[Dixielandjazz] The state of OKOM in the UK

[David Richoux]

Funny thing about venue conditions - sometimes the places you  
describe as horrible are the "hottest place in town" if the right  
bands are there - I was in New York City last week and went to  
Brooklyn to see a group called "Slavic Soul Party" - the club was a  
hole-in-the-wall bar, the room the band played in was about 25x25  
feet (maybe a bit bigger, I didn't measure) and the crowd was huge!  
Wide range of ages, many dedicated fans, dancers making do with what  
space they could find, no sound system except a basic PA with two  
speakers. The band had to march out to the main bar every once in a  
while to be properly heard...

A step up from Pres Hall, but not much ;-)

anyway,

Dave Richoux
On Apr 29, 2007, at 7:08 PM, tcashwigg at aol.com wrote:

> It more than likely has to do with putting good OKOM in the all or  
> at least many of the Wrong Places.
>
> The presenters also have a responsibility to flow with the times  
> and put their events in venues that will attract more and larger  
> diversification in audiences.   You need to have them where the  
> Public will attend.    Outdated and old timey venues that are dirt  
> cheap by comparison to the new Hip places to hold events are cheap  
> for a reason:))  Nobody wants to go there any more because the  
> acoustics often suck, the Pa System is not adequate if it ever was,  
> and the ambiance of the room sucks so bad that it conjures up the  
> image of playing in a grammar school cafeteria or "Multi Purpose  
> Room".
>
> Ya want a lively hip younger crowd to get turned onto the music and  
> associate with the old folks as well ya gotta take it to where it's  
> happening.  The current IN Spot.  It is just as important as to the  
> quality of the band and the selection of the music.
>
>
> Cheers,
>
> Tom Wiggins
>