Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 6:32 am Post subject: Getting people in the seats?
A question for all of you with bands out there -- how do you get people out to see you play? How are you postering? What makes a good poster? Do you do mass e-mailings? What is the art work like? How are you landing your gigs? What are you giving the clubs? CDs? What did you include in your demo?
I'd like to get more bums in the seats? How is everyone else doing it?
Joined: 19 Sep 2003 Posts: 646 Location: City of Trees, USA
Posted: Tue Nov 02, 2004 5:02 pm Post subject:
As a "professional" rear end seat-occupier at clubs, I'll tell you that the no. 1 thing that gets me out of the house and in to hear someone play is a personal invitation. Granted, Ventura, California, is not a huge music scene. I don't expect a personal invitation from the Rolling Stones when they come to L.A., but I've met enough local musicians and put my name and phone number on enough lists for them, and for a lot of acts that aren't local, that it isn't unusual for me to get a phone call from an artist I really like, letting me know that he or she is going to be at such-and-such club that weekend, and wouldn't I like to come on down? Posters, newspaper stories, e-mail, club listings, etc., are all great, but don't discount simply picking up the phone and inviting people.
Speaking of e-mail, getting people to sign up for e-mail gig updates is a great way to get the news out. Make it easy for them to sign up on your web site, and take paper sign-up lists wherever you go. Just make sure you keep your outgoing notices current and interesting. I get e-mails from Shane Dwight and Derek Trucks nearly every other day. Shane's frequently nearby, so that's cool. Derek just teases me with notes about just-added shows that are all 3,000 miles away. _________________ - BlueRunner
Joined: 16 Jun 2004 Posts: 56 Location: Mesa , Arizona (Its a Dry Heat!)
Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:00 am Post subject:
I agree with Bluerunners comments. Our band keeps a running email list and sends an email to the list weekly (even if we are not playing that week). Getting signups at the club to add people to the list.
I also use my internal email at work and send a copy of the weekly email to my co-workers. Between the two lists this gives a distribution of maybe 500 people.
Things that we put in the email.
Highlights from the last gig (we usually include a couple of pictures)
Current Schedule
List of new material we will be adding to the next shows.
(we try to keep the material fresh by adding at least 4 new songs a month either cover or original).
Another biggie to me is talking to the people in the clubs that you are playing at, this includes fronting during the performance as well as walking the club on breaks and talking with the patrons. Take that signup list with you. Also make that you invite them out to your next show, let them know where you are playing.
It has taken my band about 18 months to get a reasonable following of people that will show up for select clubs. The only problem is when you have a gig on the other side of town as in our case can be 50 miles away.
Other things that we do is to "flyer" the clubs at least two weeks before we play a gig. That way it gives people a chance to check out the website for the band, see what we do and where else we play.
Longevity is another key, if a people keeps seeing the same band name playing around their city, the odds are in time they will come out just to check you out. This especially goes for other bands!!
Keeping Gigging and Remember.......
Gary _________________ -------------------------------------------------------
Playing Bass, one thump at a time.
www.glaswerks.com www.tsjband.com
-------------------------------------------------------
Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 7:53 am Post subject: this
Well i understand why i don't get any gigs.
I am an artist i don't have to do the F.%@g job of the boss of the bar,
ok i will tell some people i am gonna play but not that much, granted that each time i tried to tell EVERYONE asking no one showed up ........,I don't have to do shoeshining for playing, i don't want to see all the people i know in front of me, i can't understand why .....silly thread...
Luckily enough , sometimes i play with a drummer who can brings 50 people to a gig : 30 Nice girls and 20 dudes no Kiddin'.
Everytime i tell him : Oh Man you ' re such a greater Manager than Drummer. He doens't need Internet , he does it live one month before, admitting that he was essentially selling my act (guitar hero one day guitar hero everyday .
Joined: 26 Nov 2003 Posts: 916 Location: Fairhope, AL
Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 8:43 am Post subject: bums in the seats
Okay, now that Blob has completely confused us all, we use a website with our schedule on it. We also work the room during a gig and try to connect with people. Our promo pack has a picture, CD, and a set list, and a short bio of the band. We rely heavily on personal invitations, and I agree that they work the best, although we have a lot of people that watch the web site. I like the idea of flyering the club a couple of weeks before the gig. We may try that. Thanks for the ideas,
Frank
Joined: 21 Jul 2003 Posts: 401 Location: College Station, TX
Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 11:39 am Post subject:
Blob makes a good point - as an artist how much responsibility do you have to hustle an audience and how much responsibility does a bar owner have? I think the answer falls somewhere in between. But it has been my experience that the bar owner will do as little as possible (and spend as little as possible) for promotion.
