Venue change for Wheatus gig (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Venue change for Wheatus gig

8:49am Wednesday 23rd May 2007 in Swindon By Gazette Reporter

American pop punksters Wheatus will now be hitting the stage in Stratton, after their surprise visit to Wootton Bassett grew beyond organisers' control.

Teenage musician Nathan Gregory managed to secure the gig with the former chart-toppers after spotting an empty date in their current tour diary and contacting their management through music networks.

For a short time last week confusion reigned about the concert after teenage excitement overtook Nathan and he posted its details, including the venue as Wootton Bassett's Memorial Hall on the Swindon Music website.

But the hall's management committee had not received his booking form and the verbal booking request for a Tuesday night led them to assume it was a band rehearsal and not a gig with an internationally known act.

Stratton's Area 51 is now hosting the event on May 29 after Nathan, 16, and his dad-come-bouncer Gary realised it was too much for them to handle alone. The venue regularly stages gigs with signed bands, which are working their way through the industry and building up their fan base, but owner Ken Brand said Teenage Dirtbag singers Wheatus are the biggest act he has hosted there. Mr Brand said: "Nathan is doing all the organising, and we are helping where we can.

"The Memorial Hall isn't really set up for gigs, what with the lighting and sound rigs you need, and security, and it came up through one of our sound guys being at college with Nathan. It's going to be a nice cosy venue for Wheatus and probably the smallest place on their tour with a 300 capacity."

Mr Brand said he was providing the venue at cost and that the low cost tickets, at around £7, had been set by Nathan simply to cover costs.

"I have had this venue for three and a half years and he's given me a whole new way to go about booking acts," said Mr Brand.

"I don't even know if the band and their management know that he's just 16."