[Harp-L] harp Blow Out: Venue Mash for Cash

[David Fertig <drfertig@xxxxxxxxx>]

I went to the Harp Blow Outwith my wife and a couple friends Saturday, at Brixtons' on Redondo Beach pier (SoCal.)  

Charlie M., Lee Oskar, Curtis Salgado & John Mayall, Mark Hummel & band, had to be a great show!  I love these cats!

Show time was 8, we arrived 8:05, got the tix at will-call, and entered.  A great E.L.A. blues & funk band (Thee Rhythm Kings) was opening the show.  

The room was as packed as a mosh pit.  Not only were there no seats available (and no dance floor, literally packed elbow-to elbow), most of those that came 2 hrs earlier at 6pm (!) to get seats were now mostly blocked by us standees, so they had no a view of the stage.

One of my guests had back probs and couldn't stand for hours, the manager said snidely that if my friend "had an actual disability and needed accommodation they had a special room" - but it was full.  

So we had to leave!  Damn!!  Sure, the manager (Whitney) offered me a refund, no consolation for missing a doubtlessly great show, and no cost to Brixtons, people were lined up for tix outside.


Am I wrong in thinking Brixton is cheap and greedy?  That they should have put more chairs on the dance floor (there was absolutely no room to dance anyway!) and sold fewer tix?

They knew exactly how many people were coming to enjoy the "sold-out" show, perhaps a hundred more tix than the space could handle.  Indeed, I'd bet 10-1 they far exceeded the Fire Marshal capacity.

The managers of Brixtons exemplify the worst of venue runners, caring only about numbers and not about the people or their enjoyment.

What can a performer do to prevent this sort of thing from happening? Tell a club owner not to sell so many tix?  To make sure there are enough seats for at least x% of the crowd?

I doubt I'll run into this prob with my own shows, but I can dream!  Any suggestions?

-Dave"Glad I'm a LRBC Regular" Fertig
bluescruise.com