2 Promoters, 1 Pod

It’s a new year but there’s no time for hugs and handshakes. Let’s get back to business. Why don’t Gav and James throw bands who are having a tough time on tour a few extra quid? Is Spotify really the devil of the music industry? And how the hell did Karnivool end up on Brutal Assault if they were booked as a Euro exclusive for ATG? After those pleasantries are exchanged there’s the small matter o...

We made it! The milestone pod, Episode 52. But is this the end for 2 Promoters, 1 Pod or just the beginning? Gav and James pop the bubbly, beers and ciders and get merry to mark the occasion. Merry Christmas. We go again, every Thursday morning.

Exactly what it says on the tin.  We go again, every Thursday morning.

It's back to the bottomless mailbag to tackle another batch of your probing questions. How much of a band do we listen to before deciding to book them? When will Damnation day ticket be on sale? Will the live shows be recorded? And what's the difference between headlining, co-headlining and are the costs the same or is it all just in the name?  Gav and James get stuck in.  We go again, e...

A staggering 72 UK festivals have cancelled, postponed or called time so far in 2024 - double the number from 2023, and more than 200 have gone since 2019. Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) CEO, John Rostron, joins the pod to discuss the bleak landscape and what can be done to stop more events following suit. But before the misery hammer drops, Gav and James celebrate the latest Damnation...

For the fan enjoying their favourite band at a headline tour date or festival there might be a different setlist but for the promoters, it’s a different journey nailing the booking. The approach, the availability, the fee, the rider and conditions can all be a very different landscape depending on if you’re promoting a gig or festival.  And what on earth is a “versus 80/20 deal”?  James and a Covi...

Gav and James dive bag into the mail bag to tackle this week’s most pressing issues including the Sleep Token backlash from Download fans and why our two promoters will never, ever work together… unless there’s a Butlins to hire. We go again, every Thursday morning. Lou's Brews, use the code POD15 for 15% off your order - https://www.lousbrews.co.uk Meliora Software, Elevate your fans event e...

The Download line-up is out and Gav and James avoid all spoilers to react to it in real time.  The highs (Green Day), the lows (Steel Panther) and the billing stunners (Sikth) are all the topics of the night.  But what’s that hardcore din in the background determined to gatecrash the UK’s biggest rock and metal party? Oh, just Outbreak not giving a single f#@k over the same weekend.  Let’s go!  We...

Damnation ‘24 is in the bag and we’re still rattling in disbelief days later but there’s no time to feel sorry for our souls because there’s an event to pick over.  Thankfully, Damnation’s Irish general, Paul Farrington, joins the pod to tackle the PTSD of two days' aural abuse in a Manchester industrial estate.  From LLNN to Dragged Into Sunlight via Nails, we open up about it all… and why d...

It's here...Damnation is tomorrow, Gav is stressed and James is ready to go big.  Gav chats us through some of next year’s Damnation plans, and boots off about  lanyards and car number plates. Whilst James gets stuck into some questions and talks about whether he is mid feud with Bloodstock or not. We go again, every Thursday morning. We go again, every Thursday morning.

Five headliners for three nights with an unbelievable reunion coup on top?  2000trees dropped an atom bomb of a band announcement and it exploded over every self-respecting rock fan’s socials. Gav and James quickly reconvened for an instant reaction pod to the news the Kneecap, Pvris, Taking Back Sunday, Coheed & Cambria, Alexisonfire AND Million Dead will invade Upcote Farm in 2025. But nothi...

Gav and James dive back into the virtual mailbag to address the most pressing concerns of the listeners.  Would we allow an artist to "curate" our festivals? What's our thoughts on oversold shows? And why did James have the police at his door earlier this year? More importantly, is Gav really going to slag off the mighty Black Sabbath? First though, can we all just take a moment to...

The Damnation clashfinder is out and Gav is ready to take his licks as the fans demand to know what idiot clashed Dragged Into Sunlight with Ahab and why? But before the slot by slot lines-ups of A Night of Salvation and Damnation can be explained there's some Trees headliner news, a change of ArcTanGent's Wednesday plans and another late cancellation for Gav to contend with. And is it a...

