Managing Successful Events

I was asked to blog about how we run successful events. So, I sat down for quite a while and reflected. After several minutes, I came to a resolution: I have no idea how to run events, let alone successful ones! Thus, instead I will twist this discussion slightly into "How to put together a live music show"...

The keys elements are pretty simple:

- Find a suitable venue and book them for a suitable date
- Invite other bands / artistes you genuinely think are awesome to play with you
- Get a poster for your gig made and plaster it everywhere
- Invite all your friends, their friends, and maybe all your ex girlfriends too.
- Hire a live mixing engineer you trust to make you sound good
- ...and practice like a 8itch on 'roids.

The secret ingredients are a little harder to gather, and deserve a paragraph and not simply dot points...

At FVE, we do not simply run events so that we can play gigs. Whilst there is nothing wrong with this, I believe that our shows are popular because we sincerely have a deeper purpose behind our events, and our radio program, which people can sense and wish to share in it.

All our mediums, performance or broadcast, exist not as an end in themselves, but as a means by which we are able to encourage the consumption of local, independent music. We have a deep conviction to this, and when you come to our shows, or listen to our program, I believe that you can feel it also and that it is contagious.

...there is also the very strong possibility that I am full of nonsense!

- Nigel Nobody