Heathen Crusade III... what's the latest?

[General Zod]

kupshi...

Two things.

First, have you considered selling some sort of "Gold Badge" (I'm sure you're familiar with ProgPower) for a higher price, but with additional benefits. I think you may find there are people who might be willing to drop $150 for a hold badge (as opposed to $75 for a regular ticket) to help the fest and get a few perks, but don't have or want to drop $1,000 (or whatever) on sponsorship.

Have you considered, as you continue to try to build this fest, limiting the number of international bands? Seems if you could lock up Agalloch, Wolves in the Throne Room and Novembers Doom, you'd have a hell of a fest on your hands and no flight costs. I know... much easier said than done.

Zod

 

[swizzlenuts]

I disagree with Zod, my favourite aspect of HC was all of the foreign bands that most Americans will never see. That's what made me go to the second HC, because I didn't like that many of the bands.

Stick with your current plan, and maybe get a big sponser from a larger record label.

I won't be able to make it if there is a HCIII because I'll be out of the country, but if feasible I'll buy a ticket (or send money if it might sell out ) to help surport the show. The two Heathen Crusades were the best concerts I've been too. Great bands, great people, perfectly run fest, and a bunch of drunkness!

 

[lurch70]

if its ok, what were the attendance figures for the 2 fests?

 

[Dark One]

First, have you considered selling some sort of "Gold Badge" (I'm sure you're familiar with ProgPower) for a higher price, but with additional benefits. I think you may find there are people who might be willing to drop $150 for a hold badge (as opposed to $75 for a regular ticket) to help the fest and get a few perks, but don't have or want to drop $1,000 (or whatever) on sponsorship.

Kris/John - further to this, perhaps the types of perks you could offer would be things like early entrance, maybe 2-3 free drinks or food deals, a personal meet & greet with a particular band (or bands), a special t-shirt, extra goodies in the festival bag, things like that. Obviously I'm not saying include all of these things, but just throwing out some ideas for a "Gold Badge" type pass without having full VIP rights that would come with sponsorship. Anyway, it's just one of several ideas that maybe we can come with to help.

I'm with Mike (Climb Thar Hill) as well. Maybe Royal Carnage forum can even take up a collection and be a real nice sponsor for the festival as a whole. I can all but guarantee plenty of support from us.

We definitely want to keep this thing going (but understand it's wholly unfair to ask both of you to risk your financial resources in the same way again).

I can't tell both of you just how much we appreciate all your efforts.

Jason

 

[General Zod]

I disagree with Zod, my favourite aspect of HC was all of the foreign bands that most Americans will never see. That's what made me go to the second HC, because I didn't like that many of the bands.

I wasn't suggesting I'd prefer to see US bands, only that it would be a way for them to reduce costs and keep the festival going. Of course, I doubt my suggestion is something they've yet to consider.

Zod

 

[lurch70]

when I ran some numbers last year for the "proper" RC Fest we were looking to do ... something mimicking HC ... in order for us JUST TO BREAK EVEN we would have needed and attendance of 1000-1200.

 

[General Zod]

JUST TO BREAK EVEN we would have needed and attendance of 1000-1200.

I suspect that number is more easily achieved in NY than Minnesota.

Zod

 

[War Ensemble]

...food deals...

2-for-1 sloppy joes!!!

 

[Reign in Acai]

Somebody trustworthy (Jason) make an RC HCIII sponsorship paypal account. Everyone can stop giving dollars and dimes to their local gnat gummers and instead throw it in to the fest pot. I'm sure we can come up with a nice little i-purse.

 

[Climb Thar Hill]

I second the above idear ^

 

[lurch70]

as much as a nice gesture it may be, and I would contribute to it as well even though I am not into most of the bands, I don't think you guys have a real idea what kind of mullah is needed to pull this off and make a buck on top of it.

 

[Dark One]

Hmm... an intriguing idea. The only drawbacks to the Paypal thing are that the money would need to be refunded to everyone should the festival not be held and any payments would have to include an additional 3% for Paypal fees. I'm sure we could work it out though.

 

[JayKeeley]

I suppose it's only natural to want to consider ideas like gold badges, but I don't know...maybe it's me, but we have to recognize that the audience which makes up the HC crowd is VASTLY different to the comic-con folks who attend ProgPower.

