Phantasm or no Phantasm?
Okay, a short post here that I want input from eveyone for:
I know it doesn't really make financial sense anymore, especially because the relaunch of Phantom FM has now been delayed again because of those bastards at Zed FM launching a judicial review (see here for details).
I've been going there a lot, as some of you know, and never has a Thursday night been as good as the Phantasm years. For god sake, once I went and didn't even drink, and still had a good time! Reading posts, like this one, relating to this article, allows me to believe that there are many many more people out there who, although they enjoy Whelans as a 'safe' place to go, are annoyed that it seems to have been forgotten about since The Village has come about. The owners don't seem to be going to any effort with Whelans, they're also taking the 'safe' option. This is the main reason why Phantasm is needed ... because Whelans is losing it's charachter, and it's losing it's genre of clientelle.
Because Whelans used to have so many good live acts it had a very definite kind of person there. Since those days, the standard of gig has dropped (in favour of the again 'safe' bands that they know will fill the place) and therefore there is a much worse crowd in the place. I see shirts all over the place on a Saturday night recently. And this is why there is a bouncer needed by the sound desk, because there's assholes with no respect for the place coming in in droves.
As you can see I'm 100% for the reintroduction of Phantasm, and I'll contribute to it (as in pay in occasionally), as long as they keep John Walshe in a regular position and get rid of that Saturday night jukebox dj.
Kev
Should Phantasm come back to Whelans?
I know it doesn't really make financial sense anymore, especially because the relaunch of Phantom FM has now been delayed again because of those bastards at Zed FM launching a judicial review (see here for details).
I've been going there a lot, as some of you know, and never has a Thursday night been as good as the Phantasm years. For god sake, once I went and didn't even drink, and still had a good time! Reading posts, like this one, relating to this article, allows me to believe that there are many many more people out there who, although they enjoy Whelans as a 'safe' place to go, are annoyed that it seems to have been forgotten about since The Village has come about. The owners don't seem to be going to any effort with Whelans, they're also taking the 'safe' option. This is the main reason why Phantasm is needed ... because Whelans is losing it's charachter, and it's losing it's genre of clientelle.
Because Whelans used to have so many good live acts it had a very definite kind of person there. Since those days, the standard of gig has dropped (in favour of the again 'safe' bands that they know will fill the place) and therefore there is a much worse crowd in the place. I see shirts all over the place on a Saturday night recently. And this is why there is a bouncer needed by the sound desk, because there's assholes with no respect for the place coming in in droves.
As you can see I'm 100% for the reintroduction of Phantasm, and I'll contribute to it (as in pay in occasionally), as long as they keep John Walshe in a regular position and get rid of that Saturday night jukebox dj.
Kev
posted by kevpatts at
1:18 PM
7 Comments:
I agree Steve, ignore Moe. I remember a time back in the early times of the Thursday night fetish, when Moe and I went there one autumn Thursday night last year and there was no-one in the place. They closed the venue aprt because at midnight there was only about 9 people in the entire pub. This went on for about three weeks too.
This seems nearly inconceivable now with the sheer influx of punters on a nightly basis. The music didn't start to change then, it changed ages before that. I think, looking back now, this was the critical point between when the old regulars left and when the new 'drifters' arrived.
This was the very point at which Whelans took a turn for the worst, but I don't believe it was because of waining profits. Whelans was usually full before those dark days, it seems like a conscious choice was made somewhere along the line to try to get rid of these people, because the music changed before this happened, and it forced the devout fans out.
It could have been bad luck: the arrival of a new DJ (baldy guy came in around then), or just lack of foresight, but to me it seemed intentional.
I hope the owners can retrieve the situation before we start seeing pictures come down, the stone man get barred for not wearing proper shoes, bouncers kicking people out for sneezing, prices skyrocketting, and staff changing faster than you can drink a pint.
Few of us survived that time, and I commend those of you who did. You know who you are.
Kev
By
kevpatts, at 5:28 PM, August 16, 2005
I realise my point above isn't very clear. My point is that Whelans seems to have started down the road of the pub that follows customer trends as apposed to keeping true to what it stands for. It seems to be following in the footsteps of The Village.
I think this will ultimately be very bad for Whelans, because when the crowd do get bored of it (and they will) where will the owners be left then? They can't really refurbish the place to get the new crowd in so, if they want to do this they'll just get new DJ's I suppose and start playing some of that thar rave music. If they decide not to go down that road they'll find it very difficult to get they're regulars back, as most have left for greener pastures and being the people they are, are not prepared to leave wherever that place is.
The reintroduction of Phantasm is the only hope of getting the good crowd back into Whelans. You never know, it'd probably open the eyes of a few of the current drifters too and gain more devout followers.
I also like the idea of losing the fee for unknown bands, as this goes against what I thought was the Whelans ethos. Instead have a regular 'battle of the unknown bands' kinda thing and invite the ones with a bit of talent back.
Voodoo have way overtaken Whelans when it comes to new music, as have Dorans, but not because they have grown - because Whelans haven't been making an effort with new bands.
The whole issue of whether it's phantasm or new bands is the same to me because they're both 'new music' that will attact a certain type of crowd, the kind of cult music crowd.
anyway, I'm rambling again.
By
kevpatts, at 9:55 AM, August 17, 2005
Yes. I do. My god Moe, you always seem to hate the prospect of going to Phantasm! Is it only cause you hate The Village or is it the music?
By
kevpatts, at 3:17 PM, August 17, 2005
Although it'll probably be empty tonight because:
it's not on it's regular day so people won't know about it and ...
it's not being advertised on Phantom FM, so people won't know about it.
If so we can always stick our heads into Whelans. I mean I love Phantasm, but like everything it can be shit if there's noone there.
By
kevpatts, at 3:23 PM, August 17, 2005
If you do in fact want to go tonight then surely you should have said:
"if a did not apply when b did then i would have no problem"
no?
By
kevpatts, at 4:30 PM, August 17, 2005
I CAN'T FUCKING BELIEVE IT!
After coming home from work today I was told about a rumour that Whelans is closing down soon ... because they're doing it up.
Am I a prophet? Are they insane? How do we stop this from happening? I can only picket at lunch times, when can you guys help out????
By
kevpatts, at 6:56 PM, August 17, 2005
In fairness I went in at lunch the next day and my fears were pretty much laid to rest. I was told that this has been planned for about 5 years now and the date keeps getting put back but that it could be next month.
Also, the plans for it are good. They are developing the other side of the place, where the metal shutter and the smaoking area are now. They're not touching the main bar. There will be no closures.
All is good.
By
kevpatts, at 12:17 AM, August 29, 2005
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