North West - War breaks out

[Gus]

Well, it should have been a freestyle like any other last night. Blitz holding a freestyle at it main club, Bowden. Muggins here on the decks, trying to scare people off the dance floor, usual bunch of suspects … pretty good night until….

In a sinister, and unprecedented move, a family team moved in that night and ousted Blitz from its prize venue. Despite the fact that Blitz has been at the Bowden room for over 10 years, and is responsible for the development of Modern Jive in the Manchester/Cheshire region, the management of the venue have (apparently) cancelled the contract with no warning. The whole thing was designed so that Blitz have been give no opportunity to warn their customers before they turn up to the regular class next Tuesday and Thursday:angry:

The whole situation is appalling. 5 minutes before the freestyle ended the Blitz franchisee was called in to the Manager's office and told they were finished there. As if on queue, the team (all ex-Blitz crew) turned up with smug grins handing out flyers announcing the new club. As if that wasn’t bad enough, they were backed up by two security guards! There were a number of people, especially Blitz crew, who were visibly shaken by these events.

Things have been getting a bit fraught for a while in the North West. 5 new clubs have set up, none of them doing any busking … juts taking numbers form established clubs. But this….

Even in the Brighton wars no one (AFAIK) has ever turfed out an established club from its venue. Flyering another clubs venue is bad enough, but this action is absolutely contemptible. The sad thing is that now that all rules of ethics have been broken, there is nothing to stop the whole thing degenerating into ‘real world business’, and all the nasty tactics that means. Knowing the parties involved, the new club has no chance of making it big. War IS going to break out and the finest club in the North is now history. In this case, the main losers will be the dancers.:(

I'm not the biggest fan of some of the things Blitz has done, and some will say this is payback for previous bad Karma, but there are limits to how far people should be allowed to go. This action has massively overstepped the line. All you franchisees out there ... how many of you are relying on goodwill to hold on to your venue. Are you really secure in your deal? Whats to stop another rival operator to simply offer your venue more money and steal all your customers? Such is the disgust with last nights turn of events that people are already talking about boycotting the venue and boycotting any instructors who are prepared to associate with these goings on.

Obviously there is more to come. This is one story On8 magazine WILL be covering and trying to get the bottom of!

[Baruch]

That sounds like absolutely contemptible tactics :angry:

[ducasi]

Do the "new team" really think they can gain customers this way? Do they have anything on their side (besides "ownership" of the venue?)

They'd have to be a damn sight better than the established club if they hope to stand a chance.


I hope that Blitz will respond without any underhand tactics of their own.

[Dance Demon]

The whole situation is appalling. 5 minutes before the freestyle ended the Blitz franchisee was called in to the Manager's office and told they were finished there. As if on queue, the team (all ex-Blitz crew) turned up with smug grins handing out flyers announcing the new club. As if that wasn’t bad enough, they were backed up by two security guards! There were a number of people, especially Blitz crew, who were visibly shaken by these events.

Have to ask questions about the business acumen -or lack of- of the venue owners too here. Surely after giving them business for so lng, Blitz would be right in expecting some kind of notice or some discussion should have taken place with regard terminating the booking. All sounds a bit cloak & dagger:mad:

[El Salsero Gringo]

This is one story On8 magazine WILL be covering and trying to get the bottom of!Better get that article written and posted quick then...

[Paul F]

Having absolutely no knowledge when it comes to business practices I am a little confused. Surely there must have been a contract or some other binding deal done??? :confused:

Otherwise it is a bit of a tight-rope for an organiser to just turn up assuming it is secured. What has happened here is totally out of order though contract or not.

[Gus]

Having absolutely no knowledge when it comes to business practices I am a little confused. Surely there must have been a contract or some other binding deal done??? :confused:I'm a bit unclear about it myself. Thinking back ... I think its unusual for venues to make binding contracts. You book such and such dates, but I think that the venue always has the right to cancel (at least that been my experience).