However, I, for one, got into music to make music, not to learn how to manage a band, set up a web site, hang fliers, etc. This leaves me with two choices. Pay someone to do it, or don't complain when nobody shows up. I usually choose the later, because I gave up on trying to figure out what people will pay money for (see the video clip on the other thread as an example), and because I just don't have the time. So I play to make myself happy and if the vibe I put out makes other people happy and dance, this is a good thing.
If I did this for a living it would be different, I am sure.
And to go back the original question, I try and play my ass off when it is my turn to shine, and play my ass off when I am supporting the other members of the band when they are shining. This is what I want to see when I pay to see a band and if I like what I see and hear I will tell other people and so on.
Joined: 16 Jun 2004 Posts: 56 Location: Mesa , Arizona (Its a Dry Heat!)
Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 1:55 pm Post subject:
telefunk1 wrote:
But it has been my experience that the bar owner will do as little as possible (and spend as little as possible) for promotion.
This is pretty much standard as bar owners go (especially here in Phoenix). We feel lucky when we get an add in New Times (the local entertainment rag.
.
telefunk1 wrote:
However, I, for one, got into music to make music, not to learn how to manage a band, set up a web site, hang fliers, etc. This leaves me with two choices. Pay someone to do it, or don't complain when nobody shows up. I usually choose the later, because I gave up on trying to figure out what people will pay money for (see the video clip on the other thread as an example), and because I just don't have the time. So I play to make myself happy and if the vibe I put out makes other people happy and dance, this is a good thing.
So did I, starting playing to have fun. But once you make the transisition from bedroom to barroom things do change. Here in the Phoenix area there is only one thing the owner wants to know.... "Does your band have a following" "How many people can we expect" etc etc etc....
I have several friends here in the Phoenix area that play music full time for a living and do pretty well. But they are still promoting themselves in some way everyday of the week to keep the crowds coming to where they are playing and to find new places to play. In the "local" music business it is very much dog eat dog and the only way a band is going to keep playing is through self promotion, or hire a booking agent that has the contacts, mailing etc...
As far as what people want to see.... hmmmm.... A few years ago there was local band around here that had a couple of scantily clad go-go dancers on either side of the stage. That really seemed to keep the crowd entertained and boy did they have a following. Means just another split or two in those big bucks the owners are paying these days for bands.
If there is an easier way please let me know, I really hate di"&ing with club owners because "I" had a bad night. (Or should I say, they did not sell enough booze.......)
Gary _________________ -------------------------------------------------------
Playing Bass, one thump at a time.
www.glaswerks.com www.tsjband.com
-------------------------------------------------------
Last edited by glasman on Thu Nov 04, 2004 2:23 pm; edited 1 time in total
I think that cuts to the heart of it, Glasman. I've played my share of "paid rehersals" playing to no one on a Sunday night or "get a cut of the bar" clubs, so if you don't put bums in the seats, you don't get paid. I've just gotten to the point where I really appreciate interacting with an audience. And I do like to see some money come in and while it probably won't be a career, it does gets invested in gear, demos, those sorts of things.
And while I hear what both blob and telefunk are saying, two things come to mind. One, bar owners sell booze. You'd think it would be in their interest to promote the band, but rarely does it work that way. So that leaves it up to me. Second, and more importantly, I personally enjoy things when I have a good turnout in the room I play to. I like the vibe off a crowded room. I like seeing people dance and have a good time. Crowds do feed off one another.
Finally, some nights are good -- but when you are playing on a busy night around town, or a Wednesday or your friends can't make it out, you still want that good crowd. So I think that as a musician that doesn't mind doing the promotion -- and that's just me -- I want to ensure that crowd is always there.
I also want to break through to new audiences, not just maintain the old ones. There's a whole generation of kids coming up that only know DJ's, haven't even seen a band. I'd like to get them out. And we all know how private functions, weddings, those sorts of things have been taken over by DJ's as well -- but we all know how much fun it can be to have a real band at a party. And I find, the more I play, the more chance I have of someone seeing the band and booking us.
Joined: 13 Jul 2003 Posts: 1043 Location: Boulder, CO
Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 5:56 pm Post subject:
Back in the olden days when I was playing 6 nights a week. We use to play the same place 4 to 6 nights in a row and sometimes for a couple of weeks in row. Then over time you would develop a following because you see the same people over and over.
Joined: 08 Aug 2003 Posts: 943 Location: Terra Firma, Ether Sea
Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2004 9:36 pm Post subject:
Cal wrote:
...Second, and more importantly, I personally enjoy things when I have a good turnout in the room I play to. I like the vibe off a crowded room. I like seeing people dance and have a good time. Crowds do feed off one another....
This may be slightly off from the main theme of this thread, but people's thoughts jogged a fond memory of my 'player' days in Portland, Oregon 20 years ago and I couldn't help but smile.
