Essential Band Booking Banter

Essential Band Booking Banter

Pre-planned Banter at Band Bookings?

Some live acts are dead against any type of pre-planned or "contrived" stage banter.

Certainly you don't want to plan every sentence you say to a gig crowd in advance of every band booking. That would take away any hope you might have of spontaneity. 

There are though, some things you better make sure you do plan in advance - and stick to on the night at the band booking.

Get the Band Booking Names right

For instance, if you're playing a private party or corporate event it's best not to wing it with the names of important people or businesses to thank. personally I've played gigs where the wrong name has been used for both the bride and bridegroom. You can imagine the reaction of the people who booked the band in those circumstances. A reminder of these things at the top of the set-list is often all it takes to avoid disaster.

Like many successful live acts though, you might want to pre-plan a little more of the banter you'll use at any band booking. Just the odd key phrase to remind you what you could say at certain points in t he show maybe. That way you'll have less chance of "drying up" and leaving awkward pauses or having nothing but a gormless expression while a guitarist changes a snapped string...

More band booking banter here

Band Booking and the right Band Members

Band Booking and Band Members

Band Booking or going down great with gig crowds  

is not only about how well you can pitch your band or what you’re like on stage.  When a semi-pro band is successful as a live act it’s usually due to a lot more than the individuals band members’ onstage abilities.

Band Booking & Band Members

As far as individual band members go, often the most important thing any one of them can do for your band booking success will have nothing to do with how well they can play or can sing.

 
You’ll come across some who have access to cheap or free rehearsal rooms (or their own space for the band to practise), bassists with a PA (to run all the instruments through as well as the vocals), others with vans, guitarists with lots of friends (for a ready made audience),or drummers with website building or social media skills etc.

Band Booking Skills

Some of the most valuable of course, are those band members who are able to market your band and bring in plentiful supplies of gigs when the other band members wouldn't know where to start.

One problem though with finding the right band members is that often you can get blinded by a potential band member's personality or just how good their playing or vocals are. 

“Natural” front men (or women) might be fantastic interacting with an audience. Unfortunately they’re sometimes extreme extroverts who can have huge egos which can be draining for other band members to deal with. Sometimes that big ego (and their position in fronting the band and taking most of the “limelight”) can lead them to believe they don’t need make as much of an offstage contribution as other band members. You can imagine how this can be the cause of a lot of friction. (The good news of course as far as fronting a band is concerned is that actually, even introverts can be great at it).
 

Take your time for band booking success

Anyhow, whether you’re trying to get your band together, or replace a band member when successful band booking is your goal, it’s worth taking your time to make sure you get the right band members.

Its hardly rock n roll to say your band bookings goals should  mean you’re” interviewing" potential band members to gauge their attitudes . But the idea really is to just try and dig a little behind what they can do onstage.

Try to find out how much time they actually have to devote to the band, what their musical goals and motivation are like and explore what they might be able to offer “off stage” as well. 

A little bit of extra time invested up front will do much to aid your band booking efforts in the long run

More about band members and band booking here