2 Promoters, 1 Pod – Details, episodes & analysis

It's exactly six months from the release of episode one and we're in the mood to celebrate but first we have to savour the delights of another spectacular edition of ArcTanGent.

Best sets of the weekend, how surreal the live pod was and the benefits of Bossk's bus. 

And Gav has a wee rant about "wet wipe Karens" who find any reason to complain about everything from tall people to kids blowing bubbles.

We go again, every Thursday morning.

Gav and James took the stage in a PACKED Elephant In The Bar Room Stage at ArcTanGent for their second live outing, only for the "curse of Johannes" to strike just as they were warming up.

But it takes more than a full power outage to stop this pod.

And if the show keeps growing at this rate, it might just become a "real job".

We go again, every Thursday morning.

Fresh from selling out Ally Pally in hours and a successful tour Stateside, Frank Turner joins 2 Promoters, 1 Pod to declare his love for all things 2,000 Trees.

But before he takes the stage for a SEVENTH time at Upcote Farm, he discusses what it takes to tackle America, his "woeful" attempt at being a promoter for Botch's first UK tour and gets James flustered with some exciting Million Dead developments.

Enjoy. 

We go again, every Thursday morning.

Gav and James took a road trip to the big dog of UK metal festivals, Download, for an all too literal dirty weekend.

Swamp conditions aside, we discuss the best and worst sets, our take on the Barclays sponsorship protests and what can go wrong when you take an innocent photo of Pantera's crowd from the top of a ferris wheel and post it on the internet.

We go again, every Thursday morning.

This week's pod is James' emotional rollercoaster: from opening up about a serious health scare, being "pissed off" with a rival festival, to his passion for fence posts and playing invisible Minecraft... this one has it all.

He also explains the challenges of turning a sheep field into a festival site where you can watch The Gaslight Anthem and invites YOU to get involved.

We. Go. Again.

We go again, every Thursday morning.

3 Promoters, 1 Pod! 

Download's Kam Haq joins us to lift the curtain on the workings of the UK's biggest metal gathering.

What's life like at the top of the ladder, all Champagne and cigars at Live Nation HQ? Or is it the same headaches and hassles with billing, booking headliners and clashes as the rest of us mere mortals suffer?

We get in about it all and pick some must see bands from this year's line-up as we look forward to Download 2024.

We go again, every Thursday morning.

We (drunkenly) go again! 

Gav and James get the pints in and tackle some of the more light-hearted questions.

Favourite food vendors at our festivals? What bands would we go back and see with a time machine?  Top three bands we've ever seen live?

And why did Gav buy not one, but two tour buses? 

Hiccup!

We go again, every Thursday morning.

Not all events are booked the same. 

Some promoters enjoy a professionally packaged tour arriving on their doorstep, others don't mind the challenge of luring over bands who rarely play and then there's Damnation, who want artists to dust off old records and perform them as a world exclusive sets in Manchester.

Problem is, that's as time consuming, expensive and as difficult as it sounds. 

But in the end, is it worth all it?



 

We go again, every Thursday morning.

There weren’t too many clashes at 2000trees that raised an eyebrow, but the ones that did raised an army!
 
What kind of cruel world forces you to choose between Bob Vylan and Palm Reader? Are they being serious about Gaslight Anthem and Better Lovers? Surely Sean McGowan and The Sleeping Souls is a twisted joke and you’re misreading Frank Turner clashing with Lonely The Brave, right? Right?
 
The man behind the plan, Mr James Scarlett, takes his licks and explains all... even manages to put one fire out.
 
 We also discuss the Forest sets. How it’s decided who plays twice. The ‘TBAs’ and James’ masterplan to one day rope Biffy Clyde into playing. 
 
This is our love letter to 2000trees. 
 
But before all that, Gav has some tour tales to share and owns up to why he’ll likely never be a tour manager.

We go again, every Thursday morning.

The humble catering rider, which surely started life as a simple hot meal for touring band members, has morphed beyond all recognition to a sprawling wishlist, often with no rhyme or reason.

Seasoned headline acts can ask for so little while fresh-faced tour supports demand so much, but what MUST be provided and who decides where to draw the line?

Like most things in this industry... it's complicated.

James and Gav share their experiences, from 24 McDonald's cheeseburgers to "Gollum Juice",  and how they handle the infamous rider.

We go again, every Thursday morning.