Sneaky Pete's was a small tavern on east Burnside or Glisan (Time tends to be such a fog with details). My band, Frank Van Zepplin & the Rolling Sex Beatles, was playing a week's worth of gigs there and it was a busy, packed house, Friday night.
There came a point, mid set, mid song, when I had my featured moment to shine, and stepped down off the stage onto the dance floor to wander thru the dancing audience as I blazed out an extended solo on guitar.
Suddenly a young lady, drunk I assumed as she steadied herself against a wall with her hand, reached out with her other hand to grip the horn of my Strat and, while smiling with closed eyes, held on for several minutes as she stood in one place swaying & dancing.
I freaked for a second but, realizing she intended no harm to my ax, I let her hold it for awhile till she finally opened her eyes and, with a big grin into my eyes, finally let it go. I quickly worked my way back to the stage and Craig, our vocalist, picked up the vocals as we finished out the song.
About half an hour later, as I slugged down a brew at the bar during a break between sets, I pointed out the girl, who was now playing pool with some of her friends, to my fellow band mates who were gathered around and mentioned how odd her behavior had been during my solo.
Their reply was: "Hey, didn't you realize? She and that group of people she's with are all totally deaf! They had their hands on the walls to feel the vibrations of the music as they danced. When she wanted to intimately 'hear' and enjoy your solo and you let her hang onto your guitar, man, you made her whole night for her! She loved it and I'm sure you made a big fan out of her."
I saw her a couple of times again at future gigs but never got the chance to talk with her, though that night she made me a fan of hers, too. If all my years as a struggling, bottom-of-the-ladder performer ever in any way needed justification, the look in her eyes as she smiled at me and held my guitar that night was worth all the gold anyone could have, but never did, pay me. _________________ B C-ing U!
( }:-Daved
"This boy's diseased with rhythm!" -Bing Crosby (Road To Rio, '49)
Joined: 21 Jul 2003 Posts: 401 Location: College Station, TX
Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2004 1:07 pm Post subject:
Just want to put my comments in context, so they may make more sense (or not). I have done the heavy promotion thing and fronted my own band in the past - did all the booking, fliers, owned and handled the PA, etc. My experience taught me two things - I was not very good at it, especially since it took a lot of time away from playing and learning, and second, most times it did not really help. My answer to this is to focus on being a "sideperson" as opposed to a band leader, front man, manager, whatever. I look for gigs where I am expected to play, not promote, and I have been much happier. I may not get to play exactly what I want, but I get pretty close and have expanded my knowledge and ability too. While I miss the feeling of being in a "band" and the sense of community one has when musicians try and make it big or at least work to a common goal, this is just not realistic to my life these days (old grumpy fart with kids and responsibilities).
Now, for some context.... I live in a college town where the primary factors in getting butts in seat are - no cover or very low cover (under 5 bucks), chicks in the crowd, type of music (around here it is frat-country - and if you have to ask what this is, don't bother beacuse it sucks), and cheap beer. The only factor I have any control over is the type of music and I would frankly rather play in front of 5 people who are digging what I do, than 50 who would rather listen to something else. RF played here 6-7 years ago and there were maybe 40 people in the club. People just did not care, even woth newspaper coverage before the show. Other name guitar players come through town and have the same reaction - people don't want to pay 15-20 bucks for a band.
A club I play at on a regular basis books a lot of local bands, for free, but gives them an hour or so of stage time. While this is very gracious of the club, most times it ends up being a frat cover band and all the members have to show up - but they do not drink or buy food and leave as soon as the band is finished. Very surreal first time I witnessed this.
So, in a nutshell, my views on getting butts into seats may be a little skewed becasue of my experiences and where I live. But I still cling to the notion that if I play well, am a nice guy to deal with, show up and start on time, people will enjoy what I do and want to come back. Seems to be working for now. But tomorrow is another day...
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As a "professional" rear end seat-occupier at clubs, I'll tell you that the no. 1 thing that gets me out of the house and in to hear someone play is a personal invitation. Granted, Ventura, California, is not a huge music scene. I don't expect a personal invitation from the Rolling Stones when they come to L.A., but I've met enough local musicians and put my name and phone number on enough lists for them, and for a lot of acts that aren't local, that it isn't unusual for me to get a phone call from an artist I really like, letting me know that he or she is going to be at such-and-such club that weekend, and wouldn't I like to come on down? Posters, newspaper stories, e-mail, club listings, etc., are all great, but don't discount simply picking up the phone and inviting people.
Well i understand why i don't get any gigs.
we use a website with our schedule on it. We also work the room during a gig and try to connect with people. Our promo pack has a picture, CD, and a set list, and a short bio of the band. We rely heavily on personal invitations, and I agree that they work the best, although we have a lot of people that watch the web site. I like the idea of flyering the club a couple of weeks before the gig. We may try that. Thanks for the ideas,
