Barfly - Mad4it Gigs & Attendances 2006-2009
Why place this information on display?
The only reason is to you know what happened. Over the past couple of years so many people have asked me what's going on at the Barfly and the truth is I've rarely been informed of or had my opinion sought on any important changes if ever.
Since 2005, this employee, an in-house flat-fee DJ has had virtually no influence on the Barfly's decision making - a spectator as so many previously loyal customers have been as perplexed as I at the changes, and there's been so many bands who seem less than impressed.
Hopefully, the week by week figures and my notes should illuminate this steady change as an entirely avoidable era of counter-productivity.
It seems to stem from complacency or stupidity and it's a decline I've witnessed many organisations make before.
In previous situations I've refrained from commenting at the time because the carrot of future work has been dangled or there may have been implications prejudicing any legal case.
I've no idea what has happened, still waiting for an answer, surely it can't because of the figures because this is what they are and there seems little reason to hide our positive endeavours in the face of mind-boggling difficulty.
Embarrassing as they may be for us also.
However, under the circumstances I think our figures have been pretty good.
I also hope some lessons on attention to detail may be learned by the Barfly operation in the future.
Mad4it sold-out Fridays
Barfly is a 200 capacity venue, so sold out nights would be those where the live music, the disco or both attract an attendance of 200 – Here's this years scores for the 21 weeks to 5 June 2009 with comparison of previous years
2009 - 3 live gigs - 4 Mad4it 11pm - 3am indie disco
2008 - 0 (none) live gigs - 13 Mad4it 11pm - 3am indie disco
2007 - 6 live gigs - 17 Mad4it 11pm - 3am indie disco
2006 - 10 live gigs - 18 Mad4it 11pm - 3am indie disco
Since the credit crunch bit into our wallets, Saturdays have become the busy night in Cardiff and with double vodkas and the like costing £4 at Barfly on a Friday, Fridays trade is further weakened if there's a major rugby match the following day - it seems many more people will be saving themselves for the Saturday. Some of my notes refer to this because on occasion Friday night Cardiff has resembled a ghost town. Worryingly for the new tenants of Cardiff's St. Davids 2 shopping centre opening in October, the slow trade seems to have recently spread to some other city centre pubs on a Saturday.
Attendance figures 2009
Date .... Artist ..... Attendance for live show... + Attendance for Clubnight.... = Total Attendance
Fri 5 Jun 09 Mr Hudson 200 + 127 = 327
Sat 30 May busy in superb sunshine, plenty around town sitting at open air tables
Fri 29 May 09 BrokNCYDE Club again emptied while DJ equipment was being set up 194 + 130 = 324
Sat 23 May Busy - I was not a well man - suffering with an absess
Fri 22 May 09 Alessi’s Ark Not so busy – town apparently was busy 90 + 85 = 175
Sat 16 May we were busy, but a quiet start Owain Glyndwr had only 6 customers at 10pm
Fri 15 May 09 no band 0 + 145 = 145
Sat 9 May quiet – busy dance floor – city centre quiet yesterday too
Fri 8 May 09 six bands Quiet night but many stayed til the end 100 + 74 = 174
Sat 2 May v.busy – full until 4pm
Fri 1 May 09 Auto Electrone an OK night - around 50 stayed til the end 29 + 135 = 164
Fri 24 Apr 09 3 Welsh language bands - Town was very quiet again 20 + 103 = 123
Fri 17 Apr 09 no band Students on holiday - Town was very quiet again 0 + 87 = 87
Fri 3 Apr 09 The Anomalies 80 + 0 (5) = 85 Record Attendance near equalling Brains re-claiming of the venue for the 2002 FA Cup Final – no-one attended yay – actually five did and they were on the guest list, thank you Mace. I tried to avert this disaster with reason but to no avail and this near record breaking night. Town was very quiet and to compound the slow trading environment we lost the 80 Anomalies customers while the DJ equipment was being set up .... again. Later it dawned on me I had taken down the xplosure advertising for this night in a experiment type thing which may have contributed to the night's near uniqueness. Were it not for the five guests - thank you again Mace - we would have equalled the planning milestone set by Brains hastily arranged last minute FA Cup Final Disco of 2002. Under the terms of their original tenancy agreement the Barfly had to move out if there was a big event in town where Brains saw the advent of easy money, it seems Barfly solicitors didn't spot that clause in the contract because it meant Jonny moving the Barfly gig he'd booked to Howard Gardens where an audience of 150 attended... ooops silly Brains. The interesting thing about that first FA Cup Final night in Cardiff, similar to todays times of the credit crunch was seeing the city centre so quiet - locals seemed to evacuate the city centre perhaps wanting to avoid an abundance of Liverpool and Arsenal fans. In the event Reds and Gooners seemed to hurry back to Merseyside and London after the match leaving town deserted.
