¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 There is this venue in Erie that has come under new management as of April 2006. I think a few of you have been there (Forward Hall) under old and new management I believe. I had my falling out with the new guy last semptember, had my last show there last december and haven't been back since. Now, the guy who took over is in his mid 40's, so everything after this line just blows my mind. In November I found out Dead to Fall were booked at the Hall for January. I made a few calls and found out that he had been contacted by a guy from TOLEDO to book shows at forward hall. So thats cool, sure, whatever, let a dude 3 hours away book shows we in Erie could handle. He also then went out and over the summer, emailed agency's slandering me saying that I have outstanding debts, don't pay bands, and don't promote shows, citing a Poison the Well show I did only having 150 kids at it, when 6 years ago there were 400 kids (though how he knows that blows my mind). Most shrugged it off, but he some how managed to get 6 shows in Oct, Nov, Dec this way. Now, this weekend he had a tour come through (Just Surrender and 2 others) and had guarunteed the package$1,000 for a saturday night show. He paid them $400 bucks at the end of the night calling them faggots, rockstars and throwing shit at them. I talked to the guys who booked the tour (I think some of you know him) and the bands management and no one can get ahold of him. He's got Sworn Enemy coming in 2 weeks and Dead To Fall in 1 month as well as Spitalfield (which REALLY REALLY REALLY pissed me off....) but to my question.... have ANY of you worked or played with/at a venue like this????? It sucks.. Dave Steele and I worked SO fucking hard to make that place amazing from 99 - 05, and seriously in a span of 14 months he's ruined everything we did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faith Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 that sucks man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronniethebear Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 That does really suck. What sucks worse is that certain promoters can get away with that bullshit on a regular basis. There's one in particular here in Houston that I used to be friends with (well, I thought he was my friend anyway) who I've got some pretty ridiculous stories about. He has pulled some serious shit. Total sketchy dude. But he gets away with it because he "bros down" with the bands. Totally lame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aarondanger Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 if the bands/agents you worked with are loyal then it shouldnt be a problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Posted October 31, 2007 Author Share Posted October 31, 2007 if the bands/agents you worked with are loyal then it shouldnt be a problem I agree, except when they won't take "no" for an answer. Spitalfield's agent asked me for December 2nd, since im "banned" from forward hall the only venue I could use for that sunday is the hangout, which is closed on sundays. so i had to tell them nothing could happen, and I TOLD them about how shitty FH is. Still got booked there. I told them i'd book the show in Pittsburgh or anywhere else between here and there (since that is the ONLY western PA date on their farewell tour), but they didn't want that. I'm talking to Mark about it tonight since this happened. As for Sworn Enemy, they were banned from the venue last time I booked them for destroying a toliet. soooooooo, when no one shows up to the show and they don't get paid, I am sure something else will get broken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirbypuckett Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 That's some non-sense Torti. I didn't go to Erie too many times for shows, but you always put on a good event. A shame that some schmuck ruins it all. I would love if Spitalfield came to Pittsburgh. I like them and def. want to see them one last time, but I'm not driving to Erie for 'em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Posted October 31, 2007 Author Share Posted October 31, 2007 it just blows my mind how ANYONE can tell a band "no, you do not get what I promised you" and blame the band that no one came out... thats why people are called promoters... to promote... the band/show... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgoodcore Posted October 31, 2007 Share Posted October 31, 2007 it just blows my mind how ANYONE can tell a band "no, you do not get what I promised you" and blame the band that no one came out... thats why people are called promoters... to promote... the band/show... Based on that same idea I absolutely depise "ticket minimums." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Posted October 31, 2007 Author Share Posted October 31, 2007 it just blows my mind how ANYONE can tell a band "no, you do not get what I promised you" and blame the band that no one came out... thats why people are called promoters... to promote... the band/show... Based on that same idea I absolutely depise "ticket minimums." you mean selling advance tickets? yeah, I have never made any bands sell tickets for shows. I do tell them that if I find out they do not promote the show they're done for, I mean thats their job as a local band, to promote/draw kids. But yeah, i've never made anyone sell tickets.. but Just Surrender is from the NYC area I think... seriously how can you expect a band to do your job when they live 7 hours away?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest falloutcollapse Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 Dead to Fall's singer used to live in the same apartment building as my Spanish teacher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobe Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 Forward Hall is a great venue, shame this guy sounds like he's trying to run it into the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottheisel Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 I'm slightly confused -- is it the promoter in Toledo who's badmouthing you/fucking things up, or the new management of the venue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Posted November 1, 2007 Author Share Posted November 1, 2007 No, the Toledo dude hasn't (to my knowledge) said a thing bad. And he only did three shows there from November to January 06-07 (the last two did terrible). I am speculating that he is the one doing the shows in November since those bands share the same agent as the ones last fall/winter. You may know them Scott, Hardcore Marketing out of Cleveland. The one dude is from Toledo who books shows in erie. Only time I ever talked to them was when he offered to do a show with me, and acted like I was some 17 year old kid. The venue management on the other hand has and continues to slander me. I lost money on a Darkest Hour show for a few reasons and I couldn't pay the rent that night, I had to wait to get paid at work two days later and then i'd have the rest of the money. He flippppped out and tried to fight me in the office. The dude is handicapped, walks with a cane, so he was swinging it at me and at the door and threatening to "bury me" and pulling the "do you know who I am?" bullshit. I paid him two days later, only because I still had two more shows booked there, but to this day he claims I still owe him $400 for rent for that show and a Righteous Jams show. I knew then that it was over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Posted November 1, 2007 Author Share Posted November 1, 2007 and about Hardcore Marketing, they may be nice dudes, I have no idea, but I see absolutely no reason why they feel the need to book shows in Erie PA, in a completely different state, where kids have been booking shows themselves of the same size or larger for the last 25 years. Its all about making a profit for themselves, not keeping a community alive with this subculture. I think they learned pretty quickly that you cannot exploit the Erie community for profit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottheisel Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 Ugh, Hardcore Marketing is TERRIBLE across the board. They have a horrible reputation in Cleveland, and screw over bands all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacobe Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 Ugh, Hardcore Marketing is TERRIBLE across the board. They have a horrible reputation in Cleveland, and screw over bands all the time. That bad reputation is ALL over Ohio...there's a few stories from Youngstown bands about them as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Posted November 1, 2007 Author Share Posted November 1, 2007 I don't get HOW they're still booking bands then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottheisel Posted November 1, 2007 Share Posted November 1, 2007 I don't get HOW they're still booking bands then. The same reason bands still sign to Victory Records -- you hear all the horror stories but you think it will be different for you. Same reasons why a girl stays with an abusive boyfriend -- she thinks she can change him, that he doesn't mean it, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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