Lack of States cash means no Guernsey Live
Tuesday 19th January 2010, 2:29PM GMT.
GUERNSEY LIVE will not be back this year.
Organisers have decided against it because of a lack of financial support.
Jersey Live organiser Warren Holt (pictured) said in order to put the festival on in Guernsey again they would need more support from the government – such as a £75,000 underwriting – or they would have to look at other ways.
‘We are putting it off another year and will probably look at it again at the end of this year,’ he said.
‘In these times it has been difficult to find the right amount of sponsorship.
‘In Jersey, the funding is easier because we are given capital from the government to kick it off the ground. I think we would need government intervention in Guernsey to help support it.’
Mr Holt said that underwriting would mean that the States would not pay anything unless the event lost money.
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What a surprise…How Dare us Guernsey Music lovers beleive that OUR ‘Government’,would ever support something that would put a smile on our faces and let us have something we will enjoy. But dont forget to fill in your Tax returns, the Social security need a new roof !!!!
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Marc – I pat you on the back, finally a Guernsey Person not scared to speak their mind!
Its not fair that the states will pay for people who sit on their backside all day long, providing lovely big TV’s, central heating, wooden flooring, money in their pocket for fags and booze yet we cant have a music gig because they are too tight! What a wonderful island we live on!
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Marc & Vee – Completely agree, it’s about time at least some of our tax money went into getting us something social and enjoyable!
Heaven forbid money should be spent on an actual decent event in Guernsey.
Well don’t count on anything happening within the next decade guys, look how long it took for a tiny skate park to be granted for the kids!
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Looks like I’ll be folking out to visit the other island again then later this year. What a surprise!
I wonder how much this Guernsey Sings event for Liberation Day is going to cost the Tax Payer? Yes, Lib Day is VERY important to Guernsey, but Guernsey Live would’ve brought in tourists, they would’ve spent money. But NO – we have to have over 1000 people singing on North Beach for an hour instead…
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Let’s face it, the Guernsey Live that took place was pretty lame so I can see why the tax payer shouldn’t be involved.
If you want to go to a festival, why don’t you go to something decent in the UK or Europe? (Exit in Serbia looks pretty good!)
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Nat ~ i think the reason people dont go away is its too expensive and some people (including me) have mortgages to pay and so i cant afford to go away and listen to music! I would love to but i just can afford to pay the high prices to get off the rock.
The states say they have no money, what about all the money they got from selling off houses??!! Na their use that to build yet more homes that we dont need, for people who dont/wont work ~ Brilliant! i’m so proud of where my tax money goes!!! NOT!
I didnt attend that last Guernsey Live, BUT i would have liked the choice this year but thats been taken away from us! Its not fair that we get to miss out on things like this!
Schools (as in parents) are having to pay for a safety route to get children to school and home again because they states wont pay, yet their soon pay for rubbish we dont need, like more houses, maybe extend the runway or something! Build a posh airport that flights never leave on time, whats the point! We are simple people and want simple things like our tax money going on something that we actually want, not some toffee nose deputy sat round a big table going Ya Ya Ya!
Its a shame, as this island will ruin itself but only by the people (WE) put in charge! i think when people start voting they need to think of the bigger picture, not just if that person is going to try get everyone on main drain!
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I kind of agree that this event should not take place at the expense of the tax payer – after all, the States need our taxes for much more important stuff, like Lyndon Trott’s ever more frequent and exotic jollies abroad…
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Vee, a bit of careful planning and you can get off the rock for £70 (prob cheaper by boat). I too have mortgages, but still manage to get away when I want.
I really feel that the tax payer shouldn’t subsidise my entertainment choices! (well, I guess they do when i fly off to UK for some clubbing with Aurigny!) I wouldn’t be happy if the states was subsidising an opera event for example.
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I agree with several posters here. I have been to many festivals and would enjoy one locally, but these events must fund themselves (which locally is very difficult).
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Nat~ I’m pleased for you that you can afford to still go away with having a mortgage, i like alot of people just find it hard and abit tight.
I do totally agree with you tho, when i was younger i was off all over the place, clubbing in the UK and Ibiza. But i do feel its a shame that people are going to miss out over here.
But the states need a holiday too and i’m sure thats what they’d rather all our money go on!!
