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Booking woes

#61
(Sorry, didn't really check this thread for a while)

Blue, there are definitely some places in Janesville you guys could probably play if you want to branch out that far.

*argh* Yesterday I saw a bar not too far from here say they were looking for bands for July. OK, great! This is a place I've tried to get into before. Emailed the booking person promptly (per their instructions on Facebook)...and of course I hear absolutely nothing back.

I'm tempted to start un-friending some of these bars on Facebook and putting them on my personal boycott list. If you can't even be bothered to send me a "No thanks" email response to my short and polite inquiry, maybe I can't be bothered to hear about your upcoming events and specials. Geez, this is maddening.
 
#62
invader3k said:
(Sorry, didn't really check this thread for a while)

Blue, there are definitely some places in Janesville you guys could probably play if you want to branch out that far.

*argh* Yesterday I saw a bar not too far from here say they were looking for bands for July. OK, great! This is a place I've tried to get into before. Emailed the booking person promptly (per their instructions on Facebook)...and of course I hear absolutely nothing back.

I'm tempted to start un-friending some of these bars on Facebook and putting them on my personal boycott list. If you can't even be bothered to send me a "No thanks" email response to my short and polite inquiry, maybe I can't be bothered to hear about your upcoming events and specials. Geez, this is maddening.
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I have to get up to speed on places in Janesville that would book us.

I know, it's part of the business. What I hate is getting blown off by owners you thought you had a relationship with.

We had a place the band had been playing for years, they gave the band booking responsibility to a new person and she dumped us.

Remember, we will be at Fat Boyz,Saturday 6/15/2013
9:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.

Stop by

blue
 
#63
bluewine said:
I have to get up to speed on places in Janesville that would book us.

I know, it's part of the business. What I hate is getting blown off by owners you thought you had a relationship with.

We had a place the band had been playing for years, they gave the band booking responsibility to a new person and she dumped us.

Remember, we will be at Fat Boyz,Saturday 6/15/2013
9:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.

Stop by

blue
Click to expand...

Yup, hoping to stop out that day and see you guys.

Yeah, it does stink to get blown off. Seems like we played a lot of places last year and were told, "Hey, you guys were great", and then I can't get even a "We changed our mind, you guys suck," response when I've followed up this season. I would love to hear that rather than nothing like I usually do now.
 
#64
invader3k said:
Yup, hoping to stop out that day and see you guys.

Yeah, it does stink to get blown off. Seems like we played a lot of places last year and were told, "Hey, you guys were great", and then I can't get even a "We changed our mind, you guys suck," response when I've followed up this season. I would love to hear that rather than nothing like I usually do now.
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Exactly, when we got blown off they would give us a reason either.

Oh well it wasn't one of favorite venues anyway.

Blue
 
#67
invader3k said:
Well, that's the sign of a good band that you're paying attention. We never get asked to turn down and really try to keep the volume balanced, so I know that isn't one of our problems.
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I wish I had advice on booking, I'm pretty new to it.

My band had been together for 5-6 years prior to me joining so they already had business in place.

blue
 
#68
I handle booking for our band....kind of evolved into it. I'm the more sociable and sales focused members of the band. I see a lot of similarities with your situation. We are relatively new and a very small market band (look up wind gap pa). We have 1 gig booked in the next 3 months. The places for us to play are very limited do to geography and music. for the 2nd year in a row I have not been able to get the right contacts for the local fairs and festivals. I have some leads on bike nights and events but still need to hustle. I'm looking at setting up a few multiband events in the area, running our own gigs at the local clubs. But again I still need to hustle.

Not sure what happened but when work and family get busy I lose momentum and free time to hustle.

Advice:

1. Persistence. I have had decent success until this point. Mostly due to persistence and just keeping on the radar for owners/managers. Our gig schedule got hit when 2-3 of the local rock venues (bars) stopped booking bands.

2. Road show. Meet and greet and shake hands. I've booked most of my first time gigs based on a local booking road show I do 1-2x year. I do my research first - make sure the right contact is in the bar when I'm going. I hit 6 or so places in a 20 mile radius. I haven't done that in a while.

3. Support the venue. We have gotten booked by supporting local bands and bars. Show up and shake hands. Make introductions. Band nights can be hectic for established bands and bars but face to face and frequenting a venue help with a new band. Talk to the regular bands and get them to help you in the door.

4. Follow up. Persistence again. Everyone is busy. Even the contacts I have that I know well sometimes don't get back to me. they have day jobs, families., hobbies and more and they get hammered from all sides. Keep at it.

I need to follow my own advice. HA!
 
#70
bassphreak said:
Advice:

1. Persistence. I have had decent success until this point. Mostly due to persistence and just keeping on the radar for owners/managers. Our gig schedule got hit when 2-3 of the local rock venues (bars) stopped booking bands.

2. Road show. Meet and greet and shake hands. I've booked most of my first time gigs based on a local booking road show I do 1-2x year. I do my research first - make sure the right contact is in the bar when I'm going. I hit 6 or so places in a 20 mile radius. I haven't done that in a while.

3. Support the venue. We have gotten booked by supporting local bands and bars. Show up and shake hands. Make introductions. Band nights can be hectic for established bands and bars but face to face and frequenting a venue help with a new band. Talk to the regular bands and get them to help you in the door.

4. Follow up. Persistence again. Everyone is busy. Even the contacts I have that I know well sometimes don't get back to me. they have day jobs, families., hobbies and more and they get hammered from all sides. Keep at it.

I need to follow my own advice. HA!
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Thanks for the good tips. I will keep trying. Going to try to make 3-4 followup phone calls today and also emailed one local campground already this morning (they don't regularly have bands, but my wife spoke with the owner and he sounded open to it).

