So you have your garage band and don’t know the next step to start performing
for an audience. Maybe you are the parent or friend of a band member and feel
the band is ready to play some shows. You may just be sick of all the noise
coming from the basement where your son or daughters band practices. Well, its
not easy to get out of the starting blocks, but with a little hard work, your
band can get moving. When your band finally has some songs together and are
playing well, now it's time to take the next step. Get the band out of the
garage and in to a gig. Of course your band won’t make much money at first, but
with a well rehearsed act and some leg work your project can get off the ground
running. In the following article I will explain a few tips your band or band
manager may need to get your band some gigs or shows.
The band’s first step is to put together a quality press kit. A press kit for
a start up band is usually comprised of a cover page, artist bio or introduction
of the band, band pictures, song list, equipment list, contact and booking
information, and a demo tape or CD. Once your band becomes more established
start introducing newspaper clippings, band reviews, and business cards to the
package, Computers make this a fairly simple task these days. Any word processor
should get the job done for a start up band press package. Most or all of your
press packet design can be done in house and save a lot of money. If you plan on
sending quite a few press packages to clubs or venues visit your local copy
store and have some color copies made. Make sure your envelope stands out so
that a band booker will want to open your press package. Try using a colored
envelope or stickers of some sort on the envelope so that a band booker will
notice your press kit.
One of the most difficult things for a start up band with little or no money
to achieve is recording their demo CD or tape. This does not have to be an
expensive venture. When your starting out try renting a 4 track tape recorder or
maybe and 8 track recorder with a CD burner. Most music stores will rent this
type of equipment at a reasonable cost. Record 3 or 4 of your best songs or
cover tunes. This should give you sufficient quality for most local venues when
your starting out. Once your act is more established you may want to purchase a
portable multi track recorder or book some studio time. It may be just as cost
effective to purchase a multi track digital recorder and learn the ropes
yourself rather than recording at a local studio. Most studios charge an hourly
rate, so look around.
Once you have a quality demo CD and press kit its time to start promoting
your band. See part II of our article
Get your band out of the garage
and into a gig: Part II Band Promotion. For more information on
press kit and demo tips, band resources, and band promotion visit the Media Web
Source website at
http://www.mediawebsource.com. This site is a valuable resource for start up
and established bands everywhere.
So you have you press kit and demo CD and want to know what to do next. Why
not try an open microphone (mic) night at a local club. Most clubs advertise
these open mic nights in your local music papers or entertainment magazines.
Open mic nights will give your band experience on stage, and the club will most
likely have a built in audience to perform for. Most of the time all you have to
do is show up with your instruments. The PA system and drums are usually
supplied. Call ahead just to make sure this is the case. Many of these events
are hosted by local established bands and produce great networking
opportunities. Make contacts with the bands playing the open microphone night,
and leave a press kit for the club owner. Maybe the hosting band likes your
music and needs an opening act in the future. Sometimes people in the audience
may be interested in your band, so have some business cards ready with all your
contact information.
The reality of starting out as a band is that your most likely not going to
get paid at first. Your not in it at first for the money anyway right, your
there because you want to get your music heard. Offer to be an opening act for a
band you know or met at an open microphone night. Email some bands in your area
and see if they accept opening acts. Offer to open for free to get some much
needed exposure. Many established bands love opening acts because they don’t
have to pay them much, and they won’t have to play as long so this makes their
job easier.
Promote your band any time you get an opportunity. Hand out business cards at
open microphone nights, and send fliers to clubs that you will be performing at
in the future. Call or email clubs or venues that handle your genre of music.
Once you get some shows, contact your local music newspapers with your band’s
name, venue name, phone number, show time, and any other information you feel
necessary. Many entertainment newspapers offer this service free of charge.
Solicit your press kit to local venues. Start visiting local clubs in person
with your band mates and talk with the booker or entertainment director. Leave a
copy of your press kit and get them to listen to your demo while your there if
possible. Call a day or two after your visit, and be persistent. You may have to
call a few times, because it can be difficult to get a hold of the band booker.
Most work late hours at their venue.
Now that your have emailed or called your local newspapers with any show
dates to be published in their entertainment section. Contact any music
newspapers or magazines in your area to see if they would write an article on
your band or visit one of your shows. If your successful in getting an article
or review of your band, make sure to have the article writer include your
website address and booking information in the piece. There are many
opportunities to promote your band, so don’t miss a chance to have your contact
information added to a newspaper article or review of your band.
Send your demo CD and press kit to any local battle of the bands competitions
or song writing contests. Battle of the bands locate up and coming talent for
their shows. They need acts so this can be a great opportunity for your band.
