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How to get gigs that will increase your fanbase |
Apologies for the late arrival of this column, but you can blame that on the late arrival of several trains on the London to Leicester line.
Not least the truncated 8.30 service to Luton which had to wait at Leicester station on Sunday night for 25 minutes while they found a driver for it. Your humble scribe's suggestion to a passing guard that "one of us could have a go" was met with a curt "It's not allowed."
I don't think he got the joke as he plodded away, but hey, where would that attitude get you in the music industry? I'm sorry Mr Skinner but you're recording your Streets album at home in a wardrobe for 40p... it's not allowed! But anyway I digress...
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"...back to a query we touched on briefly last week." |
Thanks for all your e-mails about our recent series on promoting your band. Many of you have suggested websites we should check out, but in the meantime back to a query we touched on briefly last week.
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This is from Ronan: "We're playing some good hometown gigs, we've got a good demo together and some indie labels are asking to hear more stuff. Our problem is getting better gigs away from our own City. Most places only seem to be interested in offering gigs if you bring a coach down. You cannot keep asking your local fans and mates to come and see you on a random night in London or wherever (see last week's column).
"How would you suggest getting gigs that actually help you expand your fanbase? Is it by trying to get on the support slots of established bands in that area (or up and coming signed bands) and how best do we do this? Is it wise to contact booking agents?"
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"How would you suggest getting gigs that actually help you expand your fanbase?"
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Before we go any further though, have you addressed the issue of money? How much can you afford to go out and play for? Is it £50? Expenses only? Bear in mind that agents will want a cut of your earnings. They'll also need to be convinced that at some point you'll make them some money before putting their reputation on the line for you. They're businessmen remember, not philanthropists.
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For more information see the One Music Guide Getting An Agent - or get one of the Industry Bibles like the White Book which lists agencies. Apart from agents it's always good to keep in touch with other bands you play with. Scores of groups down the years have organized gig swaps - or co-operative tours. If you can find three or four like minded groups in different cities then you can get your own little circuit going.
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"Bear in mind that agents will want a cut of your earnings."
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Or if you see a band who you rate, why not try and get them a CDR as well. And no, I'm not saying that Dave Grohl will be able to offer you support on the next Foo Fighters tour. Dream on. But some bands - like Idlewild on their early tours and Elastica - were more receptive to promoting groups they liked, rather than simply taking a fellow agency band on tour.
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For the more anarchic of you, you could always try what bands used to do on a regular basis - just turn up. Didn't Oasis "just turn up" at King Tuts one night and blag their way onto a support with 18 Wheeler? Or is that an apocryphal tale? Whatever, it turned out that Alan McGee from Creation saw them that night and virtually signed them on the spot.
Obviously "just turning up" is not strictly speaking "allowed", but if nothing else it'll probably make for a great story for your first press interview.
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Previously:
Playing to no one? How to find an audience
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| Related Links In How to...:
Play London
Play gigs nationally
Make the best of a gig
In Music exposed:
A
Playing live and how a manager can help you get heard
The Darkness
You can get to the top, just by being good
Other links:
Radio 1 Online: Steve Lamacq
BBC 6 Music: Steve Lamacq
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites
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