Breaking into your local circuit as a solo artist.

[teaislife]

hey there guys : )

 

I'm just after some advice.

I often hear from many people about artists who have a regular line up of gigs in their local area from the same venues. From this they get the opportunity to do what they love and they also make enough money to live by.

 

I'm basically a music student who has decided to take a gap year before going to London for university. I'm musically able, and am confident that i could entertain an audience as i have done in the past, for as much time as needed.

 

I just need some advice on how i could get myself a string of gigs as a solo artist, bearing in mind the fact that i have very few links and I'm basically at square one.

[CountRobula]

I'd also like some advice, because I'm planning on doing this for a year or two once I get out of high school and try to get into a music college, just to build some experience, and possibly meet the local players and try to start a long-term band with some passionate musicians. I live around the New York area, if that really makes a difference in how I should approach this. Just call them up and ask about it? Anything else I should keep in mind? I have no idea or any experience with this, I'm young and I'll be going right into it when the time comes. Gonna go to a few open mics in my immediate area, most likely, as well.

[sventvkg]

Put a good demo of you doing 3 short cover songs..video and Audio. Put it on a DVD....Also have pics and songlist on there. Have a hard copy versions of them as well. Go to every venue in your area that features solo acts and ask for the manager, talk to them and leave them with your packet. Try to get an audition if you can. If they like you or you very good they will call you but even so, start calling them all in about a week. Find out the best time to reach them in the morning or afternoon when they are not too busy. Do this for a couple months and you will have all the work you need if you are good.

[CountRobula]

Alright, perfect. I'll write all of that down. I could most likely pull off rock solid covers of acts ranging from country to alt rock or the blues, so I'm sure if there's any chance for me getting a solo gig, it'll happen. Thanks, man!

 

Know of any songs that go over well in a solo acoustic kind of context? I have plenty in mind, but some of them are a bit slow, some are a bit aggressive and dark, and I really don't know what works for that kind of venue/gig.

[richardmac]

It's the "make enough money to live by" that will be tough. It can be done, yes. I know a few guys who do it. But they're older guys who've been doing music for years and know a whole ton of people and have established relationships for years.

 

To my mind, with no experience, finding some really good open mic nights is step one. This will give you more experience playing in front of people and getting comfortable. It will also let you network with other musicians. This can lead to gigs, new friends, and all kinds of other benefits.

 

You also have to build up enough material to be able to play for up to 3 hours. Some people play for 4. Yuck! You can play songs more than once, usually, depending on the gig. Ah, but what songs to play? You can play your favorite songs and make 8 bucks in the tip jar at the local coffee shop, or you can research the area and find out exactly what the venues want and play that.

 

Once you know the market, learn the songs the market/venues want, practice, do some gigs and get your show down, then do all the stuff sventvkg suggested.

 

There are gigs out there where a solo artist can make a hundred bucks a night, but depending on your area, you may be competing with guys who do it professionally and are very in tune with the scene and what music will work, and the local venues trust them.

 

Take it one step at a time and if you are really good, you'll get there with persistence. The biggest thing is to not get discouraged when you don't just waltz into a bunch of paying gigs as a solo artist. It takes a lot of time and effort. And if you DO waltz into a bunch of paying gigs, let me know how you did it.

[richardmac]

 

Know of any songs that go over well in a solo acoustic kind of context? I have plenty in mind, but some of them are a bit slow, some are a bit aggressive and dark, and I really don't know what works for that kind of venue/gig.

 

 

Find the venues you want to play and see what is already working well there. It'll be a much easier sell to management. Again, if you want money, it's not about what you'd like to play - it's about what will go over with the crowd. if you're lucky, you can find stuff people want to hear that you enjoy playing.

[daddymack]

 

Find the venues you want to play and see what is already working well there. It'll be a much easier sell to management. Again, if you want money, it's not about what you'd like to play - it's about what will go over with the crowd. if you're lucky, you can find stuff people want to hear that you enjoy playing.

That is the key; you need to sell them what they want.

Also see if any of these places have 'open mic' nights. Not only can that sometimes cover as an audition, but you can size up the competition as well.

I also suggest before going in cold to a venue to drop your packet, you should spend a night (or two, at least for a set or two) at each one, to see what their current entertainment is like, how they go over, what you could do to do it better, etc. Know the audience, know the venue, bring your best game.

[sventvkg]

 

Alright, perfect. I'll write all of that down. I could most likely pull off rock solid covers of acts ranging from country to alt rock or the blues, so I'm sure if there's any chance for me getting a solo gig, it'll happen. Thanks, man! Know of any songs that go over well in a solo acoustic kind of context? I have plenty in mind, but some of them are a bit slow, some are a bit aggressive and dark, and I really don't know what works for that kind of venue/gig.

 

 

I've always made a good living playing music..Enough to live on between my solo gigs and band. Haven't worked for a $100 a night in almost 20 years. Will do a 3 hour set for $150 now and then but I mostly make $200 a night and up in the US and considerably more on the gigs I do I EU. Most of the guys I know in S. FL make $150-200 a Night for 3-4 hours solo but you have to have a GOOD list and be able to go at it as Richard says, 3-4 hours by yourself. Do you want me to PM you my solo songlist in text format?

[Surrealistic]

A cautionary tale: Not naming names but I know a few people who've acheived various degrees of fame and critical acclaim in the music world who'll tell you it's tough making "enough money to live by" on music alone. It obviously depends on how much money you need to live by, but I know I couldn't afford to live on what they make.

[Poker99]

A cautionary tale: Not naming names but I know a few people who've acheived various degrees of fame and critical acclaim in the music world who'll tell you it's tough making "enough money to live by" on music alone. It obviously depends on how much money you need to live by, but I know I couldn't afford to live on what they make.

 

Rock stars have day jobs now.

[CountRobula]

I've always made a good living playing music..Enough to live on between my solo gigs and band. Haven't worked for a $100 a night in almost 20 years. Will do a 3 hour set for $150 now and then but I mostly make $200 a night and up in the US and considerably more on the gigs I do I EU. Most of the guys I know in S. FL make $150-200 a Night for 3-4 hours solo but you have to have a GOOD list and be able to go at it as Richard says, 3-4 hours by yourself. Do you want me to PM you my solo songlist in text format?

 

If you'd like to send it to me, sure, I'd be incredibly appreciative.

 

I'm well aware that I'll be making peanuts, and it's really just for experience and to network so I could later start a serious band. Even then, It's obvious in my mind that I'll need a day job, as I'm trying to make artistic stuff that won't easily make it to a label because it isn't part of the formula. I don't care what I play at this point, as it's for experience. I'll probably start out at the local open mics as suggested.

[MCRedux]

Not much to add. But...I would learn the piano ASAP.

 

If you are playing solo, you can get a fuller and more dynamic sound with a keyboard than with one acoustic guitar. To put this in perspective, over here we have dueling piano bars that can entertain a crowd of 100+. That's just two pianists. Two acoustic guitars would end up being drowned out in the noise.

 

Also, if you can play the keyboard, it will make it inordinately easier to network. Everyone plays guitar. Nobody really plays the keyboard.

 

Either way, good luck.

[stomias]

A friend of mine (pianist) made up menu's listing the band or artist and a list of the songs from them. He passed them around and basically took requests that way. About 3 years running he made north of 100,000k, many nights pulling in 4-5 hundred in just tips.