Looking objectively at the situation Glasgow in particular does reasonably well for gigs. OK so the bands playing there may not always be in the melodic rock genre, but over the coming months Glasgow alone has shows from the likes of Electric Eel Shock, 36 Crazyfists, Hurricane Party/The Glitterati, Spike, Wednesday 13, Trivium/3 Inches Of Blood/Still Remains, Anthrax, Europe, Bryan Adams, A, Amen, Black Label Society, Mudvayne, Paul Di'anno, Alter Bridge, Motley Crue, Styx, System of A Down, Papa Roach, Nine Inch Nails, Dio, Motorhead and Alice Cooper.

Now that is a fair few rock shows for any city over a four or five month period and this doesn't take account of any shows that may be scheduled in the like of Edinburgh/Aberdeen etc.

Compare this to my home city of Newcastle for example. Of the bands named above only Spike, A, Amen, Dio, Motorhead & Alice Cooper are coming to the 'toon'

Of the more melodic rock acts hitting the UK (Danger Danger, Dokken, vain, Faster Pussycat etc etc) there is certainly a well tried and tested circuit that the bands follow that invariabley takes in Bradford, Crewe, Dudley, Nottingham, London and more recently Sheffield. I guess these are the territories where the promoters are prepared to stump up the cash to bring the bands as there is a guaranteed return.

In ,ost cases it certainly isn't the band's fault that they don't hit Scotland, Wales, Newcastle or wherever else, but the quality and determination of the promoters in the area to bring bands of the ilk that we all love.

As one NE promoter said to me speaking about a band touring the UK in the coming monmths, if I want them in Newcastle I should stump up the cash as he wouldn't for a band he had never heard of.



Cheers
Steve

Danny Vaughn - The Road Less Travelled. Available now from www.hardrockhouse.com