Photo and story
by Megan Stewart

The UVic Students’ Society’s head of merry-making is delivering on a promise to bring more concerts to UVic.

Scott Payne, Director of Services for the UVSS, discovered during his election campaign last spring that many students see party planner as part of his job description.

“People asked why there isn’t more to do on campus–they asked why we can’t have more shows,” said Payne. “I took that to heart and am committed to organizing good concerts for people.”

Payne stepped up to the challenge. Sam Roberts is scheduled to play over the Halloween weekend and an all-ages Hot Hot Heat show is in the works for later this semester. “They [Sam Roberts] are becoming popular all over Canada and the United States,” said Payne. “I bet it will be impossible to see Sam Roberts in a venue like this again.”

Sam Roberts tickets were so sought after they sold-out in three weeks, and a second show had to be scheduled for October 30.

While Payne is a successful party-planner and capable of delivering quality entertainment, some students have complained about lack of on-campus promotion for the concert. Many students simply didn’t know the Montreal-based band was holding a concert here.

Tristan Laidlow was one of the lucky ones. He bought two of the last 50 tickets before the November 1 concert sold-out. “I heard about the show by word of mouth. I didn’t see any ads,” he said.

Local promoters Atomique Productions approached the UVSS for a venue for the show and took on the off-campus promotion.

The UVSS budget for on-campus advertising this year is $500 which may explain why there was such little on-campus promotion. UVSS info booth employee, Terri Tan, first saw an ad for the event two weeks after tickets had gone on sale.

Despite the lack of on-campus promotions, students seem generally supportive of staging popular bands. Adam Rall, a Fine Arts student, said, “I’d spend money on tickets if I really wanted to see the band.”

“Students living off campus need a reason to stay socially connected to the university,” said Honours English student, Jessica Earle. “I’m all for showcasing Canadian talent in the SUB. Bring on the Be Good Tanyas.”

While campus concerts are good news for many, other students question the value of financing social events with student money and time. Mike Denser, a first-year linguistic major, would rather see a well-stocked food bank than be entertained at the SUB.

Full-time students contribute $63.70 a semester to the UVSS, $19 of which funds the UVSS board of directors’ day-to-day operations. The Director of Services has $4,500 to spend on social gatherings throughout the year.