Stay in good terms!

I've noticed this especially in the metal world, but don't have a "bad ass" attitude with everyone you meet. Don't be egotistical and obnoxious. You won't succeed if you are. One of the largest secrets to a successful band is by staying in good terms with everyone you meet.

Be respectful to every band you play with or don't play with. Try to be at the show before the first band goes on (unless it's you of course) and stay until the last band is done. Support the bands and try to be in front of the stage, give them high fives, scream for them, etc. whenever possible. Why would I say this? The other bands will strongly support you and your band in future shows. I remember the first time I stayed and supported another band my band played with. I stood in the front and went wild. Throughout their entire show they said "I'd like to thank [my band] for playing with us tonight! They're an amazing band! Check them out when you get a chance!" Ever since then, we have supported each other by helping each other get shows or just showing up to each others shows just to say hi. In return, we trade merchandise, play shows together and just have fun.

Be friendly with the venues and booking agents you play for. Remember, they're not just booking your band to help you out. In fact, almost 99% of the time they're booking bands to make money. Be sure to thank them during your set. After you're done, personally go over to the booking agent and thank them: "I appreciated working with you and we look foward to working with you in future." Say it even if you don't mean it! You never know where they may end up working at or with. You don't want them telling you "Well, you weren't really nice so thanks but no thanks." Okay, that's an exaggeration. More accurately, they probably won't respond to your email or voice mail. Even if you do get a hold of them, they'll probably say "let me see what I can do and I'll call you back". And they won't. Just remember that they will probably talk to other venues and booking agents to. Stay on good terms with one and you'll stay on good terms with all.

Finally, be kind to members who are trying out and don't make it or former members. What ever happened in the past is the past. Support what ever their decisions are even if it's not in your best interest. You never know if they'll be in a band that could help you get a show or in a record label in the future. A perfect example of this happened just the other day with my band. We were trying out other guitarists and this guy called me before he tried out and said: "Hey, I appreciate the opportunity you gave me but I decided to start my own band." My response: "Well great! Thanks for the call and good luck in the future. Please call me if you'd like to set up a show sometime!". A similar situation happened in a past band and we got shows in another state very easily.

Getting gigs

Getting gigs are not always easy, especially if you're in a band that hasn't played any at all. So what's the trick?



1. Finding the venues

• Well a good start is looking for bands with your same style in your area. See if they have a myspace page or some kind of website. Look at their calendars and see where they play.


• Well you most certainly have gone to a concert before, especially if you're a musician.


• Drive around and look at bars or theatres. Hop inside quickly and ask if they play bands and most importantly ask them if they host your style of music.

2. Contacting the venues

• Most venues have websites or a myspace page now. Try finding it and see if they have a contact number, email or a contact form anywhere. Send them a message talking about your band. An example would look like
  

  Hello, I am in currently in a band named [band name] and we're searching to play at your venue. We play a [music genre] style sound and we'd like to see if you have any shows upcoming with similar bands that we could play with. We are willing to play any time slot and we can bring in a crowd (insert a number of fans you can bring in if it's at least 25. Otherwise don't bother). Thank you.



• If they don't have a web site, try to find a flyer of the venue you'd like to play at. Usually at the top of the flyer it will say "Blah produtions presents..." or something similar. Try finding their website or a method of contacting them. If the venue doesn't do booking, most likely this booking agency (or production company) books some or all their shows.


• If all else fails, try physically going to the venue and speaking with one of the staff members directly. Ask who the booking agent or manager is and they'll almost always direct you to the right person.

3. Hire a booking agency

• Unfortunately, getting a booking agency is not that easy. You will most likely need to have played some shows and proove you can bring in a crowd before a booking agency will even work with you. Most likely, they will interiew your band and come to one of your shows to see the turn-out before working with you.


• Advantages: Guaranteed booking just about anywhere. They will probably set up tours for you. It may be regional, national or international tours even! They will also market your shows for you! The best way to find a booking agency is again looking at posters of similar artists and seeing if they have a production company. Most booking agencies work through record companies too, so check record label websites and see if you can find information on who does booking for them. If you're interested, see if you can find information on how to submit a demo while you're there.


• Disadvantages: You will most likely have to sign a contract. Also, you will probably either pay a set fee or a percentage of all ticket sales, or even both!

Please comment if you know any other ways.