photo from 10 Links A Day 

I’ve just returned home from the Theatre Royal where Mandi and I were watching Calamity Jane, it was an assignment for The Nottingham Evening Post (as I still call it) which will appear online tomorrow and in print on Thursday. I will also be putting the original version on IMHO after the paper has published it.

Since I’ve been writing reviews for the local paper I have witnessed all manner of differing treatment from venues all around Nottingham. Some will help as much as they can; some people treat the free advertising in the newspaper as an inconvenience. The Capital FM Arena for example can’t even be bothered to do anything about it when they mess things up and it amazes me that they have ever managed to get a show reviewed if my two experiences of that place are anything to go by. Rock City fluctuates depending (I suppose) on who has been left in charge on the particular night. Sometimes I give my name and am shown in without a hitch, other times I have had a problem with my name not being on the list (my name as a broadcaster doesn’t seem to have registered with the staff here), or there’s a ‘charity donation’ to be made of anything between a pound and a fiver for reviewers. Firstly I doubt that any of it goes to charity and secondly it goes against the concept of the guest list. I have learned my lesson with Rock City and from now on I take a print out of the confirmation email as a weapon. Oddly enough, next door at Rescue Rooms, owned by the same company as Rock City, I have never had a problem.

As I’ve said before, I’m not after red carpet treatment with topless waitresses and dwarfs walking around with bowls of cocaine on their heads (not unless they really insist on providing this service), but I find it hard to believe that nationally famous venues don’t have any provision in place for dealing with and looking after reviewers. At the very least a press area to ensure a good vantage point and space to comfortably make notes as it isn’t easy having to keep pulling a pad and pen out of your pocket at random times. We should be sent something in advance rather than have to queue so that we can simply make our way to the press area. If it was up to me, all venue staff would be sent to the Theatre Royal for a lesson in how to treat reviewers. The theatre has a press relations person called Lucy, who would fall over herself to make sure your visit was a happy one.

On arrival at the theatre I received my tickets without any fuss, and as an added bonus Lucy remembered me from a past visit, something that not many venues do because of the revolving door of personnel which means that nobody knows what is going on. Lesson one; employ a press relations person. At the interval Mandi and I were invited into a roped off area for a wine reception. I’m not saying that this would necessarily work at a live music venue, but both Rescue Rooms and Rock City have balcony areas that are seldom used, why can’t reviewers use that area to allow us to comfortably allow us to write, have a drink brought to us, followed by popping backstage (something Rock City and the theatres in particular are very poor at organising) to meet the performer. Everybody goes home happy for the sake of a little bit of effort.

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