Getting The Gig - Best Tactics In Dealing With Hesitant Venues

[tobywalker]

Hi Folks,

 

I thought this would make an interesting topic given the fact that there are members out there that may have trouble getting gigs.

 

I'm sure we've all gone through this scenario: You've sent off your press kit, followed up with an email and phone call and still nothing has come of it. What do you do at this point?

 

Before I had an agent there were a few things that I used to do in dealing with this situation.

 

1. First off, I made sure that my act (I'm a solo performer) was appropriate for the venue. Do they hire solo acts? Is my genre something that would interest them? etc. Your act may not fit the criteria they are looking for so it may be best to let that one go.

 

2. If that passed my second step was to make sure that the press kit was delivered to the proper person in the first place. Sometimes you simply may have sent it off to the wrong party. Or it may not have been delivered at all. Perhaps there is someone new doing the booking these days. Have you updated your files?

 

3. Next I would let the venue know if I were performing anywhere in the immediate area... and I would also let them know that I would put them on the guest list. Perhaps the reason you haven't been hired is simply because they need to see acts in a live setting. Give them that chance. The other thing that is good about this is that it lets the venue know that you're out there working and promoting your gigs.

 

4. Speaking of promotion... you not only have to be the one that does this but you also have to let people know that you are serious about promoting your shows. I could go on and on about how to promote your show... that's another topic in it's own right... but you get the idea. If a venue knows you're serious about promoting your shows then they know you're serious about your business.

 

5. Keep a diary of how often and when you've been in touch with them. Make sure you don't overdo it by sending them too many messages in a short period of time. Furthermore, include them on your Priority mailing list - meaning that you don't have to let them know of every single gig you're doing... just the nearby ones and of course any important news that happens to you. Have you won an award? Made an important list? Had a lot of airplay? Had an article written about you? Let the ones on your Priority Mailing List know this.

 

Sometimes of course none of this works... and that's just the way it may be. But, more times than not if you've got a good act and let people know it you will get results. Spread the positive news about yourself, let others know you're serious about your business and good things will come.

 

Good Luck.

 

Toby Walker

http://www.littletobywalker.com

[JonChorba]

Nice post dude! Great advice!

[Dan Acheron]

Thanks! Awesome advice!

[MDLMUSIC]

Very well thought out and explained concisely and thoroughly.

 

I am waiting for that other post you mentioned about how to promote yourself, especially as a solo act.

[tobywalker]

 

Very well thought out and explained concisely and thoroughly. I am waiting for that other post you mentioned about how to promote yourself, especially as a solo act.

 

 

That'll be my next post. It's a great topic to discuss and I'm sure a lot of us will have many good ideas to contribute.

[richardmac]

This is a great thread, especially for me, because this is exactly what I suck at. And I bet I'm not alone. I can get up in front of 100 people and play and sing, and talk to them, but doing a cold call at a restaurant or bar is very hard for me. When I was a little kid I was forced to participate in some door to door fundraising activities and I hated every stinking second of it, and I noticed that adults don't have to do such things, and I vowed that as an adult I would never be a salesman. I ended up taking a job selling audio equipment and I sucked badly at it, which reaffirmed the fact that talking to strangers and trying to sell them something was revolting to me AND I sucked at it.

 

I would highly encourage people to NOT be like me - there's nothing to be afraid of whatsoever. Just be sure you are not approaching people during peak business hours (lunch or dinner if they serve food, whenever the place is packed if they're a bar.) If you have the stones to make a list of every place within 20 miles that might be a good fit and approach every one, you'll definitely get gigs.

 

For the cowards, like me, there are a few cowardly alternatives. Email works about one time out of 30 to 50. But don't expect "good" gigs this way. Still, it's better than sitting at home.

 

Another alternative that is NOT cowardly is to go sign up with a booking agency. I did that, and got precisely zero gigs. I think I know why. In my tryout, they asked me if I was unemployed, out of work, etc. I was honest and told them no, I had a good job and music was just a hobby for me. So when it came time to book an act, there were a ton of unemployed talented musicians they'd already signed ahead of me who deserved gigs more. So I told them "Thanks but no thanks."

