Learning from a master (From This Is Wiltshire)

Learning from a master

2:07pm Friday 20th August 2010 in

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Being a music promoter is a career choice these days, with college courses offering to teach the arcane art.

But just what does a promoter do? Tom Sangster, from Melksham, who is behind the town’s successful Party in the Park, top Beatles tribute act Sgt Pepper’s Only Dartboard Band and many other nights and acts, has been promoting music in the area for years.

Mr Sangster, 64, began by running a folk club over 40 years ago. “It was at a time when Simon and Garfunkel’s songs were being performed in folk clubs and contemporary music was imposing itself into what had been exclusive territory for the traditional folk music artists,” he said.

“A work colleague was a ‘tribute’ Paul Simon, though tribute acts were unheard of in those days. He somehow got me roped in to run the club.

“During that time I organised my first concert which was headed up as a Blues and Folk Concert and it was very successful. Thinking about it, it probably coincided with the start of the Glastonbury Festival, which was the Bath Blues Festival back in 1969. Mind you, Michael Eavis went on to mega-glory and me? Down to obscurity.”

In the years since he has learned a considerable amount about the music business, and is realistic about the skills needed, many of which he has honed in his day job as a management accountant for a Bath charity.

While some events take all year to organise, others are much quicker.

So how does he choose a band to headline an event?

“A lot depends on which bands will do well and pull in the punters in your local area.

“Sometimes a theme will work or just a certain originals or covers band. If a financial risk is involved then it must be a band that is going to cover, comfortably, all the costs associated in promoting an event. That’s the crunch really!

“The first criteria is to avoid financial risk. By that I mean no promoter wants to underwrite risks though some do end up doing so. The package of hiring a venue and a band or bands, has to come at the right cost to make the gig work. The promoter then has to make a judgement as to whether the event will sell sufficiently well to cover costs and make a profit. Therein lies the knack and I’m afraid there is no magic formula.”

So what are the attractions that make people like Mr Sangster, who has a full-time job, take on the task?

“Well, it certainly isn’t for the money. I think, like lots of other things, it is a challenge to do something and make it work and be successful. Mind you, I will not take risks. Sometimes something takes the fancy and I say ‘Yeah, that looks promising’ and I will have a go.

“One of the best was organising Beatles tribute Sgt Pepper’s Only Dart Board Band’s trip to Alabama for a Beatles Fest back in 2007.

“Though not promoting for profit as such, I still rank organising in the same frame. This trip had to be planned meticulously as every single item of equipment the band needed had to be hired in from Nashville, then make a five-hour road trip to Montgomery where the band played at the Alabama Shakespeare Fest-ival venue, a superb location.

“Fortunately, it all went very well but I would have to say it was a satisfying accomplishment.

“Sometimes the small gigs can be very satisfying but I go back to 1985 as probably the best, when I got involved promoting and organising a charity concert headlined by comedian Jim Davidson.

“This was at Colerne in an aircraft hangar the night before he was due on at Goldiggers at Chippenham.

“Davidson decided he wanted to check out the stage etc before the show and immediately decided he didn’t like the positioning of the main speaker cabinets. He wanted them about 10 feet above the floor. Solution? I persuaded the local military to loan us two forklift trucks to raise the said speakers to the height required.

“These days I am heavily involved with organising Melksham’s Party in the Park. It has grown over the last 10 years to become quite high profile in this part of Wiltshire and has outlasted other similar events in the area.

“My ideal event I suppose would be to run an annual music festival. It would be a low key local festival where people could just go along and enjoy different types of music.

“Sounds simple but the reality is there is more to it than meets the eye. Think health and safety for one – probably the biggest barrier against sensible free enterprise and common sense. Ah well, we can dream.”