David Himes

Don’t Think “Gig.” Think “Event.” Over-exposure is not better than exposure by David Himes - ‘The Gig Kahuna’ This article is about a cold, hard truth that has gotten me more haters than almost anything else…so please, don’t shoot the messenger. I’m trying to help. You wouldn’t believe how many bands I’ve seen get angry over this subject, then after splitting up, come back and tell me I made the right call, how they learned their lesson, and how they won’t make the same mistake again with the next band. That is, if there is a next band. I’m talking about forgetting that your gig should be an event. And that’s not going to happen if you make the fatal mistake of over-gigging on a local level. In conventional theory, playing as much as you can is best. It’s one of the most common myths that aspiring bands and artists buy into—and one of the most foolish, amateur, and devastating mistakes that local bands make, because the opposite is true. Over-gigging is when a band plays way too often—especially locally—and this usually (but not always) occurs in cities and towns that have more than one or two places for local bands to play. When you play too often, you’re spreading your efforts way too thin. It’s a simple equation that unfortunately, most local bands just can’t get through their heads. Think of your following as a pie (or a pizza). If you play as often as you should when on a local level (once every two to three months, once every month at the most), you get the whole pie. But by playing any more often than that, you are splitting up your crowd. When you play more often, you get a smaller slice of the pie. Some bands, clubs, talent bookers, and other industry pros are well aware of the equation. It’s so simple, yet it amazes me that sadly, so many bands just don’t get it. There are a million justifications and excuses for over-gigging—none of which will produce any real results. For some reason, it is still one of the most widely taught myths, and the people who still buy into it boggles my mind. Personally, I think one of the biggest reasons for the rationale of over-gigging is people tend to want to do what’s fun and easy, but not what’s hard and necessary. Either that, or ego issues are at play. The pattern is so predictable, I could set a watch by it: Band starts with a core following made up of fans, friends, family, co-workers, etc. The first one or two gigs are successful. So far, so good, but what happens from there is downhill. For whatever reasons, the band falls under the illusion that every show, regardless of how frequent, will all be great. Or once the other local bands, “promoters,” and others see the band is bringing people out, suddenly all ask the band to play—all at once, and the band finds it hard to say no. With each gig thereafter, the turnouts get weaker and weaker until finally, down to nothing. Calls start going unreturned, emails start going unanswered, the band no longer gets asked to return to the clubs and venues and what few gigs they now get, they play for the bartenders. Band morale (very important to keep up) goes on a downward spiral, which inevitably leads to band breakup. Band breaks up and all the members are scratching their heads, wondering what went wrong, and feeling they got so screwed, because they “worked so hard.” Maybe a rush of stage adrenaline or the feeling of love from the initial crowd clouded the members’ logic. Or maybe the band listened to the wrong people, who encouraged them to play-play-play. But because of the over-gigging on the part of the band, they didn’t even make it past entry-level status. The truth is, it takes at least two months of planning and promotional effort to do a show right and have a successful turnout. This is another reason that over-gigging is foolish. When a band is over-gigging, there is no time to focus on one show. Your local shows should be like an event, as if it were a big (or even mid-level) national coming to town. This will not happen when you are over-gigging locally. Some bands and others involved in the scene know that over-gigging is ludicrous, and avoid it. But they mistakenly believe that playing out of town in between local shows is acceptable. In truth, this is also not the best idea, at least not in the early stages of development. One reason is it also takes away time and effort that should be going into the next local show. The only exception here is if you have some kind of hook-up or backing. This exception also applies locally—if you get some opportunity such as a local radio event or opening for a national. But if you get such an offer, be very careful and look closely at the terms of the gig (read my previous column about opening for nationals.) “So what can we do in between our big local shows?” you ask. A good start might be the not-so-fun, but necessary things: Photo shoots, recording projects, writing new songs, dress rehearsals, self-critiquing videos, stage coordination, vocal harmony sessions and coaching, studying the scene, the list goes on and on. Turn off the TV, put the X-Box down, and get out there and do some movin’ and shakin.’ One last word on the subject of over-gigging: Did you know the big venues, promoters, and big-name nationals (and mid-level nationals as well) agree by contract that the band does not play another show within an X-mile radius of the venue and within X-days of the date of the show? Do you know why that is? For the very reasons I’ve just pointed out. -HC- _______________________________________________ David Himes is the author of the book Realities for Local Bands: Talent is not Enough. You can find it at Amazon. For a FREE sneak preview, click here. The book is also available in PDF format. Also, David published a local music scene paper for over 16 years and has held over 400 live shows, giving him a unique insight on the scene. Your feedback and comments are welcome.

Are You Serious Enough? Of course, you want a career in music...but are you willing to pay the price? by David Himes aka 'The Gig Kahuna' There is quite a long list of what you’ll need to make a serious effort in the music scene. Of course, different tactics work for different artists, and one size does not fit all. But if you’re serious about pursuing a career as a musician, you will need to put in a lot of time, effort, and money. And you will need to ask yourself a lot of hard questions. Before setting out to be a musician, whether as in a band or a solo artist, ask yourself why you want to do so. Honesty is very important here. Of course, different people want to get in the music scene for different reasons. Maybe you want to be a weekend warrior. Maybe you’d be happy being a big fish in a small pond. Maybe you want to go all the way to “superstardom.” Maybe you’d like to work as a “hired gun,” or session musician. Maybe you want to jump off a riser and bang every cocktail waitress on the circuit. You will also need to ask yourself what style of music do you want to play, what audience do you want to reach, etc. Do you want to go for commercial appeal, artistic integrity, or some combination of both? Then you have to ask yourself how seriously you want to go for your dream. Are you willing, ready and able to make a serious go at it? Another question to ask yourself is how you’re going to pay the bills while pursuing your dream. Unless you were born rich, you’re obviously going to need a job to support yourself. Ideally, the job should be one that not only makes you enough money to live on and hopefully something to put into your music, but also one that allows you to have nights off to play gigs and gives you time to put in the effort for your music. You don’t want to work a job that requires too much of your mental, physical, and emotional energy. A high-stress job with long hours will seriously put your dream out of reach. You need to be mentally and physically able to practice your instrument, write songs, and any other activities related to your music—not dead to the world and vegging out with the TV when you come home from work. You will need to be willing to live a minimalist lifestyle. High car payments, home mortgages, designer clothing, and other expensive materialistic things are for normal conforming people. If you’re serious about your dream, you are not a normal conforming person. You are much better off driving a junk car and renting your dwelling. If possible, your vehicle should be something you can haul band equipment with and be fuel-efficient. Many would-be musicians fall into the trap of “climbing the ladder.” They might get a promotion and a raise. But this, more often than not, leads to foolish spending habits and putting more of your life into the job than you should. Of course, every musician dreams of the day when they can tell their boss what to do with their job. But if you think you’re going to get discovered and developed by a record label and no longer need your job, you are delusional. Those days are long gone. Get that farce out of your head right now. In an effort to illustrate my point about materialism, I’ll share something from an interesting article I once read back when Van Halen was starting to “break out.” The author wrote about how stoked he was that Eddie Van Halen was coming to his house to do an interview. As he waited for the new hot (at the time) guitarist to show up, he looked out his window and saw an old, beat up junk car sitting in front of his house. He wrote that he surely couldn’t have that clunker in front of his house, because that wouldn’t look good when Van Halen showed up. So the author went outside to tell the owner he was going to have to move his car. He then wrote how shocked he was when Eddie Van Halen came out of the car. You should be able to guess the moral of the story. As for eating out, not a good idea. The only time you should see the inside of a restaurant is if you work at one. I like pets as much as the next person, but having a pet is also not a good idea—especially when you consider the cost of feeding it and the vet bills, which are outrageous these days. And avoid buying useless junk like knick-knacks and such. So the bottom line is asking yourself if you’re willing to live without the materialistic stuff that you see your friends, family, and co-workers with. And it can be hard when everyone thinks you’re nuts for choosing that path. It can be hard when your hot girlfriend desires a guy who can offer her a materialistic lifestyle. It might help to think of it like this: Most people with new cars, big-screen TVs, and who “own” their houses are drowning in debt. There are working long hours and going through a lot of stress to maintain their materialistic lifestyle. They are running in a hamster wheel. They do not own their home - it owns them. Furthermore, the mainstream media and pop culture make people think they have to have the newest car, the biggest house, the best smart phone, and live as a slave to debt. Resist those temptations and treat yourself to those amenities when you’re making enough money from music to do so. Then again, if you just want to be the weekend warrior or play here and there locally while owning a house and raising a family, there’s nothing wrong with that. But if you’re really serious about a career in music, the normal conforming life isn’t going to cut it. Let’s face it: Musicians are simply not normal people. All this can be trickier than you might think. There is nothing wrong with whatever reason you choose to play, but you need to give it some serious thought, if you haven’t already. Once you’ve established what direction you want to go and set some goals, you then need to find like-minded people to work with, which can be, and often is, very hard. Ideally, a band should have each member doing something for the cause other than just showing up to play. But as we all know, the world is far from ideal. Seems like almost every band has at least one slacker who holds up the rest of the band, or a member who wants the aforementioned materialistic lifestyle. On the flip side, most bands have one or two members who do the majority of the planning, promoting, songwriting, etc. If your band has one or more members who make the rest of the band carry his or her weight, you basically have an engine that’s not firing on all cylinders. If you’re serious about your band, you need that engine firing on all cylinders. There’s a saying in the music scene: Sooner or later, you have to kick your brother out of the band. In other words, it can be very hard to give a good friend, relative, or whoever, the boot when that person is simply not cutting it. But if you’re not in the loop, you might just have to tolerate any slackers, or other problem members in the band to get in the game, get in the loop and replace them later once you’re in. Another question that requires total honesty is how strong is your material. Honestly. Do people scream and cheer when you play, or do they head to the bar to order drinks? Do they bop their head, or do they scratch their head? Is the majority of the crowd standing outside during your set, waiting for the band they came to see to go on? If a considerable amount of time has gone by and your turnouts are still weak, or responses to your songs are less than stellar, you might want to take a long, hard look at your material. If you were in the restaurant business and served crappy food, you would fail. The same holds true in the music industry. Without good, strong material, you will not be successful. Predictable response from “Brotha Integrity” in three…two…one…“Why does it always have to be that same old verse-chorus thing? I’m gonna break the rules! This is my art and nobody tells me how to do my art!” While, of course there is nothing wrong with wanting to do something off the beaten path, you’ll more than likely fail with that. To reach people in general, you have to give them something they can grasp onto, like good structuring, solid hooks, choruses they can sing, etc. While a whole book could be written on this topic alone, the debate over commercial appeal vs. artistic integrity will probably rage on forever. But many will agree on some combination of both. The main point here is you might end up having to face the fact that your material just plain sucks, which isn’t going to be easy. Chances are you’ll listen to your current material sometime down the road (way down the road) and wonder “what was I thinking?” But by then it will be too late. How is the morale of your band? It’s very important that each member feels good about the band and the direction it’s going. If this isn’t the case with your band, you have another serious problem. Never forget you are a business as much as a musician, and management incompetence is by far the biggest reason businesses fail. As with any business, but especially the music business, too many people think being in a band is nothing but a party. Too many people only want to do what is fun and easy, but not what is hard and necessary. Finally, you will need to define your idea of success realistically, which is different for different people. If you think success is playing the halftime show at the Super Bowl, you are probably delusional. But even so, keep in mind most of the big-name artists had the same issues as you at one time early in their careers - and I’d be willing to wager they didn’t succumb to materialism early on. _______________________________________________ David Himes is the author of the book Realities for Local Bands: Talent is not Enough. You can find it at Amazon. For a FREE sneak preview, click here. The book is also available in PDF format. Also, David published a local music scene paper for over 16 years and has held over 400 live shows, giving him a unique insight on the scene. Your feedback and comments are welcome.

