SHMOOZING 101: Get gigs with the "Paul Blow Method"!
Jul 20 '00
Allright, cats - I've been playing in bands for over 12 years, and have played hundreds of gigs. Most of the shows I've played have been at rock nightclubs and seedy dive bars, but I've also played all ages shows, parties, and an occasional outdoor show... Getting gigs is always a hassle, but of course it's worth it to see your name in the papers and to play in front of an eager audience.
There are several ways to get gigs (some involve getting naked, but I won't cover that one here), but if you use my "Paul Blow Method", you too will be able to book some live shows for your cool band. Here's how...
Demo tapes/CDs - If you don't have a demo yet, I urge you to get your lazy band into a studio and record a few songs. All you really need for a demo is 3-5 songs. You don't have to spend a fortune on this, just get a recording that captures the essence of what your band sounds like. There are many ADAT studios around that won't charge alot, check it out! Make sure you put your strongest song first, and forget about any long intros - booking agents receiving so many demos from bands, they will probably just listen to the first 30 seconds or so of your demo. If the first 30 seconds is boring, chances are your demo will end up in the circular file. Cassettes are fine for demos, but nowadays with blank CDr's and CD-burners so cheap, it is better to put your demo on CD.
Nightclubs/booking agents - Now that you've got your demo, find the clubs in your town that feature live music in your genre. Give them a call, and find out who the booking agent is, or better yet go down in person with your demo in hand. Talk to the booker, and hype your band a little (but not too much exaggeration). After you've gotten your demo to the right person, give them a couple weeks and then start calling. Don't settle for leaving a message on their answering service, they probably won't call you back. Keep calling and calling until they either tell you "quit calling you moron!" or until they give you a show. If you're just starting out, you may have to settle for a weeknight - TAKE IT! If you can get people to come to your show on a Tuesday, it makes you look good!
Dive bars are the easiest places to get gigs this way. Don't get discouraged if you can't get into your town's top clubs... sometimes you've got to start at the bottom and work your way up.
Network with other bands - This is the best and easiest way to get shows. If you know other gigging bands in your town, network with them and maybe they will add your band on their shows. This is the way my bands have always gotten most of our shows - either other bands have called us asking us to play with them on their scheduled show, or I have gotten a date from a club and put together the lineup (3-4 bands). If you don't know many of the bands in your area, start going to local shows and meet some people! When you see a band you like, talk to them! Give them a demo, and tell 'em how much you'd love to open up for them sometime! This is what we call "shmoozing" in the biz. IT WORKS! It works best to network with bands that play the same style of music as you do.
What to do when you get a gig - Promote, promote, promote! You've got your gig, now you gotta make sure people will show up! Send an email to your local music rags informing them of the upcoming show AT LEAST two weeks in advance (a month is best). Go to Kinkos and make 11x17" flyers, then plaster them in records shops, coffee houses, bars - anywhere you can! Make sure your band name is in big print, and you include the date and club address. Call all your friends (if you have any) and tell them to come down to the show. Hand out free CDs (if you have some) to the people who DO show up - maybe they'll like it and come to more shows...
If the place you're playing tells you to show up at 7:00 to load in, don't be late. Be friendly with the soundman (if there is one) and other club employees - be a shmoozer! Get the club staff on your side... Later, if the show was a success (people showed up), call the booker a couple weeks later, thank him/her, and inquire about possible future gigs.
the money - Truth is, if your band plays original music you won't get paid very much. If you play on a bill with 3-4 bands, and the cover charge is 3-5 bucks, you may make anywhere from $30-100 on average. Most clubs in my area (Seattle) split the door money between the bands. Sometimes they take out money to pay the soundman ($75-150) before they pay the bands. If you're a big name band in your town, you can ask for a guarantee, however you'll probably just have to settle for a piece of the door money. My bands have played for no money many times, and have been paid $300 or more several times also. The money ain't great, but then again if I wanted to make money I'd go to law school.
the Paul Blow Method never fails - If you're willing to spend a lot of time making phone calls, making flyers, going to shows, etc., you should get some gigs. If your band is actually GOOD, the chances are even better. Of course, you could always try and find a manager or booking agent to do all this for you, but make sure you get a REAL booking agent - someone who actually has contacts in the music scene. Don't let your drummers girlfriend be your manager - big mistake! I've always preferred the D.I.Y. approach, just 'cause I feel the need to be a control freak, but my bands have gotten some good gigs through so-called "managers". Be careful!
Okay, cats - that's enough for now! Now get off your duffs and get to work - there's some shmoozing and promoting that need to be done! Get crackin'!
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