Getting started gigging

[marc88]

Hey guys, hope this isn’t a repeat thread or posted in the wrong place, but I was hoping to pick your brains on an obstacle I’ve found.

My band and I (blues/folk rock trio kinda thing) have been playing together for awhile now, I’d say at least 4 years we’ve been getting together to work on covers and originals, with originals definitely being our focus. Around 2019 we were getting out to open mic nights and the like, though they only lent themselves towards acoustic sets with a cajon and had limited play time. There was a local coffee shop that we played a few times; I even did one show solo when the guys weren’t available for a date. Fun, intimate place but despite having a liquor license, it just didn’t pull in much of a crowd on a Saturday night. Basically playing for friends and family and a handful of people coming and going. Still,
It was playing as a group in front of strangers and getting a small amount of money for it and we loved it. Then, the pandemic hit and we stopped playing out. I had a baby and the guys in my band both started different jobs; basically we got thrown off our momentum for playing out.

We’ve been rehearsing and writing very regularly though and I’m really proud of how we are playing these days. We are all looking to do the next step but are unsure of how to take it. We would like to record an album of sorts as well to have a product to push. As it stands now we don’t have much in the way of promotional material and the only recording we have are ones I’ve done at home on Pro Tools and Logic Pro. Decent static mixes, but I’m no expert in that department for sure. During the pandemic I put out a small group of originals on Apple Music and all, so we do have something, but they are essentially home demos and all the parts are played by me and layered. Not really the band at that point, more of a reference for how the song should basically sound.

Sorry for the digression about recording; I think our main focus is gigging out but I figured I’d mention the recording idea too to see if you guys recommend having something tangible before getting out in front of people. Either way it forces us to put in the reps and learn the songs, so I’m ok with approaching gigging and recording at the same time.

Anyways, if you’ve made it this far, thank you! I guess I’m just wondering what advice you may give to make the jump from a rehearing band to a gigging band.

Our band is The Full Tilt Serenade and we are based in Peabody, Ma for what it’s worth. Thanks in advance for any help you can share!

 

[Trenchant63]

That’s a very cool band name and also good for the quick acronym (“FTS”). I’m no expert at taking bands to the next level but off the bat I like the name - (maybe drop the “The”?). We just auditioned for a club and have a good chance of landing a slot there. We’re not out to do anything but gig - not promoting any albums or merch. One thing I thought worked good for us was our vocal harmonies and a lead singer who is just a bit animated (not crazy) but gives our group some personality ha! We all definitely enjoy playing live and it’s apparent. We felt our vocals were tight compared to the other band and we had a wider range of diverse cover material. The other band had more heavy tunes, spent an hour in sound check. I think really extended sound checks kill the buzz of a band. Crowd feedback on our sets was very good. We’ll see and best of luck to your band - sounds great and congrats on writing original material!!

 

[Peegoo]

@marc88

For a group like yours that wants to put themselves out there without much opportunity to do so (limited open mics/jams/etc.) do some homework on the local towns'/villages' summer and fall entertainment plans.

Many municipalities do a thing called something like Concert In the Park, Music On the Lawn, etc., almost every weekend during the warm weather months. Some pay, some don't. But it's a fun and low-threat way to get out in front of people.

Chances are you'll need is your own PA because most often the only provision is a place to plug into AC power. Sometimes there's also a pavilion with a roof, but don't count on it.

Put together a band press kit because they may ask for one; it does not have to be super polished, but that helps. Print up some band business cards and have them when you play; you will get interest for bar gigs, private parties, corporates, weddings, etc.

 

[marc88]

That’s a very cool band name and also good for the quick acronym (“FTS”). I’m no expert at taking bands to the next level but off the bat I like the name - (maybe drop the “The”?). We just auditioned for a club and have a good chance of landing a slot there. We’re not out to do anything but gig - not promoting any albums or merch. One thing I thought worked good for us was our vocal harmonies and a lead singer who is just a bit animated (not crazy) but gives our group some personality ha! We all definitely enjoy playing live and it’s apparent. We felt our vocals were tight compared to the other band and we had a wider range of diverse cover material. The other band had more heavy tunes, spent an hour in sound check. I think really extended sound checks kill the buzz of a band. Crowd feedback on our sets was very good. We’ll see and best of luck to your band - sounds great and congrats on writing original material!!