Is Opening for a National Act the Answer? Be careful what you wish for... by David Himes - ‘The Gig Kahuna’ Whether it’s an answer or not depends more on the question than anything else. What do you want to gain from it? Is there even anything to gain at all? If you get such a gig, what are the conditions? It might seem like the obvious question is “how can I get more exposure?” and the answer is “opening for a national act (or band).” On the surface, regardless of whether you’re at the entry, mid, or upper-level of your local music scene, the thought of opening for a national touring band seems like a dream come true—you’ve been bestowed the honor of sharing the stage with the gods of the limelight, and you’re about to go for a ride on the gravy train while the heavens above shine down upon you. But maybe the more appropriate question is “am I delusional and naïve about the realities of opening for national bands?” Sorry to play Debbie Downer, but the truth is you’re more likely to be exploited than blessed. Usually, the only real benefit of such a gig is a boost in band morale, which certainly doesn’t hurt. But consider some of the realities of opening for nationals. You’ll be expected to help get the word out about the show—pre-selling a certain amount of tickets, buying the tickets in advance, or maybe even buying onto the show. But to be fair, the venue or promoter has to ensure recouping the expenses. Working as a promoter is risky business that involves paying the touring band or package whatever amount was agreed upon by contract, expenses from the bands’ rider (food, lodging, drinks, or anything else that might be on the rider, depending on the band), and other expenses. If the sales come up short, any difference has to be paid out of pocket. Many tours make the more entry-level bands pay for the privilege of opening for them, which they justify by the exposure you’ll supposedly get. This is the norm, even on the smaller club tours. So if you are buying on, don’t cry “pay-to-play.” Otherwise, while the touring bands get paid, you can expect to be paid very little or nothing, or it can easily cost you to play. Since most nationals come as a package deal with one or more supporting bands also on the tour, you’re not likely to get a direct support slot. You are playing for the fans of the nationals, so unless you bring your own fans out, the crowd will probably either go to the bar to order drinks or hang out outside and wait for the anchor bands to go on during your set. So chances are you’ll play for no more people than a typical local band show. So much for exposure. As agreed by contract, the headlining band usually backlines the stage. This means the supporting bands (including and especially you) will have to set up in front of the other bands, drum kit and all. Not a very comfortable situation. The headliner will usually also get a lockout on most of the channels on the soundboard, leaving the opening bands with only the remaining few. In larger venues that have a big enough stage, PA and lighting to accommodate such events, these factors might not be too big of a deal. But if we’re talking a club tour, it’s definitely not an ideal situation for you. You can also expect little or no lights, monitors, or sound check, so you’ll more than likely sound and look like ass. If you’re lucky (very lucky), the headliner might be impressed by you and want to hook you up, but don’t hold your breath. Chances are you might not even meet the headlining band, as the members usually hang out in their tour vehicle or green room (if the venue has one) before and after their set. If offered an opening slot for a national, it’s a good idea to look into just who the national is. There has been a scam over the years where some manager, label rep, or agent books a national tour for his band, maybe a newly-signed act or otherwise. He contacts local bands in each town and offers them some “golden opportunity” to open for his “national band.” More often than not, the locals are also offered the promise of playing in front of the national band’s “label reps.” Of course, to get in on this “opportunity,” you’re expected to sell advance tickets at some ridiculous price, or buy on. To the uninitiated, this might appear to be a good opportunity. But what you’re really accomplishing is 1) ensuring a good turnout for the touring band, and 2) covering the “national band’s” touring expenses. Many local bands like the idea of being able to say they opened for Band X. While that might not hurt, many powers-that-be aren’t particularly impressed. In their mind, you busted your ass or paid to play for a crowd that isn’t yours (if there even was a crowd). If you bought on, spare the line about being “chosen.” Bands are “chosen” because they had the money to buy on. Bottom line is that industry powers-that-be are looking for bands to have their own fan base. This brings me to another topic: Even if you opened for a national in a packed venue and the crowd loved you, what did you do to stay in touch with your new fans? I’d be willing to bet little or nothing. So if you failed to capture any new fans, the gig didn’t do you much good. As crazy as this might sound, if you are an entry to mid-level band, you might be almost better off opening for an upper-level local band than a national. I have several reasons for such a whack idea: While the anchor band(s) might want to backline the stage, at least they’ll usually share the drum riser (assuming there is one) They won’t be near as likely to demand a lockout on the soundboard channels You’ll probably get at least a brief sound check. You might even get paid, at least some gas money. You will probably get treated closer to an equal as far as sound, lighting, monitors, etc. This is one reason I always strongly recommend making friends with, and supporting other local bands. You never know when another local might invite you to play a nice show with them. In summary, it can be cool to open for a national, and I’m not saying there’s anything particularly wrong with it. But if it doesn’t happen, if the deal falls through, if the show gets cancelled, or if you get turned away, it’s nothing to cry about…and it’s no reason to get discouraged. Remember, more often than not, someone else is reaping the fruits of your labors. You’re more than likely better off putting your efforts into your own next local show. If you seriously feel you need to open for a national, there are ways to make it happen on your own. And if you do get an offer to open for a national, look before you leap. -HC- _______________________________________________ David Himes is the author of the book Realities for Local Bands: Talent is not Enough. You can find it at Amazon. For a FREE sneak preview, click here. The book is also available in PDF format. Also, David published a local music scene paper for over 16 years and has held over 400 live shows, giving him a unique insight on the scene. Your feedback and comments are welcome.

Clique Clique Boom! How to expand your band's local base by David Himes - ‘The Gig Kahuna’ One complaint I often hear from local bands is something like: “You have to be in a certain clique to get booked.” Although not the most positive attitude in the world, it’s understandable that some local bands would feel that way—especially the more entry-level bands that might be having trouble getting in the loop. My answer to this is simple: If that’s how you feel, why not start a clique of your own? I’m always trying to advise and encourage local bands to seek out friendships with other local bands, especially the ones that are like-minded and doing something similar to your own band as far as genre, and this is just one reason why. The idea is to get a circle of bands going where all of you support each other, play shows together, and hook each other up. I’ve actually seen this done quite a few times in the music scene and if done right, can accomplish some pretty amazing results. You might be surprised what a circle of bands can do when you pool your resources, plan and promote together, and work together as one collective unit. You become a much more powerful force as opposed to each band working individually. However, there are a few aspects to keep in mind to maximize the potential of your own clique. First, each band needs to carry their weight. Even one slack-ass band can be enough to break the chain and drag the alliance down. Don’t think you’re going to ride the coattails of the other bands. And if there is a band in the circle that is not at least making a reasonable effort, dump them. Second, don’t be selfish or get greedy. Don’t be a band that insists on always getting the best slots. Be fair to each other. Rotate the time slots with the other bands. If you played, say, the third slot on the last gig; offer to take the opening or closing slot on the next, and let a band that played the first or last slot before have one of the good ones next time around. Forming an alliance with other bands doesn’t always mean playing shows together. For instance, one band might get some opportunity to play in a situation where they can’t get any other bands involved. In these cases, any time a band plays individually, at least some members of the other bands in the clique should show up at the gig to support. And when you show up at one of the other band’s individual shows, it’s important to do so with an unconditional attitude. In fact, an unconditional attitude is an important factor to making a clique successful. I’ve seen quite a few local bands pack a venue with the support of other bands helping out. I’ve done it many times myself. Keep in mind when the other bands come to support you, it’s a nice gesture to acknowledge their presence from the stage. Finally, it should go without saying there should be no love triangles, Jerry Springer drama, or whatever between bands. Although this point might seem obvious, the members in individual bands who would have an affair with a bandmate’s girl never ceases to amaze me. I’ve seen it enough times in past bands of my own. I could rant all day on this subject alone, so I’ll stop right here. So to summarize, if you can get your own clique going and do it right, you’ll end up as one of those upper-level cliques before you know it—and you will then find yourselves as a target of the bitching and moaning from lower-level bands. One last thought: The bands you might think are in one of those upper-level cliques now were at one time in the same boat as you. _______________________________________________ David Himes is the author of the book Realities for Local Bands: Talent is not Enough. You can find it at Amazon. For a FREE sneak preview, click here. The book is also available in PDF format. Also, David published a local music scene paper for over 16 years and has held over 400 live shows, giving him a unique insight on the scene. Your feedback and comments are welcome.

Why Banners are Important: Hang ‘em High How to leave a banner impression by David Himes - ‘The Gig Kahuna’ There’s a common, potentially devastating—yet easily fixed—mistake: playing gigs without a banner behind you. If you don’t think this is a big deal, think again. First, you need to let people know who you are. Many times I’ve seen local (or even regional and national) bands and thought to myself “self, they’re a good band, but who the hell are they?” Even when I ask the people who work at the venue, they often can’t tell me what band is playing. And I’m just one person. Think of all the potential fans you might have won over who would like to see you again, but have no idea who you are—not to mention other people involved in the scene such as media, talent bookers, other bands, promoters, agents, label reps, radio jocks, and others who are there checking you out. You can’t rely on people to have telepathic powers, and you more than likely don’t have some sort of bat signal. So without a banner, you are seriously screwing yourself out of a lot of potential new fans and more. No band—at least on a local or regional level—should ever, under any circumstances, play a show without a band logo somewhere on the stage. The time, money and effort you spent playing that useless out-of-town gig for five people could’ve—and would’ve—been much better spent getting a banner happening. Closely related to no banner is a band that has a banner, but it’s so poorly designed you can’t read it from a distance, in low-light situations such as a typical club stage, or you’re in a death-metal band with an eyeball-bending logo. (No offense to any death bands, but c’mon! Let’s be realistic.) But it never ceases to amaze me, the local bands who I’m sure mean well and might work hard, yet don’t think of something so simple, yet extremely important as having a banner, sign, or at least a band logo on a kick drum head. So…where do you get a banner, and how much it will cost? Any sign shop should do a good job for you; chances are there’s one near you. But there are a few mom-and-pop-type sign and banner shops around that support local bands, so seek one out near your town and give them your business. Usually, $100-200 should get you a decent banner, depending on several factors. For most bands, I strongly recommend white vinyl or ink on a black background, so it can be read easily from a distance and in low-light situations. Hopefully, your logo is easy to read. If you don’t have a logo, even having the sign shop typeset your band name is better than nothing. For most bands and situations, a banner about six to eight feet wide should do the job. But if your band has a long name and/or is a sentence, you might have a bit of trouble getting it all on a limited amount of space, and therefore need a bigger banner. A bigger banner might also be a good idea if you’re playing larger venues (such as theater-size). I’ve seen a lot of bands with stand-up banners on each side of the stage. I know those bands mean well and those stand-up banners are better than nothing. The problem, however, is if you’re playing on a stage with even halfway-decent lighting, those stand-up banners block a lot of the lights—especially the taller banners. This is why I recommend banners hung on the back of the stage wall. If you insist on stand-up banners, at least place them as far back as you can to minimize light blockage. So you’ve taken my advice and now you have a banner—but you also need to bring rope, twine, black duct tape, bungee straps, chain, coat hanger wire, hammer and small nails, etc. to every gig. The idea is to be able to hang it in any situation, as different venues have anything from nothing to decent stages to accommodate banners. Other ideas might include bringing your own lights of some sort to light up your banner. Even cooler yet is a lighted sign if you can swing it. Trust me: A banner will make all the difference in the world on your future gigs. There’s virtually no excuse for not having one, and it’s a very small investment you’ll be glad you made. -HC- _______________________________________________ David Himes is the author of the book Realities for Local Bands: Talent is not Enough. You can find it at Amazon. For a FREE sneak preview, click here. The book is also available in PDF format. Also, David published a local music scene paper for over 16 years and has held over 400 live shows, giving him a unique insight on the scene. Your feedback and comments are welcome.

