2 Promoters, 1 Pod

Stand in boss, Bri, reports:

They’ve tackled wi-fi dramas, festival set-up demands and even drink issues but they’ve still managed to record their thoughts for this week’s pod.

You asked about gender equality, Biffy Clyro playing b-sides and their favourite bands of 2024.

And they answered.

Today the first 2 Promoters, 1 Pod live show happens at 2,000 Trees.

If you can be there. Be there.

Links for all things 2 Promoters:
https://linktr.ee/2promoters1pod

We go again, every Thursday morning.

Recorded over a five-day stretch with limited wi-fi at Upcote Farm, Gav and James persevere with a Plan B podcast tackling some follow-up topics raised by listeners and tales of trying to book Ed Sheeran for £75.

And discuss Outbreak festival's successful return to BEC Arena, backed by an army of hardcore fans.

It's our Frankenstein pod. We went again, and again, and again... 

We go again, every Thursday morning.

Why didn't AFI come back to Trees post-pandemic?  How big do you want your festivals to grow?  Why do you announce bands in waves? Is booking two sets overindulgence?

We tell you, in the fourth of our monthly 2P1P Vs The People Q&As.

We go again, every Thursday morning.

Fresh from selling out Ally Pally in hours and a successful tour Stateside, Frank Turner joins 2 Promoters, 1 Pod to declare his love for all things 2,000 Trees.

But before he takes the stage for a SEVENTH time at Upcote Farm, he discusses what it takes to tackle America, his "woeful" attempt at being a promoter for Botch's first UK tour and gets James flustered with some exciting Million Dead developments.

Enjoy. 

We go again, every Thursday morning.

Gav and James took a road trip to the big dog of UK metal festivals, Download, for an all too literal dirty weekend.

Swamp conditions aside, we discuss the best and worst sets, our take on the Barclays sponsorship protests and what can go wrong when you take an innocent photo of Pantera's crowd from the top of a ferris wheel and post it on the internet.

We go again, every Thursday morning.

This week's pod is James' emotional rollercoaster: from opening up about a serious health scare, being "pissed off" with a rival festival, to his passion for fence posts and playing invisible Minecraft... this one has it all.

He also explains the challenges of turning a sheep field into a festival site where you can watch The Gaslight Anthem and invites YOU to get involved.

We. Go. Again.

We go again, every Thursday morning.

3 Promoters, 1 Pod! 

Download's Kam Haq joins us to lift the curtain on the workings of the UK's biggest metal gathering.

What's life like at the top of the ladder, all Champagne and cigars at Live Nation HQ? Or is it the same headaches and hassles with billing, booking headliners and clashes as the rest of us mere mortals suffer?

We get in about it all and pick some must see bands from this year's line-up as we look forward to Download 2024.

We go again, every Thursday morning.

We (drunkenly) go again! 

Gav and James get the pints in and tackle some of the more light-hearted questions.

Favourite food vendors at our festivals? What bands would we go back and see with a time machine?  Top three bands we've ever seen live?

And why did Gav buy not one, but two tour buses? 

Hiccup!

We go again, every Thursday morning.

Not all events are booked the same. 

Some promoters enjoy a professionally packaged tour arriving on their doorstep, others don't mind the challenge of luring over bands who rarely play and then there's Damnation, who want artists to dust off old records and perform them as a world exclusive sets in Manchester.

Problem is, that's as time consuming, expensive and as difficult as it sounds. 

But in the end, is it worth all it?



 

We go again, every Thursday morning.

There weren’t too many clashes at 2000trees that raised an eyebrow, but the ones that did raised an army!
 
What kind of cruel world forces you to choose between Bob Vylan and Palm Reader? Are they being serious about Gaslight Anthem and Better Lovers? Surely Sean McGowan and The Sleeping Souls is a twisted joke and you’re misreading Frank Turner clashing with Lonely The Brave, right? Right?
 
The man behind the plan, Mr James Scarlett, takes his licks and explains all... even manages to put one fire out.
 
 We also discuss the Forest sets. How it’s decided who plays twice. The ‘TBAs’ and James’ masterplan to one day rope Biffy Clyde into playing. 
 
This is our love letter to 2000trees. 
 
But before all that, Gav has some tour tales to share and owns up to why he’ll likely never be a tour manager.

We go again, every Thursday morning.

The humble catering rider, which surely started life as a simple hot meal for touring band members, has morphed beyond all recognition to a sprawling wishlist, often with no rhyme or reason.