Thanks for the kind words! Ya know, the band name was actually a shower thought I had haha. I was wracking my brain for ideas and that just popped into my head. I jumped out of the shower and texted the guys immediately! I have actually used some iron on letters to customize a couple of straps I have with FTS on them! And yeah, i go back and forth on the “the”. Can’t tell which way is more natural. I definitely prefer FTS to TFTS, though, that is an easy decision to make.
Thanks for the idea of auditioning too; that’s the kind of stuff I was curious about. I’ll have to start researching audition calls for band with original music.

 

[marc88]

@marc88

For a group like yours that wants to put themselves out there without much opportunity to do so (limited open mics/jams/etc.) do some homework on the local towns'/villages' summer and fall entertainment plans.

Many municipalities do a thing called something like Concert In the Park, Music On the Lawn, etc., almost every weekend during the warm weather months. Some pay, some don't. But it's a fun and low-threat way to get out in front of people.

Chances are you'll need is your own PA because most often the only provision is a place to plug into AC power. Sometimes there's also a pavilion with a roof, but don't count on it.

Put together a band press kit because they may ask for one; it does not have to be super polished, but that helps. Print up some band business cards and have them when you play; you will get interest for bar gigs, private parties, corporates, weddings, etc.

Thanks for the idea of the local/outdoor stuff. That could be a really fun way to get in front of a big group of people; I will definitely look into it, especially considering the weather is getting nicer now. I don’t mind gigs that don’t pay or don’t pay much, at least at this point. Gotta get out there and polished before I worry about demanding large amounts of money lol.

Good idea on the PA system too. In our rehearsal space at my house I’m using a mixer into a Fishman Loudbox and a TC Bam200 into an old Pa woofer. Yes, the TC is a bass amp head so clearly we do not have a great set up, certainly not one I’d want to travel with. It works for our small space since it’s really just handling vocals for the room, but for playing out it might be time to invest in a little system. Already have a mackie pro12 mixer, so maybe just some powered speakers….

The band kit was something I had read about and was curious about. Time to do more research on that too. I do have business cards that I had made back when we were first starting to get out there. Pretty plain cards, but they’d work. Just need to build our catalog of social media stuff to make it worthwhile for someone to look us up

 

[marc88]

That’s a very cool band name and also good for the quick acronym (“FTS”). I’m no expert at taking bands to the next level but off the bat I like the name - (maybe drop the “The”?). We just auditioned for a club and have a good chance of landing a slot there. We’re not out to do anything but gig - not promoting any albums or merch. One thing I thought worked good for us was our vocal harmonies and a lead singer who is just a bit animated (not crazy) but gives our group some personality ha! We all definitely enjoy playing live and it’s apparent. We felt our vocals were tight compared to the other band and we had a wider range of diverse cover material. The other band had more heavy tunes, spent an hour in sound check. I think really extended sound checks kill the buzz of a band. Crowd feedback on our sets was very good. We’ll see and best of luck to your band - sounds great and congrats on writing original material!!

Forgot to attach a pic of one of the straps I did…
Of course, the first time I used it at rehearsal, our drummer took one look and asked me “F*** This S***?” Hopefully no one else would assume it stands for that haha

 

[Peegoo]

Add a QR code to your business card so a person can point their phone at it and BANG there's your Website.

Adobe Express

express.adobe.com

 

[marc88]

Add a QR code to your business card so a person can point their phone at it and BANG there's your Website.

Adobe Express

express.adobe.com

I knew you guys would give me good ideas ! This forum has been immeasurably helpful to me over the years, much gratitude to you all!

 

[schmee]

You need one person in the band who is a salesman.
The sad news is that a mediocre band with a great "outgoing, gift-of-gab, cold calling, internet contacting, sales person" will play more than a great band of introverts.
He/she needs to contact people and tell them what the band does and ask straight out if you can get a booking.

Summer events were booked months ago. Many in January or February or even last fall. Make notes for next year.
Keep your eyes open on FB etc for bands playing places like bars etc. Although many do, some of them don't book too far in advance. Make note of all places, who the contact is etc. FB messaging the place may get you a contact name.

Start at $100 a man but tell owners you're "flexible and like to support live music"

 

[marc88]

You need one person in the band who is a salesman.
The sad news is that a mediocre band with a great "outgoing, gift-of-gab, cold calling, internet contacting, sales person" will play more than a great band of introverts.
He/she needs to contact people and tell them what the band does and ask straight out if you can get a booking.

Summer events were booked months ago. Many in January or February or even last fall. Make notes for next year.
Keep your eyes open on FB etc for bands playing places like bars etc. Although many do, some of them don't book too far in advance. Make note of all places, who the contact is etc. FB messaging the place may get you a contact name.