Support (Team for) Your Local Band The Gig Kahuna by David Himes Look at any big-name national band, or smaller touring bands, and chances are all you see is the band itself. But what you don’t see, especially in the case of the big names, is a good-size support team working behind the scenes. Sure, you’re probably aware of one or more sound engineers, light techs, and monitor engineers, as well as guitar, drum, bass, maybe backing track techs, tour bus driver(s), semi driver(s), grunts, and other techs. Yes, the big names can involve quite a few people behind the scenes, all of whom have to be paid. But what about the support team members who don’t travel with the band? You may or may not be aware of them, but they are also very important members of a support team—and even if you’re aware of such people, it’s very common to misunderstand their roles. I’m talking about managers, tour managers, business managers, attorneys, agents, promoters, publicists, producers, and mentor(s). While an entire book could be written on this subject alone, I’ll try to stay brief and run down the real function of the various support team members. Manager Also known as the “general manager,” “band manager,” or “personal manager,” this is arguably the most important—yet one of the most misunderstood—members of the business team. He or she is the person who makes the band’s overall business plan and usually assembles the entire support team, or at least most of it. This person will usually also play a big role in setting your band up as a business, and typically negotiates any deals, contracts, etc., as well. While the above is just a brief description, the role of the band manager can vary wildly, and can come in several different levels. On the top end, this would be a person who is very well connected and is among the big-name elite. But of course, when you’re on a local level your chances of getting such a manager are slim-to-none, unless somehow such a person has seen or heard of your band and is impressed (or unless we’re talking sheer, dumb luck). On the opposite (bottom) end, this could be a band member’s dad, girlfriend, or maybe a friend who believes in the band. While meaning well, such a manager will almost always destroy an artist’s career. As I’ll say over and over again, management incompetence is the biggest reason a business fails, and that goes for bands too. So unless you’re lucky enough to have a former rock star or industry heavyweight who is a parent, the low-level band manager will more than likely steer you down the path to failure. I’ve seen this too many times, and it’s sad to see this happen to someone who started with a good potential and good talent. Then of course, there’s a whole rainbow of levels of band management in between the low and high level. For instance, maybe you started to create a strong buzz in your hometown, and a mid-level manager of some sort has taken notice. Or there might be the guy who started out on the low level and somehow, the right buttons were pushed, the cards were played right, or whatever, and the band—with the manager—ended up on the mid-to-upper level of the national scene. Hey, it has happened…but don’t hold your breath. Band managers can also come in different forms. For instance: you might have a manager who is also a club owner, or someone else involved in the scene who believes in your band. If you’re lucky enough, it could be some heavyweight, like a radio station program director, high-powered entertainment attorney, etc. But again, don’t hold your breath. A band manager can, and often does, play more than one role—especially in the entry level. It’s not unusual to see a manager in other roles like tour manager, promoter, etc. Business Manager This is the person who begs you to stop lighting your cigars with hundred-dollar bills. But seriously, this person counts the beans, keeps track of the money and where it’s going, etc. More often than not, this person is usually a CPA (Certified Public Accountant), and might have a lot to do with setting your band up as a corporation or other business structure, or might work with your general manager or attorney in doing so. He or she will also work with you on your tax planning. Tour Manager This one should be obvious, but is also one the most misunderstood. This is the manager who travels with the band, and oversees the operation of the entire tour. On the upper level, he or she oversees the load-in and out, merch sales, local publicity, and the like, and from previous experience knows where important things are like music stores, hotels, etc. The tour manager also knows the best route(s) from one city to the next, works with the local promoters and venues to make sure everything runs smoothly, and is more often than not the person to go through for artist interviews and other media coverage. The tour manager also makes sure the artist’s contract and rider requirements are met. On the lower level, the tour manager usually does double or triple duty as another roadie, maybe a soundman or tech, or maybe evens runs the merch table. Like the band manager, the tour manager can very wildly as far as the level. Again, it could be a band member’s dad or someone’s significant other on the lower level. Agent Often mistaken and confused with a manager, the agent is the one who books you and arranges a tour. On the upper level, he routes the tour from city to city in such a way as to make geographical sense (hopefully). He has contacts and relationships with local venues, tour managers, band managers, and promoters. As with the other support teamers, there are different styles of agents. Some actually work in-house at clubs and venues as talent bookers and buyers, while many work independently, usually with a staff behind them. Independent agencies often work with in-house buyers, and some work with other agencies (otherwise known as cross-booking). Attorney As you might have guessed, this is the person who handles the legal matters for the band and its support team. The main point about the attorney is you will need an entertainment attorney, not just some family lawyer who dabbles in the music scene. Depending on where in the country you are, you might have to look outside of your hometown for the right attorney. But with today’s technology, much legal work is actually done over the internet, so there might just be someone in your town. Another point is you don’t want a conflict of interest. In other words, if you were hammering out legal agreements with a record label, you wouldn’t want to use the label’s attorney. Promoter Like the band manager and agent, the promoter is at the top of the list as far as being the most misunderstood, and also has the potential to wreak havoc on both artists and venues. While many would say the promoter’s job is to, well, promote, it’s actually much more complicated than that. First of all, there are different styles of promoters at many different levels. A promoter (a real promoter) actually wears several different hats. Some of them work in-house at venues and clubs, and sometimes do double-duty as a house agent, talent booker, or buyer. Some work as an independent. I’ll start with the more upper-level ones. The promoter who works on an independent level maintains business relationships with venues, agents, artist management, and others. Depending on the city and other factors, a promoter might or might not have to rent the venue, but either way, will need to secure the date with the venue as well as negotiate the dollar amount, contract, rider, and other details with the artist’s agency and/or management. Promoters also make arrangements for advertising and other tactics to ensure as good a turnout as possible. Most events are planned months in advance. In the case of larger events, such as outdoor festivals, we’re talking a year or more of planning. If done right, a promoter will end up making money on a show. But now more than ever, promotion work is very risky. Many details need to be taken into consideration, and lots of numbers need to be crunched to try to determine the chances of success. Indie promoters are also up against the heavy hitters. On a smaller level, there are also promoters who work with clubs and smaller-scale touring bands, maybe even local or regional bands. If you’re a local band (or even national), be very careful about working with promoters. While some are credible, many are amateur, wannabe, or just plain shoddy. Publicist The publicist’s job is basically to make, and keep, the artist visible in the media. When you see artists in a magazine, on a late-night talk show, hear them interviewed on the radio, see video interviews online or whatever, it’s the work of the artist’s publicist. If someone wants to interview an artist or have them on something like a talk show, they contact the artist’s publicist. Publicists come in different varieties. Some of them are on a record label’s payroll, while others work independently. And it’s not just recording artists who have publicists. Politicians, professional athletes, celebrities, authors, corporate bigwigs—all of them have a publicist involved. Producer Yet another one of the most misunderstood of the support personnel is the producer. When recording an album, the producer is the one who makes the plan on how it comes together. He or she makes the arrangements with studios, usually picks the engineer(s), tweaks the songs, more often than not rearranges them, and basically takes the project from conception all the way to the finished product. With a good, trained pair of “ears,” the producer oversees the tracking, mixdown, mastering, etc. In the case of the stage production for a major tour, the producer oversees the entire stage operation and is heavily involved from the conception all the way to the final result that the audience sees on stage. The producer works with sound engineers, monitor engineers, lighting and special effect techs, vocal coaches, choreographers, stagehands, grunts, and others, as well as oversees the full stage rehearsals—and has a lot to do with working the bugs out of the set. Whether recording or live, the producer is basically the mastermind behind the scenes. He or she is the glue that brings—and holds—the entire thing together. Producers come in different levels, and it’s generally best to choose one who works within your musical style. Mentor One final support member I’d like to mention is a mentor. While this is more optional, if you can find or are fortunate enough to have such a person, it’s nice to have someone who has “been there and done it” to give you advice. For example if it’s some former member of a known band, ask them what they feel went wrong when the band split up. Of course, you might only get that person’s side of the story, but chances are such a person can still give you good advice. With today’s online resources and social media, you might be surprised at artists who will gladly help you out if you just send them a message asking for a little advice. You might also be surprised at what you can find out with just a little research. One final thought is that in this day and age, you are much better off going DYI if you can. But that means taking on many of the aforementioned support team duties, which can be very difficult when you have to work a day job that pays the bills. All of the aforementioned supporting people get a cut of the artist’s money, or charge a fee for their services (and don’t forget the sound techs, instrument techs, and others mentioned in the beginning). So it should come as little surprise that the artist more than likely sees the least amount of money out of everyone involved, all of whom must be paid. So whenever you hear about multi-million-dollar contracts or mega-buck grossing tours, it’s more than likely the artist actually sees very little, if any, of that big money after everyone involved gets their cut. Of course, when working locally, you are neither ready nor financially able (unless you were born rich) to have the luxury of such people with you. So guess what? You’re elected! Another point is it can be very hard to distinguish the good ones from the not-so-good ones. And making the wrong choices can—and will be—disastrous. Remember, you are entering a world where everyone is a “manager,” everyone is a “promoter,” everyone is a “producer,” etc. So doing many of these jobs yourself can give you experience and knowledge to make more sound decisions when you are ready to seek out such people in the future. _______________________________________________ David Himes is the author of the book Realities for Local Bands: Talent is not Enough. You can find it at Amazon. For a FREE sneak preview, click here. The book is also available in PDF format. Also, David published a local music scene paper for over 16 years and has held over 400 live shows, giving him a unique insight on the scene. Your feedback and comments are welcome.

