Last resort...

[L_Bass_Dog85]

Evening gents and ladies, this is a plea to my Suffolk bass brothers. My band are really struggling to get gigs at the mo and would love help from other local (ish) bands. As we don't have a following, we would prefer to be a supporting act, or if you have any non forum contacts who can help Alarm Clock Nation get to this please PM me! We are desperate and don't know what to do despite doing the CD drop marketing, badgering people, etc. We have only had one gig since last September

Mods, if this is an illegal manouver, I give you permission to do what you need to do, even if I posted this in the wrong place!

Cheers for reading, hopefully some good soul can help us!

Luke

[icastle]

[quote name='L_Bass_Dog85' timestamp='1366834032' post='2057955']
Mods, if this is an illegal manouver,
[/quote]

It's certainly not

I'm sure people will be here shortly with some good tips.

[L_Bass_Dog85]

I hope so mate, desperate times haha!

[L_Bass_Dog85]

Massive bumpadump!

[BigRedX]

To the OP, what sort of music are you playing - originals or covers?

Is there somewhere on the web where people and can see and hear what you are all about? You could start by putting a link to your band web site, Facebook page, ReverbNation page in your signature. It's all about promotion. If no one knows who you are then it's not surprising that your not getting any gigs. Every lead needs to be followed up. And followed up. And followed up some more, until you either get the gig or are told to f*** off.

It takes time, effort and perseverance to get anywhere. My band probably spends 5-6 hours a week talking to venues, promoters and other bands, organising gigs. All that hard work eventually pays off and now we have on average at least one gig a week.

Also if nowhere locally wants to put you on have you considered travelling to somewhere that does?

[L_Bass_Dog85]

We have done. Saying that we have secured a gig at the Felixstowe Carnival in August and two pubs since I created this thread, but the two pubs don't have a PA system and monitors and being an originals band don't have enough material to play by ourselves. I need established Suffolk bands to help us keep these gigs!

[quote name='iceonaboy' timestamp='1367224939' post='2062643']
Can you not give samples of your music to venues to see if they would give you a go? Or even offer to do some free gigs just to get on the scene. Thats what we would do. once you have some gigs under your belt, word of mouth can do wonders

Hope this helps your bump!

Best of luck mate
[/quote]

[L_Bass_Dog85]

I have tried to market ourselves by every means possible mate. Granted I have been a bit slack doing so here cause I tend to view my forums on me phone. I will post an Fb and Soundcloud link around lunchtime on my PC.

I have hassled a lot of people until they get pissed off lol. Believe me, I have been yelled at for hassling venue owners haha!

I would love to sit down and hassle venue owners more, but I am a full time worker trying to set myself up as a freelance worker so I leave most of the finding to my Co founder! I do what I can though. I got us the Felixstowe gig heh!

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1367225640' post='2062653']
To the OP, what sort of music are you playing - originals or covers?

Is there somewhere on the web where people and can see and hear what you are all about? You could start by putting a link to your band web site, Facebook page, ReverbNation page in your signature. It's all about promotion. If no one knows who you are then it's not surprising that your not getting any gigs. Every lead needs to be followed up. And followed up. And followed up some more, until you either get the gig or are told to f*** off.

It takes time, effort and perseverance to get anywhere. My band probably spends 5-6 hours a week talking to venues, promoters and other bands, organising gigs. All that hard work eventually pays off and now we have on average at least one gig a week.

Also if nowhere locally wants to put you on have you considered travelling to somewhere that does?
[/quote]

[L_Bass_Dog85]

Right, got links of my band in my sig now!

@ iceonaboy:

To answer your other suggestions, yip we have contacted places and mentioned we will even play for free. We will go further than Suffolk if we have to! Tried Essex and Cambridge areas to no avail. Will have to rethink those areas and beyond!

Edited April 29, 2013 by L_Bass_Dog85

[TheGreek]

We're hoping to have the Ents Manager from the Uni of Herts at the Herts Bash - I'm hoping that he'll be prepared to consider booking some bands from those attending...send me a link to your band and I'll pass it on..

[L_Bass_Dog85]

Hi Mike! Check out the links in my sig. Got an Fb and Soundcloud link. Again, the Herts Bass Bash falls on my girlfriends birthday so I will have to check with the guv first lol

[lurksalot]

[quote name='L_Bass_Dog85' timestamp='1367232769' post='2062787']
..................... but the two pubs don't have a PA system and monitors and being an originals band don't have enough material to play by ourselves....................[/quote]

This is a real issue IMO , a venue wants to book a band , ideally they would like you to bring a few people to support both you and the venue , but you don't have a PA , monitors , any following or even enough material to play a gig , you really have an issue with promoting yourselves when there isn't anything to sell . Build a set including some covers , enough to get a gig, rehearse the bejesus out of it , get some sort of PA rig (rehearse with it) and then tell the the venues what you can do.

[L_Bass_Dog85]

There is a little more to the story. We do have a PA system but no monitors or mixer. Second problem is that drummer is a pessimisitc git and won't budge on playing with said PA System without monitors, despite me saying to him I have played successfully in bands using a PA System with no monitor. Just stick the speakers behind us lol. He still won't budge. I am a little pissed off with that, but the singer and guitarist are saying fair enough. Grrr.