Cancelling the contract is one thing ... the way it was done is another. As Blitz can't contact their customers in time, the usual Tuesday and Thursday customers wil turn up and just find different people and names running the club ... but the amjority will probably continue to go:(

[TheTramp]

Don't Blitz maintain a database of all their dancers?

[Trousers]

I know none of these dodgy dealings of Blitz that you refer to but it sounds a fu©king Liberty. Ex Blitz people huh? Anyone we know. . . . . .?

Personally I hold venues and companies that resort to leafleting car parparks in very low esteem. Looks like my esteemometer® needs recalibrating to include a new scum bag level.

Keep us posted Gusman


Do they have a trading name?


and where else do they do their thing so we can avoid them. I have no gripes with the Bltzer's I know and deal with and would not like to see any changes in their venues.

[jezzyjj]

I'm not the biggest fan of some of the things Blitz has done, and some will say this is payback for previous bad Karma, but there are limits to how far people should be allowed to go. This action has massively overstepped the line.

Whilst what has happened seems quite contemptible, but it also made me laugh in one sense as Karma has finally come back to bite Blitz. Not unlike actions taken by a certain individual within Blitz in the past actually. Though there are some much nicer people involved now, but sadly I heard rumours the other day that they'd been shafted.

A bigger issue is that dancers are the ones going to suffer. I always like the Bowden Rooms as it reminds me of when I first travelled to go dancing and all the nice people I met there. I had mentioned to a friend only a couple of days ago about going there, but they don't seem like the sort of people I would want to give money too.

[jezzyjj]

Just thinking about it this is very similar to how Blitz started when they told Ceroc to get stuffed. The people running the night stayed the same though and the people coming through the doors stayed the same until some people got fed up and tried to restart Ceroc elsewhere.

[Daisy Chain]

Just thinking about it this is very similar to how Blitz started when they told Ceroc to get stuffed. The people running the night stayed the same though and the people coming through the doors stayed the same until some people got fed up and tried to restart Ceroc elsewhere.

I was one of those people who kept coming. My biggest worry was that the Blitz/Ceroc battle would ruin the dance scene in the area for everybody. Luckily,that didn't happen.

Although I thought the metamorphosis from Ceroc into Blitz was immoral, I still wanted to dance at the best venue in the area - all my fiends kept going on a Thursday, so I did too. I wasn't prepared to cut off my nose to spite my face.

To be honest, many of the 200 or so current regular Tuesday dancers will not be aware of the politics happening under their noses - it will seem like business as usual although they might notice it's a different face taking their money and we've had so many different teachers lately that a new face on stage won't be a surprise.

It saddens me that everyone can't play nicely. Personally, I'm appalled at the independents with a copycat product, who muscle in on established territories - I don't support their nights. Strikes me they are too lazy to make the effort of introducing dance nights to a new area where they would be appreciated.

Daisy

(A Worried Little FLower)

[Scot]

Have to ask questions about the business acumen -or lack of- of the venue owners too here. Surely after giving them business for so lng, Blitz would be right in expecting some kind of notice or some discussion should have taken place with regard terminating the booking. All sounds a bit cloak & dagger:mad:

It is an interesting tactic but one that can be repeated by Blitz if it is just about money for the venue. I suspect there is more to it than that because normally if it was just a price thing the venue would have just approached Blitz directly and held them to ransom.

Ultimately the venue will get a short term gain from it, but if the business declines and the new operator cannot maintain the outlays the venue will lose. It is a bit short sighted.

I would imagine that Blitz probably has some cash reserves, one of the things they could do, assuming a new venue, is offer a free night for about a month effectively limiting the new operators revenue stream and making the venue question its decision. Trouble is nobody is winning here.

Ultimately this is a despicable tactic and is not the way business should be done.