I think at this point if nothing more materializes I will have to sort of lay back until we get into August or so. Maybe then some places will be more open to booking us.
 
#71
Well since you asked...

I listened to three of your songs on your facebook page. (The ones that I know well because our band does them.)

IMHO you need to play the songs closer to the originals if you intend to compete with the other cover bands in your area.

On Lonely Boy, you have to have the "whammy" pedal effect or the song just doesn't work.

The drum solo into Folsom prison blues just doesn't work for me and the singer misses the melody in quite a few places.

The singer really doesn't have the greatest of voices. (Although he would kill if you were a Zappa tribute band!) As somebody stated up-thread, vocals are everything.

In Stuck In The Middle With You, once again the singer constantly misses the melody. And the song sounds like it's right at the top of his range and you can hear him straining to hit the high notes.

In our area, (The Jersey Shore) there is incredible competition for bookings. The bands that get the gigs are bands that either play cover songs note-for-note or totally make them into their own versions. The bands in between go nowhere.
 
#72
Those are all fair criticisms, Flashback. Our main singer definitely isn't the best, and we all know it. He does try, though. At this point, we're not going to really be able to shake up the lineup, realistically. Other than being one of my best friends, he's our namesake and owns the PA, and I just don't have the energy to try and add another person right now. Our drummer sings on about half the songs now, and he is very good, so that helps.

Thanks for taking the time to listen and give feedback. Maybe we'll just be stuck being a lower rung three piece cover band for the time being. Not sure what answers there are otherwise.
 
#73
I hope this isn’t high jacking invaders thread, I thought this is more of an extension of the OP's topic.

Some discussion came up about cover bands not getting as many bookings as they should because they are no on the “In” in their market place.

There are a lot of cover bands that have all their bases covered except this “in” or “represented” factor. The band could be tight, great musicianship, top notch stage presence but not getting the bookings they should.

How do bands get to be on the “IN”

  • Agency represented

  • Being in the right place at the right time

  • Press releases

  • High profile shows

  • Paying their dues

What do you think it takes?

Blue
 
#74
bluewine said:
I hope this isn’t high jacking invaders thread, I thought this is more of an extension of the OP's topic.

Some discussion came up about cover bands not getting as many bookings as they should because they are no on the “In” in their market place.

There are a lot of cover bands that have all their bases covered except this “in” or “represented” factor. The band could be tight, great musicianship, top notch stage presence but not getting the bookings they should.

How do bands get to be on the “IN”

  • Agency represented

  • Being in the right place at the right time

  • Press releases

  • High profile shows

  • Paying their dues

What do you think it takes?

Blue
Click to expand...
Ha Blue, I just played The Roadhouse yesterday, good fun! The epitome of a true "biker bar"... (not to mention free food and drinks!)
 
#75
F-Clef-Jef said:
Ha Blue, I just played The Roadhouse yesterday, good fun! The epitome of a true "biker bar"... (not to mention free food and drinks!)
Click to expand...

The Road House in Dundee?

Yeah, I like those Sunday afternoon shows at The Road House, great crowd, nice owner and a nice big stage.

We were at Fat Boyz in Fort Atkinson, the place was packed and the owner had us play until 1:30 instead of 1:00. A lot of heavy drinkers in Fort :).

blue
 
#76
bluewine said:
The Road House in Dundee?

Yeah, I like those Sunday afternoon shows at The Road House, great crowd, nice owner and a nice big stage.

We were at Fat Boyz in Fort Atkinson, the place was packed and the owner had us play until 1:30 instead of 1:00. A lot of heavy drinkers in [DEL]Fort[/DEL] Wisconsin :).

blue
Click to expand...
Fixed.

I noticed that a lot of the guys (Harley drivers) were takin' it pretty easy on the drinks and their women (read: Harley passengers) were lettin 'er snap. Drunk women are amusing...
 
#77
F-Clef-Jef said:
Fixed.

I noticed that a lot of the guys (Harley drivers) were takin' it pretty easy on the drinks and their women (read: Harley passengers) were lettin 'er snap. Drunk women are amusing...
Click to expand...

You know, they offered us food last time we played there but it was getting late and we had to leave. Food there smelled wonderful.

Any comments on how bands get on the "In" list

Blue
 
#79
No offense, but IMO your list of example songs is a problem. I don't know what you song list consists of, I couldn't find a setlist. But if people looking at your page see the same list I'm seeing I think that's a big part of your problem getting booked into the bars in your area.

Stick with Top 40 radio hits, popular stuff that everyone knows.

And I agree the drum intro into FPB is hurting you. IMO people listening to your examples aren't expecting nor looking for that. It's probably the most appealing song they see when they scan the list, then they hear...... what is that??

Post your setlist to your web presence and include plenty of popular hits that cover bands play. Sorry but if you're in it to express yourself with B-sides and "surprising" arrangements, I think you'll continue to struggle.

People booking cover bands want to hear standard cover band fare. That's just the way it is.

Also, sign up with Gigmasters, Gig Salad, Wedding Wire... any and all websites that list bands for hire, and link them to your website and back. This will help people find you which is how you can start getting more weddings, festivals, cancellations, last-minute bookings, etc.

It will be tough if you're unknown, even tougher if you try to carve out a niche of unfamiliar songs or rearrangements. You yourself even said you will surprise them and not be a standard cover band. I believe if you give people what they want and a way to find you, you'll do better.

P.s. in addition to taking out references to "cool surprises" I would also take out "we started so we could rock Wayne's living room." Sorry but I think that will only help you stay there.

This is all just my opinion, a lot of guys on here would disagree with me, but it's what works for me.

Hope this isn't too harsh, only trying to help.

Good luck.
 

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