I get the feeling that HC would be trying to push a square into where a circle would fit.

I just don't see many HC attendees shelling out more for a gold badge compared to a regular ticket. The overall attendance would still be low so the increased gold badge price probably wouldn't make much difference.

I think the primary goal is to increase attendance at one ticket price. Consider changing the date to when schools are out. Perhaps the location -- not many people want to go to MN in the winter.

I agree with the domestic band situation -- if you include only Agalloch, suddenly you've got a core-audience willing to fly in from places as far as Europe to attend.

By the way, HC2 was easily as great as HC1 (even with a significantly different kind of line up), but then again, this fest is about more than just the line up. Two greatest festival experiences I've ever been too, easily.

By the way, just to quote this:

I won't go into too much detail of what we paid for who, but as an example, in the case of HC2, of the 8 foreign bands we had, 4 of them paid for their own flights over. We put them up in a hotel and fed them and gave them drink, but that was it. My philosophy is if a band is willing to pay several thousand dollars to fly to my fest from another country, the least I can do is put them up in a hotel and feed them.

That not only shows the integrity of the underground, but obviously the bands and promoters alike. That's all about HC.

I'd love to see anyone else make the effort to bring over Mael Mordha, a tiny incy wincy little band from the emerald isle, and one who put on perhaps the greatest performances I've ever seen. And don't even get me started on Rudra.

Altogether now....

SING-A-PORE

SING-A-PORE

SING-A-PORE

HC >>>>>>> any other US festival (that I've been to), no question.

Count me in for making donations.

P.S. I'll buy the ticket blind. I'll never question the line up, I have total faith in kupshi and co to deliver the goods. Just give me the date and location, I'll do the rest.

 

[Dark One]

P.S. I'll buy the ticket blind. I'll never question the line up, I have total faith in kupshi and co to deliver the goods. Just give me the date and location, I'll do the rest.

Completely agreed there - without having the time to peruse the rest of your post, let's just say that all I care about is doing whatever it takes to keep this festival alive.

 

[Dark One]

2-for-1 sloppy joes!!!

Hmmm.... I'm not so sure that would be a perk.

Either way - next time we meet up, the first round's on me.

 

[Ars Magna]

A point of clarification regarding a previous post, we did not pay any "unsigned/unknown" bands $500 (that I remember anyway). Don't know where that came from.

I was speaking in general terms, not about HC. I do shows from time to time and am in total shock at what some of these bands are asking.

 

[JayKeeley]

By the way, I hope there's none of this "ooh we can't have the same bands twice" sort of deal....

....I'd be more than happy to see HC3 feature Moonsorrow, Primordial, Thyrfing, Rudra, Mael Mordha, Vreid, and Slough Feg all over again.

 

[lurch70]

but we have to recognize that the audience which makes up the HC crowd is VASTLY different to the comic-con folks who attend ProgPower.

this is the main issue I think ... lets face it, the type of metal is still not THAT popular and I think if it was it not for the commeraderie built already online of most of the people attending ... it would be even less of a crowd.

 

[JayKeeley]

Fuck I would take part in all three plans: Zod's Gold Badge Plan, Mike's RC Sponsor, and Jerry's Paypal idea.

I think JK nailed it just by quoting the seemingly mundane Rudra chant. Part of what I love about HC is how it brings people together, who might not have any reason to ever even realize that each other exist, to share in a common passion for the music and the metal community. How many other times in recent memory have metalheads from Iowa, Canada, California, New York, Ireland, Singapore, and how every many other places partied in the same hotel room? I'd never even talked to anyone who has VISITED Singapore before HC2, never mind hanging out with the country's finest metal band!

As far as I know, a show like HC has no precedent, and I think it would be shameful for those of us in the metal community to let HC die from neglect and apathy.

5 stars

I say we scrap the NY RC-fest plans and just collectively shift all our attention to making sure HC3 happens.

We can have the RC fest at HC 3 (and Gwynbleidd can play again).

 

[lurch70]

try to make it happen in the Tri-State then ... it would guarantee a much bigger crowd with the same costs as doing in MN