25 Ways for Bands to Annoy the Clubs ‘The Gig Kahuna’ by David Himes After more than a decade of experience in talent booking, I’ve noticed many mistakes that most bands (both local and touring) make when dealing with club/venue owners and talent bookers. If you haven’t been asked back to play again at your local venue(s), if you can’t get booked on a weekend night or favorable time slot, or if you can’t get booked at all, this article will hopefully offer some insight as to why. This is not aimed at cover bands. So before any of you in cover bands call for my head, let me point out that cover and original artists are two completely different games—even though some of you cover musicians might get a few tidbits out of this article as well. I’m not going to sugarcoat anything, and chances are this article might offend some of you. So without any further ado, here they are—in no particular order of importance: 25 ways to annoy the clubs. Bands that claim 20,000 (or more) friends on their social media, but can't get two of them to come to the gig. Bands that bring their own “soundman.” After watching and hearing him try to run sound for five minutes, it becomes obvious that this guy has absolutely no business running a P.A. As expected, the band sounds like glass breaking in a mud storm. Three red flags that indicate a band will bring no one to the show: 1) When asking for a date, they say: “We're gonna pack your place!” 2) Two weeks before the show, they ask: “What's your capacity?” 3) On the date of the show, they ask: “So how many people do you usually get on a Friday night?” Bands that bug the venue mercilessly to open for a national touring band, because they swear they idolize the ground the touring band walks on, are the very reason for their existence, and what an honor it would be. Of course, after the club tells them the date is already filled up, they don't come to the show. Bands that leave instruments and equipment behind. It’s amazing how something that is so vital to them gets so carelessly left behind. Then the club gets the urgent calls in the following days, as if they should know where their stuff is. Stencil your gear, keep track of it, and take it with you when you leave! Bands that show up wearing “all access” laminates around their neck. Most clubs will only authorize these laminates for the bathrooms and parking lot. Bands that cancel a day or two before the show, because even though the club booked them two months prior, it wasn't until a day or two before the show that the bass player decided it was the right time to ask for the night off from his job. Bands that give a big speech on stage about how important it is to “support the scene,” but immediately after their set, ask to get paid way before the end of the night, because they can’t hang out. Bands that sneak 20 of their friends in the back door, put their girlfriends on the guest list, two people pay to see them, and then say something like: “Look at all the people we brought in. Why did we only get paid $10?” Parents of bands. (Can you say annoying?) They stand next to the owner all night, talking his ear off about how great their kid’s 14-year-old band is. They stand next to the soundperson all night, complaining they can’t hear their son’s guitar, and make other stupid suggestions on how to improve the sound of the band. They go to the bar while waiting for their kid’s band to play, drink too much, then stand next to the owner, talking his ear off about how they used to jam in a band, but now their kid’s band is going to be the Next Big Thing any day now. Bands that—when you tell them they have one more song left because they're running late—decide to play a 45-minute opus. Bands with more “roadies” than band members. Bands that hound the sh#t out of the club to book them for another show after bringing a negative amount of people to their first one, and can't understand why the club hasn’t asked them back. But that’s okay. The bartenders loved watching the band rock out to the wall, and the club doesn’t have bills to pay. Bands in this category need not bother calling back, because the booking guy will “never be there.” Bands that drew no one, because they booked themselves at Club X the previous night, and told all their friends to go to that show. Then they ask: “do you think we can play here again?" See above for the answer. Bands that cancel 10 days ahead of time because they have to go to a funeral. Then the club finds out they canceled a weekend night for a “lifetime opportunity” to play a bigger, more “prestigious” venue on a Monday. (It usually bombs.) Bands with overly-long names like “The World is a Hell Hole and We Don’t Want to Live in it Anymore,” that moan because their full name didn’t show up on the club’s marquis, print ad or web site. Amateur promoters (and bands) who claim they'll pack the place and when the turnout is lame, suddenly “need a few weeks to build it up.” Amateur promoters who do a disappearing act when the door comes up short. Amateur promoters. Bands that think getting people to come to the gig is the club’s responsibility. Bands that bang on their drums and guitars in an annoying display of lack of talent before the doors open. Usually happens when the manager is trying to change out the registers or give the staff instructions for the night. There’s a better place for this: It’s called your rehearsal space. Anyone “working with a band” who says something like “once you see how ‘good’ this band is, you’ll want to book them again.” (These bands usually suck and/or bring no one.) Out-of-town bands that beg to play the club, say they’ll even play for free and take the last slot. Then when they show up, they whine and ask if one of the local bands can trade spots. Bands that act as if the club owes it to them to book them. Bands with members in their 30s or 40s that still want all-age shows. And here’s a bonus method of annoyance—bands that send an email something along these lines, usually typed like someone with a fourth-grade education (note that this is an actual message): “hey duochbags u need 2 respect usbands we r the ones that mak the seene whatit is & we’re getting sick of get screwby gredy clubs we reherse promot lug r equipment & wood apprecate being treated in a more profesinal maner.” In conclusion, all of the above has been an effort to show you the common mistakes that clubs see on the part of local and aspiring artists. Are there more? Of course there are, and chances are you can think of more. It might not sound fair, and it might seem harsh, but the above really is what many clubs and venues think. Does this mean I’m on the side of the clubs and venues? Absolutely not. Club owners and others involved in the scene make their share of mistakes as well—and yes, the old viewpoint of getting “screwed” by the venue does happen. It may come as a consolation to know people in our position also see some very good, professional bands and promoters come through. In fact, there are times when people in positions of power (for lack of a better term) actually like a band and want to help them out. I’ve found myself in that position more than once. So hopefully, instead of hating on club owners and talent bookers, you will have gained a little knowledge that can go a long way toward getting booked and welcomed back at your local venue(s). Best of luck! Join the discussion on Harmony Central's Backstage with the Band Forum _______________________________________________ David Himes is the author of the book Realities for Local Bands: Talent is not Enough. You can find it at Amazon. For a FREE sneak preview, click here. The book is also available in PDF format. Also, David published a local music scene paper for over 16 years and has held over 400 live shows, giving him a unique insight on the scene. Your feedback and comments are welcome.

Rehearsal Space Solutions ‘The Gig Kahuna’ by David Himes Ah yes, no place to rehearse has always been one of—if not the—most common obstacles a local band faces. Lack of rehearsal space has stopped many a band dead in their tracks. While this can make all but the most lion-hearted throw their hands up in despair, you actually have several options. The most common option is renting a rehearsal space. However, this is by far my least favorite choice. It usually means paying anywhere from $300-600 or more per month at some dive in the bad part of town, although you might be fortunate enough to find a place in a better location. If renting a rehearsal space is your only option, it’s not a good idea to leave any instruments and gear of any value there. Take it down and take it with you after each rehearsal, and set it up when you arrive. This can be a big pain in the butt, but it’s better than your gear getting stolen, as band rehearsal spaces are a favorite target for thieves. It’s also a good idea to take your gear if you’re sharing a space with another band to reduce the expense…but sharing a space with another band can present other sets of problems. If you can afford it, it’s also a good idea to get insurance on your gear. And keep receipts, take lots of photos, keep records of serial numbers, etc. Better yet is to avoid any expensive or new instruments or other gear in the first place, if you can get something cheaper or used that works just as well. That way, if something happens to it, it won’t be as hard of a blow, and will be less expensive and easier to replace. But you’ll still want to keep good records and documentation of all your equipment. Personally, I strongly believe there are much better options than renting a rehearsal space. I’ll save my favorite for last. If you can, it’s best to rehearse at someone’s house. If two or more band members are serious enough, and if two or more of you live in separate apartments, why not rent a house together? Or maybe someone in or close to the band has a girlfriend, parent or other relative, or someone else with a house. Even if that person charges to rent a room, you’re probably getting off much cheaper than with a rehearsal space—and probably much safer. But we all know that rehearsing in a house can result in angry neighbors—especially if you’re playing metal/core, gangsta rap, or any other musical style that neighbors typically find offensive. Possible workarounds might be to see if there is some arrangement you can make with neighbors to rehearse at a time when they’re away. More often than not, when a neighbor comes beating on your door, and especially if they are hostile to the idea of a band in the neighborhood, I’ve come to find there is usually some hidden problem. See if you can find that hidden problem and possibly offer to help. Whichever room of the house is for rehearsal, soundproof it the best you can. Build a small riser to get the drums and bass rig off the floor, as those low-end frequencies travel through the ground. If you live in parts of the country where houses with basements are common, basements are ideal for band practice. When loading gear in and out of a house, try to do so in such a way that the neighbors can’t see it. Park your vehicle as close to the house as you can, maybe under a carport or in a garage if possible. And a word of caution: It’s never a good idea to burn any illegal substances before or during practice. All it takes is for a cop to stick his head in the door and smell it, and that’s enough for searches and seizures. You do know about asset forfeiture laws, don’t you? Otherwise, if the cops come knocking on your door, 90 percent of them will usually be cool, and just nicely ask you to turn it down a notch or two, as long as you’re respectful. After all, most cops are music fans too. Some of the aforementioned ideas might sound redundant to many of you, but you’d be surprised at the bands that will practice with windows wide open, in a garage or room with no soundproofing, etc. And now for my favorite, most effective, and feasible way to rehearse in a house (drummers, you might hate me.): An electronic drum kit. Yes, you read that right. While many drummers might hate the idea of an electronic kit, there are actually a lot of reasons a band—including the drummer—can benefit from it. Understandably, most drummers aren’t too crazy about the idea of using an electronic kit for practice. But the benefits of having one far outweigh the reasons not to have one. And the minor limitations of an electronic kit versus an acoustic kit are a very small trade-off. Personally, I think no drummer should be without an electronic kit, in addition to an acoustic kit. Unless those of you drummers are fortunate enough to have a place to practice on your own, an electronic kit eliminates that problem for you and the band. Keep in mind I did not say you have to play live on stage with an electronic kit. But you might be surprised by how many drummers trigger their shells when playing live. And if a drummer has difficulty switching back and forth between the two kits, you can still rehearse once or twice before a gig with an acoustic kit by renting some place by the hour, which is still much less costly than renting a place by the month. The most important and obvious reason to have an electronic drum kit is that it makes it possible to rehearse at a much lower volume. This eliminates a multitude of problems—in particular, the need for a rehearsal space, because you can now practice in your house—and depending on what circumstances, maybe even an apartment. (I’ve seen bands do it.) And when you no longer need a rehearsal space, you eliminate one of a band’s biggest expenses, freeing up a significant amount of money for other things like merchandise, recording projects, banners, bumper stickers, web sites—you get the idea. An electronic kit makes it easy to train your ears for playing on stage. What you hear when you’re playing in a rehearsal space and on stage are two very different things. Rehearsing at a much lower volume with an electronic drum kit brings you much closer to what you will hear on stage. Speaking of which, you’ll also eliminate any volume battles (if you have that problem) at practice and even worse, on stage. You know, when Joe Marshall-on-11 turns up his amp, then the drummer plays harder, then the singer turns up the practice PA, then the bass player turns up, then Joe Marshall-on-11 turns up even more, and it goes on and on. Another cool advantage of an electronic kit is the sounds are pre-processed. But if the drummer insists on using the sounds from an acoustic kit, it’s easy enough to sample those sounds and add them to the drum module (or what I like even better, software drum machines or sequencers). Speaking of which again, an electronic kit makes it much easier and cheaper to do recording projects. If there are any mistakes, it’s easy to edit them out. And these days, the bugs have been worked out of software drum machines, sequencers, and other forms of digital recording. No one will know the difference, or even care. The best kits are the ones designed to be played like an acoustic kit. It might sound like a heavy investment to make, but an electronic kit will easily pay for itself many times over in rehearsal space rental alone. While a drummer might not be able to afford such an investment, there are ways to make it economically feasible. For starters, there are lots of deals out there on used kits to be had on eBay, Craigslist, etc. Still feeling priced out? It’s well worth it for the rest of the band members to pitch in, or even one other member, manager, or someone else involved to buy the kit. If the band splits up, you can always resell it. If your band can work it out, an electronic drum kit can put you ahead in the game and get you on the fast track. No matter how unpopular some decisions are, the decisions that lead to the best rehearsal are the best rehearsal space solutions. _______________________________________________ David Himes is the author of the book Realities for Local Bands: Talent is not Enough. You can find it at Amazon. For a FREE sneak preview, click here. The book is also available in PDF format. Also, David published a local music scene paper for over 16 years and has held over 400 live shows, giving him a unique insight on the scene. Your feedback and comments are welcome.

