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7 reasons why no one's coming to your shows
- Thread starter The Davil
- Start date
"The Unknown Order" is a great idea. Gets people out to listen to the other bands instead of "The band I'm coming to see starts at 10:00. To hell with the opening act(s)".
Lots of good points here. I think the moral of the story is you gotta work to make it and nobody is going to just walk up and hand you a million dollar advance.
Lots of good points here. I think the moral of the story is you gotta work to make it and nobody is going to just walk up and hand you a million dollar advance.
Yeah, the article reads as if a dive bar owner or affiliate wrote it with the hobby metal head as the intended reader.
Another "thumbs up" to the Unknown Order idea. I'm using that one.
Agree with spread the shows out. We usually play 3-4 times a month which might be a little too much since we usually play the same 4-5 venues. I think once every 6-8 weeks isn't enough, but I understand the reasoning.
Agree with spread the shows out. We usually play 3-4 times a month which might be a little too much since we usually play the same 4-5 venues. I think once every 6-8 weeks isn't enough, but I understand the reasoning.
While a couple of points are valid (especially the "you suck!"), the article makes no distinction between an originals band trying to build a following, versus a cover band who wants to make decent money every weekend at the local watering holes.
The cover band likely isn't going to have a following: they could play at various clubs every weekend and if they play well, keep the crowd dancing and make the bartender happy they can be successful as far as their business model.
The cover band likely isn't going to have a following: they could play at various clubs every weekend and if they play well, keep the crowd dancing and make the bartender happy they can be successful as far as their business model.
Definitely an 'originals' bent to the piece. I think it's a great article - but the 99.999% of originals bands who suck will read #1 and think it applies to everyone but them!! LOL!
I've never heard the term "originals band" until I joined this forum. It always strikes me as strange when I see people use it. Example: U2 is a very successful originals band. Or Aerosmith is one of my favorite originals bands. Who talks or writes like that?
Obviously, the article doesn't apply to cover bands. It applies to bands.
Obviously, the article doesn't apply to cover bands. It applies to bands.
Stick_Player
Inactive
- Nov 13, 2009
- 4,149
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- Endorser: Plants vs. Zombies Pea Shooters
Maybe it's more of an American usage, I've heard bands described as "original" or "cover" for well over 30 years. Long before the Internet, and long before this forum.
I've been in several "covers" bands that would never, ever attempt to play an original song. Their sole business concept was to play local or regional events several weekends a month. Therefore, their marketing strategy and business model was geared towards that goal. I've also been in an "originals" band and its philosophy, its marketing strategy, was definitely different.
Even the genre could make a difference in the marketing strategy. A country originals band trying to make it in Nashville would have a different marketing strategy than a metal band in Los Angeles. To me, the article seemed more directed to an originals metal band in LA.
This list seems to be mostly for pay-to-play gigs, not your average bar gigs. Maybe it's different where I'm from but, IMO, it's absolutely the venues responsibility to advertise... and they do. Two of the bars I play at pay to have ads on the radio every week advertising whoever is playing that weekend. Most of the bars advertise on Facebook and they usually have more followers than the bands that play there.
This is good advice.
Record your rehearsals and Shows.
This is great advice because it really does provide perspective. This is especially true for singers because they hear themselves 'in their heads' literally and there is often a real disconnect between how they think they sound...and how they really sound. Remember how weird your voice sounded to you the first time you talked into a mic?
Most bands really do suck...they just do. However, everybody in pretty much every band in the known universe believes that their band is good. It's a weird paradox like how people give congress as a whole low ratings, but their own congress people high marks. So, how do you know then? The best indicator is a following...a real following made up mostly of people who ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS OR FAMILY. Are there great bands that are unable to build a following over time? Rarely. Are there really sucky bands that are able to build a following over time? Rarely as well. (Insert Creed and Nickelback jokes here). There are always exceptions, but this is the best gauge there is.
Throw Events.
Yes, Yes, and Yes! I played in many successful original bands before my now illustrious career as a Cover Band owner. We utilized this concept and got great results! We used to do 1 show every 4-6 weeks in my most successful band. Here is what we did from the beginning. When we started, we would only play a venue we could PACK. If people got turned away because it was sold out... It just added to the mystique..and besides...people ALWAYS want what they can't have. Only when we were selling a venue out comfortably would we move into a larger venue...but we would always make sure that we picked the right room to provide the perception that the place was packed. At our peak, we would draw 800+ consistently at $7-$10 a head. Now I get the allure of picking band names out of a hat...and it sounds like it works...however...we employed a different strategy. We only booked top drawing bands who put on killer performances, and added a musically cohesive vibe to the event to OPEN FOR US. We only booked bands who's followings would dig all the other bands on the bill too. We didn't headline because we were arrogant (although, it is a benefit to the way people perceive your band to sit atop the bill) but rather because we had the biggest following. It is beneficial to the event because our fans would come early to get in before it sold out, watch all the other bands, and, it would still be totally packed at the end. There is 1 major issue I see with drawing out of the hat; say on a 4 band Event, 2 of the bands have huge followings, and 2 have average followings. Let's say the 2 with huge following go on first and second....how many people will be left in the venue for bands 3 and 4? This is why festivals always put the top draws at the end of the shows too! Oh....and did I mention that we used to canvas entire areas with posters, drop little fliers at every record store in town, hit campuses, etc... If we were throwing an event, and you liked live music, and were in your 20's, there was no way you didn't know when we were playing. We also bought ad space in local rags to promote our shows.
