Boundaries
Playing too often at your home base aka home town can be not that healthy.
Unless you’re providing fresh material for each show, you gonna reach a point of oversaturation or listener numbness.
The fans can’t come to all your gigs. If it's the same show, it's boring.
It’s better to have fewer shows, but with marketing in mind: prepare the new merch, have a new ad campaign, update a website etc.
Therefore, a big show every 6-12 weeks at the home base; and 4-6 months around the country (or bigger region).
Spread your gigs, mate.
#gig
Playing too often at your home base aka home town can be not that healthy.
Unless you’re providing fresh material for each show, you gonna reach a point of oversaturation or listener numbness.
The fans can’t come to all your gigs. If it's the same show, it's boring.
It’s better to have fewer shows, but with marketing in mind: prepare the new merch, have a new ad campaign, update a website etc.
Therefore, a big show every 6-12 weeks at the home base; and 4-6 months around the country (or bigger region).
Spread your gigs, mate.
#gig
The soundcheck
Have enough time to do a proper check!
Remember Murphy’s Law? Even if the gear works without problems, it can still all go to shitz.
Every room/stage is different. The engineer needs time to adjust. You need to feel the stage.
And do a check before the doors are open to the public!
I’ve seen so many times how a poorly timed soundcheck absolutely destroyed the mood.
#gig
Have enough time to do a proper check!
Remember Murphy’s Law? Even if the gear works without problems, it can still all go to shitz.
Every room/stage is different. The engineer needs time to adjust. You need to feel the stage.
And do a check before the doors are open to the public!
I’ve seen so many times how a poorly timed soundcheck absolutely destroyed the mood.
#gig
The test
Here’s a good tip from Ari Herstand’s book “How to make it in the new music business." I’ve seen a similar approach in other business books.
When deciding whether you should play a show, you put it to a test.
Payment = 10
Career building = 10
Enjoyment = 10
You shouldn’t take a gig that is less than 15. For example, if the show is paid okish (5), bad for a career (1), but you get a kick out of it (9), it equals to 15, so you should take it. And if it’s no money (1), not that good for a career (3) and somewhat enjoyable (3), it equals to 7, so you should ditch it.
#gig
Here’s a good tip from Ari Herstand’s book “How to make it in the new music business." I’ve seen a similar approach in other business books.
When deciding whether you should play a show, you put it to a test.
Payment = 10
Career building = 10
Enjoyment = 10
You shouldn’t take a gig that is less than 15. For example, if the show is paid okish (5), bad for a career (1), but you get a kick out of it (9), it equals to 15, so you should take it. And if it’s no money (1), not that good for a career (3) and somewhat enjoyable (3), it equals to 7, so you should ditch it.
#gig
Booking gigs
I doubt that there ever be a good database with all venues, agencies and promoters in Europe. Reverbnation.com has a decent list, but just use it to find venues and don’t book gigs via the service. Most of the time you’ll have to find the gigs on your own.
Make a list of 10 bands that are similar to you in the way of:
1. Style of music played
2. Talent levels
3. Fanbase size
4. Area based
Search for these bands online, check FB events to see where they performed and the size of the venue. Usually, you can see who is promoting the event on FB and approach the promoter.
Choose smaller venues over big ones, i.e. it’s better to have it packed than to leave a big one empty and therefore disappointing the promoters.
Ask people for venues and promoters in FB groups of that country/city in advance.
#gig
I doubt that there ever be a good database with all venues, agencies and promoters in Europe. Reverbnation.com has a decent list, but just use it to find venues and don’t book gigs via the service. Most of the time you’ll have to find the gigs on your own.
Make a list of 10 bands that are similar to you in the way of:
1. Style of music played
2. Talent levels
3. Fanbase size
4. Area based
Search for these bands online, check FB events to see where they performed and the size of the venue. Usually, you can see who is promoting the event on FB and approach the promoter.
Choose smaller venues over big ones, i.e. it’s better to have it packed than to leave a big one empty and therefore disappointing the promoters.
Ask people for venues and promoters in FB groups of that country/city in advance.
#gig
Booking gigs (Part 2) #gig
The best way to book the gigs at your local venues is through bands with whom you’ve established a relationship. You can put a show together with them and approach the booker with a package.
Write a short email to the booker with the names of the bands (starting with the most established band at that venue), date range, the expected turnout number and a bit about how you’re gonna promote the show. If you don’t hear anything from a booker in one week, send a follow-up email. If you don’t get a response after a while, give the booker a call. When the show is booked, send the confirmation email with all the details that you agreed on, i.e. date, city, venue, door time, drink/food deal, etc. The confirmation email will work as a contract at small venues.
Don’t forget to add links to your social media pages and your music.
The best way to book the gigs at your local venues is through bands with whom you’ve established a relationship. You can put a show together with them and approach the booker with a package.
Write a short email to the booker with the names of the bands (starting with the most established band at that venue), date range, the expected turnout number and a bit about how you’re gonna promote the show. If you don’t hear anything from a booker in one week, send a follow-up email. If you don’t get a response after a while, give the booker a call. When the show is booked, send the confirmation email with all the details that you agreed on, i.e. date, city, venue, door time, drink/food deal, etc. The confirmation email will work as a contract at small venues.
Don’t forget to add links to your social media pages and your music.
House concerts #gig
Invitation-only concerts held at somebody’s place.
Turns out there a services that connect artists and hosts.
I’ve registered at one of those services and downloaded a free guide.
Later gonna say what I found out.
Below is a free guide.
Invitation-only concerts held at somebody’s place.
Turns out there a services that connect artists and hosts.
I’ve registered at one of those services and downloaded a free guide.
Later gonna say what I found out.
Below is a free guide.
#festivals #gig
Time to apply for festivals.
- Read a quick guide below, refresh your EPK, update your social media pages. - Make a spreadsheet to monitor your submissions.
- Start locally and then spread out. I would ask around who have contacts for the local fests.
- For the global search I would use Music Festival Wizard (link below). It's for buying tickets, but you can use it to find the festivals in your music genre and then apply via their website.
- Good luck.
Time to apply for festivals.
- Read a quick guide below, refresh your EPK, update your social media pages. - Make a spreadsheet to monitor your submissions.
- Start locally and then spread out. I would ask around who have contacts for the local fests.
- For the global search I would use Music Festival Wizard (link below). It's for buying tickets, but you can use it to find the festivals in your music genre and then apply via their website.
- Good luck.
I know that it’s not easy to keep up with my posting rate, so I’ve indexed my posts with hashtags.
Click on a hashtag to find all the posts related to the topic
#90s
#album
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#epk
#EverythingIsARemix
#facebook
#fb
#gig
#instagram
#label
#marketing
#mastering
#merch
#movie
#musicvideo
#notmusic
#onlineservice
#planning
#Playlist
#podcast
#production
#promotion
#Spotify
#stats
#style
#telegram
#thegreats
#thepath
#tiktok
#touring
#YouTube
Click on a hashtag to find all the posts related to the topic
#90s
#album
#branding
#engagement
#epk
#EverythingIsARemix
#fb
#gig
#label
#marketing
#mastering
#merch
#movie
#musicvideo
#notmusic
#onlineservice
#planning
#Playlist
#podcast
#production
#promotion
#Spotify
#stats
#style
#telegram
#thegreats
#thepath
#tiktok
#touring
#YouTube