Booking Gigs DIY
Ok, in the old days, I must admit, this is how I booked a gig, I would drive to the venue in which I wanted my band or my solo act to perform at, I would speak with the owner/or manager of the venue, usually over the bar at a quiet time of business, I would give him or her a business card, and a print of my repertoire of covers and originals, as I was looking at gigs to entertain Patrons for up to 3-4 hours, and a list of references from other gigs. When I first went out "gig hunting", my references were the Country Music club I was involved in with my Fathers band, and then through the club, I joined a 5 piece pub rock band and we toured many towns in Central QLD, so I was able to gather a list of gigs I had played at, when I went out as a soloist.
Back then, the venue owners, well they mostly "gave you a go", so a Friday night was booked, and family and friends called up to come out and support, whom drank a lot, and then you were back on again the next Friday night, for a few months, then rotated with some one else whom took a turn. Payment was anywhere from $200 for a few hours solo, to $600, depending on the venue. In the 5 piece working band, payment was $100 each every gig, and we had gigs every weekend, people were going out , pubs were booking bands, we were on a circuit with other bands. We were performing covers, and I think performing covers is still a way to get regular gigs in most regional towns in Australia. Many of the cover bands back then in the 90s in Rockhampton QLD STILL play at their regular pub gigs, and STILL perform the same repertoire ! Which amazes me, and this does happen in a lot of regional towns, not just where I grew up. (I am a south west Victorian now the past 10 years, and before this, a traveller of Australia for 10 years performing all over the place where I could). When I went to Brisbane as a Soloist in the late 90s, I wanted to perform my originals in trendy restaurant bars, how I got gigs then, I had a few songs recorded on cassettes, they were actually still accepting back then at the cafes ! Plus a photo poster of myself how I would look if they hired me to entertain. It was by a few Italian and Irish owned restaurants that gave me regular bookings and I became apart of the furniture for a few years ! Even performed for their family birthday parties. I was paid $75 for a few sets of originals, and favourite covers by Suzanne Vega and Crowded House, haha, and a free meal and drinks. I only had one amp to carry around, a combo guitar and microphone input amp, 100 watt, and a Takamine acoustic electric guitar, I got a taxi to gigs, often the same drivers too somehow. I travelled to Westend, Paddington, Fortitude Valley, Milton, Petrie Tce, and the city for my gigs. I was young, only 21, and single, living in shared accommodation in Paddington. I did not own a computer or a mobile, it was before Facebook, but I somehow managed to earn a low income from music. However many things have changed since then, and there is more competition, more people getting out and recording and touring, which is good to see, though its a lot harder to earn a living from music, especially if you can not "give it all you've got", it can wear you down all that is needed now to promote yourself, and be mentally tiring, I am a family person now and not in a position to really give it my best effort, though I do remain a hobby musician, I home record my songs for iTunes, Spotify and Bandcamp, and film a few fun collage videos, and perform at a few Festivals , when I can get in them ! (plus Ukulele children's workshops).
But enough about my experience, this blog is to help YOU in your experience, in 2018, to get the gigs you want and get out there with your music !
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| Fiona Kershaw at The Loft live music in Warrnambool 2018 |
Here is some great points I have found from a number of sources available !
* Research the venue booker, get their name, email and a work phone number. Ask around to see if anyone else has worked with them before, find out what types of music/venues they book. Make sure they are going to be interested in your music. do you fit the venue's musical demographic?
*Find out the capacity of the venue. Can you realistically get the room to 60-100% full? Is this gig a special event like an EP or album launch?
*Ask some other bands, or soloists, if they would be interested in being a part of the lineup, make sure everyone is clear on the play order ahead of contacting the venue. Are you sure the other acts will pull their weight?
*Have a list of potential dates to present to the venue.
* Is your support material absolutely ready to be seen by industry professionals, does your website, bandcamp, facebook, Instagram etc include a fresh bio, great demo songs, great promo photos, contact info on clear display, active social media pages, a list of other gigs you've played?
*Is your stage plot and list of ideal technical specifications ready to go? chat with a sound engineer.
* Practice the hell out of your live set and make sure you, and all, feel confident that you have 45 minutes worth of great material (without song charts) that will hold your audience attention.
How to make Contact with the Venue Booker...
* Email the venue booker with a short spiel about your band/solo/lineup, with links to your various online presences and your preferred dates.
*1-3 weeks later (if you haven't heard back) follow up with another email or a polite call. Be Patient, bookers are busy folks. Remain friendly, concise, polite, don't hassle, nag them and don't be annoying.
* Allow plenty of breathing space for return contact, if they decide not to offer you a show, try to find out why. It may just be that they just don't have space from you right now, or maybe they don't think your ready? Maybe they would prefer you to have an Ep or album launch there instead? Don't be offended, ask if you can get in touch again down the track.
The Booking...
* Discuss payment methods. Common options include a door deal, a flat fee, or a percentage deal. It's usually up to the venue unless you can guarantee a full house. Make sure you understand the terms of this payment deal absolutely clearly, and that any ticket prices accurately reflect your band/events worth and ability to pull a crowd. (ie don't charge $20 unless you are confident people will pay that price to come watch you perform)
* Does the venue provide a PA? (Professional Audio) What kind of PA is it? Is it enough for your requirements? Is it free for the bands as part of the deal? Is it a cost along with their engineer? What production gear, if any, will you need to bring along?
* Does the venue provide stage lighting? Will you bring your own ?
*Does the venue provide backline ?(Guitar, Bass Amps etc) What is it ? Is it free for the bands as part of the deal? Talk to other bands in the lineup about sharing gear, make sure they all know what gear to bring, and make sure its all there for soundcheck.
*Does the venue provide door staff, or will you have to find door staff? Will you pre-sell tickets on-line like signing up with trybooking ? Or will the venue set up pre-sales ?
* Does the venue supply an entertainment rider? (free drinks, a meal, free accommodation etc)
*What time will the venue allow you to load in ? where ? can you do a soundcheck?
*Will the venue help you to advertise the gig, will they require you to print and send posters ?
* Have you planned a marketing strategy to get as many people there as possible ?
For more information visit musicindustryinsideout.com.au
I have taken notes from this site as well as my own thoughts from experiences.
Thank you for reading this blog and supporting live original music in South West Victoria !
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