Saving an independent club/music venue

Have a new band night and get 3 or 4 bands in a night from the student population. Then get in some of the better known covers bands as they have a great following and always attract people in. Any dead nights try and hire the place out as a practice/recording venue.
 
I hate to say it but move out of Oldham? The town is a complete waste and needs more than a bit of regeneration to make it work. I'm sure there is an alternative scene in Oldham but it can't be that large can it? Everybody I know who goes out in Oldham is either Asian or the type of chav who goes out looking for cheap shots and trouble.

There's usually a reason why most clubs change owners and name every few years, unless you're willing to cater to whatever **** is popular at the time, I imagine there's very little money to be made.
 
I think you need to cater for the masses more. Just because the modern music scene isn't to your liking doesn't mean the vast majority of people who go to clubs don't like it. Also have a unique selling point, have a few promo events. Give away some free promo stuff. I know this could be tricky with limited money.
 
Macky said:
I think you need to cater for the masses more. Just because the modern music scene isn't to your liking doesn't mean the vast majority of people who go to clubs don't like it. Also have a unique selling point, have a few promo events. Give away some free promo stuff. I know this could be tricky with limited money.
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This, while it's nice to have your own personal place playing exactly what you like it's rare you can pull this off and make a living.
You're going to have to go some way to becoming a corporate sell out appealing to the masses at least in the short term to try and kick start your customer base.
 
Hasn't it always been this way in Oldham? I remember around 10 years ago a friend of mine talking about a place called Jacksons Pit all the time, but that ended up closing and reopening all the time. I just Googled and it appears to still be going though!
 
1) Get cheaper products

2) Raise prices

3) Cook the books (pay less tax)

4) Change opening hours

5) Increase temperature.

6) Offer free nuts/crackers that are dry or very spicy.

7) Get friendly epic staff?

8) sell different drinks, cocktails or special expensive drinks with high markup

9) Offer a money laundering service.

10) Lots of girls, boobs etc...
 
I agree with those mentioning deep house. Those nights are very popular at the moment.


However please leave out the tech house/techno as I don't want any more chavs coming to these and ruining the vibe for me! :p
 
XeNoN89 said:
I agree with those mentioning deep house. Those nights are very popular at the moment.


However please leave out the tech house/techno as I don't want any more chavs coming to these and ruining the vibe for me! :p
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Where do you live? I find that because deep house is very much the thing atm everyone is jumping on that bandwagon and the chavs assemble there. Only if their garage / rnb nights aren't on.

Techno I find to be a pretty chilled and still quite small crowds.

Unless you are talking about the more dance/ 'EDM' but that is very much in at the moment too.

Techno I refer to for example is Adam Beyer - Drumcode (Weekly podcast he does) give it a listen and let me know what you think.

EDIT. think i read it wrong. You don't want techno to become mainstream and attract chavs? Don't blame you.
 
Get those flyers out there - not sure entirely what is and isn't legal but colleges/uni, retailers often have a fair few younger crowd and/or work nights out aren't uncommon and so on.

Especially if there are other bigger clubs in the area get people in kicking things off earlier - be the place they come to meet up/pre-drink before going onto the other clubs if necessary i.e. have discounted entry/drinks before a certain time and/or discounts for group orders, etc.

One of my local smaller clubs has had a lot of success with getting even fairly minor celebs in from TV shows, mainstream bands, etc. atleast once a month (might not be so feasible though).

See if there are other things you can do on quiet nights i.e. older crowd, more casual with more tables and a more relaxed atmosphere or semi-open groups that might meet up that could work within the context of your premises (might save them money over the cost of renting a hall thats actually beyond their requirements), etc. etc.
 
platinum87 said:
1) Get cheaper products

2) Raise prices

3) Cook the books (pay less tax)

4) Change opening hours

5) Increase temperature.

6) Offer free nuts/crackers that are dry or very spicy.

7) Get friendly epic staff?

8) sell different drinks, cocktails or special expensive drinks with high markup

9) Offer a money laundering service.

10) Lots of girls, boobs etc...
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Spot on especially number 9. On the books promo teams that don't actually run a night but receive 90% of profit from the cash "taken" on the doors.

I know a few clubs doing this from personal experience.(club side not drugs side haha)
 
balky12 said:
Deep house (called minimal house as well)
Tech house

Shouldn't be hard to find someone who would want to DJ at a venue. Every 18-25 y/o seems to be a 'producer' or DJ these days.

I have a gut feeling garage will be coming back shorty. Watch this space.
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Garage already is 'back', though I'm not sure it really left in the way you may think. A lot of house nights i see advertised have a garage 'room 2' or whatever. Also regularly advertised on standard saturday night events, whether it gets played or not is another thing but ive been to a lot of dedicated garage only nights over the past 2/3 years.
 
craaaaaig said:
Garage already is 'back', though I'm not sure it really left in the way you may think. A lot of house nights i see advertised have a garage 'room 2' or whatever. Also regularly advertised on standard saturday night events, whether it gets played or not is another thing but ive been to a lot of dedicated garage only nights over the past 2/3 years.
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Oh yea, I agree, I been to a few over last year (Great Suffolk Street warehosue especially) which have a room dedicated to garage. I recon you will see it storming the charts again soon though!! Then every tom dick and harry will love it and be into it.
 
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