Think you might need to spell first or at least edit that last post. Most bands have no problem trying to attract a crowd but it's hard for unsigned bands as there is not alot of media attention for them.

Point taken on the spelling...!!! :0 I hear what you are saying. I have been in bands, looking for a deal and doing all the things that I think record companies want. But I was wrong. I have just closed a management deal in the US for a Dublin band. This company come to Ireland twice along with one other company to see some acts that I was working with. I put on a gig and it was stuffed but as the night went on some of the acts got pissed with me cos the US AnR didn't like what they where doing and start saying I was ripping them off... You get nothing for nothing in this world. The problem is that bands are two keen to play any gig that they can get and when the big ones come along they have used all the crowed on s**t gigs, s**t venues, s**t sound that would never lead to nothing. Music is a business and the sooner band cop on to that, the sooner they will start to make something happen.

music is indeed a buisness. And the buisness of pay to play gigs creates a completely unncessary middle man. He pays 300 euro for say Issac Butts. Gets 4 bands to sell 30 tickets each at 10 euro = 1200 euro leaving him with 900 profit and the bands with the privelage of playing !! Why give the Pay to play people 900 euro when you could book the venue yourself get 3 other bands and make some money to record. Perhaps you are the exception but in most cases promotion is non existant outside a few posters which the band could do themselves. To suggest you get serious A&R with any signing power to see bands (who are still at the "pay to play stage") regularly is laughable. p.s. what constitutes back line

Very good point. You should book the venue your self and keep the money, but don't shoot yourself in the foot. Your right I wont have a gall to fly people over to see bands off the cuff. The bands I had playing on the night I had seen if not worked with for some time. I believed that they had something that allot of other bands did have. But that aside, You ask what constitutes back line? What ever the acts needs on the night..? Drum's (good kit), amps, DI box's even radio mic's......! I have seen some very very good bands play about Dublin and Ireland. I have worked with bands that could have gotten deals but there seems to be a self destruct button that most bands push when the going gets tough or they are asked to pull 50 people down to a gig to make sure that the venue is full so AnR don't think they are Pay to Play bands that they have a story and following and have the power to sell units. Which is what is all about at then end of the day..........

Name names then, what venue, what bands, what labels?