Let's get down to business. And who better than to pour over the industry spreadsheets, receipts and album charts than Mr Andy Farrow, manager of the likes of Opeth, Devin Townsend, Paradise Lost and Katatonia? The Northern Music Company boss talks promoting to publishing, The Wildhearts to Oceansize and the chances of ever seeing Strapping Young Lad again. Get your pen and paper ready, this...

The first wave of bands have been announced for 2025, and it's a tsunami worth diving into. Karnivool, Melvins, Rolo Tomassi, Kylesa, Between the Buried and Me playing Colors, The Fall of Troy playing Doppelgänger and not just one, but two We Lost The Sea sets, including "the greatest post rock album ever"... Departure Songs. Plenty to get swept away by but first, what's the is...

When you're up to your eyes in it on show day a friendly tour manager can save your mood but an aggressive tour manager can ruin it. But what is a tour manager, why are they so important to bands and why do their roles and attitudes vary so wildly? Gav and James do their level best to describe the role before sharing their experiences of dealing with the good, the bad and the downright ridicu...

You've made your offer for the band, it's been accepted and even the ballache of billing the poster might have been settled... but now what? There's a series of hurdles to deal with before your prized booking ever sets foot on your stage; press and promo, backline, production, hotels and ground transport and did you remember there's no onion or garlic allowed in the hot meal? G...

Gav and James commit 90 minutes to catching up with as many questions as they can to clear the backlog... and fail miserably. Slam Dunk taking a gender balancing beating from the BBC, the pressures of Damnation mounting, a film review no one asked for and an unprompted Deftones discography chat take centre stage instead. Oh, and there's some questions from listeners to finish the pod off.  We...

Our first (and hopefully last) Friday pod after a Spanish drama that required an Emergency Passport. Gav and James tackle the hot topic of Oasis' "dynamic pricing" PR disaster before getting stuck into Damnation planning and your questions. We also pick our very first 'Super Sub' to play their part in next week's pod. Thanks for your patience, and enjoy. We go again,...

It's exactly six months from the release of episode one and we're in the mood to celebrate but first we have to savour the delights of another spectacular edition of ArcTanGent. Best sets of the weekend, how surreal the live pod was and the benefits of Bossk's bus.  And Gav has a wee rant about "wet wipe Karens" who find any reason to complain about everything from tall pe...

Gav and James took the stage in a PACKED Elephant In The Bar Room Stage at ArcTanGent for their second live outing, only for the "curse of Johannes" to strike just as they were warming up. But it takes more than a full power outage to stop this pod. And if the show keeps growing at this rate, it might just become a "real job". We go again, every Thursday morning.

As we near the end of a summer of chaos, James prays the wi-fi holds up from a campervan in Fernhill Farm to tackle the most pressing of fan questions. What is our favourite Metallica record? Are payment plans and risky business strategy? What's the story with noise curfews and would James rather cancel Trees or ATG if he had to? We answer them all in our fifth Q&A session. We go again, e...

ArcTanGent's 10th birthday bash is almost upon us and we're in the mood to party. Co-hosting from a campervan in Fernhill Farm, James talks us through the "holiday mode" site build, where Spiritualized appeared from at the 11th hour and some last-minute shuffles with band cancellations and replacements. And we're joined by the man, the myth, the bassist of Bossk, Mr Tom Be...

Gav and James dust off their old budget sheets and company accounts and crunch the numbers of running festivals over the past two decades. How is it possible that in 2024 James paid more for diesel than the ENTIRE bill for Damnation 2005?  And it costs how much to have bins emptied!?  We get in about pounds and pence.  We go again, every Thursday morning.

Fresh from a successful 2000trees festival, Gav and James hit us up with a breakdown of all things that went off over the weekend.  They talk Live Podcasts, Merch, Hot Sauce, Toilets and even a bit about bands! And in true form, they decide to do it on opposite sides of the world via an iPhone and Mexican Wi-Fi, We Go Again...or, Nosotros vamos de nuevo! We go again, every Thursday morning.