Yeh I heard the same. But the 2 years I've been around theres been nothing notable which is a shame because I'm one of the people that still thinks the place has so much potential. I know the MoS were at the Starfields 2 years ago which actually come to think of it, wasn't Starfields supposed to be during freshers week this year? (or is has this been factored into some grand surprise hmmm? )
Im not for a minute suggesting blow the budget that would be totally stupid but just have something sustainable going on. Book what you can recoup. A lot of acts can appreciate that smaller venues don't have as much funds and usually don't charge as much for them. Plus if you get them at the right time you can save a lot on them (like if they are playing in glasgow the same weekend). I'd certainly be happier to pay a pound or two more for bigger things but they dont have to be every week. Maybe every two or monthly. Saves a lot of money in the long run going away to see big acts which many people must do.