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How to book gigs?

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pato1357

Mar 27, 2011
18
0
#1
Hey guys,

I recently joined a new band and seeing as I am the only one who has had any gigging experience the management of gigs was given to me.

The only problem is that in my old band I didn't have anything to do with the booking of gigs, the BL would just tell me where to turn up and I would be there.

I have absolutely no idea how to do it? Do I just go around calling different bars to see if they need someone?
 
#6
bluewine said:
How old are you, where are you geographically. What type of band, what genre, how many members in the band.

What was the gigging history of the band before you joined?
Click to expand...

This please.

The best place to start would be going to the places you used to play in your old band. It's a conversation starter that's not such a "cold call". You will be able to say "Hey remember me from the Flying Monkees? We used to play here. I was the amazing bass player who sang Sweet Caroline. Remember?" Or something like it that best fits your actual situation.
 
#7
Ooops Sorry guys, we play orginals and we are all about 20 years old. We live in Melbourne in Australia and we play alt rock in a 4 piece band.

And in my old band we managed to play gigs consistently for a couple of years so there isn't a shortage of gigs I just don't know where to find them.
 
#8
pato1357 said:
Ooops Sorry guys, we play orginals and we are all about 20 years old. We live in Melbourne in Australia and we play alt rock in a 4 piece band.

And in my old band we managed to play gigs consistently for a couple of years so there isn't a shortage of gigs I just don't know where to find them.
Click to expand...

Melbourne, cool city. I wouldn't have a clue on how to book there. Over here your not old enough to drink.

blue
 
#9
Have a look at the various street presses available - I'm sure Melbourne has a few? Sometimes you'll see ads calling for new bands for a new band night, and a contact so if you drop them a line to say you're interested, you can get a gig that way. Also, join various Facebook groups pertaining to local music because sometimes people will post callouts for bands to fill their lineups. Those two methods are how I've gotten gigs for my band.
 
#10
1. Create music. practice, write.
2. Document music (example: digital release on band camp, make a vinyl 7", usb stick with logo, whatever works best. Without anything to push, it's pointless. You need a product. For general press, you will usually need a hard copy in some form to send out).
3. Send out your product for review to the area you want to market yourself to. Hard copy as mentioned, but also make a digital kit available on line. Look at other successful band's press kits for examples. Add reviews to your kit as things develop.
4. Simultaneously,research your area to find the scene/ audience and places that support it. Get to know bands, support them by showing up at shows.
5. Be patient and put yourself out there to book. Use the kit and contacts you have made... maybe get added on a bill as an opener, or maybe get one of the bands you've been supporting to help you out. Maybe start by doing a few house parties and growing your audience that way.
This is an old school approach, through networking and the local scene. There is no wrong way, but things seem harder these days as far as bands supporting each other.
There is this massive, free place to promote to your hearts content, get written about, find an audience, and deliver your music without having to go through or rely on anyone but yourself... it is a time eater though. Internet.
I'll add that this is just one example of one approach for original bands. Not intended for cover bands.
 
#11
pato1357 said:
Hey guys,

I recently joined a new band and seeing as I am the only one who has had any gigging experience the management of gigs was given to me.

The only problem is that in my old band I didn't have anything to do with the booking of gigs, the BL would just tell me where to turn up and I would be there.

I have absolutely no idea how to do it? Do I just go around calling different bars to see if they need someone?
Click to expand...


The first mistake is them giving you the job of getting gigs. It is everybody in the bands job. Trust me its not an easy job and can take the fun out of a being in a band sometimes quickly.
 
#13
Original bands are becoming tougher to book. Many places in my area don't just want a demo, but they want a live video of you from an actual performance, and they want to see people in your crowd getting down. Honestly, I don't see how this is really possible for many bands just starting out.
 
#15
Play some parties and less-pressure type gigs to help build a fan base.
Make a video of your performance and put it on YouTube.
Email the link to local bar owners/booking agents. Follow up.
Look at other local bands' websites and see where they are playing, and contact those places.
Make friends with other bands and see if they want/need an opener.
Network your tail off.
 
#16
In my area, there are a number of places that cater to original music. The typical rountine for me is to find out who handles the booking and send an email. If it's a new contact, I'll include some info about who we are, the kind of music we play, and a link to some of our songs. We have built relationships in a couple of places, and have become repeat offenders at those clubs. Once you have a gig booked, work your @$$ off to get as many people as you can to the gig (including family and friends). NOTHING is more attractive to club owners and booking agents than having lots of people in the room (as long as those people are buying drinks).
 
#17
EricF said:
NOTHING is more attractive to club owners and booking agents than having lots of people in the room (as long as those people are buying drinks).
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This is crucial, we talk so much about the importance of having decent size crowds at shows.

For those of us in bar bands you probably know that a packed house doesn't always mean anything.

Ever have a packed house with the dance floor filled and then wonder why you were not able to re- book a date.

I was at a club recently on a Saturday night , place was packed dance floor filled. I made a comment to one of the managers that business looked good.

His response; " not really, they're not buying drinks. "
 
#18
EricF said:
NOTHING is more attractive to club owners and booking agents than having lots of people in the room (as long as those people are buying drinks).
Click to expand...

IF you are playing bars. There is a different philosophy in the arena of original music, which is based on numbers through the door and merch sales percentages. The deals cut in this world are based on door split, bar sales are either bonus for the venue
or another percentage cut on sales to venue and sometimes band for 3rd party vendors bringing in a bar for the event on larger shows.
Two venues in Washington, dc i've worked at for over a decade run this way:
Black Cat and 9:30 club.
The down side is giving up that percentage before going into points on the split (selling over the number of tickets the deal is based on).
 
#19
D.A.R.K. said:
IF you are playing bars. There is a different philosophy in the arena of original music, which is based on numbers through the door and merch sales percentages. The deals cut in this world are based on door split, bar sales are either bonus for the venue
Click to expand...

It's rough road, however,for original bands with a big following it can be very lucrative.

blue

Off topic;

Anyone notice that Friday night bar crowds are not what they use to be? Many bands in my area are no longer doing Friday Night bar gigs.
 
#20
Attendance is down in general in the USA.
Over saturated market, people steal music all day long, thus there are more tours happening since it's the only way to generate revenue. Touring costs are up, so ticket prices are increased. Add to that people having less money to spend because of economic difficulties, and they are making hard choices as to where to spend their limited entertainment budget.
The result is people going out less, and being more picky about where they go.
 

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