[Gus]

Just thinking about it this is very similar to how Blitz started when they told Ceroc to get stuffed. The people running the night stayed the same though and the people coming through the doors stayed the same until some people got fed up and tried to restart Ceroc elsewhere.Ummmm ... not sure if its similar. Blitz was originally Ceroc North (like Mo'Jive was Ceroc South). My understanding is that they decided to break away from Ceroc ... so it was the same people running the same night with the same product ... just not paying the 10% fee (or whatever it was) to Ceroc. It could be argued that this was 'sharp practice' .... but what has happened this time round is all together more serious.

[jezzyjj]

Ummmm ... not sure if its similar. Blitz was originally Ceroc North (like Mo'Jive was Ceroc South). My understanding is that they decided to break away from Ceroc ... so it was the same people running the same night with the same product ... just not paying the 10% fee (or whatever it was) to Ceroc. It could be argued that this was 'sharp practice' .... but what has happened this time round is all together more serious.
Similar in the sense that the owner completely shafted Ceroc and ignored the terms of his contract. The people teaching/running door had no say in matter and weren't too happy about how things were done. Which is why there was a breakaway back to Ceroc shortly after.
What was interesting was that the CEROC brand name proved worthless in the face of an already established venue as people simply carried on going where they mates were.
If only it had been a little as 10% of door money!

[Robin]

There's absolutely nothing new in this type of tactic. Ultimately, people are greedy and I've seen this happen before - as well as botched attempts for this to happen!

For Ceroc Franchisee's its a compelling reason to stay with Ceroc. You pay a fee for a brand name and believe it or not, brand names do work and "sell" the product - people end up associating with that brand and would normally stick with it .... unless its a Pepsi / Coke thing. But generally the more well known brand will ultimately do better.

[rant mode off]

[Gus]

For Ceroc Franchisee's its a compelling reason to stay with Ceroc. You pay a fee for a brand name and believe it or not, brand names do work and "sell" the product - people end up associating with that brand and would normally stick with it .... unless its a Pepsi / Coke thing. But generally the more well known brand will ultimately do better.

[rant mode off]Theory great ... practice has proven exactlyu the opposite. After the initial 'defection' of Blitz and Mo'jive numbers were totaly unaffected. As Jezzy said, the Ceroc brand counted for nothing. Interestingly, and more disturbingly, the breakback you refer to was just a bunch of teachers ... but VERY good teachers. they rejoined Ceroc and the effect was..... zilch! Punters kept of going to the old venue. One of the best instructors tried to start up, going head to head with Blitz using the 'power;' of the Ceroc brand ... and got wiped out! So the power of the brand is ...... ?

[Robin]

... should have said - you gotta know how to use it. Otherwise, quite rightly, you're handing things to the opposition.

Maybe its time for Ceroc to be "reborn" in the are ?


any takers ?

[Gus]

Maybe its time for Ceroc to be "reborn" in the are ?

any takers ?Urrr do you mean in addition to the existing Ceroc Manchester? :whistle:

[jezzyjj]

Theory great ... practice has proven exactlyu the opposite. After the initial 'defection' of Blitz and Mo'jive numbers were totaly unaffected. As Jezzy said, the Ceroc brand counted for nothing. Interestingly, and more disturbingly, the breakback you refer to was just a bunch of teachers ... but VERY good teachers. they rejoined Ceroc and the effect was..... zilch! Punters kept of going to the old venue. One of the best instructors tried to start up, going head to head with Blitz using the 'power;' of the Ceroc brand ... and got wiped out! So the power of the brand is ...... ?
I should also point out Ceroc did nothing whatsoever to help out at all, all they did was take a large chunk of the door and gave no support of any kind even when franchise owner/teacher was seriously ill, which is why Ceroc were eventually told to stuff off once more. Ceroc reaped what they had sown as has the Blitz 'founder'.

[jezzyjj]

Urrr do you mean in addition to the existing Ceroc Manchester? :whistle::rofl: :rofl:

[ChrisU]

Shame really. Not a good way to do business.

And I so enjoyed my one night DJing there.