Fri 3 Apr 09 Smiths Indeed Students on holiday - Town was quiet 78 + 80 = 158
The 78 Smiths fans moved on while the DJ equipment was being set up - the craziness continues - surely it wouldn't take too much effort to re-create a DJ booth somewhere in the venue.
Smiths Indeed pre-sale for Oxford the following night is 218
Fri 27 Mar 09 Stone Gods town quiet 200 + 175 = 275
Sat 21 Mar 09 Wales 15 Ireland 17 - this is bedlam - an absolute sea of people, the club's been full since 2pm… couldn’t get the car any where near the venue - with St Mary Street recently closed to southbound traffic Westgate Street was jammed a full two and a half hours after the game
Fri 20 Mar 09 The Rogues surprisingly busy for the night before Wales v Ireland 50 + 121 = 171
Fri 13 Mar 09 Karima Francis city centre was deserted - we sold-out 20 + 223 = 243
Fri 6 Mar 09 Zenyth 50 + 104 = 154 Asda “very quiet”
Fri 27 Feb 09 no band 0 + 241 = 241 Full from around 11.50pm
Fri 20 Feb 09 This Town Needs Guns 153 + 70 = 223
Fri 13 Feb 09 Bensem 200 + 130 = 330 New mixer arrives
Fri 6 Feb 09 Said Mike 120 + 142 = 262 Good new CDJ cd players’s and more equipment on the way
Fri 30 Jan 09 Haunts 76 + 205 = 281
Saw Dave & Tom regarding the equipment – much better arrangement, new TASCAM DJ mixer desk next week with DJ Booth being requested - Some customers left complaining I played requests for R&B, ie TI & Rihanna, Kanye, MIA
Sat 24 Jan 09 Superb night from 10pm til 4am – attendance 700 through the door
Fri 23 Jan 09 Huw Stephens Radio One Night 100 + 200 = 300 Called Greg on Thursday – a good night – people waited patiently during the equipment transition fiasco
Fri 16 Jan 09 Red Stripe 60 + 100 = 160 Worst night yet - no space for records, equipment faulty - sound system tripped out 4 times
Sat 10 Jan 09 not the busiest but busy-is in the Christmas afterglow
Fri 9 Jan 09 no band 0 + 62 = 62
Sat 3 Jan 09 ghost town Cardiff did get busy around midnight with 300 att, great night busiest club in town
Fri 2 Jan 09 CLOSED Rival clubs Ten Feet Tall, Clwb Ifor Bach are open as normal
Attendance figures 2008
Sold out nights (ie over 200 attendance), live music and disco to 26 December 2008 – 51 weeks
2008 - 0 (none) live gigs - 13 Mad4it 11pm - 3am indie disco
2007 - 6 live gigs - 17 Mad4it 11pm - 3am indie disco
2006 - 10 live gigs - 18 Mad4it 11pm - 3am indie disco
Sat 27 Dec ghost town Cardiff, did get busy around midnight
Fri 26 Dec 08 Boxing Day CLOSED Both Clwb and Ten Feet Tall with Boobs on Boxing Day open as normal
Sat 20 Dec busy til 4am
Fri 19 Dec 08 Anti-Nowhere League 100 + 95 = 195
Numark’s being repaired – hired in CDJ’s - at last - for the first time since the Denon was taken away for repair in 2002 decent CD players - very nice!
