLD ROCK NIGHTS
THE MINI MAYFAIR WILL START THIS SATURDAY 2nd FEBUARY AT 8PM TILL 1AM ITS £4 ENTRANCE FEE AS YOU KNOW THE ORIGINAL MAYFAIR IS NO LONGER BUT WAS A GREAT VENUE FOR ROCK NIGHTS AND LIVE BANDS WHO KNOWS IF THIS TAKES OFF.
THEY MIGHT START PUTTING LIVE BANDS ON AS WELL
LETS TRY AND GET SUM SUPORT AND SEE IF WE CAN MAKE ANOTHER GREAT VENUE
REGARDS DECKA

LAST NIGHT WE HAD SKINT EVEN THO THERE WAS A FEW REGULARS MISSING WE STILL HAD A GOOD CROWED AND THE BAND PLAYED
SOME CLASSIC STUFF WITCH I THINK WE ALL ENJOYED. GOOD TO SEE A BAND ENJOYING WHAT THEY DO. SO ON BEHALF OF MYSELF THE BAR STAFF AND THE PUNTERS
THANKS LADS DECKA

ON BEHALF OF FEED THE BEAR WE WOULD LIKE TO SEND HEARTFELT APOLOGIES TO THE PEOPLE WHO TURNED OUT TO SEE US AT LUMA IN SUNDERLAND ON 27/JANUARY.WE TURNED UP AT JUST AFTER 7 TO BE MET BY THE MANAGER WHO TOLD US IT WAS A QUIET DAY AND HE WAS CLOSING THE PUB!WE HAD CONFIRMED THE GIG THE VERY SAME MORNING AND WERE A LITTLE TAKEN ABACK BY THIS.THANKS TO OUR DRIVER PAUL WHO DROVE FROM BLYTH AND BACK FOR NOTHING.ONCE AGAIN SORRY TO OUR FANS THERE WAS NOTHING WE COULD DO.AND TO THE GUY FROM LUMA,A TELEPHONE CALL WOULD HAVE BEEN APPRECIATED AS IT WOULD HAVE SAVED A LOT OF OUR TIME AND MONEY!
cheers
Steve Taylor

First of all , an i say what a superb service Riffs is, we are a couple of dedicated giggers and your site drives our social life, now and then we venture acroos to Cumbria (although the last time was wasted as the gig at the newmarket was cancelled) and we also visit a pub in harrogate we know does live rock, also the borders, the trouble we have and this is not crawling by any means ,its the truth, other areas are just not covered by anything as good as riffs, so do you or any of your community know of any web sites giving good gig guides to areas around us?
PS We can remember when you recorded your hits and it was a couple of thousand, bet its much more now, keep up the good work
paulandbernie@talktalk.net

Hi Val
Just wanted to add our point of view to the mass debate !! We have played gigs booked by Roy for many years at The Clarendon, O’Gradys, and pubs at Whitby and Leeming too ! Roy knows his stuff and has always treated us with the utmost respect. There are not many pubs that give you good pay and free drinks too ! I can only think that something has gone seriously wrong on the night in question. We are often accused of being loud and certainly the acoustics in O’Gradys make the drums seem loud, however we have never been asked to turn down there. If it is a quiet night, the band will seem louder as bodies absorb sound and help to soften sharp edges. Sometimes it is not volume but tone that makes a band seem loud. Backing off the highs on the mixer and the treble on guitar and bass helps with this. Im not trying to teach anyone to suck eggs but all of these little things help. When we have played at O’Gradys, Roy always makes a point of coming over and talking to us about music, the pub scene etc etc. I can only speak as I find and I have always found him to be a true supporter of live music and there are not many of them in the current stock of landlords !!
Keep music live, we’ve lost too many venues already this year !
Tim (101)
Ps Val we must be overdue a Riffs review from yourself, the last one was off Col ages ago !! Come on, you know you want too

Dont want to get into a slagging match here. However, at the risk of sounding pathetic....i really wanna get our points accross regarding the ''gig'' in Redcar, because you would...wouldnt you??? This is the last we'll send, I promise!
First off, we were NOT treated with respect, at all. I wouldnt talk to my dog the way we were spoken to.
-We didn't patronize the bar staff in any way, shape or form regarding their musical knowledge. Infact we got on really well with one of the barmaids who happened to really enjoy the 4 songs we played.
-As did the customers, none of which complained about the noise, the only thing they complained about was the fact the band had finished early. We even got a couple of locals to vouch for us that we were not as loud as other bands just so we could recieve our pay. One of them was asked by the chef if he was in the band and told to get away when he found out he wasnt, we couln't believe it, we couldn't win!!! A near 100 mile round trip for nothing!!!
- We ignored nobody, everytime we were asked to turn it down we did. We had an 800watt rig that night and wern't even pushing it...... so lord knows how quiet other bands must be?!?
-People started leaving when they realised we finished and were packing up after we were asked to stop playing. As we were almost finished packing up, a handfull of about 10 came in to watch the band and were shocked to find out what happened.
-When we wouldn't back down to the chef's or the landlord's intimidation tactics of getting right in our faces, almost squaring up to us. He resorted to ignoring us and pretending we wern't there, hoping we would leave without any money. We didn't, and ended up getting paid the full amount, which we agreed. If he thought he was justified in his actions, why did he pay us??? I know for a fact it wasn't cos we said we would nick the telly, That was an empty threat...Plus, it was well and truely bolted on to the wall, wasn't goin anywhere that bad boy. Ha ha, i jest!
One thing i will say about the chef is that he made a cracking chicken sanwich, which i sampled before we went on, cracking Juke box too.
Thats all we have to say on that one.
Cheers, THE ZOO...XXX

