2 Promoters, 1 Pod ArcTanGent & Damnation

One viral photo of Gojira's merch list prices - including an £80 hoodie - sparked a row that refuses to die and lifted the lid on the murky world of merch concessions at venues and festivals.

But is it as black and white as greedy venues or promoters dipping their hands into the pockets of hard working bands, or is there a more nuanced conversation to be had about what services are provided in return, from a toilet tour to a major outdoors festival?

Do all events approach the issue in the same manner and even if you offer artists a free merch table, would they prefer to pay? 

We get in about it all.


**NOTE: There was a connection issue which led to a small section of buffering video and audio being edited out. 

Discussed was price fixing when headliners force support bands to charge the same prices as them, which ATG, 2000trees and Damnation don't endorse or agree with.

And the huge increase in raw merch costs: Damnation paid £3.66 for tee reprints in 2021 and £16.93 for tee reprints in 2023.**



We go again, next Thursday morning. Be there.

As the old saying goes, you learn from your mistakes, but that doesn't make those mistakes any easier to deal with!

From bogged down loos, stages with no stage managers, the importance of building a team and what weather you can survive and what weather you can't... Gav and James relive some horrors from down the years.

And what do we want to see in a band's press pack? 



We go again, next Thursday morning. Be there.

In the second of our monthly Q&A bonus pods, we try to get through as many burning questions as possible.

Our biggest triumphs and screw ups? How has Brexit impacted attracting bands? What happens to our festivals if one of us is hit by a bus? Have we ever been held to ransom by a greedy band?

And why didn't Opeth play their full set length at ATG last year?

We answer them all.
We go again, next Thursday morning. Be there.

The ArcTanGent stage times are out and everyone has been colour coding their digital day plans and having a social media rant about the decisions they've been forced to make.

But what does the man responsible for the clashes, which can make or break your weekend, have to say for himself?

How did Clown Core and Author & Punisher find themselves pitted against each other? Is Torpor at 11am on the final day really a bright idea? And do fans really want to see both Amenra and Tokky Horror?

James finally breaks his silence...



We go again, next Thursday morning. Be there.

Green Lung, Creeper, Brutus, Malevolence, Zeal & Ardor, Bob Vylan, Dinosaur Pile Up, Bleed From Within, Boston Manor... all names we hope to see headline our festivals in the future.

But what does it take to get there and why does the path to the top of the bill seem so clear at 2000trees, yet so complicated at ATG and Damnation? 

Gav and James also have a bash at booking a stage for the other's festival, from the sublime (We Lost The Sea and Tomb Mould) to the ridiculous (Moon Tooth?) .

And there's Blanket and The Moth Gatherer and Meryl Streek and Pig Destroyer and Anaal Nathrakh and Spirit Adrift and...

This is our fanboy episode. 



We go again, next Thursday morning. Be there.

21 UK festivals have been cancelled or postponed so far this year with up to 100 at risk without Government support, according to the The Association of Independent Festivals.

It's grim reading, so how are ArcTanGent, Damnation and 2000trees coping in this brutal landscape and what can be done to help the situation?

Gav and James have a plan and it involves you!



We go again, next Thursday morning. Be there.