February 1970 - Blues Fiasco - Mott the Hoople

 February 1970 - Blues Fiasco - Mott the Hoople

by Pete Clemons

Even the most organised of us can get things mixed up. So much was happening, entertainments wise, at Warwick University that mistakes were bound to happen. And, as detailed below, it certainly did on one occasion. Here is a snapshot at how things could go awry in the build up to your evening out......................

Tonight will be either one of the best social nights in the history of Warwick University, or one of its most ignominious failures. A major blunder has resulted in a clash between the Blues Society's Mott the Hoople concert and the Motor-Cycle Club's Greasers' Groove.

Because of this the Blues Society has reduced its admission from 6s. to 2s. ( 6s. non members) - the Greasers' Groove is Id. Both organisations were under the assumption that they had booked the Airport Lounge and, with it, the Union equipment. I n fact, it was only the Motor Cycle Club which had followed the correct procedure and done this.

However the Social Secretary did agreed with the President of the Blues Society, that he would book the Airport Lounge for every Friday of this term, on the premise that between them they would organise some form of dance or concert every week.

Because of the change from one yearbook to another, and because of a change in his social policy, he forgot to do this, and due to the departure of the Administrative Officer, the mistake was not rectified.

The Mott the Hoople contract had been signed on November 10th 1969 but no one from the Blues Society checked the bookings until a few weeks ago, and by then the Airport Lounge had been booked for every Friday of this term.

This meant that the Blues Society's Andy Firnback concert clashed with an African Society dance which had been extremely well-publicised; the concert had to be moved to a Tuesday, and made a loss.

The Mott the Hoople concert could not be changed and so had to be either cancelled or moved, because the Greasers' groove organisers would not back down. Since the Union would have had to pay £70 in the case of a cancelled booking, it was decided that the concert would be held in the Refectory at cheaper prices, and that the Union would make up the deficit, and finance the hiring of equipment.

When he discovered the clash, the Social Secretary actually over-ruled the Greasers' Groove booking. He wrote to the Motor Cycle club on February 13th informing them of his action, but due to the incorrect addressing of the envelope, by a Union typist, the letter was not delivered until this week.

The Motor Cycle club found out about the Blues Society purely by accident on February 19th and took the matter to Social Secretary where their decision was reversed on the grounds that the Motor Cycle club had followed the correct technical procedure. The fact that the financial loss would be less for them than for the Blues Society could not influence the situation since this would have set a dangerous precedent.

The Motor Cycle club had already spent a great deal of time and money publicising the event, and were they not willing to back down, since no other date was available. Both sides feel themselves to be the innocent party. The Blues Society had negotiated direct with the Social Secretary, and thus assumed that their booking was valid.

The Motor Cycle Club had followed the correct technical procedure by signing the book. Only tonight can tell us what the outcome of the clash will be. Since both events are cheap, students may wander from one to the other, but the difference between 1d. and 2s.6d. could be too great for many.

All we know for certain is that it will be very noisy in the middle. Steps are being taken to ensure that a double booking of this kind cannot occur again.