Sat 13 Dec 08 busy til 4am
Fri 12 Dec 08 Chris Helme + Cancer Bats 60 + 212 = 272
This is the fast way to destroy your customer base - in order to woo an agent book one of his little known metal bands for a show in the middle of a clubnight which features an entirely different genre - I think Rich Flyswatter would have liked this one. Cancer Bats the hardcore/rock/metal makers of 'Hail Destroyer' do not sit easily alongside Lily Allen or Stone Roses. Managed to keep a lot of the sixty Chris Helme fans by making a special pre-recorded CD to cover the disastrous stage setting-up arrangements with the DJ equipment and artist gear chaos. Chris Helme left the stage at 10.50pm, the Cancer Bats were on from 12.15am until 12.50am - the 80 minute filler CD began with Gomez, Smiths and Stone Roses and slowly evolved into Rage & Nirvana before the Cancer Bats blitzed our Madchester loving audience - during the Cancer Bats 45 minute show for the unconverted. Tonight the disco started at 12.50am - many customers stayed, stoney faced and eyes glazed - they didn't look happy
Fri 5 Dec 08 Dodgy 100 + 200 = 300 - again we lost almost all the ready made Mad4it crowd during the half hour transition from live music to disco
Fri 28 Nov 08 Fight Like Apes 54 + 190 = 244
Most of the musicians stayed on for the club night, and the legend Jamesy is in - a good night
Sat 22 Nov 08 No ground floor DJ – first week for pumping the iPod and DJ from the top floor
Very busy Wales v New Zealand
Fri 21 Nov 08 Kinky Wizards 80 + 160 = 240
Fri 14 Nov 08 Johnny Foreigner 100 + 170 = 270
Sat 8 Nov 08 Wales v South Africa – Joe Calzhage’s final fight – city centre is very busy
Fri 7 Nov 08 Red Light Company 110 + 51 = 161
Red Light Co off stage at 10.40pm – their stage gear is slowly cleared enough to set
up the DJ equipment at 11.10pm in a further 20 minutes the DJ deck is operational at 11.30pm by which time only 40 of the 110 Red Light Company customers remain in the club. Customers are asking me what’s going on? I wish I knew.
Fri 31 Oct 08 Sex Pistols Exp 50 + 229 = 289
Fri 24 Oct 08 Along Came Man 60 + 250 = 310
Fri 17 Oct 08 Said Mike + My Little Murder 120 + 214 = 334
The busiest club in town- Metros had only 65 in according to our Security man – flyteam say no-one in town. Last Saturday at Barfly not as busy as Friday, Only 50 in for Birmingham Barflys Skinnygene, he pays £100 venue hire, this week 22 October may be his last
Fri 10 Oct 08 Jeremy Warmsley 30 + 221 = 251
Jeremy Warmsley's band finish at 10.30pm-ish, by 11pm any atmosphere had been again needlessly lost -
Mad4it's original relationship with the Barfly's live music has been destroyed, with the variance and constant changing of band curfew times it's impossible to plan transitions - and it would be a pretence to continue hoping that a common sense approach to this block of customers can be looked after and maintained - so Mad4it RIP
Sat 4 Oct 08 – between 500 & 1200 on the clickers
Fri 3 Oct 08 Wilko Johnson 100 + 252 = 352
Fri 26 Sep 08 Johnny Foreigner 170 + 193 = 363
