Thread by @DrownedinSound

Music is an ecosystem.

Guestlists can:
📢 Be a thank you for helping to sell tickets
✍️ Help inform writing a feature read by 1000s
🖼 Become an iconic photo used on a record cover
🧦 The first coverage that leads to loads more media support, finding a team, getting signed…

https://twitter.com/journothornhill/status/1397200181934891020

Having run a label for most of the 00s, we should perhaps add that guestlist tickets are often bought by record companies to ensure entry for media coverage — despite promoters, booking agents, managers, publishers, and the artist benefitting long after labels are involved.

Not all guestlists are free entry. Often they simply ensure entry.

ATP charged £90 but with no accommodation (tickets weren’t much more)

Most festivals ask for £20 per day “donation” even if you’ve endlessly supported an event and will get £0-100 for reviewing the weekend.

We used to charge £3 on the door for DiS events but £5 for guestlist to guarantee entry.

We knew most people on the list would expense the cost and about 30% of our showcase audiences were industry. The extra charge helped pay acts and cover costs / ensure a smaller loss.

Managing artists, especially ones whose shows sell out months in advance, you often find the sort of people you want to get into shows aren’t familiar with the artist back when tickets went on sale.

Also some people who work in music often see 3 acts most acts of the year.

Whilst we all fully understand how hard it will be to #ReviveLive it’s worth remembering that some (not all) guestlist tickets can contribute x10 the value.

Suspect many people on “The List” will likely make a donation, it’s just the access to the show they need to do their jobs