Update – Monday afternoon
We are now getting a clearer picture of the arrangements for Saturday’s fundraiser fiasco at the golf club. It seems there was, initially, an arrangement that artistes and providers of facilities would get some payment. Why did the organisers not tell everyone the truth?
The organisers also decided that they themselves should take 10 per cent – or however much it was – but still got certain performers to play free at their “charity” gig. Why?
One equipment provider was specifically asked to provide a comprehensive service, which cost him money to do, so it was fair that he should get paid. He did it at a big discount.
I really sympathise with him and with Innes and Donald for getting mixed up in this mess which leaves a bad taste with a lot of people.
It was not a proper fundraiser if some of the people were lining their own pocket. The organisers should have publicly said that only a proportion of the takings would go to the good cause. I bet there were people in the golf club who thought all the cash was going to the expedition. They sound like amateurs to me.
They made a mistake. Own up and hand back.
Wat about us ? We went along and paid something like 8 pounds i think it was. It was supposed to be a charity do and we assumed everyon was doing it for free . Stornoway bands hav always done 1 or 2 charity gigs a year.why donot the promotors too .
Where did the original blog entry for this story disappear to?
I think that ALL work/performances for Charity should be, like a donation, given freely. There’d be a lot more Children In Need if Pudsey was to take a fee for his services now wouldn’t there?
PS (LOL)
Thank you, commenters. I have not forgotten about it and I have had requests to re-post the full details with the blanks filled in. I’m just waiting …
Word on the street is that the people who this charity gig was put on for didnt even bother turning up…
I hope that money goes straight to unicef and not for these guys to go on a holiday.
Just saying.
To be fair Derek, I think they were looking after the prizewinners from the Rangers Club do.
Well i don’t live up in stornoway anymore so i would not know that.
Seems nothings changed though, people cant do something nice without there been certain people waiting to shoot them down at the first given chance.
Good ole’ stornoway!
These so called promoters are a couple of cowboys who are more intrested in promoting their own stuff (there new band for instance who also appeared at the charity gig) I’m sure that they will justify the 10% they took as admin fees Now i’m not having a go at people who are trying to make their mark on this island of ours in this credit crunch society of ours but if your doing somthing for charity then it should ALL be for charity . I was going to suggest you get the promoters to do one of your famous Isles Fm interviews Mr. X to hear their side of the story ! but I have since been informed that they now have close ties to the station and that at least one of them is a volunteer so I doubt that will happen LOL
I understand discussions are going on with the promoters today. As for Isles FM, any individual can apply to be a volunteer there. That certainly does not mean the station has any “ties” with their company.
Hmm ok so the fact that one Isles Fm Admininstrator And D.j whom i wont mention (who may I add is also in their new band !) and the fact that they were using The isles fm booth and equipment at the stornoway coastguard rally (Which they also used to promote their management company) dosn’t suggest any ties with their company seem like they may have a couple of ties there don’t you ?
Well, a big congrats to mr murdo x maciver. You have probably put every band in stornoway of the idea of doing another charity gig. Well done.
And please post your very first entry of this so we can see how wrong you were.
And mr gorbils, stay on topic. Sounds like you have a problem with them for other reasons.
Not at all I’m just stating the fact that if your doing somthing for charity then do it for the right reasons not just to big up your company or the new band your currently promoting and as for the band doing charity gigs I’m sure most of the bands I know wouldnt let this little ‘set back’ deter them and maybe learn from this mistake !
I should correct myself, i meant iain x maciver*
There has been no mistake been made on the promoters or bands part. The mistake was that mr x didnt do his homework before possibly ruining the business of young individuals.
Considering the times were living in right now, i think its an absolute disgrace that the future of these peoples business could be affected in the long term from something that should have only be seen as a charity concert, not “stornoways charity rip of concert”
You’s should all be totally ashamed of yourselves and have known better.
The tone has taken a bit of a dive since my last visit, but Charity giving/taking does bring out the best/worst in people. …
Play nice boys & girls please!
I think the bad taste is more yourself in publishing a blog which was totally untrue in the first place. Then you got a wake up call and realised publishing untruths without knowing the facts would get you in trouble, hence the removal of the original article! The fact is that any charity event has costs to cover before the rest of the proceeds can be given to the charity. Yes, in this wonderful world the best would be if we all had the monies to say we’d do it all for free, but sadly that’s not how things work. Do you think the golf club would give all the money they made of drink to the charity and maybe waive the fee for the hall, no probably not. There are always admin fees to pay to this and that, and the rest that’s left goes to the charity. I think quite a few of the posts here say it all, you and Mr. Gorbils seem to have your issues with these hard working lads, shame on you and shame that as one blog says, you’ve probably put off every band in Stornoway from doing charity gigs. Well done to them for arranging a great event.
I have no issues other than wanting to know why so many artistes were asked to perform free at a charity event without being told that some people were being paid. I have had various suggestions as to why but not from them.
Doug Davies says: “There are always admin fees to pay to this and that, and the rest that’s left goes to the charity.” Absolutely not true. I have been speaking tonight to other event organisers.
They say venues and other contributors may hope for a fee but they can regularly negotiate with everyone involved so 100% of the proceeds go to the good causes. And they can prove it. That is brilliant.
On the other hand, I have also heard of another event where several thousand pounds were raised but, after everyone involved was given a cut, only just over a third was actually handed to the charity.
Is that proper? Actually, it probably is, if that was explained to everyone at the start before they parted with their money and gave their time.
It is absolutely fascinating how there can be so many different ideas about what a charity event should be.
The point is mr x, you seem to be in a privileged position where members of the public take note and listen to what you say. So instead of trying to put these individuals down, you should be encouraging them in anyway possible.
We have established that your original
Post was incorrect, so at least admit that.
The positive from all this is that im sure everyone who was involved has learnt alot, and will take it on board for any future events, if any happen that is.
Help the community, dont help destroy it.
Iain you obviously didn’t ask the Golf club if they charged for the hall or gave the drink money to charity when you did all your phoning around!
Call it a day and admit you were wrong in publishing your first article and hence causing this whole debacle.
Iain,just rise above it. You raised a serious issue and the fiends of the pair who were responsible obviously don’t like it and want to have a go at you . That’s understandable I suppse.I know you have thick skin.
You an I know both know the people who were conned into taking part while the lads and their pals happily took a slice of the action.Everyone else watching this blog knows that is the truth at the heart of the matter . You were hard on them but if you want to get people talking about what is right and wrong you have to be.
Innes Macleod and Mr Caskie should also have been far more careful about their choice of partners. Did they check out their track record. I doubt it.I blame them too although I really admire whjat they are doing fr a very good cause .
Hey all!
Can i just ask something, with regards to derek johnston up top, is he right in saying that innes and james didnt turn up?
Jeeeeeez!
What about the people who turned up and payed 8 bucks??
I agree, after all this, that money should definately go straight to prostate cancer or unicef or the free church or whatever.
Or maybe innes could sell one of his cars and take us all dog sledging?!
Rarara
Banter is mighty boys! It’s also harmless, a few angry coves in these comments, first one to end it gets my £8. Sorry, £7.20, im taking 10%
I can assure anyone who is reading this that those of us who regularly raise money for good causes without taking “a cut” for ourselves will not stop just just because someone who does take a percentage has been exposed.
The generosity of these islands is phenomenal. However, maybe some people are just too trusting.
I heard about this before I knew it was on a blog. Every community needs someone prepared to stand up and say, wait a minute, that was not done right. It can get very uncomfortable nowadays because with the internet anyone can have a go at you for speaking out — from those who have a good point to make to drunks and idiots.
Ian X was right to raise it but I do not think the issue will go away completely until those promoter lads admit they made a mistake.
They gave the money back. Everyone will forgive them because everyone makes errors when they are young.
If they still say they do not think they did anything wrong then they have to live with the consequences.
Bill
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defamation
Refering back to the original article !!
Look at Ian X’s two original assertions – he said if there was an arrangement for some people to be paid then everyone involved should be told and that the organisers were taking ten per cent for themselves.
We now know Caskie and Innes agreed to give everyone – yes everyone – a share but the organisers kept that info from certain people – and the organisers planned to take ten per cent until they were shamed into not taking it.
They are indeed very brave men if they trouble a defamation court with those facts stacked against them. However, if someone was to trouble the police about them – well, referring back to consequences.