Johnny Foreigner finished at 10.30pm with 170 ecstatic fans, by the time the DJ kit was set up an hour and twenty minutes later at 11.50pm only around 10-15 of those remained in the Barfly. Thankfully 193 latecomers followed
Fri 19 Sep 08 Walker 70 + 173 = 243
Fri 12 Sep 08 no band - Metros LP Launch 213 = 213
Sat 6 Sep 08 very busy til 4am-best yet queueing to St.Johns Church
Fri 5 Sep 08 Mostyn ’ill 100 + 45 = 145
Sat 30 Aug 08 very busy til 4am
Fri 29 Aug 08 no band 0 + 117 = 117
Fri 22 Aug 08 no band 0 + 73 = 73
Sat 16 Aug 08 very busy til 4am – invite to Irish wedding on 30 Aug
Fri 15 Aug 08 Selfish Cunt 60 + 50 = 110
Fri 8 Aug 08 Echolounge EP 61 + 124 = 185
Sat 2 Aug 08 very busy - £5 admission after 10.30 – 300 Fri £4 adm
Fri 1 Aug 08 no band 0 + 145 = 145
Fri 1 Aug 08 Big Weekend – Men They Couldn’t Hang / Prince Buster on Sat
Sat 26 Jul 08 very busy
Fri 25 Jul 08 Red Light Company 56 + 36 = 92
Fri 18 Jul 08 Milano 20 + 124 = 144
Fri 11 Jul 08 Jugganote EP Launch 90 + 70 = 160
Fri 4 Jul 08 no band 0 + 90 = 90
Fri 27 Jun 08 My Little Murder 152 + 125 = 277
Fri 20 Jun 08 Look See Proof 20 + 75 = 95
Sat 14 Jun 08 very busy
Sat 14 Jun 08 Flyswatter attendance 120
Fri 13 Jun 08 no band 0 + 140 = 140
Fri 6 Jun 08 Vetiver 92 + 121 = 213
Fri 30 May 08 No Band - Paper Heroes cancelled 0 + 221 = 221
no band – London Barfly Head Office cancelled Paper Heroes two days before the gig
no time to arrange a replacement
Fri 23 May 08 Jamie & Lionhearts 50 + 91 = 141
Fri 16 May 08 no band - FA Cup Final Sat 17 May - Cardiff City fans en masse to London 0 + 30 = 30
Fri 9 May 08 The Steers 43 + 168 = 211
Fri 2 May 08 no band 0 + 96 = 96
Fri 25 April 08 Lucy & The Caterpillar 44 + 100 = 144
Fri 18 April 08 This Is Hell cancelled - new £3/£2 special admission offer 0 + 206 = 206
Fri 11 April 08 This Is Seb Clarke 33 + 50 = 83
Fri 4 April 08 Elle Milano 35 + 145 = 180
Fri 28 Mar 08 The Maybe’s 43 + 51 = 94
Fri 21 Mar 08 Good Friday Birds Of Wales Full - nearly all the live crowd stayed 156 + 157 = 313
Sat 15 Mar 09 Wales v France Barfly closed @ 12.30 due to toilet drainage problems-Ten Feet Tall v busy
Fri 14 Mar 08 Gallhammer 60 + 120 = 180
Fri 7 Mar 08 Cud 93 + 126 = 219
Fri 29 Feb 08 The Jamm 60 + 89 = 149
Sat 23 Feb 08 Rugby Wales vs Italy very busy
Fri 22 Feb 08 sleepgoodfeelgood 120 + 107 = 227
Fri 15 Feb 08 no band 0 + 250 = 250
Sat 9 Feb Rugby Wales v Scotland very busy - credit crunch begins to bite - in previous years trade has picked up by February, however town is starting to appear noticibly quiet on Friday's as people save their money for Saturdays International Rugby blow-out
Fri 8 Feb 08 Brandon Steep 44 + 144 = 188
Fri 1 Feb 08 Dayer 85 + 263 = 348
Fri 25 Jan 08 Pippa Rogers 80 + 193 = 273
Fri 18 Jan 08 no band 0 + 245 = 245
Fri 11 Jan 08 Slaves To Gravity 21 + 150 = 171
Fri 4 Jan 08 Jan Watkins Band 40 + 60 = 100
Attendance figures 2007
Sold out nights (ie over 200 attendance), live music and disco to 28 December 2007 – 51 weeks
2007 - 6 live gigs - 17 Mad4it 11pm - 3am indie disco
2006 - 10 live gigs - 18 Mad4it 11pm - 3am indie disco
Fri 28 Dec 07 no band TomorrowsHistory didn't turn up 0 + 142 = 142