Chris Uren

[jezzyjj]

Theory great ... practice has proven exactlyu the opposite. After the initial 'defection' of Blitz and Mo'jive numbers were totaly unaffected. As Jezzy said, the Ceroc brand counted for nothing. Interestingly, and more disturbingly, the breakback you refer to was just a bunch of teachers ... but VERY good teachers. they rejoined Ceroc and the effect was..... zilch! Punters kept of going to the old venue. One of the best instructors tried to start up, going head to head with Blitz using the 'power;' of the Ceroc brand ... and got wiped out! So the power of the brand is ...... ?
I should also add to my above post, that the 'new' Shefield Ceroc venue lasted quite a few years and only folded after the venue I'd found booted us out and the subsequent venue was a bit small and very pokey.
Bearing in mind Dan+Lisa danced at that night and where various Championship winning routines were dreamt up. Financially not a huge success but otherwise....a big impact for a little venue.
But you are right, people on the whole just kept going to their old venue, but it was a far better venue than we had and more importantly had inertia and remember what Newton said about that..
I did find an even better venue than Crookes a little while later but it clashed some other class and was rejected. Ironically, the other class moved nights shortly after. Oh well.

[Gus]

Well the whole thing has got more and muddy. I've actualy been able to get a (brief) interview with the club that has taken the night over. They want to review the new article we're writing first (:rolleyes: ) but we hope to publish the next round of this story soon.

[Trousers]

I believe the new crowd are the old Blitz crowd that I believe that ran it before Blitz told them all they were rubbish and cancelled the franchise.

Allegedy with no warnings or requests to buck their ideas up.

Muddy indeed.

What it must be to run an empire?

[Gus]

I believe the new crowd are the old Blitz crowd that I believe that ran it before Blitz told them all they were rubbish and cancelled the franchise.Ish. From recent communications, Claire was the franchisee/manager for the Thursday night who eventualy got canned for poor performance. It has to be said that numbers dramatically improved once Steve (Blitz Chester) took over as temporray manager. Rak, her husband and DJ, got sacked after many complaints. Personal opinion is that he's a DJ you either like or don't ... plays some good music, plays some bl**dy awefull music .... like many other DJs in this neck of the woods :(

[bigdjiver]

I hope that you will keep us posted on the Blitz reaction.

[Gus]

I hope that you will keep us posted on the Blitz reaction.Just in the process of writing the article. The 'official' Blits comment has been "No Comment" ... whereas the new managers have just ignored my attempts at contact. Luckily the club owners have been interviewd and I'm in touch with Blitz crew who are keeping me posted as to the Blitz response to date. Hope to publish this all on Saturday.

My concern now is for the bigger picture. There are 3 areas where Ceroc is going head to head with established clubs, ang at least 5 or 6 cases where Ceroc is being pressurised. I just hope that in all these cases the clubs involved concentrate in bringing in new dancers rather than just trying to steal dancers from the competition.

[Donna]

I just hope that in all these cases the clubs involved concentrate in bringing in new dancers rather than just trying to steal dancers from the competition.


Well, I certainly won't be going there. It's really disappointing to hear about this. Excellent venue too. :sad:

[Gus]

Well, I certainly won't be going there. It's really disappointing to hear about this. Excellent venue too. :sad:Well ... latest update. I thought that dancers would carry on going regardless. Some have but the latest count is that Tuesday nights are down from about 160 to about 90 :sick: Mixed feelings. Though I have a real issue with what happened, Bowden was an important club for the N West ... and its seeming slide into oblivion benefits no-one ... other than it may illustrate that collecting bad karma does have a payback. Anyway, managed to interview the new management and posted the story on On8. :innocent:

[ducasi]

Interesting that it was the venue itself that "kicked out" Blitz...

[Gus]

Interesting that it was the venue itself that "kicked out" Blitz...Sets and intersting prescedent. Imagine Hammersmith town Hall doing the same to Ceroc ... why take 5% when you can take 100%? However, I doubt that the full story has come out yet. There are a few inconsistencies. Once I get time to write the editorial some of the unexplained aspects should be brought to light. :cool: