Gainesville, Florida, home to the University of Florida and the Gators, has gradually established itself as a viable market for EDM shows. Attracting the likes of Carnage, RL Grime, UZ, Alex Metric, and Destructo in the span of two months serves as a testament to its growing market. However, promotion groups 361 Nightlife and the Funk may have badly damaged the reputation of the town with a recently planned and poorly handled Excision show. According to the artist and other reports, the promoters and venue failed to properly prepare for the concert.
Last night Excision’s Executioner tour with Dirtyphonics and ill.Gates was scheduled to touch down in Gainesville. Initially set for a venue called the Florida Theatre, the show had to be moved to a smaller venue due to the prior venue being closed. This smaller venue prevented the Executioner production from being utilized but promoters still promised the 150,000 watts of bass advertised with the show.
Despite everything, Excision and his team faced numerous problems last night. He took to Facebook to address the issues, which included lack of a crew to help him set up his equipment, insufficient power to run his sound and lighting, and risk of the Fire Marshall shutting down the show due to noise ordinances. The promoter failed to acquire a sufficient power generator until he arrived and the one found would have failed to power even a 1/3rd of the needed for the lighting and sound. Excision then cancelled the show and left Gainesville.
Naturally everyone expressed their anger toward the situation. With only three hours until the show, the promoters failed to give proper announcement regarding the cancellation. Many took to the Gainesville EDM community to lambaste the promoters and demand refunds. Hours passed without any announcement, which led the EDMSnob (Albert Berdellans) to post an epic messaging threatening and calling out the promoters.
Even after all this the promoters failed to give proper announcement. A promoter named Adrian Padilla spent his time arguing with EDMSnob and attempting to belittle him (also found in the pictures below) as opposed to posting an apology and announcing refunds. The situation must be dire when EDMSnob, who also happens to work for Ultra as a Market Analyst, is forced to intervene and aid the community.
We have entered an era where promoting like this should no longer be considered within the realm of possibility. EDM shows have advanced to the point where even the most basic levels of promotion can ensure the proper handling of a show. Unfortunately 361 Nightlife has failed on several occasions to satisfy both the artist and the customer. After building up a viable market for the past two years, this blunder leaves Gainesville with a tainted reputation. The situation looks even worse when a promoter jokes about the situation and prioritizes pregaming over addressing the issue.
This is not the first time these promotion companies have squandered a quality booking. 361 was involved with a cancelled Morgan Page show back in October 2013. The other two promotion companies have essentially zero social media presence and very little promotion history. Adrian Padilla used to run Digital 4oreplay, a now defunct promotion company involved with the cancelled Morgan Page show. An official apology and statement were announced this morning, hours after the show’s cancellation.
What can we learn from all of this? Take note of who promotes the event. Groups such as Disco Donnie Presents and Evolve Group have proved to be exceptional promotion companies in both Florida and across the country. If a group fails to give proper notice, apology, or announcement regarding a cancelled event, it is probably best to look for events held by other promotion companies.
Photo Credit: Albert Berdellans, Gainesville EDM Community on Facebook
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