We're a rock band playing originals and covers. We are versatile and have a bit of experience. For example we played a couple of local festivals in the summer (mostly originals), we played a private birthday party (originals and covers), and we even did a full Sgt Pepper tribute act. We've done numerous other gigs, but these are the most notable.
How would you guys suggest we go about getting more gigs? As a band who has not yet built a real fanbase? We can provide all our own PA etc. What do I do?
Any advice would be gratefully recieved. Thank you.
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Look at the social media of bands who are roughly similar to yourselves, there may be venues they play that you aren’t aware of you can contact.
Join local facebook groups for musicians as there might be requests to cover cancellations or a venue looking for a particular type of act. Some venues are quite active on social media so messaging via Facebook will probably get a reaction from them.
My most successful sales pitch is "We're not very loud, if you've come out for a drink and a chat with your mates you don't have to leave the pub when we start playing". We can pump it out when we need to, but volume is a critical and seriously underrated issue when trying to get repeat bookings IME.
We're now in the position where we haven't asked anyone for a gig for two years, everyone contacts us.
good luck
Band Stuff: https://navigationofficial.bandcamp.com/album/silhouette-ep
Understand why you're all in the band and what you want to achieve. The very fact you do originals and covers means it might be hard for you to get pigeon-holed and hired. Then, once you have the gig, what are you going to do to encourage the audience to to come and see you again and bring their mates? I know of a couple of bands that go out under one name to do their originals and another to do covers. One even supports themselves - originals for the support slot, Rush tribute as the main event.
If you're an originals band, find venues that hire originals bands. Make sure you have something about yourselves that is perceived as being unique or original - otherwise you'll be forgotten very quickly after the gig.
If you're a covers band, find the venues which attract audiences looking to have a drink and a dance listening to their favourite songs - and find out what those songs are...
If you're a functions band, act like one.
If you just want to gig infrequently to show off what you've been up to, promote your own gigs and market to your friends.
Use social media so the people that like you can take part in your journey and feel connected to you in some way. That will encourage word-of-mouth recommendation and a sense of loyalty and belonging.
Similar with visits in person. Eventually you'll get to the right person but they're often not working the shifts you can get to. We spent literally years trawling the local pubs of an evening (about a 20 mile radius 'local') week in, week out for a handful of gigs.
Persistence is key. Eventually you'll get there. And repeat bookings are marvellous.
I always found the best nights in terms of turn out fun & cash to be the ones myself and the band put on ourselves. Also don't just restrict yourself to pubs/clubs....
We played a few art galleries some open studios a cafe & a cinema...
If you get representation, they can attempt to find you work at venues where there is an audience for what you do. The fee is justifiable for the work it lands you.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/nov/12/threatin-band-fake-fanbase-tour
http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/143752/
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basically I wasn’t also looking on advice of how to get gigs. I play in an all originals band which we have professionally recorded and self released music (at our own cost) and I no want understand how lucky we are in what followed after reading the above.
through a friend we were offered a gig supporting a band with (for reference of their size only) just over 3k “likes” on Facebook. When it got to the gig there were only about 20 people there, but getting something in a very high profile venue with a well enough liked band was good enough.
through another friend we were offered a second gig playing before two high profile bands (in a nieche genre) with 50k followers between them online, there were around £150 people there.
it might seem like from this that we are doing really well but even getting these gigs more than six months apart has been difficult.
promoters where we are seem to oppoerste in such a closed off way.
Some expect you to create a whole profile on Music Glue uploading music Andy photos just to submit and interest of working with them, nothing. Ones back from that.
others simply operate a generically email address.
we have send a very well presented version of our electronic press kit that offers all the information they would need and have still had nothing back. We have also reached out to bands and managers directly when we see gigs that we assume we could offer something at, nothing.
im sorry for such a short long post, I’m going to follow this with genuine interest as to what people suggest, I just wanted to give more details on my specific case should someone be able to help