Seasoned headline acts can ask for so little while fresh-faced tour supports demand so much, but what MUST be provided and who decides where to draw the line?

Like most things in this industry... it's complicated.

James and Gav share their experiences, from 24 McDonald's cheeseburgers to "Gollum Juice",  and how they handle the infamous rider.

We go again, every Thursday morning.

One viral photo of Gojira's merch list prices - including an £80 hoodie - sparked a row that refuses to die and lifted the lid on the murky world of merch concessions at venues and festivals.

But is it as black and white as greedy venues or promoters dipping their hands into the pockets of hard working bands, or is there a more nuanced conversation to be had about what services are provided in return, from a toilet tour to a major outdoors festival?

Do all events approach the issue in the same manner and even if you offer artists a free merch table, would they prefer to pay? 

We get in about it all.


**NOTE: There was a connection issue which led to a small section of buffering video and audio being edited out. 

Discussed was price fixing when headliners force support bands to charge the same prices as them, which ATG, 2000trees and Damnation don't endorse or agree with.

And the huge increase in raw merch costs: Damnation paid £3.66 for tee reprints in 2021 and £16.93 for tee reprints in 2023.**

We go again, every Thursday morning.

As the old saying goes, you learn from your mistakes, but that doesn't make those mistakes any easier to deal with!

From bogged down loos, stages with no stage managers, the importance of building a team and what weather you can survive and what weather you can't... Gav and James relive some horrors from down the years.

And what do we want to see in a band's press pack? 

We go again, every Thursday morning.

In the second of our monthly Q&A bonus pods, we try to get through as many burning questions as possible.

Our biggest triumphs and screw ups? How has Brexit impacted attracting bands? What happens to our festivals if one of us is hit by a bus? Have we ever been held to ransom by a greedy band?

And why didn't Opeth play their full set length at ATG last year?

We answer them all.

We go again, every Thursday morning.

The ArcTanGent stage times are out and everyone has been colour coding their digital day plans and having a social media rant about the decisions they've been forced to make.

But what does the man responsible for the clashes, which can make or break your weekend, have to say for himself?

How did Clown Core and Author & Punisher find themselves pitted against each other? Is Torpor at 11am on the final day really a bright idea? And do fans really want to see both Amenra and Tokky Horror?

James finally breaks his silence...

We go again, every Thursday morning.

Green Lung, Creeper, Brutus, Malevolence, Zeal & Ardor, Bob Vylan, Dinosaur Pile Up, Bleed From Within, Boston Manor... all names we hope to see headline our festivals in the future.

But what does it take to get there and why does the path to the top of the bill seem so clear at 2000trees, yet so complicated at ATG and Damnation? 

Gav and James also have a bash at booking a stage for the other's festival, from the sublime (We Lost The Sea and Tomb Mould) to the ridiculous (Moon Tooth?) .

And there's Blanket and The Moth Gatherer and Meryl Streek and Pig Destroyer and Anaal Nathrakh and Spirit Adrift and...

This is our fanboy episode. 

We go again, every Thursday morning.

21 UK festivals have been cancelled or postponed so far this year with up to 100 at risk without Government support, according to the The Association of Independent Festivals.

It's grim reading, so how are ArcTanGent, Damnation and 2000trees coping in this brutal landscape and what can be done to help the situation?

Gav and James have a plan and it involves you!

We go again, every Thursday morning.

Bob Vylan to Din of Celestial Birds, Idles to Amenra... have our festivals helped "break" bands to a larger audience in their scenes and if so, is that important to us or a byproduct of the job?

Gav and James get in about it. 

We go again, every Thursday morning.

After a month or so of agent bashing, it was only a matter of time before someone stepped up to put us back in our place.

And that someone is the brilliant Mr Tom Taaffe, the man behind the bookings of the likes of Every Time I Die, Pallbearer, Spanish Love Songs, Deafheaven, While She Sleeps, Beartooth and Elder at our festivals.

What's his take on the ballache of billing and A-Z line-up posters, the rising fees for bands and promoters asking US arena-level bands to play club shows in England? 

What's happening with Sleep and are The Reytons a suitable headliner for 2000trees?

Tom gives his honest take on it all.

We go again, every Thursday morning.

The mailbox is full and the questions keep coming in, so here's an episode dedicated to all your curiosities.

Do festival promoters talk to each other about band fees? 
Have we ever got into a bidding war over a band we wanted? 
What other festival would we like to book? 
What are the marketing challenges in 2024?