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Lots of fors & againsts, however, I have to agree with Nat…
If it was an opera or a cricket event for example that my tax payers money went towards I wouldnt be happy as I would rather put pins in my eyey then watch either event.
To be honest Guernsey Live was average at best – Jersey Live on the other had had at least a couple of acts I recognised. If you are going to do an event then it needs to be someone popular that people know of… It was basically a poor mans Jersey Live & that pains me to say!!
Why not use the money we are saving by not funding a poor mans festival to buy another tanker?!
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Guernsey Live was a complete waste of time.
Even the Filming of the event tried to mask the amount of people NOT there.
What is wrong with JSY Live, better bands and better organised.
We have only just got a flippin Skatepark after how many years of waiting and you think the States want to get involved with GSY-Live.
Think-On!
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“Guernsey, but Guernsey Live would’ve brought in tourists”
That needs challenging Jon. Any stats for the last one?
In my view, Guernsey is far too small to be part of the festival circuit and we might need to accept that Jersey is better suited in terms of size of population and access.
Vale Earth Fayre have, over the years, done a fantastic job as an alternative festival and purely from a personal note would be more supportive of that than trying to ape Jersey’s success.
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W H Bonney
Unrecognised names?
The Editors, the Enemy, the Futureheads, Utah Saints (amongst others), hardly unknowns to music followers.
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Nothing against Guernsey Live but I have to disagree with most of the posts so far – why on earth should the States fund a commercial music festival, surely it should be self financing.
These are hard times and I would rather see my taxes going toowards health care and education to be honest.
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From recollection, Guernsey Live was held when all the university students were still away. That group would surely have made up a significant chunk of the audience had they been home. Perhaps the organisers would attract a larger audience if they reconsidered the timing of the event.
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Phil,
I listen to the radio most of the day & I can honestly say I couldnt name any on their songs!!
The Editors, the Enemy, the Futureheads, Utah Saints… They are hardly Coldplay, Keane, Snow Patrol etc – get those over & all of a sudden you might actually half fill the near empty field last year!!
& for the record I dont particularly like the above either but you could not afford the bands I like!!
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Phil – fair point although (and I apologise for being a bit pedantic on this) I know a lot of music lovers who wouldn’t know those bands from Adam – it all depends on the type of music you like.
Although I can understand the disappointment for some, I have to agree with CD. The bottom line is that in general commercial ventures shouldn’t be underwritten with taxpayers money – especially when there are other priorities such as education and health care to think about. As far as I can tell, other visiting artists don’t get States help – why should Guernsey Live?
I think one of the problems Guernsey Live faces is that it doesn’t really fit into the type of events that major local companies would sponsor. I can’t really see the finance industry (in general) looking at Guernsey Live as good marketing material as it doesn’t tend to attract too many of the types likely to deposit large sums into offshore accounts. Perhaps they might get more luck with somewhere like Specsavers?
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@W H Bonney
I have to say, just because you haven’t heard of their songs doesn’t mean they aren’t big names. Which station do you listen to, Island FM presumably?
The thing is, if we can’t even fill three nightclubs on a Friday night, we are hardly going to fill a festival for two days!
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I have nothing against the event itself, but it should be opperated in such a way that it can pay for itself. I’m sure that there are better ways taxpayers cash can be spent in view of the recent states spending cutbacks..
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Unfortunately it’s all down to simple “economies of scale” my ‘ickle brayeing donkey friends.
Guernsey is just too small to host a half decent festival of anything – be it music (either pop, rock, funk, garage, hip-hop, wrap or classical), sport or cultural.
Not enough people, not enough money, not enough space, not enough resources. Decent festivals need bucket loads of all these and some more.
The best we can hope for is the Liberation day funfare on the White Rock car park.
Alternatively hop on the Condor to Jersey!
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FYI
The editors are on “Friday night with Jonathan Ross” this week.
Evidently Guernsey Live’s past acts arent as bad as some have made out.
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@Vee & Marc
You want, you pay for it
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This is the kicker for me
“a £75,000 underwriting”
They want to run an event but only if they are protected from losses so at no (or minimal) risk at all to themselves?
If that is the case then sorry but there are many other crackpot ideas that I would rather the states invested in (how about buying a loss making airline and then keeping the existing loss making management in place?)
Or were they planning to run this at no profit to themselves and give all the money to the states? I’m guessing not.
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