Festivals

[bbass75]

Janek,

I noticed you booked the Penang Jazz Festival and the London Jazz Festival. Do you normally have to be invited to festivals or do you submit press kits to them just like any other venue? I remember you saying that tours are often booked around a festival because they pay the best, is this also the case with these festivals? Thanks for all of the insight!

James

[janekbass]

festivals are a total mystery. Depends what the organizer is feeling on a certain day at a certain time. If you're flavor of the month then you're going to get all the festivals one summer maybe. Then you might not play them for three years. it's a total lottery. I've been invited to festivals, and I've applied for them before. London Jazz Festival and Penang I was invited to. there are others in the schedule that I've applied for.

And for major european festivals such as jazz a vienne, montreaux, North Sea etc etc etc you have to have some major clout. Either with a booking agent or with some sort of international breakthrough based upon some outstanding previous recordings and live performances.

They pay the best, are the biggest crowds, the best hands, and the most fun, but are also the hardest live shows to get nailed down. Especially as an indie artist.

Easy,

Janek