My 2 cents.
Record your rehearsals and Shows.
This is great advice because it really does provide perspective. This is especially true for singers because they hear themselves 'in their heads' literally and there is often a real disconnect between how they think they sound...and how they really sound. Remember how weird your voice sounded to you the first time you talked into a mic?
Most bands really do suck...they just do. However, everybody in pretty much every band in the known universe believes that their band is good. It's a weird paradox like how people give congress as a whole low ratings, but their own congress people high marks. So, how do you know then? The best indicator is a following...a real following made up mostly of people who ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS OR FAMILY. Are there great bands that are unable to build a following over time? Rarely. Are there really sucky bands that are able to build a following over time? Rarely as well. (Insert Creed and Nickelback jokes here). There are always exceptions, but this is the best gauge there is.
Throw Events.
Yes, Yes, and Yes! I played in many successful original bands before my now illustrious career as a Cover Band owner. We utilized this concept and got great results! We used to do 1 show every 4-6 weeks in my most successful band. Here is what we did from the beginning. When we started, we would only play a venue we could PACK. If people got turned away because it was sold out... It just added to the mystique..and besides...people ALWAYS want what they can't have. Only when we were selling a venue out comfortably would we move into a larger venue...but we would always make sure that we picked the right room to provide the perception that the place was packed. At our peak, we would draw 800+ consistently at $7-$10 a head. Now I get the allure of picking band names out of a hat...and it sounds like it works...however...we employed a different strategy. We only booked top drawing bands who put on killer performances, and added a musically cohesive vibe to the event to OPEN FOR US. We only booked bands who's followings would dig all the other bands on the bill too. We didn't headline because we were arrogant (although, it is a benefit to the way people perceive your band to sit atop the bill) but rather because we had the biggest following. It is beneficial to the event because our fans would come early to get in before it sold out, watch all the other bands, and, it would still be totally packed at the end. There is 1 major issue I see with drawing out of the hat; say on a 4 band Event, 2 of the bands have huge followings, and 2 have average followings. Let's say the 2 with huge following go on first and second....how many people will be left in the venue for bands 3 and 4? This is why festivals always put the top draws at the end of the shows too! Oh....and did I mention that we used to canvas entire areas with posters, drop little fliers at every record store in town, hit campuses, etc... If we were throwing an event, and you liked live music, and were in your 20's, there was no way you didn't know when we were playing. We also bought ad space in local rags to promote our shows.
My 2 cents.
Pieces of the article apply to all types of bands including cover bands...like the part about not sucking lol! It kills me when I see cover bands stopping between songs all the time...I think that is bush league. These bands should rehearse song to song transitions IMO and take that set flow advantage away from the DJ's they are competing with.
The reason why some cheap bar owners keep using unknown original metal bands even when they suck, is because they're scamming the band members and their family members and friends for money. 
I agree with the list but especially numbers 1, 5 and 6
Every single aspiring band should be forced to get those rules tattooed somewhere so they can read them every single day. (with 5 and 6 in bold)
Every single aspiring band should be forced to get those rules tattooed somewhere so they can read them every single day. (with 5 and 6 in bold)
A lot of the bars here do have massive follower lists but their engagement can be downright dismal. You think your band reaches a pathetic portion of Facebook fans, just wait 'til your a dive bar and your last 5 posts were about your normal drink specials and karaoke night. If people don't click on your posts they stop seeing you in their feed.
Outsida dat, is there really anything novel on this list?
Don't suck.
Don't overplay.
Put thought into making gigs interesting.
Sell tickets?!
Print fliers/get wine sponsorships. (Chateau Estates Vineyards would like to present Gorecore)
Use social media/stop just using Facebook.
Talk to people in person.
There's nothing really novel here and I straightup dislike #4.
I question the beer/wine sponsorship thing. Our guitarist is what would best be described as a mid-level field major for a major regional grocery chain. He said beer sponsorships these days are basically a joke (he is connected with various distributors). They print a banner for you and that's about it.
that article is a pay to play promoters playbook written down. not to mention it conflicts with itself.
"don't charge me to see your band"
"presale tickets!"
"don't charge me to see your band"
"presale tickets!"
