BBC 6 Music Festival

[Johndenis]

Hello all, I asked these questions a few years back but I don't think I got replies.  (Just listening to Lauren Laverne from yesterday playing live songs by Wet Leg and Johnny Marr from the 6 Music Festival in Cardiff, which has reminded me.).

I remain curious about how the 6 Music Festival is organised and funded.  Is it priced to break even?  What if it loses money?  It sounds like Liverpool in 2019 didn't sell out.  I've looked at BBC annual reports and it's not explained.  Is it outsourced to a local promoter - how does the BBC have the expertise otherwise?  If I was a promoter in the area and the BBC turned up with these kind of line ups to clash with an event I was already promoting, I would be pretty upset.  On the other hand, is it being outsourced and do local promoters have a chance to make a few quid? 

I attended the first one in Manchester (2014?) and it seemed like it was an excuse for the station to have a party.   The venue was the Victoria Warehouse which was obviously a choice inspired by WHP (the Warehouse Project),  but unfortunately the venue was unsuited to live bands (I'm not sure it was thought through too carefully).  You had (for example) The National playing in a huge hall and James Blake playing at exactly the same time in a small room.  It was overall OK - it felt like all the DJs were in the same place and the atmosphere as fun.  I met Shaun Keaveny and had a laugh.  I attended the Glasgow one a few years later by which time it had changed into a "series of related gigs in different venues" format.

[clarkete]

8 minutes ago, Johndenis said:

Hello all, I asked these questions a few years back but I don't think I got replies.  (Just listening to Lauren Laverne from yesterday playing live songs by Wet Leg and Johnny Marr from the 6 Music Festival in Cardiff, which has reminded me.).

I remain curious about how the 6 Music Festival is organised and funded.  Is it priced to break even?  What if it loses money?  It sounds like Liverpool in 2019 didn't sell out.  I've looked at BBC annual reports and it's not explained.  Is it outsourced to a local promoter - how does the BBC have the expertise otherwise?  If I was a promoter in the area and the BBC turned up with these kind of line ups to clash with an event I was already promoting, I would be pretty upset.  On the other hand, is it being outsourced and do local promoters have a chance to make a few quid? 

I attended the first one in Manchester (2014?) and it seemed like it was an excuse for the station to have a party.   The venue was the Victoria Warehouse which was obviously a choice inspired by WHP (the Warehouse Project),  but unfortunately the venue was unsuited to live bands (I'm not sure it was thought through too carefully).  You had (for example) The National playing in a huge hall and James Blake playing at exactly the same time in a small room.  It was overall OK - it felt like all the DJs were in the same place and the atmosphere as fun.  I met Shaun Keaveny and had a laugh.  I attended the Glasgow one a few years later by which time it had changed into a "series of related gigs in different venues" format.

I suspect even if someone knew some of those answers they wouldn't be able to tell you.

I went to the Bristol one and the venues at least were clearly delighted, as they had fabulous attendances throughout.

Why are you so interested?

[Johndenis]

17 minutes ago, clarkete said:

I suspect even if someone knew some of those answers they wouldn't be able to tell you.

I went to the Bristol one and the venues at least were clearly delighted, as they had fabulous attendances throughout.

Why are you so interested?

In my old age I find myself as interested in how music events are organised as in the music itself.  I'm not some BBC basher.  6 Music is a mixed bag but absolutely home to some great broadcasters/DJs.

[clarkete]

4 minutes ago, Johndenis said:

In my old age I find myself as interested in how music events are organised as in the music itself.  I'm not some BBC basher.  6 Music is a mixed bag but absolutely home to some great broadcasters/DJs.

Ah fair enough, in the current climate when someone mentions annual reports and the cost of anything which the BBC are involved in it makes me think of the comments I see on social media, the BBCs Have Your Say or the rare times I'm trolling the right wing papers 😉 

[incident]

I doubt that there's any realistic chance they lose money, or that it needs "funding" as such.

As with Big Weekend and the September Radio 2 events (formerly Hyde Park, Leeds this year), acts will be playing for far, far less than their usual fees or billing in exchange for the extra exposure (airplay) it gives them. Hence they can put on shows in relatively small venues with stacked lineups at a low cost. It's not just a BBC thing, same applies for the Capital FM Jingle Bell Ball.

[clarkete]

51 minutes ago, incident said:

I doubt that there's any realistic chance they lose money, or that it needs "funding" as such.

As with Big Weekend and the September Radio 2 events (formerly Hyde Park, Leeds this year), acts will be playing for far, far less than their usual fees or billing in exchange for the extra exposure (airplay) it gives them. Hence they can put on shows in relatively small venues with stacked lineups at a low cost. It's not just a BBC thing, same applies for the Capital FM Jingle Bell Ball.

