How to Start Band Booking Before You've Formed a band

Someone asked me this week what they could do to prepare for band bookings  - before they'd finalised the band line-up.


The answer is there's plenty any act can do about getting gigs before they're actually ready to play them.


Obviously once you have your line-up in place it's all about rehearsing the music and show. While you're still doing that though, in my experience there are two key actions you can take:




 
1. Spend this time looking at your competition and working out what's different (or what will be different) about your band/act. Your USP if you will. This will pay big dividends when it comes to pitching your act to venues

The Band Booking Difference
 


2. Collect as long a list as you possibly can of the potential venues you'll approach for gigs once you're ready. Getting a venue to say "Yes" when you approach them is a numbers game and the longer your list of targets the better.


Find Gig venues

Band Booking Venue Ideas

Doing these 2 things will save you a lot of time once you're rehearsed and ready to roll... 

Can Any Act Get Band Bookings?

The short answer to this is "Yes". You don't actually even have to be able to play a note to be able to convince some venues to give you a band booking. 

All you have to do is pitch enough venues in the right way. 

Getting paid, not being booed off  stage and booking a follow-up gig though of course different matters...

The fact is, frequent and regular band bookings and gigs for solo acts don't only go to the greatest musicians or even the best "performers" (there is of course a difference between the two).

Give me a band that's keen to learn how to pitch themselves properly to venues ahead of one who are "only in it for the music" every time.

Of course, we're all in it for the music  -or why else do it?  However, you need to get yourself heard, and one of the best ways to do this is by knowing how to get band booking after band booking for yourselves...

Band Booking Tips