I am an independent promoter in Dublin considering bringing Ian Paice & band for a show at a Dublin venue (ideally Cork also...and perhaps Belfast), but this would depend on getting a sense of demand/attendance. The would be a classic Deep Purple set list, no faffing about. Pure balls to the wall DP. I've been to a number of Ian's shows and the band and sound are fantastic. Anyway, how many of you would pay in the range of 25 - 30 Euro for a show in a smaller venue with max 450-500 attendance. I want to ensure everyone attending get's an up close and loud DP experience!


Oh yes please. Count me in!

Count me in too. I think it could do well considering Glen Hughes played the Olympia and it was brilliant.

Yeah, I'd be there with at least 1 other.



#6 April 25, 2019, 08:57:04 AM Last Edit: April 25, 2019, 11:27:34 AM by StoutAndAle
I hate to be a buzzkill but you won't get that kind kind of audience for Ian Paice in Cork - definitely not at €30.

If those are the kind of attendance numbers and ticket prices that you need to break-even/turn a profit then you'll end up losing your bollix on the gig down here.

Deep Purple played the Marquee about 10 years ago and it was €55-65 for tickets. A bunch of us went down from work, our offices are near the Marquee and local radio stations/pubs were handing out complimentary tickets by the new time. I met a few of my rock and metal buddies down there, bar one or two die-hard Purple fans, all of them had gotten free tickets. Aiken had to "paper" the gig and even at that it was barely 2/3 full - if I recall correctly.

Dublin might net you that sort of audience but Cork is notoriously difficult to promote gigs in. Unless it's a ginger git with a loop station or The Boss you're going to have a tough time getting people to come out.

I'm not saying this to be a dick. A venue I worked in many moons ago had Eric Bell ex-Thin Lizzy play. The ticket charge was small, the gig was well promoted and it was a Thursday night. Maybe 30 people turned up to a venue that held 350.

Whatever you decide - all the best with it.

Quote from: StoutAndAle on April 25, 2019, 08:57:04 AM
A venue I worked in many moons ago had Eric Bell ex-Thin Lizzy play. The ticket charge was small, the gig was well promoted and it was a Thursday night. Maybe 30 people turned up to a venue that held 350.

Always found that a shame, particularly in the last decade Downey,Bell and Gorham etc would be on the go in various guises,not expensive to go see whatsoever, yet they can barely fill a pub. Now I dunno if it's due to them not having much connection to the republic but personally feel we don't celebrate Lizzy enough anyway aside from the likes of the obligatory airing of Boys Are Back In Town on a sporting or historical feature.

Must be hard for promoters to gauge a crowd for classic bands. The bash for phil, graham bonnet and geoff tate were all good gigs with modest numbers in the Button Factory while somehow Glenn Hughes gets a good turn out in the Olympia and Blue Oyster Cult fill the Academy. Whoever booked Steel Panther and Alter Bridge for the first time did well.

Quote from: heyjoe on April 28, 2019, 11:03:35 AM
Must be hard for promoters to gauge a crowd for classic bands. The bash for phil, graham bonnet and geoff tate were all good gigs with modest numbers in the Button Factory while somehow Glenn Hughes gets a good turn out in the Olympia and Blue Oyster Cult fill the Academy. Whoever booked Steel Panther and Alter Bridge for the first time did well.


I think that the lead singer of a classic rock band backed by a group of session players playing the band's greatest hits will always draw more of a crowd (especially casuals) than one of the other members i.e. drummer, bassist or even lead guitar player playing behind a guest vocalist.

Look at pre-reunion Guns N' Roses - Axl takes a bunch of musicians on tour (albeit very talented players), none of whom played on the classic records (bar Dizzy Reed) and does arenas. Slash does Snakepit, Velvet Revolver (both of which have 3/5 of GNR in their line-ups) and The Conspirators with Myles Kennedy - releasing decent new material all the while and still only playing smaller venues.