Let us celebrate the many virtues of "stupidly obvious" ‘The Gig Kahuna’ by David Himes Here’s a fun little topic: what to bring with you to a gig. Many of the items I’m going to mention are stupidly obvious. Yet the bands that don’t bring even the most basic necessities never cease to amaze me. Equally as amazing is many of the items cost little or no money, so there’s absolutely no excuse to not bring at least some of the things you are about to read about. Professional bands always follow these guidelines, while amateurs do not. Some bands seem to assume the club or venue will supply everything the bands should bring. Here’s a little bit of advice: never assume the venue will supply anything you need! Here is a list off the top of my head... Duct Tape Yes, that’s right. I know most of you reading this are wondering why I’m even mentioning something so ridiculously obvious. But think about it: How many shows have you played where one or more of the other bands asked if you have any duct tape? And if you’re in one of those bands that asks another band for duct tape, do you really mean to say that no member can run to a place like Home Depot or Lowe’s and pick up a roll or two of duct tape (preferably black or gaffer’s tape, but if nothing else, the gray tape will get the job done)? And for the truly creative, duct tape has uses that border on the potentially insane - like bands who wear Christmas light-impregnated duct tape space suit costumes. I shouldn’t have to mention the infinitely countless times that duct tape has been the lifesaver of the gig, and its many other uses, so I’ll stop here. Besides, Christmas light-impregnated duct tape space suit costumes is a tough act to follow. Wheels This one goes out to the many of you I see lugging larger cabinets and other heavier gear. Uh, I hate to break this to you, but you’ve been breaking your backs for nothing on load in and out. The idea here is to make use of that timely invention known as the wheel. All you have to do is get a two-wheel dolly cart. My personal favorite is the kind that fold down into almost nothing that you can get at a place like Home Depot or Lowe’s for $25-$40. At that price, you should get a couple. Another way to save your back is to install casters on the bottom of your cabinets and/or amps. You can get a set of casters for cheap at places like Home Depot or Lowe’s, and they’re easy to install. Yet another option is a four-wheel mover’s dolly, cheap and available in different sizes. You can also go deluxe with the RocknRoller Multi-Cart, which looks like something out of a Transformers movie that had a really, really low budget. The wheel was invented for a reason. Take advantage of it. Merch Table You should know that selling merch is just one of several objectives of playing a gig. While several of the better venues already have tables for that purpose, or will at least let you use bar tables, what tables they have might have already been grabbed or hogged by other bands on the bill. So it’s a good idea to bring your own. I personally like the ones you can get at places like WalMart in different sizes that fold in half. Depending on what size you get, these tables can be had for $30-$50. While on this subject, and while at that WalMart, pick up some of those wire clothes racks to hang your T-shirts, etc. Also, be sure to bring your own lighting. This could be floodlights, utility lights, flashing lights—anything to light up your merch table so people can see it. Finally, whenever possible, place the table by the door. Remember, people aren’t going to buy your merch if they can’t see it! All can be had for very little money. Spare Cables, Strings, Sticks, Tubes, etc. Yet another painfully obvious one. If you’re using a wireless (be it for guitar or vocal mics), you should still have a cable handy. You never know when a wireless will crap out. While on the subject of wirelesses, always make sure you have a fresh, alkaline battery in it. If you’re using rechargeable batteries, make sure they're fully charged. If you’re using a wireless mic, please get the best one you can afford—or your vocals will sound like ass, the soundman will hate you, the audience will leave in disgust, and send out tweets about how bad a vocalist you are. You don't want that. Also, if you can, it doesn’t hurt to bring a spare guitar, snare, or whatever. If you’re a wild frontman who is going to fling the mic around by the cable or anything like that, it’s a good idea to bring your own mic and cable or again, the soundman will hate you. You don’t want a soundman to hate you. Guitarists, bring plenty of picks. Tape them to your mic stand, guitar, amp, or whatever so you always have a pick within easy reach. Don’t embarrass yourself by being seen picking up a pick when you drop it. And you can always toss a spare pick out to that fetching female and/or male in the front. Equally as important as spare strings, etc., is having your gear ready before the show. Hopefully, you will have rehearsed a day or two before the show. This is the time to re-string your guitar, because the rehearsal gives you the chance to “play in” the new strings and retune as necessary. That way, you will have virtually eliminated the chance of going out of tune on stage—assuming you know how to properly string up your guitar. A pre-gig rehearsal is also the time to make sure your gear is functioning properly. Check your effects, make sure you have fresh or fully-charged batteries, your cables are in good working order, etc. Drummers: make sure your kit is good to go as far as tuning, properly muffled, pedals are lubed, etc. Tuner There is nothing worse and more amateur than tuning your instrument out loud where the whole crowd can hear it. Tuners are relatively inexpensive. If you’re using special tunings, even chromatic tuners are cheap. Laptop, iPad, Tablet, Smart Phone, Binder and/or Clipboard You more than likely don’t have someone you can depend on gig after gig to capture email or social network information, so guess what? You’re elected! Don’t let the stage adrenaline or crowd love get to your head and cloud your logic. Get out there with a binder, clipboard, iPad, laptop, smart phone, anything and grab as many emails and social network urls as you can. And make sure they print it neatly so you can read it. Better yet, let them type in their contact info on your laptop, iPad, smart phone, or whatever. Even better still (if you can) is to bring a laptop, iPad, smart phone, or whatever, and get your new fans to sign on to your network site, social network, or whatever, right there on the spot. Monitors/Earbud System So far, most of the items I’ve mentioned cost little or no money, and are pretty much absolute necessities. So I know buying your own monitors or an earbud system is stretching it for many of you. This would likely apply to the more upper-level local bands. And unless you have someone in or with the band who is good with this sort of thing, earbud systems (like sequences and backing tracks) can be difficult to get working properly. So you will need someone who can patch the system in and out of different house PAs, and do so quickly, which means someone you’ll need to pay (unless that someone is a band member). The good news, however, is if you can afford an in-ear monitor system, and get it working properly gig after gig with different house PAs, the benefits can be well worth it. In particular, the most obvious benefit would be never again having to worry about the house monitor system, or if there is even a house monitor system at all. Here are a few last tidbits to help you be ready for your next gigs. While they should be obvious, it boggles my mind how careless some musicians can be when it comes to their instruments and other gear. Ask any club or venue, and they’ll tell you how common it is for musicians to leave instruments and other gear behind. Stencil Your Gear For cripes sake, I can’t believe the bands that don’t do something so easy and costs almost nothing. All you need is a computer with some kind of stencil font and some cardstock. From there, you just cut out the outlines and get a white spray bomb. Or what works equally as good is to just slap your band sticker (if you have one) on your gear. The idea is to make it easy to identify your gear and cases. Black Cloth If you can do so and space in the venue permits, it’s best to stack your gear in a corner at the venue after your set. Bring a black cloth or tarp and cover it up until the end of the night. It will more than likely be safer there than leaving it outside in your vehicle. Another reason for doing this is to give you more time to work any new fans, sell merch, kiss babies, have babes kiss you, etc. Then load out at the end of the night. This will also make you look more professional when you’re not seen loading out in the middle of the crowd—especially if the venue has no back door. Case Up Your Instruments Yet another mind-boggler is musicians who have no cases for their instruments! I’ve seen so many bands with nice instruments—even expensive Les Pauls and other high-end gear, and no case. Totally ludicrous. You preferably want hardshell cases, but if you can’t afford it, even a gig bag is better than nothing. I’ve only touched on some of the things bands should bring to every gig. And I’m sure there are other things that some of you might think of that I didn’t. But hopefully, even the most inexperienced of you will now have a better perspective on the subject. Most of the things I pointed out cost little or no money, so not having them is simply inexcusable. Of course, there’s nothing you can do to guarantee that nothing will go wrong during your set. But you can at least minimize the chances of going through those Spinal Tap mishaps. The idea is to come to a gig prepared to quickly recover from anything that Murphy’s Law can throw at you. Never assume the venue, the other bands, or anyone else involved will have what you failed to bring. _______________________________________________ David Himes is the author of the book Realities for Local Bands: Talent is not Enough. You can find it at Amazon. For a FREE sneak preview, click here. The book is also available in PDF format. Also, David published a local music scene paper for over 16 years and has held over 400 live shows, giving him a unique insight on the scene. Your feedback and comments are welcome.