Start at $100 a man but tell owners you're "flexible and like to support live music"

Yeah I think that’s one of the big factors that’s holding us back; none of us are particularly great sales type people. But I can force myself out of my comfort zone a bit, especially now with some of the more focused ideas you guys have provided. I kind of assumed any bigger outdoor things would be booked way in advance, makes sense. I’ll probably start on Facebook looking for local bars and stuff.

Also, huge thank you for suggesting a specific price point. Good suggestion, especially with the flexibility. We certainly want to be amenable but there’s always that fear of undervaluing yourself. Appreciate the insight for sure!

 

[ddewerd]

Getting a QR code is super easy, and free

A quick Google search on "free QR code generator" comes up with a bunch, like this one

https://qr-code-generator.org/

Some of them offer other fee based services, but the basic code generation is free, and super easy to do. You basically put in your URL and it spits out the code. Make sure to get as hi-res of an image as you can so it reproduces well.

Good luck, sounds like a fun project!

Cheers,
Doug

 

[marc88]

Getting a QR code is super easy, and free

A quick Google search on "free QR code generator" comes up with a bunch, like this one

https://qr-code-generator.org/

Some of them offer other fee based services, but the basic code generation is free, and super easy to do. You basically put in your URL and it spits out the code. Make sure to get as hi-res of an image as you can so it reproduces well.

Good luck, sounds like a fun project!

Cheers,
Doug

Thanks! I’ll look into it for sure!

 

[Heartbreaker_Esq]

I won't pretend to have a lot of actionable knowledge, as I don't have a lot of gigging experience. But I do think it's important to nail down the why - or what you are ultimately trying to accomplish. And that will guide at least some of the questions you brought up. For instance, are you looking to release albums because you want to sell them and make money? Or just because you enjoy the album as an artistic statement? Or is recording really just about looking like a professional band so more people will book you and come to see you?

Any or all of those are good and legitimate goals/aspirations, but knowing which motivates you will probably change how you approach things. If it's about selling something, you'll want to look into pressing CDs. If it's just about promo, you'll want to make sure it's on as many streaming platforms and social media platforms as possible, and so on.

I do have one piece of generic advice for getting gigs. It's hard for new bands to get booked because like most jobs, people only want to hire you if you already have experience. Venues want some stability and peace of mind that you are going to show up and do the job without too much drama or difficulty. They want professionalism, and they want bands that are already gigging.

So, when you are pitching, it can be helpful to pretend like you are already a gigging band. Ideally, you should be sending materials to venues that include photos and videos of your band playing out. If you don't already have those photos/videos, make sure someone takes some the next time you do a coffee house or open mic. My last band used to rehearse in a practice space that was set up like a full stage, with lighting, etc., so we shot video of rehearsal and used that, since it looked like a gig. That's another option, if you can find a similar place. Anything you can do to look like a professional outfit, and downplay amateur status (no bedroom photos/videos), will add to a venue's comfort level that you can do the job. As you start to get your first gigs, take more photos/videos and replace the most obviously amateur ones until you look like y'all have been doing this full-time for years.

 

[loudboy]

In general, the first (only) question you will be asked is "How's your draw?" If you don't have one, or even worse, lie about it, you're not going to get a second chance. Venue owners are in business, and that involves selling drinks/food to people.

We're lucky out here, as it's a huge tourist area, and wineries/breweries have a tremendous turn over, and built-in crowds. Music is considered a loss leader, so we play a LOT of those, as we are entertaining but not obnoxious.

Having something to sell is OK to generate some more $, but not necessary. The best thing you can have are cell phone videos of you guys playing well, in a full club w/people digging what you're doing. I know, it's a problem if you don't have any gigs.

 

[old soul]

PA is a must, preferably one suitable for big and small gigs. A sound/video guy can make almost anybody sound good(no offense, just a general statement). Play as many community events, weddings and parties as you can, and be willing to fill in for cancelations at short notice.
Summer is short up there, so make the most of it

 

[ChrisDowning]

I think nowadays everyone will tell you it's about Facebook, YouTube, and websites. But you need to see it from a booker's perspective. They want bands that fill their venue - that's bands playing stuff their normal customers want.

So first you need to know who you are and who you are not. Define the kind of music you play - that's why clone/tribute bands win because everyone knows who they are and what they play - they mostly don't want a tribute band - they want to know they aren't getting into hot water with a mistake.

