Music Business Lessons (Courtesy
Berklee Press)
Performances and Booking Agents: The Live Life
By George Howard
Just as you must do research to determine which labels
make sense for you to submit your demo to, you must do the same for
performance venues. This process is easier because your search should, at
first, be limited to clubs in your geographic proximity. If you live in
Detroit, you don't need to worry about what the right club for you in
Alabama is--at least, not initially. Find venues by using the same technique
you used for finding labels: look at which artists perform at which clubs.
Where are bands like yours playing? Look at the listing for the clubs, and
see who is playing there. Ask yourself if your music could fit compatibly on
the same bill. If so, submit your music to that club.
Be realistic in your targets, and understand that most venues are for-profit
businesses that rely on ticket sales (and alcohol sales) in order to stay in
business. You shouldn't expect to play the Enormo-Dome for your first gig.
Rather, look around for places that book new artists. This could mean the
smaller clubs, or coffeehouses, or open mics. The important thing is that
you try to perform where your music will fit with the venue's aesthetic.
This is important, not just because you don't want to be the guy with the
acoustic guitar playing between the death metal bands. More practically,
it's because your goal, beyond attracting fans, is to expose your music to
the people in "the business" who frequent these clubs. These people, be they
lawyers, managers, or booking agents, are all potential members of your
team.
How Performing Impacts All Facets of Your Career
Understand that a network exists in the music business in which the venues
are really on the front line. The people that operate these venues are in
constant contact with booking agents, managers, and promoters, as well as
record labels. We A&R people have frequent conversations with those who book
the venues, and are always curious to hear which bands or artists are
drawing big crowds. Additionally, A&R people speak to venue bookers when we
want to locally showcase one of our bands. Venue bookers speak most
frequently to booking agents, who route their bands into the venue. When a
national artist comes through town, the venue may add a local artist as an
opening act. In this way, the person who books the venue can potentially
expose a local band (that would be you) to the national band's booking
agent, the national band itself, and even that band's management.
While it may seem that your local club does not have an impact outside of a
small circle, the reality is that it acts like a radio transmitter that can
spread the word about you in a very wide and effective manner. This is why
it is so important that you choose the right venues in which to try to get
gigs, and also that you develop a rapport with the people at these venues.
The most effective way to develop this rapport is to play great and get warm
bodies in the room.
Putting Bodies in the Room
Get as many people as you can to come see you play. It is your obligation to
those who book you and to yourself. At the start of your career, your
ability to do this will be somewhat limited. There are some things you
should do before you try to get gigs at "professional" venues. First, try to
play at "non-professional" venues. These could be parties, church basements,
raves, skirmishes, wherever. The goal is two-fold: first, to get your live
act together, and second, to build a following in an organic way. If you do
this, when you do play in a "professional" venue, you will not only give a
better performance, but there may actually be some people there to see you.
Once you feel you have a good enough live show and some sort of following,
you should try to book yourself a professional gig. Because you've kept a
good mailing list every time you've played, you can invite those people who
have see you at the non-professional performances. Though you may get a gig
based on the strength of your demo alone, if you do not bring people into
the venue, you will probably not be invited back, no matter how great your
show or demo is.
Excerpt from Getting Signed! An Insider's Guide to the Record Industry
©2004
Berklee Press Used by Permission
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