You think you have it tough as a musician? If you were a clubowner, you might think twice about booking yourself... ‘The Gig Kahuna’ by David Himes Having trouble getting booked? Played a club and not being asked back? Feeling like a club is blowing you off and not giving you a chance? Played a show, got paid little or nothing, and feeling ripped off? While it might be understandable for a lot of bands to feel the way they do about the clubs, understanding the operating expenses, risks, and liabilities that clubs face can go a long way toward establishing a business relationship with them. So at the risk of sounding like the devil’s advocate, I will take you to the “dark side” in an effort to show you what the clubs see. (Fun Fact #1: Yes, I’ve been in that business.) Bottom line: The club lives and dies by drink sales. If the club doesn’t sell drinks (a lot of drinks), it can’t stay in business. It’s a simple equation. It might or might not sound fair, but if you’re playing bars or clubs (whether you’re a cover or original band), you are there to sell drinks. Period. GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD! I’d venture to say a typical club (100-400 capacity) pays anywhere from $2,000-$20,000 or more on their lease (or mortgage) for the building, depending on size, location, what city you’re in, and other factors. Then there’s the electricity. (Fun Fact #2: The electricity needed for a walk-in cooler alone will make your household electric bill look like chump change.) Don’t forget about the liquor license (The value of a liquor license varies wildly, depending on where you are in the country.), liquor license renewal each year, insurance, ASCAP/BMI licensing, bar staff that must be paid, investment in PA and lights (if the club has a house PA and lighting), investment in tables/chairs/barstools, build-out, beverage stock, taxes, and more. And we haven’t even gotten to the little things like napkins, straws, trash bags, plastic cups, replacing broken glasses, maintenance and repairs, the list goes on and on. Any club that attracts a crowd (and some that don’t) will also attract the anti-fun police. Yes, clubs and bars (especially the more controversial ones such as strip bars) are always a favorite target for various officials. ATF, MBI, fire marshals, politicians, bureaucrats —all seem hell-bent on harassing any busy club for under-age drinking, drugs, “fire hazards,” and anything else their fertile brains can imagine. I remember one club where a fire marshal actually showed up with padlocks and chains to close the place down, just because their sound system wasn’t set up to automatically shut down when/if the fire alarm went off. Anyone smell politics? And how about the occasional investigative news reports? You know, the local TV news or other media that goes after businesses that don’t buy advertising from them. Also, if anyone gets caught drinking under-age, dealing drugs, or if someone gets injured, the club can (and often will) be held accountable. Now that you have an idea of the expenses, risks and liabilities a typical club faces, think what it must cost to operate a theater-size or larger venue! Did you know a lot of the local clubs aren’t doing too hot these days—barely staying financially afloat and/or losing money—and a lot of them are even teetering on closing? If you’re thinking of that crowd you saw on a weekend night, visit the same place during the week, and chances are it will be dead—also costing the club money just to open its doors. So the money the clubs might make on the weekends has to carry them through the dead nights when they lose money. (Fun Fact #3: Did you know that weekends are around 70% of a typical club’s income?) So with all of the above in mind, let’s now go to the other side of the table and look at the club’s point of view: Which bands would you want to book? If you answered “the bands that draw drinking age people,” you get a star sticker on your forehead. As you should now be able to see, if you don’t have a fan base and don’t draw a crowd, you are costing the club money. It might or might not be fair, but that’s life in the scene. There are, however, other ways to enhance your rapport with the venue… It might not be hip for “Brotha Integrity,” but giving drink-’em-up party raps and encouraging the crowd to tip the bartenders and waitresses is a good way to earn points with the clubs. Better yet is to find out who the bartenders and waitresses are, and mention them by name. Even if you don’t pack the place, winning over the bar staff can tip the scales a little more in your favor as far as being asked back. And now a word to the metal/core bands: Yes, it might look cool in the big-name videos, but try “fu*kin’ shit up” at your local club, and you’ll see where that’s likely to get you. If you’re not getting asked back to a club, here are a few tips for you: 1) Try to avoid statements on the mic like “let’s fu*k this place up.” Of course, every metal/core band likes to see a pit, but try to ask your crowd to respect the venue while moshing, so the club will continue to have metal/core shows. 2) If something gets broken, offer to fix or replace it. 3) If the place gets trashed, at least offer to help clean up afterward. (Fun Fact #4: Did you know the big-name metal/core bands pay for any damages incurred at their shows?) Also keep in mind that the additional cost of insurance for injuries incurred for moshing and crowd surfing (can you say “lawsuit”?) is through the roof. And more and more venues and clubs have been prohibiting moshing and crowd surfing altogether. When dealing with a club owner or talent booker, keep in mind you’re dealing with a person who has been burned too many times by bands and promoters promising to “pack the place,” and delivering little or nothing. You’re dealing with a person who has heard the B.S. a million times. You’re dealing with a person who has listened to the wrong people and ended up with disastrous results. When many bands play for an empty house, they typically beat around the bush by saying something like “well, we had fun.” Or you might see some kind of posting where they thank everyone for what was supposedly a successful turnout. But the club didn’t exactly have fun when they lost money, and isn’t exactly thanking you. Sorry to rub the truth in your face, but if you’re getting weak turnouts, you should be embarrassed. However you got booked (more often than not, by lies and B.S.), you probably told them you’d pack the place. The club or venue depended on you and you let them down. It cost the club money to let you have your show there. Bartenders and waitresses went home empty-handed and disappointed, as they depend on tips from drink sales to make their living. Depending on the club’s policies, a house soundman might be angry, because the door came up short and he didn’t get paid. And he might remember that if (a big if) you play there again. Finally, you’ve more than likely blown your chances of playing that club again. And you think you got “screwed” because there wasn’t enough door money to pay you? That, my friends, is what the other side sees. There is never a guarantee you’ll get booked or get favorable gigs. But hopefully, agree or disagree, you will now at least see the club’s point of view. You should now have a better perspective on why just having that knowledge alone can go a long way toward getting booked and being asked back. ___________________________________________________________________ David Himes is the author of the book Realities for Local Bands: Talent is not Enough. You can find it at Amazon. For a FREE sneak preview, click here. The book is also available in PDF format. Also, David published a local music scene paper for over 16 years and has held over 400 live shows, giving him a unique insight on the scene. Your feedback and comments are welcome.

What your audience hears is in the hands of the soundman - so don't make these common mistakes The soundman's (or soundwoman's) importance cannot be overstated, so it’s important not to annoy them. You want to be on the same team, striving for the same goal—not harboring resentment or frustration. But chances are you’re doing (or not doing) some of the very things that make a typical soundman, well, let’s just say unhappy, without even realizing it. Here are 20 ways to get the maximum from whatever soundman you’re working with: 1. Keep your stage volume down. One of a soundman's scariest nightmares is a volume battle on stage, usually caused by the “Marshall on 11” guitarist. If you can’t or won’t cooperate, you’re in trouble from the start. Here’s why: The soundman can’t even run you through the PA when your stage volume is as loud or louder than the FOH (front of house), let alone make you sound good. He's also forced to “chase” your overly loud stage volume and turn everything else up in the mix, making the result overly loud, which you don’t want. When the FOH is too loud for the audience, you can clear them out. And don’t give that “if it’s too loud, you’re too old” line. There’s a difference between being comfortably loud and hurting people’s ears. (Hint: If you see people clearing out with their hands over their ears, you have a problem.) There is, however, a workaround for those who still refuse to keep their stage volume down to a reasonable level: Place your amps off to the side of the stage and aim them inward. That way, you can turn up almost as loud as you want. There are other benefits: Everyone in the band can hear each other much better on stage, reducing or eliminating the need for your instruments to be in the monitor mix. More on monitor issues later. 2. Never look at the sound engineer like it’s his fault when you do something stupid. Let’s say you unplug your guitar before the channel is muted. People then jump out of their skin, and some duck to protect themselves from the sounds of gunfire. Meanwhile the soundman’s having a heart attack. Bad idea: Look at the sound engineer like he should be ashamed of himself. Good idea: Apologize. 3. Speaking of which, never unplug your guitar (or any instrument) without making sure the channel is muted. Even better, never unplug your instrument before turning down your amp. Catch the soundman’s eye and make sure he’s muted your channel before unplugging. 4. Keyboard players, make sure your synth patch levels are consistent! When you switch from a soft patch to one that screams, you'll cause the soundman’s heart to jump out of his throat. Not good. (This also applies to guitarists and bassists with effects and clean/distorted levels, as well as any sampling devices, backing tracks, etc.) It also helps if you have your own keyboard amp to reduce or eliminate the need to hear yourself from the stage monitors. 5. Singers: Don’t fling the mic around. You wouldn’t like it if someone treated your property the same way. If you insist on doing anything like this, bring your own mic and cable. If you bring your own mic or a wireless mic, make sure it’s of good stage-worthy quality, or it’s guaranteed you’ll sound like ass. 6. Know how to use effects like reverb, delay, etc., properly. A little reverb can go a long way. In fact, in most cases, you’re better off not bringing your own effects. Best bet is to ask the soundman to put a little reverb, delay, or whatever on you. 7. Use proper mic technique. When singing softly, get up close to the mic and when belting out the louder parts, back off. Otherwise, the soundman will reach for a compressor/limiter if available. 8. Never point the mic at the monitors—or even come close to that when the mic is not in use. This is very unprofessional and falls under the category of stupid things, because feedback will occur. Not only will this send the soundman scrambling to the monitor EQ (assuming there are monitor EQs), people in the crowd will yell obscenities. Loudly. 9. Drummers: Cut a roughly six-inch hole in your front kick drum head—near the outside edge, usually on the side. This is so the soundman can position the kick mic to pick up the beater(s) hitting the rear head. You might be surprised at how many drummers don't do this. 10. Learn to tune and muffle your drums properly—in particular, the kick and toms. Unless you’re a rap artist going for the 40 Hz tones, that long ring will work against you. It will take more time for the soundman to gate out that ring and in some cases (such as if there are no gates in the PA system), he might attempt to EQ the ring out, which can very easily result in drum sound suckage. If you don’t know how to muffle and tune your kit properly (c’mon, admit it!), a trip to your local music store should solve the problem. Their drum expert will likely be glad to help. 11. Stick with only one kick drum. Having two kick drums creates another kick to mic up, and you can’t always assume the soundman will have an additional kick mic. If your reason for having more than one kick is because “one kick hit cancels out the ring of the previous hit with a single kick,” trust me: No one will notice or care. While on the subject, avoid an overly big kit. Unless you’re Neil Peart, you most likely don’t have the luxury of a soundman who can mic up a kit big enough to stock a drum shop. If you absolutely insist on bringing a big kit, also bring in some additional (good quality) mics and cables. 12. If you’re using triggers, make sure your module has enough outputs to at least separate the kick, toms and snare. This should be obvious, because the different drums in a kit require different treatments—in particular, EQ. 13. Monitor-related points: Don’t equate what you hear on stage with what the audience hears from the FOH—two very different animals. It doesn’t matter what it sounds like on stage. What matters is what it sounds like out front. Of course, the better it sounds on stage, the more stimulation you get to perform better. But the purpose of the monitor system is not for you to have a concert on stage. The purpose of the monitor system is for all band members to hear what is going on, and to hear each other. 14. Open your ears and listen! Many bands often complain they can’t hear anything on stage. But the truth is, more often than not, you are not listening. What most of you hear in your rehearsal space and what you hear on stage are not the same thing. In your rehearsal space (usually a smaller room for most of you), you hear the sound of everything bouncing off the walls. But on stage, the sound of everything kind of disperses into nowhere. This is where some ear training is necessary, which comes mostly from stage experience. If you move about the stage, chances are you’ll find a “sweet spot.” If you have trouble hearing, move to that spot. 15. Invest in an in-ear monitor system, but only if you can afford it and learn to set it up and use it correctly. Some bands are even moving toward a “silent stage.” This is where everything is run line-in through the PA with no amps. But for that to work requires a good monitor system, so a silent stage will probably not be feasible in most situations. 16. Don’t expect the soundman to defy the PA's limits. Small venues might have only an eight to 16-channel board—and you have four vocalists, two guitars, a bass, drums, keyboard, hand percussion, a trumpet player, a synthesizer, etc. So check out the PA before you expect the soundman to work miracles. He’s not Jesus and he can’t multiply the fishes and loaves. Also, if you notice the FOH cabs are the equivalent of a pair of monitors on stands, you can forget about that uber-deep kick sound. 17. Don’t assume the soundman can read minds. For instance, you want your keyboard player to start off the third song. Let the soundman know ahead of time. But then again, it’s probably better to keep that a secret and let him read your mind. Some actually can. 18. For larger bands, don’t assume the house soundman will have enough mics and cables. If you’re in a larger band, such as a ska band with a horn section, or with extra percussion, or just a lot of cats on stage, bring extra mics and cables - just in case. 19. Most bands are better off by far using the house soundman. Why? Because the house soundman knows the room and the house PA. Unless you have a real, experienced soundman who has the ears and knowledge of what he’s doing, do yourself a big favor and leave your own “soundman” at home...or have him in front of the stage during your set to help cheer you on. 20. Tell your people to leave the soundman alone. When someone’s girlfriend, parent, friend, “manager,” or anyone else involved with a band tries to tell the soundman how to mix, any soundman will wish bad things upon that person. Comments like “I can’t hear my son’s guitar” (especially if he’s a “Marshall on 11” kind of guy already blaring above the FOH) are guaranteed to annoy the soundman. Do yourself another big favor and tell your people not to talk to the soundman, and just let him do his job. What your audience hears is in the hands of the soundman. He can be thought of as a hidden member of the band. Keep in mind the soundman thinks of his (or the club’s) PA system the way you do of your instruments and amps. He is just as passionate about what he does as you are. He takes pride in his mixes, gear, etc. And when he has little or no control of his mix because someone isn’t cooperating on stage, there will be problems. Make the soundman’s job so ridiculously easy, and make it a pleasure for him (or her) to work with you, that it will be virtually impossible for you to sound bad. So it only makes good sense to respect the soundman and cooperate. Just having an understanding of what makes the soundman tick can go a long way toward getting a great mix on your next gigs. ___________________________________________________________________ David Himes is the author of the book Realities for Local Bands: Talent is not Enough. You can find it at Amazon. For a FREE sneak preview, click here. The book is also available in PDF format. Also, David published a local music scene paper for over 16 years and has held over 400 live shows, giving him a unique insight on the scene. Your feedback and comments are welcome.