 

So the next cowardly alternative is to find a friend to go and visit clubs for you. For a small fee. That works pretty well as long as you've got a good press kit, and that's what I'm currently doing.

[BlueStrat]

Lots of great stuff there! The only one I haven't seen work much is number 3- because generally the guy/gal doing the booking is the owner or manager and they're working their tails off about the time I'm performing. I have one friend who brings his guitar with him and offers to give the booking people a live sample right in their office or bar if he's there during off hours. They get to hear him, and then they often pull the calendar out right then and there and give him a date or two. If the mountain won't come to Mohammed.....

[BlueStrat]

 

This is a great thread, especially for me, because this is exactly what I suck at. And I bet I'm not alone. I can get up in front of 100 people and play and sing, and talk to them, but doing a cold call at a restaurant or bar is very hard for me. When I was a little kid I was forced to participate in some door to door fundraising activities and I hated every stinking second of it, and I noticed that adults don't have to do such things, and I vowed that as an adult I would never be a salesman. I ended up taking a job selling audio equipment and I sucked badly at it, which reaffirmed the fact that talking to strangers and trying to sell them something was revolting to me AND I sucked at it. I would highly encourage people to NOT be like me - there's nothing to be afraid of whatsoever. Just be sure you are not approaching people during peak business hours (lunch or dinner if they serve food, whenever the place is packed if they're a bar.) If you have the stones to make a list of every place within 20 miles that might be a good fit and approach every one, you'll definitely get gigs. For the cowards, like me, there are a few cowardly alternatives. Email works about one time out of 30 to 50. But don't expect "good" gigs this way. Still, it's better than sitting at home. Another alternative that is NOT cowardly is to go sign up with a booking agency. I did that, and got precisely zero gigs. I think I know why. In my tryout, they asked me if I was unemployed, out of work, etc. I was honest and told them no, I had a good job and music was just a hobby for me. So when it came time to book an act, there were a ton of unemployed talented musicians they'd already signed ahead of me who deserved gigs more. So I told them "Thanks but no thanks." So the next cowardly alternative is to find a friend to go and visit clubs for you. For a small fee. That works pretty well as long as you've got a good press kit, and that's what I'm currently doing.

 

 

Rich,

 

one thing you night try is find another performer and form a duo. Then you're out meeting venue owners, they hear you, and then you can hit them up for weekday work. I did a duo with this young female singer last night (she sings and plays guitar, I play lead and fills behind her on both acoustic or electric) but when she needed a break, I'd do a few songs on acoustic by myself. The owner liked what I did and after the gig, booked us both back for another show in May and then handed me his card and said sometimes he needs someone to do solo shows for events. SCORE!

[richardmac]

That's a great idea.

[BlueStrat]

 

That's a great idea.

 

 

Yes, it's also a great way to double your chances of work...and maybe between two of you, you can get more bookings.

[daddymack]

especially if she is an attractive young girl who plays ukelele...

[tobywalker]

 

Rich, one thing you night try is find another performer and form a duo.

 

 

Yes, I agree.. .that's a good idea which works on a couple of levels: Each one of you can bring in your own following. The club owner will like this for obvious reasons but this also gives you the chance to add that 'new' audience to your own fan list. My agent did this with myself and a great songwriter named Pat Wictor whom she was also handling at the time. We both wound up adding to our fan base from each others list. The other benefit was that the gig was booked as a 'co-bill' - meaning that each performer had some of his own time to play solo... thus ensuring themselves of an audition for the club owner as well as audience members who may not have been familiar with them. The owners loved this idea because it relieved them of having to find an additional act as a co-bill... we basically had one already built in! After couple of gigs Pat and I built up enough of an audience to eventually score a solo gig at the venues. A win-win on all accounts.