The Future . . . Is it the End?

RetroMarkie · Post by **RetroMarkie** » 13/09/2005 - 16:32

Well... there's a question for you, is it the end?

Lets put it this way... we always say it's the end but somhow we manage to pull just one more show out of the hat! Chris and I + the rest of the team have been trying to figure this out for years, firstly with our seperate projects and now as a collaboration ... several things are however true, those being:-

1) We have a fuckin amazing time on show days!

2) We never make any money!

Now, before we go any further let me clarify number 2. It's not out intention to get rich out of this, lordy no... not the point at all. Having said that things cost money! and if it wasent for the amazing kindness of musicans who play for love we wouldent have a show at all . . . . Chris and I are happy to put the hundreds of hours in it takes to organise everything, no worries there but when it comes down to it the margins for everything are so small it's untrue! and frightening! I can assure you... in the last few days before BITRV we had to find an additional Ã‚Â£300 from somwhere for odds and sods . . . that was bloody hard to do...

So, the future... what will happen. I love this scene so much, it's my dream time... the music, the gaming and the gathering for beers! It's just wonderful... and I dont want it to end but we need help if this thing is going to carry on... we need your help!

If anyone has any idea's for sponsorship and the like then please contact me... it's a harsh thing to ask and I dont really like to ask it but the bottom line is without financial assistance the future does sadley look grim.

Mark Knight and I are working on a new project, that being SIDstock, currently planned for 2007 ish . . . . this is a major project and we have a group of people working on this with us too... it's going to be a major shift in the retro scene... we want to take the scene in a new direction based on what we already have and incorperate those idea's into a new weekend gig. We cant say too much right now but you can pop along to http://www.sidstock.co.uk and signup to the mailing list.... dont read too much into rumours about the event either as nobody other than the organisers involved really know what is going to happen.... but I can assure you of this... it's going to be big!

Being able to work with Mark Knight on this is amazing, the guy is just so talented and cool it's makes life very easy... we are pounding this together, and it will be amazing, I promise you.

So, not sure if I made a ton of sence there . . . this scene needs looking after, I would hate to see it break down... it's too much fun to let go... but we do need help, if you love this scene too please help us.

I'm sure I speak for Chris and the others when I say that we are so very grateful to all of you so far... we do this for you! and we love to do it... I just want to keep doing it for a while longer...

All the best, respect to you all.

Markie

madfiddler · Post by **madfiddler** » 14/09/2005 - 9:22

I'd also add, that sidstock is NOT a dead cert that it will happen. We have lots of time to work on the organising of the event, however, if we did feel that the 'scene' just didn't want it, or didn't care, then we're both big enough to think 'bollocks' - knock it on the head.

So, if people are interested they really should sign up to the mailing list since we'll take a percentage of people on that list as actual people who are interested.

We're not going to do this to intentionally make ourselves stressed so imo, if everyone wants this scene to continue, live, they have a responsability to help. If that means buying a ticket a month in advance, then so bit... you've all got enough notice that something MAY happen.

Anyway, that's it for now...

M

Sidman 64 · Post by **Sidman 64** » 14/09/2005 - 15:10

Well I think there could be interest from outside the seen as well !!!.
At this B.I.T in Manchester I invited 8 people who have not heard tracks from the C64, but I told them what it's like & how fucking great Madfiddler & Mad Ben are on the violin & flute etc.
They came and I can tell you that they all loved it

I spoke to all of them on Monday & Tuesday and all said the same that the music was great and they loved watching the Fiddler & Ben on the flute and they will defo be coming to future gigs

So may be it's worth trying to venture outside the scene and get people to come along.
I have done it with 8 people who didn't know any of you guys who was playing on stage and they loved it.
4 out of this 8 is now coming to Copenhagen as a result of watching the B.I.T in Manchester

If you way up the scene and the amount of people who have turned up to previous gigs then your talking about 200 max or there abouts !!
So lets try and get more people onbroad - I for one have been doing this so if you get another 20 to 40 people from our scene to do the same then we will get a good showing for any SIDSTOCK gigs in the future.

Just a thought

Paul

Makke · Post by **Makke** » 14/09/2005 - 15:48

madfiddler wrote:you've all got enough notice that something MAY happen.

Problem is people have pretty short attentionspans, which means a lot of people will forget and then come crying the week before the event about "not being told" about it.

Whenever there's an update, make sure to post it everywhere. On YakYak, Lemon64, here, and places like OJuice.net. Everywhere you can. Make sure people can't miss it.

Another problem is that people really don't know what they're missing. Most people think it's like any 'ol concert, which these event isn't. And you can't really get through to them. You have to have been there to really understand how really feckin' nice of a time you'll have. (Well at least if you give it some effort.)

Anyway, I'm already on the mailinglist and hoping this will take off.

RetroMarkie · Post by **RetroMarkie** » 14/09/2005 - 15:52

Anyway, I'm already on the mailinglist and hoping this will take off.

Cheers Makke . . . this thing could be amazing, and it could crash!

Basically what we want to do is move the scene another step . . . a mighty gig . . . 36 hours of gaming + a concert that would blow ya mind! The idea's and format are fabulas . . . but that ole Mr Money thing is tapping away again.

Plans are afoot . . . and work is being done . . . we will keep ya posted.