Jump to content

Biz Questions


Recommended Posts

  • Members

So I've been trolling HC a long time, but only rejoined (after 7 yrs absence) recently.

 

Thing is, just when I had given up all aspirations of being more than a garage band, I hooked up with amazingly talented players who have taken our band "Bone Machine" to the next level (of possibilities).

 

So, in an effort to make some progression -not shooting for the stars, just progression - I have been working on handling some of the internet-based "marketing" of our 4-month old band. We're very excited about our potential, and are trying to figure out the way forward. We live in a small satellite community of Vancouver, BC, that is isolated by a ferry ride. Only 40,000 people live in the whole region, but our thought is that once we get established here, we can make the transition to better paying gigs in Vancouver.

 

To the questions:

 

Are there any sites that are organized around listening to band's songs/video and giving/receiving critiques (besides youtube)? Obviously HC is not the place, unless one has several thousand posts.

 

We're setting up a myspace page with the presumption that myspace hits would equate into "popularity" (in the eyes of venues), but that seems a Catch-22... how do we get people to listen to our stuff? I've heard of trolling around other popular band videos and saying: "Hey, check out our video" but that seems so... hijack-ful.

 

Have got a channel on youtube, and one of our songs received 250 hits in 3 days, but no new hits since then. My thought is that is prolly the number of people that our 4 band members are directly networked to... how to get heard by people that aren't forced to listen to us cause we're related ? :)

 

Ultimately, all of this is because we're in a Battle of the Bands competition whose main prize is an audition for LiveNation, who puts on the locally well-known Pemberton music fest next Summer (a big deal around here). We are in the latter stages, and by outward appearances, we will have a very good chance of achieving this goal, and we want to be as prepared as possible for that opportunity.

 

Any advice/comments/flames are hugely appreciated by me!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Moderators

All good questions, all asked here pretty frequently.

I would say worry about your current situation first.

Not knowing how experienced the band members are, I would suggest that you work on your ground floor before you plan an addition to a building that doesn't exist.

 

Get gigging, get busy, get a local following and get some local press.

 

As far as the Battle of the Bands, well it is a nice 'target', but 90% of those are predetermined promotional BS, and the winner is already decided before all the entrants have paid their fees....I'm just sayin'...not that it will hurt you to do it, but don't pin your dreams on that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Agreed. Pretty good chance the Battle of The Bands organizer is a pedophile. Do you guys have sex offender lists up there in Canada. If so, a quick look could seriously increase your chances of making it into the final rounds.

 

As far as your on line stuff. Start small and work your way outwards. Many people are leaving myspace for facebook. I HATE it, but it is a fact. Just make friends with local bands, venues, and scenesters. Then work your way out further and further geographically. That should keep you busy for a year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Thanks for the info Gents.

 

We're pretty experienced - or, at least, the other guys have been in some very successful bands a few years back. Not me, I'm the proverbial garage band guy, but hooking up with a pro drummer and lead gtr has me thinking completely different.

 

Totally understand the battle of the bands thing, but you have to understand how we are quite isolated, and for the Sunshine Coast, this is a big {censored}ing deal. But ya, I think yer prolly right re. rigged...

 

OK, I will get a facebook fan page going, as well. Thanks for the advice.

 

If anyone wants to check us out, please look at the "Meet my Band" thread in the live music section for links (or pm me). Very keen to have someone else give us feedback besides my Dad saying that he thought I looked sweaty...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Members

In my opinion the only site you should be concerned with is Google.

 

Giving MySpace and all those other cheezy band sites your music is like signing the worst record deal in history.

 

Learn SEO, blogging and email list building and make the big G your only middle man.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...