In regards to material - our singer writes a lot, I mean a lot! We probably have 45 minutes to an hours set list at the moment but we are getting there despite 3 out of 4 of us work more than full time and run houses!

We can't bring people cause we have no following lol. Hence the cry out to support other BC'ers bands in the Suffolk area. I don't mean to come across negative in any way, I am just trying to get help!

[Ziphoblat]

Sticking speakers behind the band sounds like a recipe for disaster, and sound coming out of them is headed straight back into the microphones that it came from. I've done plenty of gigs without monitors, but never needed to put the speakers behind the band.

[L_Bass_Dog85]

I aint gonna argue but it worked for us. Only problem is convincing the bloody drummer we have to work with what we got lol.

[quote name='Ziphoblat' timestamp='1367279199' post='2063723']
Sticking speakers behind the band sounds like a recipe for disaster, and sound coming out of them is headed straight back into the microphones that it came from. I've done plenty of gigs without monitors, but never needed to put the speakers behind the band.
[/quote]

[lurksalot]

[quote name='L_Bass_Dog85' timestamp='1367278243' post='2063716']
We do have a PA system but no monitors or mixer
[/quote]

If you cant mix or monitor .......you have no PA , you have to look at this from a different angle , what do the venues want , what have you got to offer , when the two meet all you have to do then, is agree a price

[L_Bass_Dog85]

This is an angle we're tackling at the moment. One question, can you run a single monitor through a PA without a mixer?

[quote name='lurksalot' timestamp='1367279857' post='2063736']


If you cant mix or monitor .......you have no PA , you have to look at this from a different angle , what do the venues want , what have you got to offer , when the two meet all you have to do then, is agree a price
[/quote]

[charic]

The Portland Arms and Man on the Moon are your best chances of getting a gig in Cambs. They both have their own PA systems and engineers.

Then you just need to research bands in the area and ask if they would be interested in putting on a night

[BigRedX]

AFAICS you seem to be looking at the wrong kinds of pubs. On the originals circuit that we play (and this is all over the country) the PA is always supplied by either the venue or the promotor putting on the gig. In the last 5 years and well over 100 gigs, I can only think of three occasions where my band has had to organise our own PA system and those were because we wanted to play places that we're normally associated with live original bands. There is always at least one other band on the bill which has been arranged by whoever is putting on the gig, and most of the time there are DJs playing appropriately themed music between the bands.

On the other hand my covers band always has to supply our own PA. We are expected to be playing a minimum of 2x45 minute sets as we will be the only live music and a lot of the time to provide pre-recorded music during the periods we are not actually playing.

[L_Bass_Dog85]

Ooh, I don't think we have tried the Portland Arms. Man on the Moon still have yet to get back to us lol.

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1367313024' post='2063933']
The Portland Arms and Man on the Moon are your best chances of getting a gig in Cambs. They both have their own PA systems and engineers.

Then you just need to research bands in the area and ask if they would be interested in putting on a night
[/quote]

[charic]

[quote name='L_Bass_Dog85' timestamp='1367315424' post='2063977']
Ooh, I don't think we have tried the Portland Arms. Man on the Moon still have yet to get back to us lol.
[/quote]

I'm not surprised about the man on the moon, their organisation can be suspect.

There's also the cornerhouse but I don't know whether they have PA or not

[L_Bass_Dog85]

I fully understand mate. ACN will prevail somehow lol.

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1367313612' post='2063944']
AFAICS you seem to be looking at the wrong kinds of pubs. On the originals circuit that we play (and this is all over the country) the PA is always supplied by either the venue or the promotor putting on the gig. In the last 5 years and well over 100 gigs, I can only think of three occasions where my band has had to organise our own PA system and those were because we wanted to play places that we're normally associated with live original bands. There is always at least one other band on the bill which has been arranged by whoever is putting on the gig, and most of the time there are DJs playing appropriately themed music between the bands.

On the other hand my covers band always has to supply our own PA. We are expected to be playing a minimum of 2x45 minute sets as we will be the only live music and a lot of the time to provide pre-recorded music during the periods we are not actually playing.
[/quote]

[dave_bass5]

Just a thought but if you guys are serious about this cant you all chip in for a small desk and monitor, even if its just for the drummer?
It sounds like money isnt the real issue here. If you play a venue with bad acoustics how are you going to EQ the PA for it without a desk?What about mic'ing the bass drum up in a big room? Controlling feedback and EQ'ing for a boomy room etc.

Placing the speakers behind the band is not a good idea, and while its been known to work the overall sound can get very messy, especially in large rooms.

[Dave Vader]

I've run a line from the aux out of a mixer into a crappy guitar practice amp to pacify a drummer before. Everyone has that tiny thing they started out with hiding in the house somewhere. You can't give them away (I have tried).
Cheap option?

[L_Bass_Dog85]

I might have to resort to buying a monitor/mixer. Used though as we are in the red still for buying the pre amp and speakers just to hear the vocalist!

Edited April 30, 2013 by L_Bass_Dog85