Battle of the bands gives the opportunity to network with local promoters, other
established bands, and to be heard by an audience searching for new talent. Many
times these events are promoted through radio, newspaper ads, and internet
marketing. The winner of the battle of the bands typically receives some nice
perks like studio time, equipment, or free advertising. I know a band in my area
who won a competition and actually got a chance to play live on the radio. Next
thing you know they were playing some of the best venues in the area. Check out
these events whenever possible.
Approach town fairs, county festivals, or city concert venues to get gigs and
exposure for your band. Most of these types of shows are performed for free by
bands, but there is an opportunity to play for a built in audience. Do some
research on the internet and see what local agencies or websites book bands for
these types of events.
Now that your band promotion is off to a great start it’s time to get your
band on the internet, and possibly look for a band manager, booking agent, or
sound technician. See part III of our article "Get your band out of the
garage and into a gig: Part III Band Websites, Booking Agents, Managers, and
Sound Technicians". See also Part 1 of or our article on Press Kits and Demos for Garage Bands. For more
information on press kit and demo tips, band resources, and band promotion visit
the Media Web Source website at
http://www.mediawebsource.com. This site is a valuable resource for start up
and established bands everywhere.
Website promotion can be a valuable tool for your act. If your band is
serious about playing out and does not have a website, get one started. Many
local internet providers offer free web space with some of their email packages.
For example, maybe you have and AOL email package. Look into building a website
on www.members.aol.com/youremailaddress. Many people have free web
space under their email plan and don’t even know about it. Also, if your web
savvy, try building a website with Microsoft Front Page (Discontinued, but
Microsoft now supports Expression Web), or Dreamweaver. They are fairly
simple to use and the website design themes are great for start up and
established bands alike. You may have to purchase server space from a provider
to build a website. Shop around for a good price on the internet.
Host your Web site with IPOWER!
They have great rates and website creation tools built into the price of your
server. Once you have your website, add your URL web address to local
band website listings. Do an internet search in your city for keywords like
bands, band websites, band listings, or any specific keywords to your band.
Email the site and have your URL web address added. Email any concert calendars
or events calendars in your area to have you show dates added. You would be
surprised at what you’ll find in your area.
[Added by BNS Records...We can help you in this area. Checkout our Services page]
Sometimes band members are musicians and nothing more. If that’s the case in
your band, try looking for a band manager. Many times someone you know like a
parent or friend may take an interest in your project. See if they would be
interested in booking your act. A lot of time a parent or someone close to the
band will help out for free. If your not so lucky, try looking for a manager who
has contacts in the industry. Make sure this person knows the direction of your
band and does not get to meddlesome or cause problems in your project. Try these
steps before approaching someone who expects a percentage of your band rewards.
Booking agents can be another valuable resource to get your band some gigs. Most
booking agents charge a fee for there service, so be aware of that. Do some
research on the internet or local yellow pages to find booking agents in your
area. Look up Entertainment Bureaus in your phone book. Also, you may want to
check the Better Business Bureau website
www.bbb.gov to make sure the booking company is reputable. Sometimes it can
be difficult to get more popular booking agents to deal with new talent, so shop
around and see if they will deal with your band.
As your act becomes more established you may need the services of a sound
technician. Many venues have their own PA or sound systems and will charge for
the use of this service. Find this information out ahead of time. Other times
you will have to bring your own sound system or hire someone to bring their
equipment and run sound. Be aware that running sound can be expensive. So, if
there is a way to run sound in house it may be a good idea to try that first.
Although, a good sound guy can mean the difference between a good and bad
performance. Your band could play great, but if the audience is hearing feedback
through the performance the show could be very difficult to get through . Make
sure to do a good quality sound check before every performance.
Once your band gets out and plays live all the work involved will be worth it.
The band will see where is stands rather quickly and the members can adjust as
time goes along. It’s not always easy to get out of the starting blocks, but
with hard work and persistence your band can get out of the garage and into a
gig.
For more information on how to get gigs, press kit and demo tips, band
resources, and website promotion visit the Media Web Source website at
http://www.mediawebsource.com. This
site is a valuable resource for start up and established bands everywhere.
Go West Music in Henderson, Auckland have undergone a few changes. Namely, they have moved from their main store on Catherine St to their accoustic store directly accross the road. The transition came about after their main supplier (Music Works) pulled all their stock from Go West's shelves leaving little to sell and no choice but to let some of their staff go. Go West have had some of their major suppliers continue to support them as have many of their loyal customers. In an email I read recently, Go West asked of it's regulars for their support by continuing to shop there, and they mentioned a Christmas Club scheme where you could put money into an account with them and use it to purchase some new music gear at xmas.