Go visit venues and make yourself known at non-busy times to whoever books bands - ask - if they are not there leave - this is work, not a pub crawl. Take a CD just in case but don't leave it on the off chance someone might listen - that looks desperate. Be fast. Be business-like. Tell them who you are, what your band plays, and what you charge or would like. It's a yes/no - don't get disappointed if it's a no - say you'll be back in a month and come back in a month - by month three you'll get some work for being reliable and turning up. Stay close to home base - finding work further away won't be any easier.

Try to do the work face-to-face. emailing won't work, envelopes of stuff won't work, phone calls won't work. This is hard graft and personal work - even if they are saying no you're getting to know them and you'll be a face they recognize in the future - it matters.

Then when working be super reliable, easygoing, accommodating, and professional. You'll get rebooked. Your target is to get regular jobs at venues and get known for being easy to do business with.

That's how it's done. There are no easy routes.

 

[ChrisDowning]

"Musician's Guide to Brides: How to Make Money Playing Weddings"​

This is a book all about getting work at weddings and similar events. But most of it can be applied to any gig. It's full of useful info - may well be worth a read if you've never sought gigs before with bookers. It's on Amazon.

 

[marc88]

I won't pretend to have a lot of actionable knowledge, as I don't have a lot of gigging experience. But I do think it's important to nail down the why - or what you are ultimately trying to accomplish. And that will guide at least some of the questions you brought up. For instance, are you looking to release albums because you want to sell them and make money? Or just because you enjoy the album as an artistic statement? Or is recording really just about looking like a professional band so more people will book you and come to see you?

Any or all of those are good and legitimate goals/aspirations, but knowing which motivates you will probably change how you approach things. If it's about selling something, you'll want to look into pressing CDs. If it's just about promo, you'll want to make sure it's on as many streaming platforms and social media platforms as possible, and so on.

I do have one piece of generic advice for getting gigs. It's hard for new bands to get booked because like most jobs, people only want to hire you if you already have experience. Venues want some stability and peace of mind that you are going to show up and do the job without too much drama or difficulty. They want professionalism, and they want bands that are already gigging.

So, when you are pitching, it can be helpful to pretend like you are already a gigging band. Ideally, you should be sending materials to venues that include photos and videos of your band playing out. If you don't already have those photos/videos, make sure someone takes some the next time you do a coffee house or open mic. My last band used to rehearse in a practice space that was set up like a full stage, with lighting, etc., so we shot video of rehearsal and used that, since it looked like a gig. That's another option, if you can find a similar place. Anything you can do to look like a professional outfit, and downplay amateur status (no bedroom photos/videos), will add to a venue's comfort level that you can do the job. As you start to get your first gigs, take more photos/videos and replace the most obviously amateur ones until you look like y'all have been doing this full-time for years.

Awesome advice/food for thought! We actually had a good conversation the other day about our purpose and direction. Mostly about artistic expression and sharing what we do with people, so I think streaming content is more important at this point. Selling stuff/cd pressing would be cool, but not the highest priority. We do have some videos of coffee house stuff, but it’s real crappy quality and doesn’t exude professional vibes. However, our rehearsal space is coming together, so the idea of filming there to create content or a resume is really intriguing. I have a decent camera that shoots video too, so that seems like a good next step. Thanks for the ideas, almost a “fake it til you make it” notion lol

 

[marc88]

In general, the first (only) question you will be asked is "How's your draw?" If you don't have one, or even worse, lie about it, you're not going to get a second chance. Venue owners are in business, and that involves selling drinks/food to people.

We're lucky out here, as it's a huge tourist area, and wineries/breweries have a tremendous turn over, and built-in crowds. Music is considered a loss leader, so we play a LOT of those, as we are entertaining but not obnoxious.

Having something to sell is OK to generate some more $, but not necessary. The best thing you can have are cell phone videos of you guys playing well, in a full club w/people digging what you're doing. I know, it's a problem if you don't have any gigs.

Thanks for the reply! Definitely frustrating to think about. Totally understand and appreciate the point of view of venues and the importance of bringing in people; just hard to bring people without being able to get out there first to attract the people. Guess that’s the biggest challenge about getting the thing off the ground!

 

[marc88]

PA is a must, preferably one suitable for big and small gigs. A sound/video guy can make almost anybody sound good(no offense, just a general statement). Play as many community events, weddings and parties as you can, and be willing to fill in for cancelations at short notice.
Summer is short up there, so make the most of it

Thanks! No offense taken, I get what you’re saying. I have a decent mixer already for us; think it’s time to bite the bullet and get some powered PA speakers to go with it. I don’t necessarily see us a good wedding band (just not really our vibe) but the community events and parties idea is great. Private parties could be a good way to get some word of mouth going and video content.