Fri 21 Dec 07 BenSem 40 + 110 = 150
Fri 14 Dec 07 Howl Griff Pop Scene's Friday experiment at The Point didn't knock us 40 + 239 = 279
Fri 7 Dec 07 Courteeners 200 + 201 = 401
Fri 30 Nov 07 Big Linda 55 + 172 = 227
Fri 23 Nov 07 The Guns 95 + 159 = 254
Fri 16 Nov 07 Seven Secs of Love 42 + 253 = 295
Fri 9 Nov 07 Sons & Daughters Swn Festival Gig 80 + 170 = 250
Fri 2 Nov 07 G Tom Mac Mac composed film score music for Terminator & it didn't help 40 + 140 = 180
Fri 26 Oct 07 ForwardRussia sadly kicked all the live music customers out 220 + 220 = 440
Fri 19 Oct 07 Tom Baxter & Mr Hudson 130 + 207 = 337 Much confusion with this one - Barfly honcho John Mack's brother aka Mr Hudson is due to play a post Millenium Stadium gig at Barfly, having just supported The Police - in the event one of his entourage the very good looking DJ Goldie Locks is booked to play an hour long Grime Set at 12.30am in the middle of our indie alternative peak hours - regular customers, Oasis fans look on much perplexed and disappointed - 'we must be in the wrong place'
Fri 12 Oct 07 Metro Riots venue full all night from 12.30 36 + 207 = 243
Fri 5 Oct 07 Killing For Company (Stuart Cable) 120 + 180 = 300
Fri 28 Sep 07 Dirty Looks students stampede to Cardiff for Fresher's Weekend 50 + 345 = 395
Fri 21 Sep 07 The Steers 50 + 240 = 290
Fri 14 Sep 07 Omega 66 kept the Omega 66 fans with a funk set 71 + 121 = 192
Fri 7 Sep 07 Miss Conduct all the Miss Conduct fans were kicked out of the Barfly 90 + 145 = 235
Fri 31 Aug 07 A Thousand Suns 26 + 180 = 206
Fri 24 Aug 07 Zenyth 80 + 170 = 250
Fri 17 Aug 07 Crystal Castles one of the NME buzz band's only performed four songs - failed to pull a decent crowd, left the stage in frustration at 10.15pm 70 + 105 = 175
Fri 10 Aug 07 Circle Of One Wow, new £200 Numark CD players are broken 141 + 174 = 315
Fri 3 Aug 07 Cardiff Council's Big Weekend - Honour Among None 40 + 170 = 210
Fri 27 Jul 07 The Checks Wow, new £200 Numark CD players 55 + 152 = 207
Fri 20 Jul 07 Shiny Toy Guns all Shiny Toy Guns fans are kicked out, three London Barfly bosses are in the club and promise to make improvements .... hmm 220 + 100 = 320
Fri 13 Jul 07 Sal very bad storms may have accounted for town being quiet 47 + 101 = 148
Fri 6 Jul 07 Zabrinski 70 + 176 = 246
Fri 29 Jun 07 Everyone Must Win 57 + 189 = 246
Fri 22 Jun 07 White Noise Sound 40 + 170 = 210
Fri 15 Jun 07 Halflight Ball & Popscene 110 + 114 = 224
Fri 8 Jun 07 Scouting For Girls 70 + 150 = 220
Fri 1 Jun 07 The Passenger 44 + 260 = 304
Fri 25 May 07 Unkle Jam + LJ Marie 70 + 175 = 245
Fri 18 May 07 Original Cast + only one support band 23 + 165 = 188
Fri 11 May 07 I Am Finn + 3 support bands pull a toatl of 20 - this is not helping 20 + 157 = 177
Fri 4 May 07 Ghosts 170 + 235 = 405
Fri 27 Apr 07 Envy Corps 54 + 232 = 286
Fri 20 Apr 07 Guns 2 Roses 48 + 184 = 188 To quote Guns 2 Roses lead singer "it's another record breaking crowd" 48 - they'd just played to 20,000 in a European Festival - their drummer has played for the real GunsNRoses, he's not amused - oh boy!
