Anyone use a booking agent?

[bassbully]

Ugh, that sucks! You do need someone with the time to chase the owners, and we are very, very lucky to have a BL who is willing and has the energy. Do you have a fan who might be persuaded to do this? A person who loves your band may not know anything about the booking business, but at least you'll know he or she puts you first!

Great idea I might have to pursue that. I had a local bar that also owns a campground who was interested. I called to talk to the owner and he said that he would get me some dates but to call back later that day at a certain time, so I did. When he answered said he was busy and would call me back in and hour...never did.
Its that kind of thing, you know, empty promises, call me back but never answer.
We did get a chance at a gig last Friday at a place we are booked to play but not until summer. The owner called a band member in a panic late last Friday when the band scheduled cancelled 2 hours before downbeat.
We tried to scramble but it wasn't to be. I felt like telling them if you would of booked us we would of been there.
The next day another bar that has not got back with us after showing promise, had the bands for both Friday and Saturday both cancel their shows. I was kind of fed up and fired off a message to the bar saying they should of used us. The owner got back to me and agreed and said she would be booking us very soon...well we shall see.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

Great idea I might have to pursue that. I had a local bar that also owns a campground who was interested. I called to talk to the owner and he said that he would get me some dates but to call back later that day at a certain time, so I did. When he answered said he was busy and would call me back in and hour...never did.
Its that kind of thing, you know, empty promises, call me back but never answer.
We did get a chance at a gig last Friday at a place we are booked to play but not until summer. The owner called a band member in a panic late last Friday when the band scheduled cancelled 2 hours before downbeat.
We tried to scramble but it wasn't to be. I felt like telling them if you would of booked us we would of been there.
The next day another bar that has not got back with us after showing promise, had the bands for both Friday and Saturday both cancel their shows. I was kind of fed up and fired off a message to the bar saying they should of used us. The owner got back to me and agreed and said she would be booking us very soon...well we shall see.

Hang in there. In my last day job, I was a rep for a wine distributor. One of the things I learned early: Nobody in the history of the world has ever returned a rep's call. You just gotta stay after these guys. Best of luck!

 

[bassbully]

Hang in there. In my last day job, I was a rep for a wine distributor. One of the things I learned early: Nobody in the history of the world has ever returned a rep's call. You just gotta stay after these guys. Best of luck!

Very true! I'm persistent to a point but when they just ignore you or make you chase them around I get fed up.

 

[1st Bass]

Very true! I'm persistent to a point but when they just ignore you or make you chase them around I get fed up.

Think of it as analogous to fishing: Read what you just said, and ask yourself what you'd do if it were a fishing trip, and you needed that fish for dinner. Get mad and go home, when you can actually see the fish? Or start thinking about trying a different bait, or at least finesse your presentation a bit? It sounds as though you have already reverted to "snagging".

 

[bassbully]

Think of it as analogous to fishing: Read what you just said, and ask yourself what you'd do if it were a fishing trip, and you needed that fish for dinner. Get mad and go home, when you can actually see the fish? Or start thinking about trying a different bait, or at least finesse your presentation a bit? It sounds as though you have already reverted to "snagging".

LOL Well trust me my fishing skills are pretty darn good and I'm much more confident I can catch that fish.
When it comes to the people I deal with to book shows, I wish I had a fish gig just to stick them and pull them in..they are slippery rascals

 

[Jay Corwin]

Booking the band is something I don't miss. I just finished a run of 4 years of doing that. It's the old cliche of getting your foot in the door with a venue.....that's where a booking agent already has you beat. Once you get some traction with places, and they trust you - it's easy to get repeat business.

In my neck of the woods, it's mostly just the cover bands that use booking agents. The top 40, play 4 nights a week, second job kind of groups. I would imagine you need the agent at that point to manage the schedule.

I've talked to a couple of them in my days, but the type of music and the venues I'm interested in don't really need that. I guess it all depends on what market you're looking to get your feet into, and how often you want to play out.

 

[bassbully]

Booking the band is something I don't miss. I just finished a run of 4 years of doing that. It's the old cliche of getting your foot in the door with a venue.....that's where a booking agent already has you beat. Once you get some traction with places, and they trust you - it's easy to get repeat business.

In my neck of the woods, it's mostly just the cover bands that use booking agents. The top 40, play 4 nights a week, second job kind of groups. I would imagine you need the agent at that point to manage the schedule.

I've talked to a couple of them in my days, but the type of music and the venues I'm interested in don't really need that. I guess it all depends on what market you're looking to get your feet into, and how often you want to play out.

That is what my band is a part time job for me. We want at least 3 shows a month maybe 4. I have no leads from anyone on a booking agent or where to even find one around here. The clubs here have a market for my modern country band and book the same bands on a rotation but getting thru to them has been our challenge.
I have booked the bands I have been in for years and it gets old real quick. Really since we have a decent market around here it should no be as hard as its been and the band is good.

 

[SlyFoxtrot]

Really since we have a decent market around here it should no be as hard as its been and the band is good.

What are some ways to determine whether or not the market is good in the area for a specific band?

 

[bassbully]

What are some ways to determine whether or not the market is good in the area for a specific band?

There are some of the better clubs booking our music style. The bands are like us and are pretty busy.

 

[Space Pickle]

I used to play in a cover band that had an agent. It was good for keeping us booked, but the downside was that the agent expected us to work all the time.