“Too many bands and artists give up when they don’t end up with a record deal, thinking there is no other reason for them to exist. F##k that! I love playing this music, and therefore I will!” – Nameless Local Musician The above statement is actually one of the most intelligent things I’ve ever heard from a local musician. To maximize your chances of success, most of you will have to change your conventional way of thinking. I want you to be successful in the pursuit of your dream. But for that to happen, it might very well be necessary for me to rain on your parade, burst your bubble, give you a big smack of reality upside your head, smash through your wall of conventional wisdom, however you want to put it. So at this time, I’d like to share a little philosophy with you. It is a condensed version of an essay that was once given to me. When you think about it, it applies to each and every one of us—regardless of our involvement in the scene, musical style, or status. But be forewarned: In this day and age of the entitlement mindset, some of you might not like reading what follows and get offended. Not that I can say I blame you—I once found it hard to swallow myself. But it is a simple truth: No one owes you anything. How could such a simple statement be important? It might not seem so, but understanding it can bless your entire life. No one owes you anything. It means that no one else is living for you, because no one is you. Each person is living for them self. Their own happiness is all they can ever personally feel. When you realize that no one owes you happiness or anything else, you’ll be freed from expecting what isn’t likely to be. It means no one has to love you. If someone loves you, it’s because there’s something special about you that gives them happiness. Find out what that something special is and try to make it stronger in you, so that you’ll be loved even more. When people do things for you, it’s because they want to—because you, in some way, give them something meaningful that makes them want to please you, not because anyone owes you anything. No one has to like you. If your friends want to be with you, it’s not out of duty. Find out what makes others happy so they’ll want to be near you. No one has to respect you. Some people may even be unkind to you. But once you realize that people don’t have to be good to you, and might not be good to you, you’ll learn to avoid those who would harm you—for you don’t owe them anything either. No one owes you anything. You owe it to yourself to be the best person possible. Because if you are, others will want to be with you, want to provide you with the things you want in exchange for what you’re giving to them. Some people will choose not to be with you for reasons that have nothing to do with you. When that happens, look elsewhere for the relationships you want. Don’t make someone else’s problem your problem. Once you learn that you must earn the love and respect of others, you’ll never expect the impossible, and you won’t be disappointed. Others don’t have to share their property with you, nor their feelings or thoughts. If they do, it’s because you’ve earned these things. And you have every reason to be proud of the love you receive, your friends’ respect, the property you’ve earned. But don’t ever take them for granted. If you do, you could lose them. They’re not yours by right—you must always earn them. No one owes you anything. Realizing that one simple statement can make a world of difference in your life. No one owes you anything. By now, I have a good guess what some of you might be thinking: “So what does this have to do with the music scene?” Everything. At the risk of being the messenger who gets shot, and for those who don’t get it, I’ll put it a little more bluntly: Clubs do not owe it to you to book you; radio stations do not owe you airplay; labels do not owe you a record deal; media outlets do not owe you coverage; and people do not owe it to you to come to your shows. These things only happen when you earn them. (But then again, some of these things have been known to happen to people who didn’t earn them.) This isn’t to say you necessarily have to jump through flaming hoops to make things happen. You might be surprised at what you can do with a little knowledge, a little effort, and realizing that simple truth: No one owes you anything. So in summary, the above philosophy might have come as a shock to some, but coming to the realization of it—just that alone—can make a world of difference in your musical endeavors, as well as your entire life. No one owes you anything. David Himes is the author of the book Realities for Local Bands: Talent is not Enough. You can find it at Amazon. For a FREE sneak preview, click here. The book is also available in PDF format. Also, David published a local music scene paper for over 16 years and has held over 400 live shows, giving him a unique insight on the scene. Your feedback and comments are welcome.

As I’m always stating, reaching most of the people who can help you isn’t that hard if you know how to approach them, and in a professional manner. Of course, if you’re an entry-level artist, your chances of contacting Lady GaGa’s personal assistant are slim to none. But you might be surprised at the people you can reach when you know how. While an entire book could be written on this subject alone, I’ll briefly give you a few guidelines. There are different professional approaches, depending on whom you want to contact and what you want. In this example, let’s say you’re an entry-level local band asking for a date in a local club. The best start is usually by email. If you think you can just send something lame and half-ass like “We’re looking to book a date at your club,” and little or no more, thinking the recipient will click the reply button, you’re in for a disappointment. The person you want to reach will click delete instead. Yes, many people really do send messages like that. And never insult the recipient by trying to get them to visit your website, social network, or whatever online resource. The people you want to reach are extremely busy in their day-to-day activities, and simply don’t have time to hunt you down. Never assume anyone is going to chase you down—not when they are being bombarded every day by a million other requests for their time. For starters, you want to find out the name of the person you want to reach whenever possible, and address that name. If you can’t find out a specific name, contact anyone at the venue and ask. Most personnel will direct you to the person to reach out to. That person’s name should also be included in the subject field of the email. It should read something like “Attention, Jane Smith.” In the case of a booking request, you want to include basic information like your musical style, what town you’re based out of, how long you’ve been around, and a specific date or a ballpark range of dates you’d like—preferably one to three months in advance. The information should be very brief and to the point. Never send your basic information in an attached file, such as a Word file. Always include it in the email body. Stick with standard fonts like Times, Times New Roman, Arial, or Helvetica—the fonts that are likely to be in anyone’s computer. Avoid using goofy frilly-dilly fonts. Keep the message in basic text, and avoid any fancy or colored backgrounds. Just plain, black text on a white background will do fine. Anything more impresses no one, and chances are the recipient’s email program may not be able to read anything fancy and appear as garble to them. Avoid all uppercase (Turn the caps lock off!) or all lowercase. Also avoid combinations of both, LiKe tHiS (People still do that?). Type complete words, not half-ass garbage like “how u doing with ur self”—all signs of lameness. You want your message to appear typed by someone intelligent and professional, not some retarded second-grader. Leave the bullsh#t out of your message. Don’t try to impress anyone with the social network numbers you supposedly have. If you’re from out of town, don’t say something like “we’re from town X, but we have a big draw in (your town). Leave out statements like “once you see how good we are, you’ll want to have us back.” And NEVER approach anyone as if they owe it to you to do whatever it is you’re asking for. Finally, spare them the typical bullsh#t about how you will pack their club. They’ve heard it all a million times before. In fact, when approaching a venue in a professional manner, it shouldn’t really be necessary to make a big case as to why they should book you. Keep in mind that almost any club that uses local bands are always looking for openers, seeking out diamonds in the rough, and most of them will give entry-level bands a shot, depending on your locale. Always include COMPLETE contact information with yes, a phone number. And for cripes sake, NEVER use the retarded combination of words and numbers like this: 5five5-fivefive5-6one2three—another sign of a moron. Numbers only! Set up a signature in your email program, so you don’t have to type your contact information over and over again. It should look something like this: John Doe Guitarist/Manager The John Doe Band Landline/VoIP: XXX-XXX-XXXX Cell/Text: XXX-XXX-XXXX johndoe@thejohndoeband.com www.thejohndoeband.com www.facebook.com/thejohndoeband For email, websites, social networks, etc., most email programs should automatically create clickable links. If not, figure out how to make that happen, as clickable links are preferable. So finally, your message should look and read something like this: Hi Jane Just wanted to drop a quick line to let you know my band is available around (XX-XX through XX-XX). We are a folk/rock band based in AnytownUSA. We are relatively new on the scene, and would also be glad to play any opening slots you might have. If you’d like, I can send a photo, MP3 or video, or you can click one of our links for that and other information. Thank you so much for reading! -- John Doe Guitarist/Manager The John Doe Band Landline/VoIP: XXX-XXX-XXXX Cell/Text: XXX-XXX-XXXX johndoe@thejohndoeband.com www.thejohndoeband.com www.facebook.com/thejohndoeband Optionally, you could attach a band photo, MP3, or video. But I’m not too wild about it, unless requested. The reason being moderately heavy files slow down the download to the recipient, and if they use a spam filter or virus program, it could be read as a virus or Trojan horse and get rejected. In most cases, you should get a response within a day or two. If not, follow up, hit them again. (Save the sent message and resend, so you don’t have to retype.) If you still get no response, wait two to four weeks and try again. If you do get a response, reply in a timely manner—immediately if you can. And NEVER be like the majority of people and do a vanishing act. I can never stress that point enough: BE EASILY ACCESSIBLE! While there is no guarantee you will get a response, following the above guidelines will at least maximize the chances of it happening. If I were to put it all in a nutshell, what you want to do is make it so ridiculously easy for the recipient to read your message, and take absolutely as little of their time as possible. I hope all this makes you a better communicator. Poor communication has been one of the biggest problems in the scene over the last number of years. Hopefully, enough of you will read this and realize how vitally important good communication, and following up is in reaching your goals and getting whatever it is you want. David Himes is the author of the book Realities for Local Bands: Talent is not Enough. You can find it at Amazon. For a FREE sneak preview, click here. The book is also available in PDF format. Also, David published a local music scene paper for over 16 years and has held over 400 live shows, giving him a unique insight on the scene. Your feedback and comments are welcome.

