A – Joe, I am not aware of any way of assessing the reliability and honesty of venue promoters and owners other than by simply asking around in the industry. Even then you would be advised to canvass views fairly widely in order to get a true picture.
The issue you raise of compiling a “blacklist” of bad promoters is quite topical actually. Over the past couple of years there has been a good deal of controversy about websites like www.rateyourteacher.ie where current and former students submit frank assessments of their teachers.
Just last week a similar website rating the performance of solicitors and barristers was in the news. A Dublin-based barrister claimed in the High Court that defamatory statements about her had been posted on a particular website. She alleged the statements were “of the most offensive and damaging nature both personally and professionally.” The barrister sought damages for defamation and breach of privacy and an interlocutory injunction restraining the alleged publisher of the website from continuing with publication of the offending statements. The High Court ordered that the offending material be removed by a particular date and in default of this, that the alleged publisher would be jailed.
There are some important lessons to be learned from this case. While it may be appealing to create a resource (presumably web-based) which would allow a band to check the credentials of a venue promoter or owner, such a resource is open to abuse. Untrue negative statements about a particular person or business may amount to defamation. This could defeat the purpose for which the resource was set up in the first place. More importantly, it could expose the owner or publisher of the website to personal liability. If there is a way of guaranteeing the accuracy of the statements contained within the resource then perhaps your “blacklist” is a good idea, however, it would seem almost impossible to do this on a practical level.