Should you hand over your Band Booking to Music Agents?

Not getting involved in your own band booking and handing gig-getting over to music agents can seem like the easy option for many musicians.

If you're trying to build a career for yourself as a musician, and you're successful,  the time will come when you'll  need the input of music management companies in some way, leaving you free to concentrate solely on the music.

Until that time, or if you're a "weekend warrior" playing gigs part-time, you might be best served doing your own band booking.

Here's a short video of the Gig-Getter author talking about using music agents and another link on the same topic underneath.



Music Agents & Band Booking

Some Band Booking Venues You May Not Have Though Of

The most obvious kind of venue to target for a band booking is usually somewhere established for live music. Bars, clubs, festivals etc.

Even most private function work comes from having been seen in one of these "traditional" venues.


There's a strong argument too that these places are the easiest to get a band booking because you don't have to convince the owner/booker about the merits of having live music in his venue.


Before I wrote Gig-Getter I remember reading about someone recommending funerals as a possibility for a band booking. Yes really. A bridge too far for me though I think.Having said that, how rock n roll would it be to arrange for a band to play at your own final "appearance"....


Now, on the subject of gigs in unusual places here's a brilliant post naming 20 non-traditional types of venues to consider. Not all these will appeal to everyone but what I like about this post are the further examples and videos they give.

Great stuff from a site well worth book-marking methinks....

Should you use the Phone or Email for Band Booking?

Some bands like to turn up at a venue out of the blue armed with their demo CD to try and secure a band booking. Others post out newsletters, email or telephone to pitch themselves. Each of  these methods will work to a greater or lesser degree.

Here's an article than looks at the differences between two of the most  cost-effective ways to get a band booking at a new venue. Email or telephone.

Here's my take on using the phone for band booking
In my experience a far more reliable way to bring those band bookings in - and fast...


Anyone prefer email to the phone?

Stagecraft Tips For Bands and Musicians

If your gig crowd reactions suggest you need to improve your stagecraft, this might be of interest.
You can check out the new  Stagecraft for bands article  written by the author for the December issue of play Music Mag in case you haven't seen it.


This article looks in a bit of detail at the performance confidence aspect of playing gigs.

You can check for other  updates through 2011 on the main Gig-Getter band booking  articles page

Fast & Simple Facebook Starter for More Band Bookings

If you only ever do one thing to use Facebook for band bookings here it is

Don't be put off by the reference to "Jazz", this works for any musician or band.

If you're really interested in putting the power of facebook to work as far as band booking are concerned try these as well:

Facebook for Bands 

Using Facebook for more Fans at your Band Booking 

Successful Band Booking by Bringing and KEEPING the Crowd

Trying to catch up with things on Sunday  I read a  band booking post which amongst it's "Top 10 Tips" talked about bringing and keeping a crowd. 

I didn't agree with everything in the post (see bottom of this piece), but those two points about the crowd got me thinking.

Certainly any band or solo artist who wants to keep the gig(ie, get asked back), should ideally be trying to take some people with them. Although not necessarily literally in the same transport as the band of course.... 

If you can't do this, how are you ever going to build a following or make a full (or part)-time living out of  your music?

You don't need to take hundreds of people. Just a handful can often be enough to swell the coffers of small venues. 

It all comes down to working on the promotion of each band booking you play. 

Letting people know you're playing somewhere and giving them reasons to turn up. 

Here's one online way:

Getting more fans to your band booking

There's more to a successful gigging act than this though. Taking your own people to a gig generally gets more difficult the further away from home you gig. 

That's where you need to know how to RETAIN the people who are already in the venue. The venue's regular gig-goers. 

When it's been a particularly successful gig at the Hard Rock for example, the venue will often refer to the fact that we kept the crowd there (and so the bar busy),- rather than brought people with us...

Achieving this boils down partly to your music of course, but overall it's all about the kind of night you give the crowd. 

Isn't having a good time what going out for the night is all about?

A lot of bands find that getting a gig crowd to talk about you and the gig you've just played for days after is usually more than the music alone. Any thoughts?

 Audience interaction at the band booking

So anyhow, here's the post I was reading over the weekend

Talking between songs? Does your Gig Crowd care?

"Every band booking is only about the music" 


or.....

"Your gig crowd expects and wants some chat in between songs"



Which camp do you and your gigs fall into?

I've played 100's of gigs and worked with too many semi pro and amateur bands not to have a firm opinion on this. 

Give me two bands of the same ability, equipment and genre, pair them with the same crowd and watch what happens.

The band with even just a tiny amount of audience interaction (when it's done in the right way) will win hands down over the "music only" act every time. 

You don't have to recite passages from War and Peace in between every song but you do need to show them you're human and not "up yourself".

Here's a neat post where other musicians discuss talking between songs with their gig crowds. The site itself is one of the best for all kinds of discussions and help for musicians. Worth bookmarking I reckon..

More audience interaction tips