Band Promo 101
Aug 23, 2011 Housekeeping
Posted by
Toby
I’ve been back at Station 58 for about a week now, after a 2 year break from the business. I’ve been insanely busy working on our schedule for the fall, and now that I actually have the calendar filled for the next month (whew…), I’m going to take a minute to address an odd issue I keep running into.
Let me say this first – I totally get that most local bands are just in it for fun.
And the pussy, if we’re all being honest. 
A lot of younger dudes have aspirations of making it big, but by and large most groups around here play because they love to and it’s an awesome creative outlet. You get to be Saturday night rock stars, and there is nothing wrong with that. Rock on.
But here’s the thing – the people who book your bands are actually business owners. They need to put bodies in the door and sell booze. They might be fans, but at the end of the day they still have to pay the rent, keep the lights on, pay the staff and buy more more booze.
So they book you, The Local Band.
And they advertise, run an ad in the New Times, do a little radio, maybe hire someone like me to market the show and deal with the details. They are in the hole before you walk in the door.
You, The Local Band, like to play out. You like it even better when you can play in front of a big, enthusiastic, drunken crowd. And you’re positively orgasmic if you can do those things AND actually get paid for it.
I’ve spent the better part of the last 10 days sifting through Facebook band profiles. There are a few things that would totally help your cause – like including some really, really basic information on your site.
- What does your band sound like? “the new and upcoming band of the century”. What the f#ck does that mean???? Do you sound like Neon Trees or Nine Inch Nails? Originals or covers? Metal, rock, country, punk? Are you going to show up with an accordion, a stuffed horse or a coffin? Give me a hint…and yes, all of those things actually happened.
- Is there ONE reasonable picture of your band somewhere on your site? It doesn’t have to be professional – just in focus and your current members are all in the shot. A point and click camera will work just fine, and if you make it black and white it will automatically look artsy and cool. Easy.
- Where do you play? When I click on “Events” and there’s nothing there, I get a little concerned. It either means nobody else will book you, or you have shows booked you’re not promoting. Either scenario is disturbing. It’s tough to get gigs when you’re just starting out, but there is no excuse for not putting some effort into promoting your own shows.
I want YOU to have a good show.
I want the OWNERS to have a good show.
I want EVERYONE involved to make $$$$$.
I believe in the win-win.
Help me help you.
Peace, out.
Tags: Band Promo
August 23rd, 2011 at 12:39 pm
Really?! In it for the pussy? As a female musician in Syracuse, I find this “blog” a bit stereotypical and insulting to those of us who enjoy making music, of any gender. Win-win for “everyone” with you? I doubt it since this post excludes or insults pretty much everyone in one way or another (including the venue YOU work for). The world of a musician is not just a bunch of pussy-hungry assholes trying to find fame and fortune or maybe we would choose a less difficult route…
Sounds like someone needs to get some penis, or at least stop being a man-hater? Maybe you should stick to that break you took and stay out of the music industry where things are not for the thin-skinned or lazy (have you heard other websites for music exist–Facebook is NOT the best choice, but you are the expert! Right?); peace out and stay out.
August 23rd, 2011 at 7:42 pm
I certainly apologize…I thought the tone of the article was obvious to anyone reading it, but apparently not. It was meant to be tongue in cheek, having a little fun with a business that is very funny sometimes.
I have the utmost respect for ANYONE who has the ability to make music, regardless of gender or genre. It’s a gift most of us are not blessed with.
I’m certainly aware of other social media platforms that do a better job with music than Facebook. Unfortunately, not all bands take advantage of that, and regardless it’s not very smart to ignore Facebook as marketing tool.
That post was meant to point out in a light-hearted way that the bands and the bars both have the same goals – we ALL want successful shows. I think both sides tend to get a little adversarial towards each other and that’s unfortunate. It was not meant to offend, and I’m sorry you perceived it that way.
PS – Nobody in my life has ever accused me of being a man-hater, or of needing to “get some penis”….you made my day.
August 27th, 2011 at 11:59 pm
It sounds to me like #1 missed the point of your blog, Jules, being: if you want venues to WANT to book you, then do something to look like you give a crap about your band. Am I wrong? I run into the same issues booking Just A Memory all over the Eastern seaboard: bands everywhere leave out the most important details, so I have no idea if I should reach out to them or not. It’s frustrating and time consuming. That’s part of the reason we spend a little time making simple flyers, keeping a blog and updating our events on FB, ReverbNation.com, SoundCloud.com, MySpace.com (for now), and several other popular sites that each give off the same consistent message of who we are, the kind of music we play, and how busy (or not) we are. There are so many tools out there to make it relatively effortless so it doesn’t interfere with your daily life.
I get your frustration.
We’ll see you out there.