Playing with Days of the New and Quiet Riot?

oniman7 · #1 07-21-2011, 10:28 PM

So, my band's been together since early October this year. Since then, we formed, brought a new singer a couple of weeks later, kicked out our old guitarist, got a new one, and replaced our old singer. Our first show was in May at a school battle of the Bands. Immediately after that, I booked a bunch of shows at two local venues. We booked two at Brewster's Pit, with band on record labels touring America, and one just before that at Sunburst Studios. Both venue owners loved us, and we outsold every band at the Pit, so we headlined that night. That was our 3rd gig.

I get news from the Pit that Days of the New and Quiet Riot are coming within a week of each other in September, and next thing I know, my band's booked to play with both of them! However, it's a small venue, and both bands have requested the local bands there sell a certain number of tickets. We sold 37 last time (which apparently was a lot more than any other band) and this time we have to sell 50 tickets for Days of the New. If we pull that off, we'll have a week to sell 75 tickets to Quiet Riot.

I'm looking forward to the challenge, and with hopefully getting to play with both of these bands! Just thought I'd share with Talkbass and see what they think.

KPRott · #2 07-21-2011, 10:45 PM

Playing with big-name bands is always a hell of a time...as long as you get a good deal. Selling tickets is hard, (at least in my area, where "live concerts" aren't very popular) but doable.
My last band played with Hinder and Red in Hampton Beach in May. It was a make-up show so we had no tickets to sell. We were gi en the slot last minute by the concert promoter, and we had to cough up about $3500 to be able to play. Show was awesome, but I couldn't afford any more shows like that.

I'd love to be in your shoes though...Days of the New and Quiet Riot are amazing...rather play with them than Hinder any day

Anyways, best of luck to you, man. Enjoy the show.

kuys · #3 07-21-2011, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KPRott

Playing with big-name bands is always a hell of a time...as long as you get a good deal. Selling tickets is hard, (at least in my area, where "live concerts" aren't very popular) but doable.
My last band played with Hinder and Red in Hampton Beach in May. It was a make-up show so we had no tickets to sell. We were gi en the slot last minute by the concert promoter, and we had to cough up about $3500 to be able to play. Show was awesome, but I couldn't afford any more shows like that.

I'd love to be in your shoes though...Days of the New and Quiet Riot are amazing...rather play with them than Hinder any day

Anyways, best of luck to you, man. Enjoy the show.

Paying nearly 4k to PLAY a show? Zombie Jesus! I need to become a concert promoter.

oniman7 · #4 07-21-2011, 10:52 PM

Last show, we sold 37 to friends and family. We're all about 15, so we're in that spot where a lot of our friends listen to bands like that, but the bands are old enough that my parents and their friends and co-workers love them as well (especially Quiet Riot) so it is (in theory) ridiculously easy to sell tickets.

MadMark5 · #5 07-22-2011, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KPRott

we had to cough up about $3500 to be able to play.

Unless it's Rush, I don't like any band enough to pay 3500 so they can pay the crew that night. that's just me

bassgod0dmw · #6 07-22-2011, 06:49 AM

That's pretty sweet! Hopefully you've got enough of a following to pull off both. I hope Travis Meeks got his sh*t together. Last time I heard anything about him he was still a meth addict. Days of the New was a great band, and he was a great songwriter. I miss them. I think I'll listen to Orange later...

I've always hated selling tickets like that. When we opened for Symphony X, all of the local bands were in a "shootout" for who would actually take the stage right before them. Whoever sold the most tickets won.

I think we sold 75, which was significantly more than anybody else so we got the slot. It was awesome, but selling 75 tickets was tough. People weren't really that willing to spend $20 to see a bunch of local bands and a rather obscure prog metal band.

Richland123 · #7 07-22-2011, 10:38 AM

Something is definitely not right here. The headlining bands themselves are not going require a band of teenagers to fill seats for them. That is most likely the venue's ploy to take advantage of you.

Also, paying $3,500 to open for a band sounds like you were dealing with some very shady promoters trying to put money in their pockets.

Quiet Riot's current lineup features no original members from the Randy Rhoads era, and consists of lead vocalist Mark Huff, drummer Frankie Banali, bassist Chuck Wright, and guitarist Alex Grossi. Both Banali and Wright are from the Metal Health era, as Wright played bass on two songs from the album Metal Health, including the hit song "Metal Health", and sang backing vocals on the entire album.

