New Band (bringing in a crowd)

Mike151 · #1 03-06-2009, 10:56 AM

I am in a brand new band project and we are scheduled to play our first gig next Sunday. Beyond friends and family, I'm looking for ways to fill the house up for our first show.
Any suggestions, gimmics, etc. would be greatly appreciated.
Something that has proven to work.
I fully understand that a following takes some time to build but I thought I'd throw this out there anyway.

Matt Dean · #2 03-06-2009, 10:59 AM

Work your email list

Offer to buy the first 100 drinks

Nude dancers

Nude band

Mike151 · #3 03-06-2009, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Dean

Work your email list

Offer to buy the first 100 drinks

Nude dancers

Nude band

Email List: Good
first 100 drinks: Are you serious?
dancers: Wife would kill me
nude band: Wife " " " "

millsbass5 · #4 03-06-2009, 11:03 AM

Be tight.Kick ass.Work the crowd.Have good material.

There,the secret recipe has been released.

Oh,always keep rubbers on you.

jaywa · #5 03-06-2009, 11:53 AM

Find every good-looking girl you know and do whatever it takes to get them to your first show. Once word gets out that your band draws the hotties, the guys will show up and then in just builds from there.

I am dead serious about this. It works.

stflbn · #6 03-06-2009, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaywa

Find every good-looking girl you know and do whatever it takes to get them to your first show. Once word gets out that your band draws the hotties, the guys will show up and then in just builds from there.

I am dead serious about this. It works.

Definitely works. Unfortunately many bands are so 'hot chick handicapped' that every gig is a sausage-fest.

prokfrog · #7 03-06-2009, 11:56 AM

My band is well established, but what definately helped increase our turnout is Facebook.

jaywa · #8 03-06-2009, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stflbn

Definitely works. Unfortunately many bands are so 'hot chick handicapped' that every gig is a sausage-fest.

I guess my band has been pretty lucky there. Two guys in our band have hot girlfriends, and four of us have daughters that are all really good-looking -- and those girls also have hot friends that they have been bringing to our shows almost from Day One. So we've kind of had that built-in already.

crijan · #9 03-06-2009, 12:35 PM

It helps if you play music that hot chicks like to dance to...

jaywa · #10 03-06-2009, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crijan

It helps if you play music that hot chicks like to dance to...

That too. Kick drum and bass, locked-in and mixed high. Makes the honeys happy.

Matt Dean · #11 03-06-2009, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Kick drum and bass, locked-in and mixed high. Makes the honeys happy.

+1

This is why bass players have the best looking girlfriends/wives

Stumbo · #12 03-06-2009, 02:27 PM

Aspiring band newbie seeks craigslist ad advice Advertising yourself
Business cards on the cheap? Any sources or ideas? Business cards

Jehos · #13 03-06-2009, 02:44 PM

Free beer is proven to work. Everything else is sketchy.

runmikeyrun · #14 03-07-2009, 10:20 AM

Your first show (or first 20 shows) you probably will not pack the house. You can definitely do things to help though, promotion being one. Put up flyers at the club a month or two before the show. Get a myspace page and spend a week or so adding as many people and bands from around your area as friends. then send out lots of bulletins and post your shows on your page. If you have songs up there to listen to that helps as well. Invite your friends and co-workers (unless your band could potentially affect your employment status like mine could!) and pretty much everyone you can think of. Playing at a place people like to go to helps as well, even your friends might not go to your show if it's somewhere that they don't feel safe at or beers are stadium prices.

Then once you've got the people in, you gotta hook em with your show!

Good luck, just relax and have fun.

bassplayer8953 · #15 03-07-2009, 10:33 AM

Name your band Quarter Beerz...then make sure it's on the bar's outside moniker. Guaranteed crowd!!!

(a local band actually did this...and it worked!)

Ground Pounder · #16 03-07-2009, 11:44 AM

Mike151 - Is there anything musical or performance-wise that your band has that sets you apart from others?

VisualShock · #17 03-08-2009, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt Dean

+1

This is why bass players have the best looking girlfriends/wives

you're not wrong!

undeadbass · #18 03-08-2009, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassplayer8953

Name your band Quarter Beerz...then make sure it's on the bar's outside moniker. Guaranteed crowd!!!

(a local band actually did this...and it worked!)

Reminds me of the band name my buddy came up with in high school: Open Women Inside

JustDavid · #19 03-08-2009, 08:23 AM

Advertising.

We've found Facebook is worth the trouble.

Posters at the bar. Posters in local pizza shops, music stores, musical instrument stores et cetera. Posters on telephone poles.

Word of mouth. Family, friends, co-workers, guys in your bowling league. Enemies too; "come watch me make a fool of myself this Friday . . "

Contests! "Free QUAGMIRE T-short to the biggest table at the bar."

Advertise.

AlembicPlayer · #20 03-08-2009, 08:43 AM

too late for tonight's show...but in the future try a double bill with a local popular band...if you open for (support) some local acts that have a following, you will expand your fan base.

good luck with the show!