TOM HARK: THE BIG UPDATE (Wed 22nd Dec)

[attila]

Right - here’s the BIG Tom Hark update (Wed 22nd Dec) Can the mods take off ‘All Systems Go’ and make this a sticky please?

PUBLICITY

Firstly, the motley crew which is Seagulls Ska did some live filming at The Engine Rooms last Friday and I am reliably informed by BBC South that a piece on the stadium campaign featuring the results of our efforts will be shown tonight. I am doing an interview with Meridian about it tomorrow which should be shown on ‘Soccer Thursday’ tomorrow night. We have publicity /plays lined up on the Breakfast Show on SCR on 4th Jan. There should be some advance national press: certainly will be afterwards if we make the Top 40! We’re TRYING to get some sense out of Southern FM (not easy - we may need an email campaign here!) Obviously the local press are with us. We’re hoping that stations like Juice and Splash may help - so far they’re not - if anyone has any contacts there they would be much appreciated. MEDIA PROMO COPIES ARE NOW AVAILABLE. For any media contacts - because of Xmas post, the best way to get one will be to pick one up from me in the PA box on Boxing Day. PM me if you want one. As before, if you have any ideas for publicity, go for it!

We will be busking the single outside Rounder Records (Brighton Square) at 11am on the day of release, Monday Jan 3rd, (before the Watford game) which will be the press launch - please come along if you feel like it - and again in HMV in Churchill Square at 4.30 on Thursday 4th (ditto)

For those who want to help, the main things from now on are: obviously spreading the word far and wide online and in person over the Xmas period: downloading/putting up posters in pubs etc, this is really important (can someone please take posters to Octave Records in Lewes and Jingles in East Grinstead, they haven’t had them yet) and if need be getting stuck in to a couple of email campaigns (more on this soon) Thanks for all the help so far. Especially to The Large One, whose wonderful cover/CD artwork you’ll soon be able to appreciate in all its glory. Even if you LOATHE the record I think you’ll love the artwork! And TLO is organising T shirts - he’ll be posting about that himself soon.

SALES

The total number of copies being SHIPPED to stores is precisely 3449 (Skint’s figures) from an initial pressing of 4000. That includes the number going to the online outlets for all the presales, obviously.
In the happy event that any outlets sell out, Skint’s distributor has a next day delivery service so they will be quickly restocked. If they really go like hot cakes another 1000 can be pressed/shipped immediately.

Because of the Xmas rush it has not been possible to get accurate up todate presale figures but:
- A WEEK AGO we had 500 online presales at HMV, 250 or so at Amazon and around a hundred preordered in person at the major retail outlets. I checked the indie stores’ presale figures today and they are below: 110 or so. So the minimum presale figure now I’d put at about 1050, maximum who knows? Let’s say 1200. Remember that single presale figures are usually very low and even with all our attempts at maximising presales I’d say lots of people will not preorder but will buy it when it comes out.

It will be on sale at the Mobile Club Shop at the Watford game. Those sales will still qualify for the chart. (We’ve found a way round it!) Any copies left over will then be on sale at the Club Shop.

You’ll find details of quantities ordered by Virgin & HMV below, and the shops which are stocking it.
Obviously the main outlets are central Brighton and the major towns. But it can be preordered from any branch, likewise ordered post release from branches currently not stocking it. SORRY about West Sussex. It is very under represented. I asked Skint but there simply aren’t the outlets there are in the East (I KNOW - now Atomic Sounds in Shoreham is shut there is nothing anywhere near us to the west) But West Sussex can order online, of course, now or after it comes out.

We need to shift as many copies as possible in the first couple of days after release.
That will get us a high midweek chart placing ( this is released Wednesday 5) and increases the momentum.

Here are details of stores, and copies ordered in (these can of course be preordered now, especially the small orders, then they’ll be motivated to stock more) I like the Croydon number!

If anyone can download posters and take them to the non central Brighton stores
in their area that would be REALLY HELPFUL. Hopefully they'll let you put them up!