We answer them all, and plenty more, in the usual candid fashion. 

We go again, every Thursday morning.

Ten years of increased offers, multiple snubs, endless fan demands and with almost all hope lost... Mogwai finally agreed to play the final night of the 10th anniversary of ATG.

It had to be part of the masterplan, right?  Or a chance phone call, "going big" with an offer over text and the dilemma of having no headline slots left.

Turns out landing the dream band is never straight forward, as Bolt Thrower playing Damnation had its own unique quirks too.

Gav and James get in about it all.

We go again, every Thursday morning.

Booking bands is the Wild West of music promotion, where cash, gamesmanship, ego and relationships clash in the process of sealing a deal.

But it isn't as simple a just working out a fee. There's hotels, flights, catering, drum kits, video walls, billing and exclusivity to haggle over... and don't forget that nudity clause!

Then, even if that's all agreed, it might not stay that way because half the contract doesn't make sense, or the agent might just "forget".

Understand, no? Neither do we... 

We go again, every Thursday morning.

2,000 Trees, Damnation and ArcTanGent have carved themselves out solid reputations on the UK festival scene but not without almost two decades of graft, good fortune and the odd costly mistake, or twenty, along the way.

Thankfully we fell into those traps so you don't have to.

We go again, every Thursday morning.

The right headliner can make or break your year, whether the rest of the line-up is excellent or not.

But it's not as easy as just throwing heaps of cash at your favourite band to land the booking you need.

With more events to choose from, competitive festival exclusive deals, fees going through the roof and bands booking further and further in advance, it can be a nervous time trying to get the right cherry on top.

James and Gav get into it...

We go again, every Thursday morning.

Who goes one line up on the poster? Whose logo needs to be bigger? Who goes left or right when two bands are virtually identical in stature? And who decides?

The art of billing the line-up poster is a messy and confusing one, which often leads to heated rows, fall outs and promoters being left with tough calls to make.

But do fans even notice or care?

James and Gav share their pain and misery on 2 Promoters, 1 Pod.

We go again, every Thursday morning.

In a short space of time, Slayer transformed themselves from dependable festival fodder, who filled academies on tour to an arena outfit who have returned to share top billing alongside the likes of Slipknot and Motley Crue with one simple trick: the fake farewell.

Should fans be delighted with the return, or question why they were duped in the first place? Will other bands and their management follow the same strategy? And where are promoters left in the mix of booking the panto?

We go again, every Thursday morning.

Dillinger are back and everyone is buzzing, so why aren't they playing any of the UK festivals?

Is Calculating Infinity worth the gamble? Is there anything to learn from the At The Drive In, Refused or Botch reunions? Will we see Dimitri and co. play London in 2024 instead?

Damnation and ArcTanGent organisers, Gav and James, share their thoughts on the first episode of 2 Promoters, 1 Pod.

We go again, every Thursday morning.

After three decades on the road, grindcore Godfather Shane Embury has committed his tour tales to paper with the release of Life...? And Napalm Death.

Shane joins Damnation Vs to discuss the decision to publish the novel and where to draw the line with what's for the masses and what stays on tour.

Playing arenas to Volbeat fans,  why he needs to see the faces of the crowd when he's playing and rediscovering Cult of Luna.

#napalmdeath  #damnation #damnationvs

We go again, every Thursday morning.

It looked like it could all be over for Anaal Nathrakh but Dr Dave Hunt has some "unfinished business" to attend to, which will include a one-off headline performance at this year's Damnation Festival.

How did it feel to release Endarkenment in the middle of a pandemic and have no stages to take it to?
What was the process of rebuilding a live band with no Mick Kenney?
Will we ever see Nathrakh live again after 2023?
And is there any hope of more records in the future?

Dr Hunt tackles it all, in his brilliantly blunt fashion on Damnation Vs. 

#damnationvs

We go again, every Thursday morning.

Packing out their debut year only to crash into a global pandemic, moving to Manchester then being chucked out their new arena shortly afterwards and landing Sleep Token before they became the band who'd sell out Wembley Arena in 10 minutes...

The first few years of Radar have been a rollercoaster and as they head into this year's festival, co-organiser/director Ash Cook joins Damnation Vs to share the highs and lows. 

We go again, every Thursday morning.

Few bands had a 2021 like Conjurer; levelling the main stages of both Download and Bloodstock before returning to their natural habitat of a packed indoor show at Damnation and leaving no one in any doubt that they are one of the finest metal acts the UK has to offer.