At the risk of being the messenger who gets shot, this article is about a cold, hard truth that has gotten me more haters than almost anything else. You wouldn’t believe how many bands I’ve seen get angry over this subject, then after splitting up, come back and tell me I made the right call, how they learned their lesson, and how they won’t make the same mistake again with the next band (if there is a next band). I’m talking about over-gigging on a local level. Over-gigging usually (but not always) occurs in cities and towns that have more than one or two places for local bands to play. This is when a band plays way too often—especially locally. It’s one of the most common myths that aspiring bands and artists buy into—and one of the most foolish, amateur, and devastating mistakes that local bands make. In conventional theory, playing as much as you can is best. But the opposite is true. When you play too often, you are spreading your efforts way too thin. It’s a simple equation that unfortunately, most local bands just can’t get through their heads. Think of your following as a pie (or a pizza). If you play as often as you should when on a local level (once every two to three months), you get the whole pie. But by playing any more often than that, you are splitting up your crowd. The more often you play, the smaller of a slice of the pie you get. Some bands, clubs, talent bookers, and other industry pros are well aware of the equation. It’s so simple, yet it amazes me that sadly, so many bands just don’t get it. There are a million justifications and excuses for over-gigging—none of which will produce any real results. For some reason, it is still one of the most widely taught myths, and the people who still buy into it boggles my mind. Personally, I think one of the biggest reasons for the rationale of over-gigging is people tend to want to do what’s fun and easy, but not what’s hard and necessary. Either that, or ego issues are at play. The pattern is so predictable, I could set a watch by it: Band starts with a core following made up of fans, friends, family, co-workers, etc. The first one or two gigs are successful. So far, so good, but what happens from there is downhill. For whatever reasons, the band falls under the illusion that every show, regardless of how frequent, will all be great. Or once the other local bands, “promoters,” and others see the band is bringing people out, suddenly all ask the band to play—all at once, and the band finds it hard to say no. With each gig thereafter, the turnouts get weaker and weaker until finally, down to nothing. Calls start going unreturned, emails start going unanswered, the band no longer gets asked to return to the clubs and venues and what few gigs they now get, they play for the bartenders. Band morale (very important to keep up) goes on a downward spiral, which inevitably leads to band breakup. Band breaks up and all the members are scratching their heads, wondering what went wrong, and feeling they got so screwed, because they “worked so hard.” Maybe a rush of stage adrenaline or the feeling of love from the initial crowd clouded the members’ logic. Or maybe the band listened to the wrong people, who encouraged them to play-play-play. But because of the over-gigging on the part of the band, they didn’t even make it past the entry-level. The truth is, it takes at least two months of planning and promotional effort to do a show right and have a successful turnout. This is another reason that over-gigging is foolish. When a band is over-gigging, there is no time to focus on one show. Your local shows should be like an event, as if it were a big (or even mid-level) national coming to town. This will not happen when you are over-gigging. Some bands and others involved in the scene know that over-gigging is ludicrous, and avoid it. But they mistakenly believe that playing out of town in between local shows is acceptable. In truth, this is also not the best idea, at least not in the early stages of development. One reason is it also takes away time and effort that should be going into the next local show. The only exception here is if you have some kind of hook-up or backing. This exception also applies locally—if you get some opportunity such as a local radio event or opening for a national. But if you get such an offer, be very careful and look closely at the terms of the gig. (Read my past column about opening for nationals.) “So what can we do in between our big local shows?” you ask. A good start might be the not-so-fun, but necessary things: Photo shoots, recording projects, writing new songs, dress rehearsals, self-critiquing videos, stage coordination, vocal harmony sessions and coaching, studying the scene, the list goes on and on. Get off the social networks, turn off the TV, put the X-Box down, and get out there and do some movin’ and shakin’. One last word on the subject of over-gigging: Did you know the big venues, promoters, and big-name nationals (and mid-level nationals as well) agree by contract that the band does not play another show within an X-mile radius of the venue and within X-days of the date of the show? Do you know why that is? For the very reasons I’ve pointed out in this column. David Himes is the author of the book Realities for Local Bands: Talent is not Enough. You can find it at Amazon. For a FREE sneak preview, click here. The book is also available in PDF format. Also, David published a local music scene paper for over 16 years and has held over 400 live shows, giving him a unique insight on the scene. Your feedback and comments are welcome.

Regardless of whether you are on the entry, mid, or upper-level of your local music scene, the thought of opening for a national touring band seems like a dream come true. On the surface, it appears you’ve been bestowed the honor of sharing the stage with the gods of the limelight. You have been chosen to receive that magical key to the gates of stardom. The heavens above are shining down upon you. You are going for a ride on the gravy train. Sorry to throw a bucket of ice water on you, but the truth is you are more than likely being exploited rather than blessed. Usually, the only real benefit of such a gig is a boost in band morale, which certainly doesn’t hurt. Consider some of the realities of opening for nationals: You are expected to help get the word out about the show. Chances are you’ll have to pre-sell tickets, maybe even buy onto the show (more about buy-ons in a future column), so don’t cry “pay-to-play.” While the touring bands get paid, you can expect to be paid very little or nothing. Since most nationals come as a package deal with one or more supporting bands also on the tour, you’re not likely going to get a direct support slot. You are playing for the fans of the nationals, so unless you bring your own fans out, the crowd will probably either go to the bar to order drinks or hang out outside and wait for the anchor bands to go on during your set. As agreed by contract, the headlining band usually backlines the stage. This means the supporting bands (including and especially you) will have to set up in front of the other bands, drum kit and all. Not a very comfortable situation. The headliner will usually also get a lockout on most of the channels on the soundboard, leaving the supporters with only the remaining few. In larger venues that have a big enough stage, PA and lighting to accommodate such events, these factors might not be too big of a deal. But if we’re talking a club tour, it’s definitely not an ideal situation for you. You can also expect little or no lights, monitors, or sound-check, and you’ll more than likely sound and look like ass. If you’re lucky (VERY lucky), the headliner might be impressed by you and want to hook you up, but don’t hold your breath. There is one particular scam I’d like to warn you about: It’s where some manager, label rep, or agent books a national tour for his band, maybe a newly-signed act or otherwise. He contacts local bands in each town and offers them some “golden opportunity” to open for his “national band.” More often than not, the locals are also offered the promise of playing in front of the national band’s “label reps.” Of course, to get in on this “opportunity,” you’re expected to sell advance tickets (If you read my last article about battles of the bands, this might start to sound familiar.) at some ridiculous price. To the uninitiated, this might appear to be a good opportunity. But what you’re really accomplishing is 1) ensuring a good turnout for the touring band, and 2) covering the “national band’s” touring expenses. As crazy as this might sound, if you are an entry to mid-level band, you might be almost better off opening for an upper-level local band than a national. I have several reasons for such a wack idea: While the anchor(s) might want to backline the stage, at least they’ll usually share the drum riser (assuming there is one); they won’t be near as likely to demand a lockout on the soundboard channels; you’ll probably get at least a brief soundcheck; and you might even get paid, at least some gas money. You will probably get treated closer to an equal as far as sound, lighting, monitors, etc. This is one reason I always strongly recommend making friends with, and supporting other local bands. (Read one of my past columns, ‘Clique Clique Boom.’) You never know when another local might invite you to play a nice show with them. In summary, it can be cool to open for a national, and I’m not saying there’s anything particularly wrong with it. But if it doesn’t happen, if the deal falls through, if the show gets cancelled, or if you get turned away, it’s nothing to cry about. It’s nothing to be envious of. And it’s no reason to get discouraged. Remember, more often than not, someone else is reaping the fruits of your labors. You’re more than likely better off putting your efforts into your own next local show. If you seriously feel you need to open for a national, there are ways to make it happen on your own (more on that in a future column). David Himes is the author of the book Realities for Local Bands: Talent is not Enough. You can find it at Amazon. For a FREE sneak preview, click here. The book is also available in PDF format. Also, David published a local music scene paper for over 16 years and has held over 400 live shows, giving him a unique insight on the scene. Your feedback and comments are welcome.

Battle of the bands, or battle of the scams? When it comes to this type of event, opinions can vary wildly. The big question here is whether or not to participate. My answer depends on several factors including the terms and conditions of the party hosting the battle, how lucrative the prizes are, your status in the your local scene, your attitude about “winning,” what constitutes a “victory” to you, and more. Battle of the band competitions can, and often do, come in several different flavors—and vary from a local level, to a national or even worldwide level, and anything in between. Some battles are nothing more than scams that seriously exploit the participants, while others are perfectly legitimate. Prizes can range from an “attractive” gig, to some gear package, a wad of money, studio time, to some “record deal,” just to name a few. Many local bands are wary of these battles, and rightfully so, as it can be hard for the inexperienced artist to distinguish the good from the bad. With this in mind, the more shady battles might be given warm and fuzzy theme names in an effort to hide what the event really is: a battle of the bands. Some are promoted as “showcases,” where the participants are reeled in with the promise of playing for label execs, producers, and other “heavyweight” powers that be. One factor to consider is the terms and conditions of the competition. I’ll start with among the worse and with them, what to beware of, and what to avoid. At the top of the list are the ones that ask for an unreasonably high entry fee. If possible, you want to avoid paying an entry fee of any amount. But to be fair, the promoter or whoever is responsible for the event does often need to cover expenses incurred to hold the battle. After all, a battle of the bands does take a lot of serious planning, research, promoting, and hard work to do right. So as long as an entry fee is no more than around $50-100, depending on where you are, that is actually not particularly unreasonable. Other contests to avoid are the ones where you are asked (and expected) to sell advance tickets at some unreasonable price. Most local band shows (depending on where you are) are a $5-7 cover, maybe more, unless we’re talking about the upper-level locals that might be able to get more. So for the most part, anything more than $5-7 is getting unreasonable—especially when you are expected to sell tickets for $8-15 or more. And more often than not, the bands are required to cough up the money from their ticket sales. Other battles to avoid are the ones that dangle prizes like some “record deal,” some gig in Europe, or some big “hook-up.” Granted, some labels do hold competitions and showcases in an effort to seek out new artists. But think about it: Even if you do win a “record deal,” it’s likely to be on the label’s terms, not yours. And if you win some gig in Europe, who’s to say it’s not at some dive overseas? It could be anything, but it’s safe to say you won’t be playing Wacken Open Air, Sweden Rock, Rock Am Ring, or the Download Festival. But then again, as long as all expenses are paid, it might be cool if you do win and make it to regional and national rounds. So which bands should participate in a battle and which ones shouldn’t? Obviously, most BOTBs aren’t in the interest of the upper-level locals. But if you’re an entry-level band and haven’t yet built up any contacts or are having trouble getting booked, a BOTB might just be what you need to get a foot in the door of that elusive venue. This can also benefit the clubs, because they are always seeking good drawing bands. Maybe just having fun and making friends with other bands can be another reason for participating. Maybe you just have a competitive spirit and love a challenge, or maybe you have enough of a following that you feel you might just take it. If you participate in a BOTB to win, it is important to note that you will need a following. Winners are never decided by talent alone. However, there are several objectives you want to accomplish by playing a gig—and a BOTB is no different. You want to sell merch (assuming you have it), capture online social contact info, email, etc. with new fans, and more. More often than not, bands that don’t win often feel the contest was “rigged.” But surprisingly, even the shadier ones I’ve seen have been decided in a reasonably fairly and unbiased manner. My favorite method is by in-house ballot, but audience response is also good, as long as that kind of judgment isn’t made at the end of the night, after the early bands’ fans have left. Personally, I’m not too crazy about those contests where participants or winners are chosen by online voting—you know, where band members and their friends sit in front of the computer all night voting hundreds of times, or use some kind of bot-ware. It might not be a good idea to not count on winning. Don’t get me wrong. If a competitive spirit is part of your character, so be it. But if you go in with an attitude like you’re going to hand everybody’s ass to them, chances are you’ll be setting yourself up for a big disappointment. In my opinion, a better attitude is to only worry about having fun and if you do win, it’s the icing on the cake. After all, having a wad of money, free studio time, new gear, or other prizes fall into your lap is definitely not a bad thing. Read more from The Gig Kahuna on harmonycentral.com: The Importance of a Banner for Local Bands Clique Clique Boom—How to Foster a Local Music Scene David Himes is the author of the book Realities for Local Bands: Talent is not Enough. You can find it at Amazon. For a FREE sneak preview, click here. The book is also available in PDF format. Also, David published a local music scene paper for over 16 years and has held over 400 live shows, giving him a unique insight on the scene. Your feedback and comments are welcome.