Whatever you do - HAVE FUN!

Kenner · #8 07-22-2011, 10:42 AM

They sounded pretty killer last night in Minnesota...but yeah, you having to pay to play for a headliner is B, as in "B" and, S as in "S"

oniman7 · #9 07-22-2011, 05:53 PM

I don't have to pay, that was somebody else.

AdamJames306 · #10 07-22-2011, 06:01 PM

You're definitely gonna be stretched pretty thin trying to sell that many tickets in such a short period of time, especially if you're trying to sell just to your friends, family, etc…

My suggestion? Go online and sell the tickets to DOTN and Quiet Riot's fans. There's probably fan sites with forums not unlike these. Post, say you're selling the tix at a discounted price. You'll eat SOME of the cost, but you're more likely to move all your tix and not be left holding a bunch of useless tickets you had to pay for.

oniman7 · #11 07-22-2011, 09:23 PM

We're given the tickets with an expectation to sell them. We don't buy them. Typically, we're paid by the amount we sell, and also rewarded with a later slot for selling more. I dunno how it works in this case. If we don't sell enough, I don't know if we have to buy them, don't get paid, don't play there again, etc.

IncX · #12 07-22-2011, 11:18 PM

i really don't see the long term advantage of selling tickets to family and friends ... so ok, they will buy tickets because they are entitled to (they also probably dont have anything to do later in the night).... and then you get like 75 of them who just went there cause they know you - they are not interested in your music (ok, maybe a little curious).

you end up feeling good cause you "packed the house" ... which you did. but it wasnt the music nor the interest that packed that house, it was just you having lots of contacts. i doubt that they'd be back, unless you make them buy tickets again.

while this may be a good way to "promote" your music when you are still starting, there are better ways ...

rent a hall, do a "showcase night" where you invite 3 or 4 other bands and you play in front of your family and friends. you let them know what kind of music you play and whether they'd be interested to check it out again - you will get a very honest feedback out of that.

if you are a douche, you'd charge them twice the cost of admission, and you end up earning money too lol DON'T DO THAT. just charge them enough to pay for the venue, and maybe a free beer, or a shirt, whatever freebies you can think of to thank them for taking the time.

i suggest you not do the gig above, as tempting as it is.

seriously, what kind of a decent "pro" band would ask for a group of 15 year old kids, who only had 3 gigs, open for them?

i am not slagging you... im a 30 year old guy with a barely established band, and if someone asked me to play for say, Incubus, except i had to sell tickets, i cant help but think that i am not being booked for my music, but rather for my "marketing expertise" ... which in the case, i would charge not only for a cut on the tickets, but also a professional fee.

oniman7 · #13 07-22-2011, 11:25 PM

Of course we're being booked for marketing expertise. I'd like to think we're one of the better bands there (90% of the bands that play there are terrible metalcore, lots more are rap), but we sold every ticket we could to our last show for exactly that reason. We get a cut of every ticket we sell, plus the chance to play with two big bands that we love. I'd play with Quiet Riot for free with an audience consisting of the waitstaff if I got the chance.

tycobb73 · #14 07-23-2011, 07:20 AM

If it was around here I'd go to the days show. I saw Travis on an early episode of intervention. He got hooked, fired his band, and fell to the bottom. His familly controlled all of his money. He came out sober. Hopefully he stayed that way.

ghiadub · #15 07-23-2011, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oniman7

We're all about 15.

Sorry to hijack, but this is awesome. There are not a lot of bands that can get in clubs at that age. I also was playing clubs at 15, in a band of 14 and 15 year olds, and what a great time. Lead singer from Tesla bought me my first drink in a bar at 15. Oh the memories.

6jase5 · #16 07-23-2011, 08:55 AM

Have a great time. Travis is a very talented guy, but was a real jerk and I don't allow people to use drugs as an excuse. Sorry, he just left a bad taste with me years ago.

Having only a few gigs under your belts, consider yourselves lucky for this opportunities my friend. Keep rocking.

oniman7 · #17 07-23-2011, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tycobb73

If it was around here I'd go to the days show. I saw Travis on an early episode of intervention. He got hooked, fired his band, and fell to the bottom. His familly controlled all of his money. He came out sober. Hopefully he stayed that way.

I had actually never heard of Days of the New until I saw that episode of intervention. It was the only episode I've ever watched, too.