The Apple And Parrot Pub In Town
Posted: 15 Jul 2012, 18:08
Do any of you people go to this place in Torquay and see live bands? Reason Im asking this... as a holiday maker last week I thought I'd go and see Friday nights band. Arrived there about 9.15pm assuming they would be on about 9.30pm ish. The band had clearly done their sound checks and instruments set up etc. Quite a few in there, mainly locals. By about 10.15pm a few getting restless due to the obvious delay. At 10.30pm the band broke into their first number then the pub's manager trots over, disturbing thier excellent opening number and the band then continue and announce that the pub manager said that this can only be their 'sound check' and refused to let them start till 11pm.
As you can imagine this really riled many of the music-loving regulars who had already spent a lot of cash behind the bar. My plans were to have 4 or 5 beers over the course of the evening. In a show of disgust maybe 30 or so locals supped up and left in disgust. By the time 11pm came there was hardly anyone in there. I saw the first couple of numbers and headed for my hotel... not wishing to booze away till 1pm or later with a journey back home the next day. Realise as a holidaymaker my planned £15 or so would be a drop in the ocean but those regular music loving locals would have put a lot more behind the bar than me. When challenged by one of them this manager mumbled something about about the 'regulars' would be in around 11pm. I found this attitude shocking, tbh. He was obviously not bothered that a lot of people were drinking away from probably 8.30pm thinking that the band 'would be on in a bit'. Never once was there any announcements to the effect of a later start.
Realise that as manager he can do what he wants and start bands when he wants but for me it was a massive PR own goal. Does anyone know if 11 pm is the usual Friday night band start or has experienced anything like this before? Thanks for your time.
As you can imagine this really riled many of the music-loving regulars who had already spent a lot of cash behind the bar. My plans were to have 4 or 5 beers over the course of the evening. In a show of disgust maybe 30 or so locals supped up and left in disgust. By the time 11pm came there was hardly anyone in there. I saw the first couple of numbers and headed for my hotel... not wishing to booze away till 1pm or later with a journey back home the next day. Realise as a holidaymaker my planned £15 or so would be a drop in the ocean but those regular music loving locals would have put a lot more behind the bar than me. When challenged by one of them this manager mumbled something about about the 'regulars' would be in around 11pm. I found this attitude shocking, tbh. He was obviously not bothered that a lot of people were drinking away from probably 8.30pm thinking that the band 'would be on in a bit'. Never once was there any announcements to the effect of a later start.
Realise that as manager he can do what he wants and start bands when he wants but for me it was a massive PR own goal. Does anyone know if 11 pm is the usual Friday night band start or has experienced anything like this before? Thanks for your time.