VIRGIN

Store______ Order_ Amend (E)xclude______ Store______ Order_ Amend
(E)xclude
_106 Bshpgate____ 15____ 15_____________ 440 Bluewatr_____ 5_____ 5
_108 Putney_______ 5_____ 5_____________ 444 Camden______ 10____ 10
_126 VictraSt____ 15____ 15_____________ 516 Crawley____ 175___ 175
_195 Poultry_____ 15____ 15_____________ 519 Sutton_______ 5_____ 5
_203 GwickAir____ 35____ 35_____________ 532 Fulham_______ 5_____ 5
_406 Megastre____ 35____ 35_____________ 534 KensnMeg_____ 5_____ 5
_430 CroydonV___ 105___ 105_____________ 601 Wimbledn____ 10____ 10
_434 Bromley_____ 10____ 10_____________ 616 Woking_______ 5_____ 5
_438 KingsRdV_____ 5_____ 5_____________ 620 Camberly_____ 5_____ 5
_439 Brighton___ 630___ 630_____________ 622 Hastings___ 210___ 210
__811 No1Pcdly____ 10____ 10

HMV
HMV BRIGHTON ( 525) ___ 584942_ 40_____ 0______
HMV BRIGHTON CHURCHILL [523] __ 584941_ 400____ 0______
HMV CRAWLEY (815) _____ 585020_ 10_____ 0______
HMV CROYDON ( 280) ____ 584878_ 10_____ 0______
HMV LEADENHALL (753) __ 585005_ 3______ 0______
HMV OLDHAM (840) ______ 585027_ 2______ 0______
HMV OXFORD STREET 150 (230) ___ 584870_ 5______ 0______
HMV SCUNTHORPE (382) __ 584904_ 2______ 0______
HMV SOUTHAMPTON (515) _ 584937_ 2______ 0______
HMV TROCADERO (250) ___ 584872_ 5______ 0______
HMV M.PARK, MEZZANINE FL ______ 584871_ 800____ 0__(that’s the online depot)____

Reminder of the other outlets:

ROUNDER RECORDS LTD (70 preorders so far)
19 BRIGHTON SQUARE
BRIGHTON EAST SUSSEX
BN1 1HD
Phone No__ 01273 325440

RESIDENT (7 preorders so far)
28 KENSINGTON GARDENS
BRIGHTON
E SUSSEX
BN1 4AL
Phone No__ 01273 606312

OCTAVE_ (25 preorders so far)
18 HIGH STREET
LEWES
EAST SUSSEX
BN7 2LN
Phone No__ 01273 473611

POWERPLAY RECORDS (15 preorders so far)
55 TERMINUS ROAD
EASTBOURNE
E SUSSEX
BN21 3LX
Phone No__ 01323 736292

JINGLES MUSIC STORE (1 preorder so far)
4 RAILWAY APPROACH
EAST GRINSTEAD
WEST SUSSEX
RH19 1BP
Phone No__ 01342 325215

Reminder of Skint’s estimated markers for first week in Jan:
__
2003_______ 2002_______ 2001
_
1._______ 56410_______ 23534_______ 68471
5._________19103_______ 11915_______ 31465
10._______ 10237_______ 9395_______ 16668
15._______ 6355_______ 6613___________ 10063
20._______ 5259_______ 5597___________ 7857
25._______ 4249_______ 4972___________ 5318
30._______ 3117_______ 3749___________ 3643
35_______ 2716_______ 2619___________ 3049
40._______ 2073_______ 2360___________ 2344

I’m not going to make any predictions but I will say that we are well on track. The obvious aim is to sell the first 4000, ideally in the first week, if not, in the first 2. If we manage that, we have a great result all round: a high chart placing, loads of publicity for Falmer and a healthy sum raised for the Albion.
One word of warning: Skint’s distributor has told us that because single presales
are so pathetic these days, occasionally the online outlets lose their figures (I can’t understand this, sure you can’t either) but that now there is some kind of system in place which is supposed to account for this. The distributor did say it happens very rarely. Hope not!
Anyway, que sera sera, there we are. Let’s see how it goes. And over to you for any further ideas of how we can do the very best with this.

One final thing: whatever happens chart or sales wise there will be a Seagulls Ska
Ska/Punk/Reggae Party at the Engine Rooms (opposite the West Pier)
info@engineroomclub.com on the day the chart comes out, Sunday 9th Jan.

We’ll play all the tracks, there will be sets from Seagulls Ska’s component parts
(Too Many Crooks, The Fabulous Fish Brothers and Barnstormer) and as DJ The Large One!
Admission will be £5, 8pm start and every penny will go to the Live & Kicking Fund.
If you actually like the record, rather than just buying it to help the Albion - see you there!

