How to Get Gigs by Covering all the demo bases

Which is the right or definitive demo tool?

I just got involved in a discussion about which demo method is essential for bands to use get gigs.

Fascinating to hear how sometimes completely opposite approaches can be equally as successful for different bands and circumstances

To demo or not to demo?

You can get gigs without the person who books you ever having heard you play - for sure.

The kind of venues that will take you "blind" though are generally at the lower end unless you've been recommended by someone who has seen you.

So if you want better quality gigs you're gonna need to let people hear what you can do before they commit.

Should you give out Demo CDs to venues?

Yes, but only when they're expected and wanted.

Dropping them off either by themselves or as part of a promo kit in the hope that the "right person" will listen to them - and then book you, is futile. It's a waste of time and money.

Surely you need to talk to the venue first? "Qualify" them, as salespeople say.

This means checking out whether they have any potential interest in booking a new band (i.e. yours)- now or possibly in the future.

But what's the one killer tool?

Demo CD? Video? Mp3s? YouTube? MYspace? Own website or Facebook?
In simple terms, you'll get more gigs if you cover all bases.

Venues differ on how they want to see what you can do. This means if you have your demo and some promo/marketing material in all the recognised formats you'll naturally multiply the number of venues who will book you. If you're getting all the gigs you need with one or just a couple of the above that's great. If not, you know what you can do.

And finally on the subject of demos.....

Should you put together a demo/promo kit BEFORE you've even played your first gig?

Two schools of thought here. one says you need the promo kit to get gigs.

The second says that if you agree you can get some bookings without people having heard you (see "to demo or not to demo" para above), you'd be better off without a promo kit. At least to start with.

The reason being you need time to fine-tune what your band is about, to really discover your strengths and weaknesses. Once you've done that you can put your promo kit and demo together confident that you won't need to adjust it any time soon and that it will get you more quality bookings.





Any thoughts?