I must respond to the comments recently posted regarding O'Grady's in Redcar.
We have never had a problem with O'Grady's its a great venue and one we play often. In fact it was this venue, Roy in particular that gave us a start even though we only had half a set. We have always found Roy to be most supportive and without him and O'Gradys we wouldn't be where we are now. The bar staff are always very enthusiastic about all the bands that play there and I know they would not have requested for the band to turn down unless it was necessary. I would hate to think that one bands comments could tarnish the reputation of this much loved venue. O'Gradys is and always will be one of the best places to play on Teesside.
Roy is a huge advocate of live music and one of the few people in the pub trade that will actually take a chance on a new band. With regard to the comment on the age of the band, we are all under 20, we have always been paid in full regardless of the turnout, even in the early days. Roy has more integrity than to try and stitch a band up because of a poor attendance, his reputation is worth more than a cheap shot like that.
Frank (Bass, Rough Justice)

Hi there
How do I place a listing on the site? I'm not sure which would be the best part of the site to put it. I'll give you some details
I am setting up a website, northernallstars.co.uk, and among other things we are looking for bands to join up. We are on facebook at the moment trying to get more interest since the site will be launching soon, but I am having difficulty finding bands.
What they will get is one year free on the site to promote themselves and to apply for any work advertised on the site. After the year is up and they wish to remain with us, there will be a fee (less than £1 a week). But we are not just aiming at the north east, we are aiming at the whole of the north of England and Scotland, so there is potentially a wide scope there for them. They will also be able to advertise for singers/musicians for their bands if need be.
Any help you can offer would be appreciated.
Regards
Sara
email: info@northernallstars.co.uk

Hi Folks,
I thought I should drop you a note about the boys in the Zoo. I have on a number of occasions done the sound for the lads, they like their guitars to be heard but who doesn't, the night they played O'gradys they had no bass bins and only a couple of Mackie tops so how much damage can you do with them.
The lads have a cracking band, are real good bunch but have no ego's whatsoever so if they were asked to turn it down they would have done just that, I realise that landlords have to look after their licences but if he wanted Foster and Allen he should have booked them.
These guys are one of the top north east bands, check them out if you haven't seen them, keep rocking lads(quietly does it).
Steve

Hi Riffs
I wouldn’t dare gig without my Docs Pro plugs, its crazy to risk your ears for rock and roll, I have just come back from the states where I used in ears and if they are setup right they are great, but its an expensive option, tho the pro singers I have talked to swear by them not just for hearing but also the better monitoring is better for your voice.
I just don’t get this “it aint rock n roll” attitude to going deaf, I love music and I want to keep listening to it even when the cammode is full (hopefully that’s a long way off)
As for stage volume, the venue and punters are always right, they are our employers and most now have problems with locals after the change in legislation, I know you cant easily turn a drummer down, we sometimes get asked to turn up but then the sound quality can suffer for the majority anyway. It’s a tough call, but if your asked to turn down then you should really.
Just my own thoughts.
Cheers ,Alan, Fizzyfish

Hi Riffs,
Further to the discussion of stage volumes.
I’ve been gigging a Roland TD8KV(expanded) electronic kit for the past 4 years, first with Bluessential and now with Emencity, whose lads love the clean controllable drum sound (predictable too) and the detail we can get at low volumes on stage, pushing volume out in front of us using RCF tops and subs. I know electronics aren’t the bag of all drummers and wouldn’t be my first choice for heavier music, but for the varied programme we play they are ace (and have survived in one piece - save one small repair - too).
Sorry if I have started something with lead singers asking drummers to go to Woolies and buy a 12 quid e-kit…….
Regards Graham, drums, www.emencity.com

Hi Val & Nige,
I got DIABLO a February gig at The Ox Inn, Stanley a few weeks back. The manageress said the band who were due for the date hadn't confirmed; she couldn't wait any longer therefore would DIABLO it. Naturally we said we would. She's just rang today to say the band who were originally booked have now agreed to do it, so she is cancelling us as we are new to that pub; they fill the place; and times for pubs are hard!
You know I've read a lot on Riffs and other local music sites about the difficulties that pubs are facing these days but come on!! I find virtually every band I've met, to have high integrity with pubs. DIABLO have taken gigs and then been offered a private function for example for three times the money, but do we cancel? No, is the answer - and you might be thinking more fool us for doing so - but at the end of day, barring band illness - we never cancel gigs. It's about time some of these pubs - and there have been several mentioned on Riffs of late - played the game.
Much love, (but not to The Ox Inn) Dave Drums Diablo x

We would like to take this opportunity to reply to the Zoo's comments