Members MetallicBlueAx Posted February 25, 2007 Members Share Posted February 25, 2007 YARGH! My group has played a decent amount of shows over the past few years. I feel we are talented and have good music, but I am sort of dumbfounded just by the entire thing of... booking gigs and promoting and AHH! Most of the shows we have played we have been invited to play from another band. Sometimes we will bring in an ok group of people, but even after playing 60 shows around the area within the past couple of years, it seems like it's a hassle to really bring in a GOOD crowd by ourselves. We are 16, 17, and 18. Not very old, I know, but I am usually able to deal with older people and musicians fairly well... I don't think I am immature or anything like that, same with the other guys, but is going around downtown areas and handing out flyers to people for a show with bands they've never heard really going to convince people to go, especially if those people are in their 20's? Basically I'm looking really for methods on how to just get people to come out to our shows, promoting, etc.. I feel like we've hardly done ANY promotion for our shows, partly because previous bandmembers have been pretty non-caring about anything that involves any kind of work. But we have a good group now and just kind of need direction. We've been lucky and still gotten to play in front of good crowds most of the time. But where should we pass out flyers? What other kind of methods are there? If we play a show in a city that isn't our own, maybe a half hour away, or say even farther, like a few hours, how can we promote there being so far away (other than just online)? How can I find promoters and that kind of stuff? Big mess of thoughts here. Any sort of reflection or info or anything would be great. Thanks! - Mick www.myspace.com/monkeyjacket Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ZachMetal Posted February 25, 2007 Members Share Posted February 25, 2007 Use your myspace. Get lots of friends in your area, thats basically how it worked with my last band... That and knowing promotion worth {censored}. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MetallicBlueAx Posted February 25, 2007 Author Members Share Posted February 25, 2007 How about, let's pretend I don't know promotion worth {censored}. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members joncyberboy Posted February 26, 2007 Members Share Posted February 26, 2007 Speculate to accumilate!Basically do a few shows where you really push the boat out, hand out free CD's, hang with the audience, buy them drinks, hnad out booze from the stage. Word will spread that you put on a party and before you know it hopefully people will come along and through shear numbers actually create that vibe without you having to do it. So flyer a gig {censored}ing LOADS saying about these cool things you're doing, then do them! Maybe over a few gigs. Maybe one a month at the same venue on a certain date, like last friday of the month, so people KNOw when you'll be playing. In the end hanging out with the crowd is the best and tends to be what younger bands fail at. They take it too seriously and don't keep a fun vibe happening. I was terrible at this when i was 18. Just got the hang of it now at 27. Use myspace to advertise these gigs (fewer really well promoted special gigs are better than a ton of random gigs) with bulletins, event invites, get friends to post out about it too. Create any buzz you can. Hand out flyers after shows by other bands, hang out at the venue you want to play and talk to people there, take free CD's etc and just spread the word. Live music is HUGE at the moment, but there are a LOT of bands competing for those punters so you need to offer something more.Oh and make sure your stage show is {censored} hot! The word will spread. Good luck my man! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members MetallicBlueAx Posted February 26, 2007 Author Members Share Posted February 26, 2007 Thanks man. You are awesome! Feels like what you said actually clicked, especially getting friends to help promote. We've done that kind of thing, but I think we can get way more people to help, telling people we might not think to tell, that kind of thing. I'll be sure to do my best to put the rest of what you said into effect, too! Thanks for the help. If anyone else has any tips or info, I'm still open, and maybe some other people will benefit too. Thanks. - Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members joncyberboy Posted February 27, 2007 Members Share Posted February 27, 2007 I think the secret is to try to build momentum. One huge promoted gig is cool, but do 5 or 6 after eachother, each bigger and better and you'll be laughing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members RyanVanHalen Posted February 27, 2007 Members Share Posted February 27, 2007 I've got to work on this too.... I've got 4-5 shows this month, which for our band is the most we've played in a single month. I'm thinking of doing an outdoors show, where we dress in flannel/hunting gear/etc and bring lots of outdoorsy things, like shrubbery attatched to the set and all the amps (like fake christmas tree/wreath stuff), maybe a fake/real deer on stage. who knows I think gimmicks are good, too many bands are playing shows and you need to give people a reason to come see you. I mean, Hendrix set his guitar on fire, don't you think that's a little gimmecky? lollers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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