AttitudeCastle Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 Hey Guys How do I get a gig, who should i ask? where should i look? And what should i do to get ready, for example, how long should the set be? What should i bring? and the like Regards Adam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velvetkevorkian Posted September 19, 2009 Share Posted September 19, 2009 What kind of gig are you looking for? Are you in a band? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AttitudeCastle Posted September 19, 2009 Author Share Posted September 19, 2009 Yes i am in band, we play all kinds of rock, i just want a gig, but i don't know where to start getting my band one, i'v done gigs before but they were majorly pre-organized Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AttitudeCastle Posted September 19, 2009 Author Share Posted September 19, 2009 oh also, a gig that pays... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamapirate Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 Go into all the good places in you town/city that book bands and give them a demo CD - preferably a live DVD. Generaly speaking they just want people that can get people buying drinks - 90% ofthe time they don't care about the actual music, just as long as it gets people moving. Do the first couple for free or really cheap - that way they don't lose out (but mention that you'd usually charge or they'll think you're a noob band ) oh and this is going to take a lot of effort - more than what you put into your post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witterth Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 what is soul destoying is the fact, that playing some covers is the only real way of getting paying gigs. when it comes to cash its, allways been so.. but punters these days, are not averse to "your version" of a tune, think "smooth crimimal" and stuff like that. x factor/britans got... and things like that, have well buggered up new bands (seen one on there?) ,but I think ,also, conversley, helped the live music scene in a way. everyone wants to be a "star" smoking ban,has made some landlords desparate for business,and has helped a lot,though be careful doing your own publicity.dont end up in the back of a cop van for flyposting in a place you shouldn't(voice of experience) do your thing and dont be afraid if your local pub (that has music on) landlord knows your name and number!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deep Thought Posted September 20, 2009 Share Posted September 20, 2009 You have to be persistent-just handing over a demo and waiting for them to ring you will get you nowhere-they never, ever do. You have to keep going back and making a pain in the arse of yourself until they relent and give you a gig. I'm crap at it, but it's a necessary evil. Also have a good press pack to go with the demo, saying something about the band, your history, influences, set list, how much you charge etc. And make sure there are contact numbers, even though they won't ring you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commando Jack Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 [quote name='iamapirate' post='603701' date='Sep 20 2009, 04:09 PM']Go into all the good places in you town/city that book bands and give them a demo CD - preferably a live DVD. Generaly speaking they just want people that can get people buying drinks - 90% ofthe time they don't care about the actual music, just as long as it gets people moving. Do the first couple for free or really cheap - that way they don't lose out (but mention that you'd usually charge or they'll think you're a noob band ) oh and this is going to take a lot of effort - more than what you put into your post [/quote] That's it in a nutshell. I would also add that you're not necessarily talking studio time either. The demo CD/DVD is really for the owner to see if the band plays music appropriate to that venue. If it's an R&B bar, you'll get nowhere with a rock show usually. If you can, book a bar/club for a night (for instance some venues will give you a weeknight for free), and set up a show case. Invite [b]everyone[/b] you know, including the local paper, and get a friend to film your band going down a storm in front a crowd having a great time! Make sure the quality is up to scratch and you'll have yourself a great demo DVD to hand out, hopefully with a newspaper clipping/quote to add to the press kit. Special offers can work really well, and I managed to get a regular gig in my local (well, once a month regular) by being available [b]every single time[/b] some other guy cancelled. Bars want reliable bands who are professional, reliable, courteous, and dependable, much more than they want a band that plays well. Oh, and cheap lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjohn Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Hire a room and charge on the door? That would certainly work out if you've got enough mates to cover the charge. Are there any regularly gigging bands you like locally? you could ask them if you could support them. Otherwise, you've got to do the do and bang doors down. Make a nuisance of yourself. Good on you for wanting to get paid. Are you in a covers band? We sometimes get paid for playing originals, but more often than not it's a few beers and the pleasure of playing in front of 30-40 people, 10 of whom wouldn't be there if you weren't playing! And we tend to get offered these gigs rather than go looking for them - so if you want to get paid each time - you'll have to put a LOT of effort into finding gigs and probably be willing to travel. Even then - being paid usually just about covers expenses. If you're playing covers, it will be slightly easier as it opens up more places to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Funk Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 [quote name='AttitudeCastle' post='603179' date='Sep 19 2009, 09:03 PM']Hey Guys How do I get a gig, who should i ask? where should i look? And what should i do to get ready, for example, how long should the set be? What should i bring? and the like Regards Adam[/quote] How to get a gig: 1. find out which venues in your area put on the type of music that best fits your band 2. find out which promoters put on nights there (check the venues' websites / facespace pages) 3. contact the promoters through their own websites / facespace pages 4. tell the promoter what type of music you do and the likely size of your audience (minimum 20). The set should be 20-30 minutes long - this is a question for the promoter. You should bring 20 paying punters, bass, DI, amp (if no backline is provided), strap, leads, spare battery, spare set of strings. How to get booked back: 1. turn up to soundcheck on time 2. try not to cause any problems for the promoter / venue 3. ensure you bring 20 paying punters to come see your band (for every 3 who said they were going to come, only 1 actually turns up) 4. don't overrun - if you've got a clear time for your set, stick to it 5. thank the promoter / venue staff afterwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Burrito Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 [quote name='AttitudeCastle' post='603189' date='Sep 19 2009, 09:22 PM']oh also, a gig that pays...[/quote] An important omission! This depends on a lot of factors. My current band has earned over £700 from the last 3 gigs playing originals but the last 3 bands I was in didn't earn a penny. This is down to having members with connections (of which I am not really one of them!). A few years back we started on the Open Mic circuit with an older originals band and this eventually led to us earning £400 a show. Sometimes you have to put yourself out first in order to make some money. [quote name='witterth' post='603737' date='Sep 20 2009, 04:40 PM']what is soul destoying is the fact, that playing some covers is the only real way of getting paying gigs. when it comes to cash its, allways been so.. but punters these days, are not averse to "your version" of a tune, think "smooth crimimal" and stuff like that.[/quote] I think this is true to a point but I don't find it soul destroying. You just have to work harder to find a scene to fit into. I think there are advantages and downsides to playing in covers or originals bands. Personally I prefer originals but I've loved playing in 2 excellent covers bands in my time. [quote name='Deep Thought' post='603742' date='Sep 20 2009, 04:43 PM']You have to be persistent-just handing over a demo and waiting for them to ring you will get you nowhere-they never, ever do. You have to keep going back and making a pain in the arse of yourself until they relent and give you a gig. I'm crap at it, but it's a necessary evil. Also have a good press pack to go with the demo, saying something about the band, your history, influences, set list, how much you charge etc. And make sure there are contact numbers, even though they won't ring you.[/quote] Sound advice here IMHO [quote name='bigjohn' post='670890' date='Dec 1 2009, 11:28 AM']Hire a room and charge on the door? That would certainly work out if you've got enough mates to cover the charge. Are there any regularly gigging bands you like locally? you could ask them if you could support them.[/quote] I think this is a great idea. We're planning this in March. A great way to earn a lot of money and it gets promoters interested too as they see you doing well cutting them out! So long as you all put the work in or you run the risk of playing to the bar staff and your girlfriends. Advance sales also secures not being let down by unreliable friends. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Also, if you have some recordings, put some tunes up on a Myspace account and become 'friends' with all the local venues and promoters. If they're looking for a band to fill a slot and they're feeling lazy, they might just go online and check out some of the local bands in their friends list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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