Hey there, lovely people.
If you’ve been browsing the London Gig Guide, you might’ve noticed a few banner ads dotted around the site. And if you’re using an adblocker, some of them might be hidden away. So we wanted to take a moment to explain why those little boxes exist, and why it’s worth considering turning your adblocker off for us.
We’re an Independent, Community-Driven Site
London Gig Guide isn’t backed by a huge media company or stuffed with corporate sponsors. We’re a small, independent team made up of gig-goers, musicians, writers, and creatives who care about keeping London’s grassroots music scene alive. Every listing, every interview, every event we cover comes from people who genuinely love this city’s music culture.
Ads Help Keep the Lights On
Running a website — especially one that champions independent artists and underrepresented voices — comes with costs. Hosting, web design, time spent creating content, promoting events, building resources for musicians… it all adds up. Banner ads are one of the small ways we can bring in a little support to cover those expenses without charging musicians or readers.
We carefully choose which ads we allow — no intrusive pop-ups, no autoplay videos blaring out of nowhere. Just simple, static banners that sit quietly in the background, occasionally connecting you with something that might actually be useful.
Why Turning Off Your Adblocker Matters
We totally get it — nobody likes being bombarded by annoying ads. But by allowing ads on indie sites like ours, you’re directly supporting the people behind the scenes, helping us keep this space free for everyone to use.
Turning off your adblocker (just for us!) means:
- You help us stay online and keep growing.
- You let us keep championing new artists, venues, and communities.
- You support the idea that small, independent spaces deserve to exist — without paywalls.
It’s a small action that makes a real difference.
How You Can Help (Beyond Ads)
If you don’t want to see ads at all, that’s okay too — there are other ways to support what we do:
- Share our posts and listings with your friends.
- Come to one of our events or networking nights.
- Buy a drink for an artist after their set.
- Recommend us to bands you know.
- Reach out if you’d like to collaborate, sponsor, or get involved.
With gratitude,
James