Happy Xmas everyone, and 3 points on Boxing Day. SEAGULLS!
Attila

 

[Colbourne Kid]

Right - I'm off to pre-order in HMV and Virgin Watford.

 

[nutter]

How about radio one.If this needs to be done to raise the profile maybe a national radio broadcater would be more suitable.Just a thought

 

[Colbourne Kid]

Is Jamie Theakston still involved with Radio 1?

 

[niknokseagull]

Agreed. BBC 5Live would definitely pick this story up as would TalkSport, I'm sure. The latter may even give the entire record a spin.

I know it's a long shot but I've seen far less deserving causes on BBC Breakfast. If you can put up with sitting that close to Natasha Kaplinsky, then it's got to be worth exploring.
I know a BBC producer and have mailed them to see if they can provide an 'in' somewhere.

How about the band considers chaining yourselves to Buckingham Palace? It's worked once ......

 

[itszamora]

Well done Attila, I can tell you've really been working your a*se off on this one.

I would love to come to the party, but sadly that's the day I am going back to uni

 

[The Large One]

For the third week running, we are still No.1 on the Amazon pre-orders chart.

Tom Hark T-shirt details coming shortly. Watch this space...

 

[Everest]

Do the t-shirts come in TLO size? If so, I'll have one.

 

[London Calling]

doing well for a self-publicist

 

[attila]

Re Radio 1, and national BBC in general, the word from Skint is the playlisting is positively set in stone..like Southern FM. Rob D Bank has a copy, delivered in person to him by a friend whose wedding he DJ'd at so if there is any chance it's there. Peelie would have played it, I know that (sob) and Steve Lamacq has a copy - I know him really well, if he's allowed to I think he will play it but I reckon that's more likely to be on his digital show. Skint say there's every chance we can get Newsbeat in release week though.
Anyone got any contacts at Radio 2? Anyone fancy trying Talk Sport? 606?
I shall get in touch with my contacts at 5 Live, anyone else have an in there?

All suggestions gratefully received. PM me. Promo copies available. And as I have already said, remember we are not alone on this one: Wrexham, Donny, AFC Wimbledon, St. Pauli, the Otway Hit Campaign people, some people on my mailing lists...

 

[Bozza]

I must admit to being stunned that we still have only 750 pre-ordered on-line (HMV and Amazon). I ordered 5 and there were lots of reports of others on here ordering similar quantities...

 

[GUNTER]

I ordered mine a few days ago and there was a similar total. Surely some mistake?

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

John,

If you PM Harty I'm fairly sure he knows Dave Hunt at Splash FM in Worthing and he might even know Roy Stannard the MD of Splash.

Every little helps.

 

[dougdeep]

I'll order 3 next week.

 

[attila]

Bozza, that was a week ago, and if you saw the polls on numbers ordered here, a week ago that probably made sense in terms of the total order. I may be erring on the side of caution with my current presale estimate. We can most certainly trust Skint's information, for patently obvious reasons!

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

I think Talk Sport is a really good idea. Hawksbee (sp?) and Jacobs have had Mike Ward on talking about Brigton at least twice. -they have very big listening figures for their lunchtime show. How can Mike Ward be contacted and get on again?

One of them (Hawksbee I think but not 100%) is a Big Spurs fan - might get on seeing as the release is in the week prior to us going to WHL?

Also the afternoon Drivetime show wioth Patrick Kinghorn(sp?) and Casscarino - I know that Kinghorn's been to Withdean at least once - Atilla - can't we send them all a promo copy - let us know when you're sending them and then all of us on here can email them and push them to play at least a snippet once we know they've received it.

I think though that for maximum impact somebody needs if possible to go on the show and talk about it, and with his obvious 'in' with H + J, Mike ward seems to me to be the ideal candidate.

Who knows how to contact him??

 

[Shizuoka Dolphin]

Ordered one just this minute via Amazon.

 

[driddles]

Just curious,

HMV emailed me that my copy shipped today. Was it meant to ship so early, or is it because it is an international order?

 

[One Nil]

Got e-mail from HMV as well stating the same and i am not abroad. Will early shipment affect sales figures on release date

 

[attila]

Dealt with on another thread, reliably informed by HMV press office that regardless of shipping date, all sales count in release week beginning 3rd Jan.