Guitarist Brady Deeprose joins Damnation Vs for a mammoth two-hour stint to pick through the bones of those sets, his feelings on open air performances to 10,000 fans compared to packed "sweatboxes" and the possibility of being the "new" UK band to (finally) headline Damnation one year.

£7 food tokens, landing slots at Hellfest, Brutal Assault (and Summer Breeze), mental health challenges, supporting Celeste in London, vinyl delays, killing Mammothfest by booking Amenra, a proposed UK tour, how the next album will sound and even some rare praise for the much-missed Temples.

All from his mum's basement. 

We go again, every Thursday morning.

Will Pig Destroyer make it to the UK this winter to headline a sold-out Damnation and if so, where else are they planning to play on a rare overseas venture?

Blake Harrison, the band's electronics maestro, tour manager, manager and social media voice joins Damnation Vs to lay out the 2021 plans for the US grindcore kings.

He also takes a trip down memory lane to revisit the band's first taste of Britain - and haggis - on tour in 2004, their previous Damnation show in 2012 and the Temples double-header in 2015. 

We go again, every Thursday morning.

ArcTanGent 2021 is cancelled.

Organiser James Scarlett explains why the decision was made, the fears about hosting events without government-backed insurance, the response from bands across the world and where the festival goes next.

Plans for an indoor event to mark the loss of 2,000 Trees and ATG this year, refreshing the line-ups for 2022 and the depth of talent emerging from the UK. 

We get in about it all.

We go again, every Thursday morning.

Andy Farrow, manager of Opeth, Devin Townsend, Paradise Lost, Katatonia, Bloodbath, Anathema and The Wildhearts, unpacks three decades of experience in an episode that digs deeeeeep into the business.

The importance of bands getting their master tapes back, licensing deals, filling in those PRS sheets, 'syncs' with gaming companies and, finally, an explanation of what 'publishing' actually means.

Pulling festival favours from Devin, setting up a merch company with Opeth, Zoom calls about Anathema's "indefinite hiatus" and his expectations of a domestic-focussed touring future for his bands.

There's some Terrorvision, Oceansize, Skindred, 65daysofstatic, Sons of Apollo, Anaal Nathrakh, Cult of Luna and Carcass chat thrown in for good measure.

And would he consider organising a seated Bloodbath show?

A masterclass in everything you didn't know about the metal business. 

We go again, every Thursday morning.

Tom Taaffe - the hero responsible for Nails at Damnation - is this week's guest to discuss being a booking agent for the likes of Sleep, Exodus, Pallbearer, Higher Power, Every Time I Die, Loathe, Vein and... Vance Joy.

He discusses the imminent decisions facing the major summer festivals which could cost them  "millions of pounds" if they don't call it right, the shock of being dropped by bands who "fancy a change" and the love/hate tussle between promoters and agents.

And why getting the most money for a show isn't always the smartest move for an agent or their band.

Surprisingly candid. Brilliantly revealing. And at two hours and ten minutes, a Damnation Vs record-breaker.

We go again, every Thursday morning.

ArcTanGent and 2,000 Trees talent buyer, James Scarlett, opens up about the pressures of booking almost 300 bands each year for his festivals. 

Why won't Mogwai just say 'yes'? How realistic is it that we'll see The Mars Volta finally take the stage in Bristol? The challenges of booking a line-up for fans two decades younger than him...

Puscifer's wrestling ring production being too big to consider at ATG, the stars aligning for a possible Pixies performance at 2,000 Trees and Dragged Into Sunlight "bustin' balls".

Why weren't Maybeshewill as big as Explosions in the Sky, can Nordic Giants make that leap and would Electric Wizard go down well at Fernhill Farm? We get in about it all.

Oh, and remember when Refused called James out for not doing enough to promote women in rock? 

We go again, every Thursday morning.

Serena discusses the band's sudden departure from Holy Roar Records following allegations of serious sexual assault made against the label's owner.

What's next for the album that is due to drop in just a couple of weeks, the uncertain immediate future for the band and how they digested the news along with the public in a stressful 24 hours.

She also talks about the challenges of life on the road as a woman artist, dealing with sexism and creeps and how the scene has changed - for the better! - in the eight years since Svalbard appeared.

And hopes for 2021 from a "bucket list" show on Bloodstock's main stage to back up plans should their tour with The Ocean fall through.

We go again, every Thursday morning.