This is not an advert. Not technically. It’s more of a recruitment drive. You’ll see in a minute.

If you’ve paid even the slightest smidge of attention to the Fence News page over the past few months, you’ll almost certainly have clocked our involvement with a brand of alcohol called Bulleit Bourbon. Basically – we’ve got a few Fence Club shows lined-up in April, May and June, in association with this drink – and we are calling these shows “The Bulleit Sessions”.

I’ve been meaning to write a blog about how all this came to pass … but, since the start of the year i’ve been incredibly busy – touring with KC, shuffling about Homegame bits’n'bobs, recording some Pictish stuff, recording Lily Allen & Friends off of the telly … you know how it is …

And so it is that I find myself writing this blog, by way of explanation, on the very day the first Bulleit Session is to take place.

Now, we like to be upfront about these things, generally. We’ve not really done much sponsored stuff in the past. There was the Trocabrahma shows last year, I guess. And there was that KC Coke advert a couple years back (the millions we received from that went towards haircuts for all Collective members at Homegame 2007). Thankfully, that advert I did for Viagra went by unnoticed (both on TV and in the mens showers at St Andrews Leisure Centre – phew!).

The thing is … it seems no one has a problem with our involvement with this alcohol company. Well … not one person has passed comment, complained, or rioted. No one has accused us of selling out. No one has returned their Fence CD collection back to us. (Well, one guy sold his entire KC collection on eBay the other week … but i think that was for financial reasons, as opposed to some sacrificial protest).

Hopefully folk realise it’s a good thing. And, to an extent, an unavoidable thing – given the state of the industry at the moment.

A few weeks ago I took part in a documentary about scotland’s “music scene”. I knew the people behind the camera, so I acted the arse a wee bit (what’s new, eh?). The documentary was being funded by another drinks company (I’M SUCH A WHORE), and I was asked what i thought of sponsorship at gigs. I did a Vic Reeves style raised-eyebrow / smirk at the camera, and said i thought it was great. And i do. I really do. With these Bulleit Session gigs in May and June we’re basically given a fund – not a crazy amount – but enough to underwrite our expenses for putting on a show. It means we can pay artists a decent amount, can afford good sound equipment and engineers, and can continue to manufacture free 7″ singles for every ticketholder. It means we can put on an event that’s just a wee bit different to the regular thing. And there’s no down side. I love that. We put the Sessions logo on a few things, and folk can try out this new drink if they want. And at the end of the day, our integrity is intact, because we’re putting on amazing line-ups, in great venues, and giving away a memento of the night to everyone there.