With a little help from my friends

"what would you think if i sang out of tune,
would you stand up and walk out on me.
lend me your ears and i'll sing you a song,
and i'll try not to sing out of key.
oh i get by with a little help from my friends,
i get high with a little help from my friends,
oh i'm gonna try with a little help from my friends."
-lennon/mc cartney

there are no detractors. i see only questions.

the point of this event is the showcasing of musical talent. like the zapin dancers at a malaysian cultural evening, i guess. if it is a night of debauchery that we want, we'd be better off organising a clubbing event! and what kind of talent do you ask? any form of talent is welcome, and the gig has seen its fair share of n00bs flogging covers and guitar-slinging crooners belting out original material. all for a fee, of course. if you need to know, the £25 fee has remained so since the early days of malaysian student gigs in the UK, and i am talking about from the late 90's!

organising student gigs in sheffield has its moments (for those who have studied in this city will smilingly know what i'm getting at). the fundamental issue is that these students may be young but they do not need telling how to conduct themselves at events such as these. the people who partake in the action, may it be the bands or the punters, are students attending tertiary institutions of excellence, and not elementary school, and i daresay of sound minds. to those who think anything offensive happens in the gig, be prepared to be disappointed. i remembered our sound engineer telling us that the gig was the cleanest one he's ever been at. whether that was a compliment or an insult, i leave it to you to decide. to paraphrase the who - "the kids are alright".

this year was no exception. we had a ourselves a sold-out event. a couple of bands unfortunately couldn't make it but we pulled through fine. the evening flowed smoothly. the bands were wowing the crowd better than in previous years and we had crowdsurfers even on the first set. what one can see at the gig isn't recklessness. one sees discipline, respect, friendship (old and newly-gained ones) and trust. all the more reason that there'll be one next year, InsyaAllah.



to yasmin the light, the up/down band, por favor, bantal kekabu, asthmatic rhino, selamat pagi treforest amd the fourth theory?, thank you.

E-tickets - SOLD OUT!

Tickets for the gig will be in the form of e-tickets.



If you have ordered the tix, here are the steps to acquire them:
1. Call 079599714362 or 07599428915, or e-mail us at sheffieldgigtix[at]gmail[dot]com
2. After making your payment of £5, you'll receive your e-ticket as an e-mail attachment
3. Print out your e-ticket, bring it to the show, show your e-ticket to us and we'll let you in at the door

EASY!

Directions to the Broomhall Centre

CAR: An online route planner works brilliantly if you do not have sat nav. The post code for the venue is S10 2SB (full address: Broomspring Lane, Sheffield S10 2SB). Suggested websites are Google Maps UK or The AA. HAVE A ROAD ATLAS HANDY FOR YOUR CO-DRIVER, ANYWAY!

RAIL/COACH: From the railway/coach station, follow the signs for SHEFFIELD STATION/SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY tram station. Take any tram that stops at SHEFFIELD UNIVERSITY. Follow the instructions on the map above to reach the venue. For more info on how to get to Sheffield from where you are, go to thetrainline.com or the National Express website.

TRAM: Alight at the SHEFFIELD UNIVERSITY stop. Bear left, walk down Upper Hanover Street, past the crossroad traffic lights, until you see a set of traffic lights at a T-junction, where you turn right into BROOMSPRING LANE. You will see the venue on your right. For more info, get on to the Supertram website.

TAXI: Tell the driver to take you to the BROOMHALL CENTRE on BROOMSPRING LANE in BROOMHALL.

Frequently asked questions

1. The time allowed onstage is a maximum of 20 minutes per band.
This means each band gets to play up to 4 to 5 songs on average. This does not include the 5 minutes allowed for the band to get onstage to get themselves sorted before the performance. We have to emphasise, that we will be strict on the 20-minute ruling. Look at it this way - if your band has to play after bands that play a 25 to 30-minute set, you'd grudgingly have to play a shorter set. And you'd be cheesed off.

2. Each band is expected to get ready by the time the preceding act gets onstage.
Please do all that is needed, like tuning your guitar / bass, way before your turn to perform on stage. Time is of the essence and the other bands would like things to go smoothly.

3. Equipment supplied by us are as follows:
We only supply the following equipment for the evening's performance:
• backline, comprising guitar and bass amplification
• a 5-piece drumkit and cymbals
• microphones
• extension wires to the mains

4. Equipment not supplied:
• guitars
• guitar leads/cables
• picks and strings
• guitar tuners
• guitar/bass effects
• drumsticks
Each band is politely requested to bring their own gear to the gig.

5. Will there be a soundcheck?
A soundcheck will be held at the venue at 6.00 pm. Whilst we did endeavour to get each band to do a quick soundcheck at this time, time constraints have shown that only ONE band gets to do a soundcheck. This will be the band who gets to play the first set (bands will draw lots to decide when they will make their onstage appearance). Whilst playing first may seem like a bad idea at first, the great thing about it is you get to do the soundcheck. In our experience, this does not create too serious a problem as most bands do sound okay onstage. We regret that we cannot do a full soundcheck prior to each band's performance after the gig has commenced.

6. How much do I have to pay for my band to play?
Each band will be charged an entrance fee of GBP25.00. In the event of a band withdrawing from the gig, a deposit of GBP10.00 from the total is non-refundable to cover adminstrative costs.

7. You can be in more than one band.
However, to be fair to other bands wanting to play at the gig, we would advise against having an individual in being in too many bands. It is understandable that bassists and drummers are in short supply. As long as you are not in like 5 different bands, we'd be okay with it!

8. Who can play at The Gig @ Sheffield?
The gig is opened to Malaysians only.

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ETIQUETTE AT THE GIG

1. Content of the performance
Notwithstanding the artistic license showcased by the band, as mature adults, we would advise bands to be wise in the choice of songs to be played to avoid offending any sensitivities.

2. Please know the time when your band is going to be onstage
Timeliness is very much appreciated as this helps in making the proceedings of the evening to go smoothly. It is advised that the band is ready by the time the preceding act gets onstage. Under no circumstances will the gig go beyond midnight. Unless you really feel like getting the cops on our backs.

3. Personal safety
In the possibility of the audience going all out during a performance, safety is strongly advised. Bodyslamming, bodysurfing or stagejumping will not be frowned upon but the organisers will not take responsibility for any injury sustained. Please be safe!

4. Keep it clean!
Please keep the venue litter-free. Bin liners are provided at the venue.

5. Antisocial behaviour
Everybody is at the gig to have a good time. Please do not show any antisocial behaviour (like booing) during a band's performance.

THE VENUE OPERATES A NO SMOKING POLICY. You may smoke OUTSIDE of the venue.

THE USAGE OF ILLICIT DRUGS/INTOXICATING BEVERAGES IS STRICTLY NOT ALLOWED AND WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.