West Of Scotland Punx Promotions

West Of Scotland Punx Promotions is based in Stranraer and was started in February, 2007
as a one off to promote the West Of Scotland Punx website. They have now promoted a
number of successful gigs and are on the lookout for more bands who want gigs in their area.
The following interview gives more details on their background and their plans for the future.

I starting listening to punk when I was 11, the summer before I started secondary school. I
was at a friends house and she found some 7" singles of her cousins - the Clash, Generation
X etc. We decided to listen to them and I've been hooked since. She actually gave me them
and I still have them now.

I started WOSPP by accident! I started the website first and a friend suggested to me that I
put a gig on in Stranraer to launch it. It was supposed to be a one off, but afterwards folk were
coming up to me and asking when the next one was.

I'm dealing only in my local area just now, it works easier cos if my friends from further afield,
or bands for that matter need some place to sleep they just stay with us. I have a project or
two in the pipeline though so I might be working other places very soon.

Yeah, they've been great and I hope they'd say the same about me! Both were very keen to do
something a bit different. The first venue was working very well but the owner shut it down and
it's currently being turned into flats. Took me a while to find somewhere else suitable but the
first gig in the Lochann Inn, Lochans, went great.

Actually no, not yet! I believe one band sprung up after the first one but I'm not sure they are
still together. There is quite a big youth scene here, lots of good bands have come up through
that, but most of them head off to uni and go their seperate ways. Most of the band here do
covers...weddings, parties etc. cos previously that was the only work they could get. I'd like to
think if I was able to keep this going long enough that things would change.

As soon as word started getting round I was putting gigs on I was inundated with bands!
Have had all sorts offered me...a lot of the time people don't realise the size of the area for
example and I often have to explain that I can't take bands who want paid hundreds of
pounds cos I simply couldn't make the money back.

My most successful event was the first one - I booked a local band who sold tickets to all their
mates and their were about 70 people their, they were very nearly hanging from the rafters.
Their was no trouble and it went great, even the previously sceptical bar staff loved it.

My worst experience was cancelling the gig which was due to happen on 6th of October, but
it was looking unlikely to be possible financially. The one on 3rd of September lost me Ł85
out of my own pocket - the joys of working on my own I suppose. But it wasn't a bad
experience all in all - the 3 bands who did the gig were amazing - Gimp Fist, Splinter and
Tripdash. There were only about a dozen paying customers but those who made an effort to
show up were very well rewarded indeed! A couple of the bands stayed with us and afterwards
we all went back and opened a few beers and sat about and talked. Really took the sting out
of losing the money.

The future looks uncertain. I've had to change how I work with bands after September - I used
to offer a guaranteed sum but for November I' ve had to offer those who want paid a cut of the
door takings. It's not something I'd have chosen to do, but for the time being it's the only way
I can keep it going. I think I will have to choose my dates very carefully next year and avoid
the summer/early autumn when people have more plans.

Most of the bands I've worked with I've heard before. Other than that I usually work with
bands who approach me on Myspace and have songs on their profiles. Although I do take a
gamble every now and then and book a band I haven't heard at all! If anyone wants a gig they
can contact me through the myspace or my email address -

No not as such but I'm not that fussy haha. actually no I've been pretty lucky in that most of
the bands who have approached me have been really good and I wouldn't have turned them
down in a million years. I even booked a metal band once, they were amazing! but
unfortunately it fell through. I'm open to booking any kind of band providing I like them...but I
won't book anyone I don't like cos on the night I'll have to sit through it!

Yeah, lots of people! I'm not easily impressed by big name bands though, so most of the
bands I'd like to work with could be possible. I'd love to work with most of the bands I've
already put on again...Hateful, Splinter,Tripdash, Gimp Fist, The Scabs. I'd love to work with
some of the other great Scottish bands like Buzzbomb, Wasted Nation, Fire Exit and The
Threats. But if I really could pick absolutely anyone, I'd put on Coolerking from Berlin. They
aren't huge but they should be. I saw them when I visited the city last year - they played in
the bar next to my hotel and they were amazing. If I could afford their expenses to bring them
here I'd put them on tomorrow.