News - Fancy a Read ?

As another month comes to an end and thankfully so as this July has been a hard one.

Not going to waffle or baffle you as the blunt approach is the name of the game in the Dread Blog these days, granted in the hope more than 5 folk read it.

NEWS.....

Our footfall was down in July, dramatically down - oh shit down, takings were down with a ball sheilding 45 % down from July last year which is bad enough, that I'll now struggle to put fuel in my helicopter and super yacht this week. Worse still all web and social traffic went off a cliff too and that's not on.

Why ?

You tell me as I'm at a loss.

Ah the guid weather - the fitba - the holidays - the festivals, the internet went down, the dug ate my computer, the, the, the infection that made my foot blaw up like a balloon.

Moving on

• So second bit of news : Sadly we had to postpone Fri 7 August show with 13 Scream to 30th October due to a sudden bereavement to a family member from one the lads in the band. Our condolences once again to them and family at this impossible time. It's always family first at times like these for us and this is no exception as these guys are like family.

Now I would tend to steam in and come up with a Plan and just like the A-Team, pull something out the fire and all that jazz.

However this year, things seem to have changed. I notice these things ye see.

I've noticed when Plan B is live, a massive amount of effort from everyone to shout it from the rooftops, make it free entry etc etc to find we have a very underwhelming response which hurt financially more than doing nothing at all.

Not talking about ten or twenty quid, I'm talking hundreds.

Being brutally honest we just can't take the risk and hope enough people turn up to make all that work, bands moving many things around or dropping their night off to play to the few worthwhile.

Sad to say that can only lead to change (pssst that all in another blog in great detail called TOLD Ye SO the follow on to LATE TICKETS masterpiece)

So to that end Friday 7th will have no live music scheduled and just open at 9pm for a change through till 3am. You can still come in free upto 11pm and rock the night away if you want and can.

I don't mind sharing this sudden change in our normal "must be a show no matter what" saves nearly £500 in costs that otherwise would have needed covered from the free entry ticket or equally low bar revenue. Oh forget covering the rent, rates and energy from that too btw.

That's just on the night costs.

I know it's great running a venue in 2026. You should try it - you save a fortune on white hair dye.

• More news as I must get back to watching Springer Spaniels on TikTok.

I have one more date to fill in to take us to Christmas on the live schedule.

ALL listed in the website live events guide, on the home page quick guide and Mobile App as well as facebook events and as many other live listings too many to list.

So it's over to you to let those fingers do the walking across your phone and keyboard and have a look - a good look - a good read and hopefully book your tickets there and then for some top shows coming up in the next FOUR months then into 2027 which are now popping in all the time.