Dunno who this lot are yet or how legit they might be…
They sound dancier than the old crowd though and want to organise a music festival at Ashton Court next year and are raising money to do it.
Search The Bristol Blogger
Posts By Date
Recent Comments
- George Ferguson says he’s not standing for mayor of Bristol | Alternative Bristol on RED TROUSER GATE: If Bristol City Council made lager …
- Brutalism Within Bristol // Links. – joshadamjonesphotography on Spot the difference: new brutalism
- ALLOTMENTS FOR SALE! WHO’S GETTING RICH OFF THE GREAT GREEN SPACES LAND GRAB? | The Bristolian on RED TROUSER GATE: The latest desperate cover-up attempt
- HOYT’S HATE TWEET SCANDAL SHAME SHOCKER | The Bristolian on Shirley and the coconuts
- BristolBloggerGate: Three years on – the University of Liverpool, WordPress & censorship | Bristle's Blog from the BunKRS on Howard and me
Archives
A Whois search shows the website is registered in the name of Martin Hiscox. This is verified with a seach on Gumtree (http://bristol.gumtree.com/bristol/58/11845758.html), where 20 year old Martin is also trying to set up a business ‘involving booze’ with what reads as the shadiest and shakiest business plan ever written. (http://bristol.gumtree.com/bristol/57/10472857.html).
Unlikely to go ahead with these chancers running it!!!!
I like to judge my opinions and outward expression by doing my research and finding out appropriate facts before stating, quite frankly, offensive comments about people who I know nothing about.
The festival concept is not being run by chancers, but by a collective of people from experienced Stage Managers to Bristol City Council, who have today supported my efforts to run a community festival for the people of Bristol.
As you may have guessed, I am an entrepreneur, having run and worked at events many times, and may I make you fully aware that my business plans are normally business supporting documents of about 50 pages long. Even the festival has one to ensure all areas of organisation are covered.
My alcohol delivery idea was founded on one primary concept – to stop people drink driving to buy more alcohol. The business is not being set-up as I have moved onto other things. How this applies to my ability to organise a festival confuses me slightly.
Most people are really pleased to see somebody organising a festival for Bristol following on from the sad news about Bristol Community Fesivals & The Ashton Court Festival.
I find it inappropriate that you judge me so openly – most people have offered to help. Venue Magazine are keen to support us (check us out in Wednesday’s issue) and I’m doing a radio interview for Star FM on Friday.
I believe your accusations form some part of an alterior motive.
Please, do not downgrade me as an individual – instead contribute your thoughts and ideas to the festival.
Please contact me if you want to formally introduce yourself. I’m afraid I’m far to busy to Google you.
M
Martin
No offence intended, I’m sure you are big enough to take some critisism. After all if you plan to run BCF this wont be the last you receive!!!!
I take as I find, I just could not find any evidence of commitment or success from you – unless you can prove otherwise.
Even you must admit you description of your booze delivery business does not instill confidence in your abilities and walking away from a business after less than a month does not really show commitment, hense my pessimistic view of your attempt to ressurect BCF.
Though I am sure that as a self proclaimed successful entrepreneur you will provide examples of you ability to lead such a huge project.
Having said that, I am not sure that Bristol needs another family and community orientated free music festival after the comparitive successful concept of the Festival of the Sea this weekend.
Cheers
Dave
Indeed, thanks David for giving me my first lesson – to make everyone happy is an impossibility, but you can try your best! And that is what I will do.
See you soon, no doubt.
Martin
With ACF/BCF now dead, obviously something will fill the void, possibly more than one something.
Members of the Bristol Music Industry Forum will be meeting at the end of September to discuss this very topic and we hope to start a new music festival for Bristol, but not a community festival. As you have proved already, we wont be the only ones doing this. It might be just as well to pool resources but I can see a number of events being proposed and some are bound to want to go it alone. Good luck to them.
Unfortunately, I have plans for tomorrow so can’t make you meeting but let me put some points to you that you might find useful.
1. Star FM are a waste of time, don’t bother with them. No one listens and most importantly, not only do they know nothing about radio, they care nothing for music, in particular local music. I worked for them for 5 years, so I know what I’m talking about. Seriously, don’t waste you time.
2. If the event that takes the place of ACF is called a ‘community festival’ in any way, then you will get loads of grief from people saying it should be free, and if you get sponsors in to help make it so, then people will complain that it’s a corporate event and all about making money from the people of Bristol. Make it absolutely clear that the event has nothing to do with ACF. I loved the festival, but it’s dead now and whatever follows has to be allowed a fresh start, with nothing hanging over it’s head.
3. For any event to be regular and well run, it will have to make money or have a lot of money behind it. We’ve seen what happened to ACF and part of the promlem there was it could never make enough money to be secure as the organises felt a duty to keep prices to a minimum. Better to be up front about it and charge the going rate for a festival ticket. Or make it free for all time and have a big sponsor who’ll not drop you like a stone when the going gets rough or they get taken over.
4. Don’t have it at Ashton Court. It’s too difficult for people to get to, too expensive to secure, and not much good in the wet. See what the council have to say about the Downs, Queens Square or possibly another part of the city I can’t think of but that already has good public access.
5. Make it a one day festival. This will be a mark of difference from ACF and will be easier to organise, simpler to run and clear up after.
6. Decide what the festival is all about. Is it about music, if so what kind? Bristol is a guitar city, with hundreds (yes, hundreds) of guitar bands. That’s what I’d want to see. Obviously, other people will want to see dance music, drum and bass, whatever. So do you want a lot of stages or should it be kept simple and just have a small number of stages? I don’t know but it needs thinking about. And should it just be about Bristol music? There’s an argument that a Bristol music festival should have a Bristol band headlining. On the other hand, a big name draw can ensure a good crowd, strong ticket sales (if it is a ticket event) and press interest.
7. One of the strengths of the Bristol music scene is it’s co-operative spirit. Don’t be afraid to get the people who know the scene involved, in fact, I would say that was essential. The ACF line up was the strongest I’ve ever seen it this year, because the people who picked the bands didn’t rely on the demos that were sent in. The music selectors were people who book bands for the venues of the city all year round, and as such they knew who the best bands to pick were. And boy did it work.
I hope those points help. I’d be glad to meet up and talk about this further, maybe at the meeting we’re having in September.
Good luck, Gary Smith (Bristol Uncovered on BBC Radio Bristol)
Pingback: Ashton Court Festival is dead, long live Bristol Music Festival..? « Bristle’s Blog from the BunKRS
Hi,
The event is now called the Bristol Festival and the website is http://www.thebristolfestival.org
The old website is no longer valid and the information incorrect. Please do not buy tickets from it as the money will not reach the festival!
All events are still going ahead as planned, including the public consultation on the 25th Oct at 6pm at the Trinity centre (everyone welcome), and BFF (Bristol Festival Fundraiser) Sessions and Unsigned live gig nights at Joe Publics every Wednesday from Oct 17th and the Christmas Gift Fair and Art Auction… details to be released shortly!
It’s your festival, get involved!
Many thanks,
Bristol Festival Community Group