HAPPY NEW YEAR ??

Firstly, sorry for delay in getting a 2026 newsletter/bLOg out to you before now.

Just when you think there would be plenty of time in January and February time seems to evaporate or playing catching up with a multitude of things and repairs after a hectic festive period that take up more and more time. 

Secondly

Due to more and more people requesting the news letters we have had to upgrade and switch to a new company called Brevo to provide a cost effective mail out rather than pay a hefty amount to mailchimp each month. This added to the delay in restructuring things too. Hope that's ok but it's also duplicated to the blog for those who prefer to go direct to our website.

Apart from the normal live show reminders coming up in this edition I would also like to touch on costs increases that hopefully some may have picked up on in the news recently but think it best to bring our outlook on things and how they will affect us all. Sorry to put things on a downer right from the outset but think in current climate important to share some of the "hidden factors" no one see's or bothers about. 

So lets dive right in with the bad stuff to start with.......

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2025 brought in some sizable behind the scenes cost increases that most likely went unnoticed on a customer side of things.

The likes of employer National Insurance increases as just one example let alone the constant supplier and tax increases. 

For many places it was just the final straw for many to deal with in 2025 forcing them to close. 

We took it all on the chin (again) and got on with it best we could mostly absorbing all the increases along the way so the majority of show tickets and drinks prices remained unchanged. 

We dropped some brands that went up too much and brought what we regarded as better more affordable alternatives.

We had a more pressing issue to also cut back on more risky or costly live shows opting for safer and less costly live options.

Whether that was right or wrong who knows, but made it into 2026 despite some months being pretty tough June and July. I don't mind sharing it was 50/50 if we could sustain it through what was a rare period of very warm weekend weather.

Being Scotland it ended just as it quick as it came on so things picked up well with some top live and club nights, an epic Halloween and decent festive period all that disappeared for a while. Shame so many things had to be cancelled or postponed due to poor sales but it's just a thing now up and down the country. 

2025 done...phew. 

Just as we got into 2026 the hint of Business Rates revaluations came up in the press then direct to us which always sends a shiver down any businesses back small or large.

I'm not going to try and baffle you how it's all worked out as half the time no one really knows apart from the valuation board....I think so anyway. 

All we know it's time to reach for some lube every 3 years when the letters drop in the post when the value always updates on how much of a shafting is coming.

Boy, did we need some lube with a sizable increase from what we were paying in the years before or in £value we have to find nearly £900 more a MONTH - not year - a month just for rates increases come April.

Fortunately after alot of campaigning from the night time industry and Music Venue Trust some welcomed relief first from the UK then Scot Gov's to ease that a little but will still have to find more than HALF of the increase somewhere come April 2026. 

Just to add to the joy the annual alcohol duty increase from 1st Feb and then suppliers (pretty much all of them) also announcing 3-9% increases to wholesale costs coming in from end of Feb and start of March. Oh goody. I love this time of year. 

Most on the outside of the industry, ie the humble gig goer or drinker of assorted beverages will only respond to these things when they see less change in their palm or in their bank after a few taps of the card machine.

Mostly in a negative way if I'm honest just as I do as no one likes to see increases. 

This isn't anything new btw as it happens every year which feels relentless since covid period where everything has shot up at work and home.

We have absorbed or offset those cost increases without adding anything to the show prices or cost of a pint for you to notice a thing.....BUT

Lately though also as footfall (that's folk coming in) has become more variable which requires a crystal ball we simply can't ignore or hope for the best anymore so are backed into a corner to pass on some if not all of the never ending increases heading our way as most bars, venues and nightclubs will have to as well as adjusting staffing numbers to balance what comes in to what goes out every week. Sorry. 

We know it's tough for you too - seeing prices go up a wee bit everywhere for everything to decide when or if you can go oot and then for us to try and balance how much we dare charge without being shot down in flames (ac/dc pun to break the doom) as we always try our best to match or be close to bog standard pub prices despite being a live venue and nightclub with lots more staff and costs to be just that.

Anyway I thought it best to give a small insight to that side of things just in case you wonder the next time you are in why Guinness or Tennents etc is most likely a fraction more in the coming weeks as we just can't soak up what's coming between now and April. 

Before we move on a wee analogy I like to bring out at times like these when some bemoan why we are 20p more a drink/pint than the pub down the road that offers no live music, has no security, cloakroom, dj and double amount of staff to serve you quicker in a clean well run environment.

My question is always how many drinks/pints do you have when oot ? 5? 10? Well in real terms going with the 10 drinks/pint.

That would be £2 more on that night out than the alternative up or down the road.

Not much more when you spin it that way now is it ?

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STILL FOUR more nights to come in February before hitting the March Schedule. 

SIX original Rock bands and three top tributes still to come all rammed into four more nights of February.

All remaining shows are selling well but if you are going please grab an advance ticket to show you are coming along to the event which supports us and the bands massively.  

ALL the info is in the respective event on our website. Many ask about times etc and semi-argue the info just says 7-11pm but in the body of the event info it tells you everything you need including some videos or links to the bands also the approx running orders. I know.... because I write it. 

March is just a couple of weekends away now with some top tributes, covers bands and original artists some that are internationally renowned. 

We kick off the month with the return of RESTLESS NATIVES - A tribute to Big Country with two of the current Big Country line up back in Bathgate. These guys are the real deal.

The ALL DAY Gathering Punk Day returns in 2026 with an 11 Bands line up from 1pm. 

Bands from Scotland and England that you just wouldn't get a chance to see all one show. 

SPIKE from the QUIREBOYS returns with his fantastic night of live music and stories after a year off in 2025 due to a huge touring schedule back on the road with the QUIREBOYS. 

OUTSIDE the ORIGINAL are back with us in 2026 with the one and only PROG ROCK Tribute show to see. From Rush to Yes and loads more in between. 

THE HEAD HUNTERS join us for the first time at the Dread playing a superb mix of Rock and Blues covers that are sublime. 

A must for any QUO fan as Status Quo tribute - STATUS NO return to get down down....

Wrapping up the month we have HOODOO BONES back with another epic night of covers that you just won't get anywhere else featuring the Volts AC/DC frontman Willie, followed by the BEST BOWIE tribute in the land. Spiders on Mars are back.  

If you are planning on coming along please think about ploughing in for a ticket in advance. 

That can be done safely and securely from our website or direct to our ticket partner Universe. 

Couple of thing worth noting as some are wary of ticket companies these days. 

We and universe fully refund your ticket and booking fee if a show is cancelled or postponed ALSO we the venue get directly supported from Universe as we get 50% of your booking fee which helps massively pay for the upkeep of the live system. 

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14-16 King Street Bathgate

EH48 1AX Bathgate

alanr@dreadnoughtrock.com