2 Promoters, 1 Pod

Gav and James sit down for their third pod in six days (before the big man left on holiday) and leave no stone unturned in their search for fresh chat. 

AI bands, end-of-days conspiracy theories, cartoon reviews, football analogues, restaurant bloopers, when people leak the wrong band playing ATG and the importance of music press. 

What would happen if our festivals collapsed? Who were we before we took our first steps into the promoting circus and did you ever hear the story of James surviving hardship in Cambodia?

Oh, and FYI, by 2037 we'll all be hiding from machines.

Forgive us.

We go again, every Thursday morning.

Gav and James dive back into the mailbag to address the pressing matters of the day: best and worst festivals, that elusive Mars Volta booking and whether negative reaction to the pod from within the music business could see it killed off. 

But before all that, there must be an easier and cheaper way to send money overseas in 2025! 

Also, grab your tour tickets: www.seetickets.com/tour/2-promoters-1-pod

We go again, every Thursday morning.

We've heard the stories of chaotic first years of 2000trees as James and his band of merry men tried to find their feet as festival organisers.

But what we haven't heard about - until now - was their secret weapon for success: a woman who already had a clue what she was doing in the live music business.

That hero is Sarah Gilbert, who now runs the artist liaison teams at both Trees and ATG as well and much, much, much more.

Not bad for someone whose favourite metal band is Shania Twain. 

We go again, every Thursday morning.

The dreaded clashfinder, followed by the tsunami of complaints. A bleak annual onslaught every festival promoter dreads.

But what actually goes into putting that particular puzzle together?

Well there's the contractual obligations, and then the obvious genre concerns, followed by logistics you do know about and then those you don't know about.

And where in that tangled web of restrictions do you place bands on the same record label?

Gav and James attempt to explain why it's not as simple as doing as they please, no matter how much they'd like to.

www.seetickets.com/tour/2-promoters-1-pod

We go again, every Thursday morning.

It's been a hectic auld week but Gav and James carve out just enough time to plunder the mailbox to explore the curious minds of the listeners.

Ticket sales strategies. Bristol Trip Advisor. Merch pre-sales. Running pod jokes and Xmas jumpers.

And why did Gav choose to name the pod after some internet filth and then double down with branded cups?

Fore! 

We go again, every Thursday morning.

With the growing popularity (it's appreciated!) of the pod, some people in the music business are less than delighted with the frank discussions that take place for the listening pleasure of ticket buyers. 

James was reminded of the fact that not everyone is a fan when he spoke to an irate agent this week.

So Gav and James take some time to reflect on the impact of 2 Promoters, 1 Pod and how it's viewed by some people on our side of the fence.

Is it possible that they might have a point? Are we a positive or a negative in this business? Does it matter in the grand scheme of things? And do we care?

We go again, every Thursday morning.

Damnation is on the horizon and the reality of the outstanding to do list is starting to weigh on the team.

But what exactly needs to be done before the gates open at BEC Arena in two months' time?

Well there's the marquees to order, the cabins to hire, the laminates to get designed and printed, the backline, the crew, the parking, the traders, the radios, the scanners, the merch, wifi, fencing, security, first aid... and will someone think about the bloody towels!?

Oh, and the small issue of Gav having his own cabin to discuss.

We go again, every Thursday morning.

Gav and James plunder the bulging mailbag once more to tackle the topics of the day. 

Using Oceansize’s Spotify as a publicity stunt. Trying to judge a band’s pull. And the new Deftones record are all on the table. 

And Gav tries one last time to explain why festivals can’t sell t-shirts for the same price as the local grindcore all-dayer.

Tour Tickets

We go again, every Thursday morning.

"Hi there, you've reached Rob Scarlett at the 2000trees customer service desk, how may I assist you?

"VIP camping was a hike to get to? The beers ran out?  And what was with all the bloody wasps?

"Well, if you have two hours and 11 minutes spare and the patience of a monk, I'd love to talk these issues over with you..."

We go again, every Thursday morning.

We're back with a two-hour slab of 2 Promoters...

The 11th ATG is over and it was one for the history books so let's pick over the bones.

Did James know that Clown Core would have a video wall crammed with AI dicks? Was VIP oversold or was the festival quieter than usual? And what happens when someone ("Theo") is reported missing the day after the music stops?

In true 2P1P fashion, we tear through it all. 

We go again, every Thursday morning.