[Imc-birmingham] FWD: Message from Boogie Dave

[Liam]

Thought this might be of interest (forwarded from Drop beats mailing list):

______________________________
A Message From Drop Beats Not Bomb

It’s now been five years since the story of Drop Beats Not Bombs began.
Seems to me that time has become faster and faster by the day. I can vividly
recall the day that Drop Beats Not Bombs came into existence. For those of
you that are unaware of it the ignition point was a game of pool and a few
pints of lager downstairs at Bar Academy. 

Discussions of the impending invasion of Iraq and the feelings of the
obvious injustice of such an action resulted in the decision to try and put
on an event of some sort to protest against the invasion. Little did I know
then just how massive an impact that decision would have on my life. 

The past five years have been a constant tornado of preparation, planning,
procurement and production. Stress, anxiety, sleepless nights, stress,
strain on personal relationships, stress

.oh, and did I mention the huge
amounts of stress??? All these are part and parcel of pushing Drop Beats Not
Bombs to the point it is at today. 

Drop Beats Not Bombs has become an amalgamation of the energy and efforts of
thousands of people. Artists who give their performances to you. VJs who
give exceptional and stunningly crafted visual messages to you. Volunteer
crew who give their time and energy to you. Production crew who give you
amazing lighting shows. 

Drop Beats Not Bombs is not just a club night like any other event. It is
unique. It is special. It is a message that screams positivity. It is a
movement of feeling, passion, emotion and this is something that should not
be forgotten. 

If the images of children suffering the effects of depleted uranium weapons
disturb you then be angry, become active, protest in whatever way you feel
is appropriate to you. Do not turn your eyes away. Do not criticise me for
putting those images onto a flyer. Criticise your government. It is they who
feel it is perfectly acceptable to carry out such atrocities. 

If those were your children would you not want somebody on the other side of
the world to actually be bothered to do something about what was happening? 

And that is exactly what Drop Beats Not Bombs is about. It is about saying
something, doing something to, at the very least, highlight what is
happening. 

So it is disappointing to see and hear that so many individuals are now
complaining that we have increased ticket prices. The only way Drop Beats
Not Bombs can continue to push the message forward is to increase ticket
prices. Without this increase Drop Beats Not Bombs will not happen again.
Creating these events does not come for free as some people seem to think.
Those involved already know just how much it costs to put together. I hear
people stating that the last 3-day event was only £15 which it was. But how
many of those complaining are aware that the event cost £75,000 to put on
and made a loss of £4,000? 

A loss of £4,000. 

Yes, a loss of £4,000. A loss in just the same way that every single Drop
Beats Not Bombs event so far has incurred. I personally am around £8,000 in
debt because of Drop Beats Not Bombs. In addition, there are outstanding
costs of about £7,000 still awaiting payment. The people who are owed this
money understand what Drop Beats Not Bombs is about and are quite prepared
to wait until such time that we can pay them back. However long that might
be. 

How long would you put yourself through all of this? How long would you
carry on with something that haemorrhages money in such a way whilst other
people whisper about the vast amounts of profits the promoter must be taking
for himself? How long would you support Drop Beats Not Bombs? 

If you understand what I’m saying here then please help Drop Beats Not Bombs
continue. Spread the information. If you are in situations where people are
criticising the increase in ticket price explain why it is so. If you want
to support Drop Beats Not Bombs please buy a ticket. 

Please feel free to respond to this message. In fact, I urge you to.
Communication is key to us all living positive and fulfilling existences.