How to Get Band Bookings for this year by asking about next

Band Booking in December

Band Bookings in 2012 by asking about 2013?

Any day now, the more organised gig venues out there will be finalising their band booking diaries for 2013. 

Sure there are still plenty to will leave any thought about 2013 gigs until next year, but you need to be hitting the others - and soon.

One thing you may not realise is that in contacting gig venues about 2013, you can sometimes give yourself an extra opportunity to get another date for this his year. If of course, you have a night to spare.

 

Are there still Band Bookings available this year?

BY this stage of course, any gigs you book for this year are likely to be cancellations by other bands. Bands cancel gigs due to illness, splitting up, double-booking etc all the time. At the moment when this happens, the venue has a problem.

They've got a night to fill (at a very important/potentially profitable time of year) and most bands will be booked up now for the year.

Getting in the face of your target venues one last time this year (to try to take early bookings for 2013), gives them a reminder about you and makes them more likely to think about you if and when they have a problem over the coming peak weeks.

 

"Still some 2012 Dates available"

If you want to be even more pro-active about landing any potential dates you can casually slip it into your conversation with the venue that you still have some availability next month if needed. That will enough to keep you in mind should a cancellation occur.

Don't overplay this and make it sound like you're free all month even if you are. You don't want to sound like an act that no-one else has want to book.

The key thing with this is to make sure you're the band the venue thinks of when they have a night to fill.
 
Oh, and of course get a few band booking dates for 2013 when you make that initial call....

Here's how you can contact venues and land last minute band bookings this year without talking on the phone. It's old post but still relevant and useful if you need it:

  Band Booking Xmas card