Fri 13 Apr 07 Kharma 45 64 + 124 = 188
Fri 6 Apr 07 Good Friday The Blood Arm 75 + 124 = 199
Fri 30 Mar 07 The Horrors 220 + 160 = 380
Fri 23 Mar 07 Walter Schreifels 58 + 232 = 290
Fri 16 Mar 07 My Luminaries I was ill with flu 70 + 180 = 250
Fri 9 Mar 07 Drive By Argument My car windscreen was smashed outside the venue 38 + 216 = 254
Fri 2 Mar 07 Towers Of London 220 + 157 = 213
Fri 23 Feb 07 Stephen Brodsky full from 12.15am 45 + 168 = 213
Fri 16 Feb 07 Union of Knives 60 + 162 = 222
Fri 9 Feb 07 Senses Fail 220 + 178 = 398
Fri 2 Feb 07 Damn Arms 61 + 232 = 293
Fri 26 Jan 07 Vanities 60 + 249 = 309
Fri 19 Jan 07 Halflight 131 + 237 = 368
Fri 12 Jan 07 Selfish Kings 95 + 245 = 340
Fri 5 Jan 07 Lone Pine 38 + 147 = 185
Attendance figures 2006
Sold out nights (ie over 200 attendance), live music and disco to 29 December 2006– 51 weeks
10 sold out Friday live gigs during year : 18 for the Mad4it indie alternative disco club night
Fri 29 Dec The Olympic 64 + 99 = 163 The fire alarm went off at @ 12.15 with a big queue outside - the building had to be evacuated - the Fire Service investigation team didn't arrive until 2.30am by which time the night was a write off
Fri 22 Dec 06 Sal 70 + 119 = 189
Fri 15 Dec 06 Moneen 67 + 263 = 330
Fri 8 Dec 06 Sixty + FBN 24 + 192 = 216
Fri 1 Dec 06 Jan Watkins 63 + 240 = 303
Fri 24 Nov 06 The Poppies 168 + 177 = 345
Fri 17 Nov 06 Four Day Hombre 58 + 152 = 210
Fri 10 Nov 06 Amplifier 80 + 174 = 254
Fri 3 Nov 06 Puressence 109 + 199 = 308
Fri 27 Oct 06 Howling Bells 220 + 198 = 418
Fri 20 Oct 06 Jamie T 220 + 207 = 427
Fri 13 Oct 06 Johnny Panic 60 + 293 = 353
Fri 6 Oct 06 Fake Bad News 65 + 273 = 338
Fri 29 Sep 06 Archie Bronson 101 + 234 = 335
Fri 22 Sep 06 Bluetones 220 + 171 = 391
Fri 15 Sep 06 British Sea Power 220 + 203 = 423
Fri 8 Sep 06 Gym Class Heroes 220 + 158 = 378
Fri 1 Sep 06 Clone Roses 90 + 168 = 258
Fri 25 Aug 06 Big John 43 + 142 = 185
Fri 18 Aug 06 Illusive 61 + 160 = 221
Fri 11 Aug 06 Boyfriends 72 + 128 = 200
Fri 4 Aug 06 Hedrons 70 + 161 = 231
Fri 28 Jul 06 Bishops 40 + 182 = 222
Fri 21 Jul 06 Sex Pistols Exp Pistols fans kicked out to clean the dance floor 160 + 177 = 337
Fri 14 Jul 06 Kyshera 55 + 155 = 210
Fri 7 Jul 06 We Are Trees 36 + 204 = 240
Fri 30 Jun 06 Jan Watkins 171 + 155 = 326
Fri 23 Jun 06 The Heights 54 + 140 = 194
Fri 16 Jun 06 Los Campesinos 68 + 212 = 280
Fri 9 Jun 06 Chapter XIII 113 + 169 = 282
Fri 2 Jun 06 Matt Costa 220 + 230 = 450
Fri 26 May 06 The Answer 120 + 223 = 343
Fri 19 May 06 Rick Buckler 130 + 168 = 298
Fri 12 May 06 Kubichek! 41 + 200 = 241
Fri 5 May 06 Willard Grant 116 + 215 = 331
Fri 28 Apr 06 Fratellis 220 + 170 = 390
Fri 21 Apr 06 Rick Witter 127 + 228 = 355
Fri 14 Apr 06 Lorraine 65 + 198 = 263
+ Robots In Disguise in clubnight - great girl group but wrong crowd - this is a guitar based indie night
Fri 7 Apr 06 The Ger 83 + 170 = 253
Fri 31 Mar 06 The Organ 122 + 223 = 345
Fri 24 Mar 06 Clearlake Headline act Archie Bronson cancelled at last moment 56 + 192 = 248
Fri 17 Mar 06 Exist 24 + 202 = 226
Fri 10 Mar 06 The Heights 90 + 162 = 252
Fri 3 Mar 06 The Vanities 73 + 176 = 249
Fri 24 Feb 06 iForward Russia! 240 + 176 = 316
Fri 17 Feb 06 Vincent Vincent 90 + 189 = 279
Fri 10 Feb 06 Envelopes 79 + 180 = 259
Fri 3 Feb 06 Vanities 124 + 170 = 294
Fri 27 Jan 06 Radio Luxembourg 215 + 230 = 445
Fri 20 Jan 06 The Heights 220 + 180 = 400
Fri 13 Jan 06 The Poppies 133 + 220 = 353
Fri 6 Jan 06 Two Tickets To The Gunshow 87 + 129 = 216