Good point - clearly the venues are making money as punters pay for tickets and drinks, the Beeb get massive amounts of content which they can both play live and add to their archives plus they're supporting live music and developing acts.

Edited April 5, 2022 by clarkete

[jannybruck]

2 hours ago, Johndenis said:

Hello all, I asked these questions a few years back but I don't think I got replies.  (Just listening to Lauren Laverne from yesterday playing live songs by Wet Leg and Johnny Marr from the 6 Music Festival in Cardiff, which has reminded me.).

I remain curious about how the 6 Music Festival is organised and funded.  Is it priced to break even?  What if it loses money?  It sounds like Liverpool in 2019 didn't sell out.  I've looked at BBC annual reports and it's not explained.  Is it outsourced to a local promoter - how does the BBC have the expertise otherwise?  If I was a promoter in the area and the BBC turned up with these kind of line ups to clash with an event I was already promoting, I would be pretty upset.  On the other hand, is it being outsourced and do local promoters have a chance to make a few quid? 

I attended the first one in Manchester (2014?) and it seemed like it was an excuse for the station to have a party.   The venue was the Victoria Warehouse which was obviously a choice inspired by WHP (the Warehouse Project),  but unfortunately the venue was unsuited to live bands (I'm not sure it was thought through too carefully).  You had (for example) The National playing in a huge hall and James Blake playing at exactly the same time in a small room.  It was overall OK - it felt like all the DJs were in the same place and the atmosphere as fun.  I met Shaun Keaveny and had a laugh.  I attended the Glasgow one a few years later by which time it had changed into a "series of related gigs in different venues" format.

It's curated by 6music and done in collaboration directly with local venues, from what I have heard.

Most 'undercard' bands get extremely low fees (if they're paid at all), and larger ones get enough to cover production costs. The venues obviously make money on booze and take a cut of tickets, and I guess the BBC use enough to cover all the production and don't take profit.

The acts do it because it keeps them in 6Music's good books and getting playlisted on there/exposure to a 6Music crowd is important for stuff like ticket sales nowadays. The 6Music demographic has lots of sway and so, similar to Glastonbury, bands and agents are happy to do it for a loss.

It's a little exploitative on the face of it, but both the Beeb and the bands get something from it that isn't necessarily financial.

[the wonderwhy]

4 hours ago, Johndenis said:

I remain curious about how the 6 Music Festival is organised and funded.  Is it priced to break even?  What if it loses money?  It sounds like Liverpool in 2019 didn't sell out.  I've looked at BBC annual reports and it's not explained. 

Are you Nadine Dorries? 

[clarkete]

1 hour ago, the wonderwhy said:

Are you Nadine Dorries? 

Ooh that would explain the keen interest in Liverpool, however they've admitted to listening to 6music and saying they have some great DJs - I doubt Dorries knows what 6music even is.

[Johndenis]

On 4/5/2022 at 1:06 PM, jannybruck said:

It's curated by 6music and done in collaboration directly with local venues, from what I have heard.

Most 'undercard' bands get extremely low fees (if they're paid at all), and larger ones get enough to cover production costs. The venues obviously make money on booze and take a cut of tickets, and I guess the BBC use enough to cover all the production and don't take profit.

The acts do it because it keeps them in 6Music's good books and getting playlisted on there/exposure to a 6Music crowd is important for stuff like ticket sales nowadays. The 6Music demographic has lots of sway and so, similar to Glastonbury, bands and agents are happy to do it for a loss.

It's a little exploitative on the face of it, but both the Beeb and the bands get something from it that isn't necessarily financial.

Thanks very much, very interesting and makes things clearer.  If you're a local promoter and one of these gigs blows your gig out of the water, that's just bad luck?

[Johndenis]

On 4/5/2022 at 2:34 PM, the wonderwhy said:

Are you Nadine Dorries? 

Aye, I listen to 6 Music and go to their festivals and also the WHP, love a disco biscuit but only outwith Westminster...😀

[jannybruck]

Just now, Johndenis said:

Thanks very much, very interesting and makes things clearer.  If you're a local promoter and one of these gigs blows your gig out of the water, that's just bad luck?

Presumably the venues/people on the ground will know and flag it up – though I do remember in the Liverpool year there was some overlap with existing gigs booked that were happening later in the year.

The fact there's not one-ticket-for-everything always feels quite clumsy and only makes people commit to one or two things, so I'm not surprised some of them often have poor sales.