Band Booking and the 12 Days of Xmas

Do you have enough band bookings over this coming festive period? If you don't, here's the first of 12 tips to make sure you're not in the same position next year - and to get you off to a flying start in 2012.

Before we get on to today's tip, make sure you really have done everything you can to  secure those last minute December bookings this year. Have a look at this Last minute Xmas Band booking post first.

When you've done that,today's tip is simply to check out your competition.

Yes, really. 

 

If you're going to be one of those rare bands who actually fill out their gig dairies with more band bookings than they can play (and you can, trust me on this), you'll want to know all about the other bands or acts in the same genre as you who are playing your target area or region. 

Google "originals rock band Detroit", or "Covers band Birmingham" depending on what you're playing. "Band for hire Detroit" or "party band Birmingham" and you take some time today to have a look at these other acts. Your "competition" if you like.

How do they describe themselves on their websites? What sort of material do they play (any cover material ideas you might be able to use there?)If they have mp3s on line how do they sound and how are they different to your own act? 

Do they have a "Gigs" section on their website? If so, take note of the venues they're playing and add them to your own list of target venues for when the time comes to start trying to make your 2012 band bookings.

Keep in mind, as well as finding useful info such as gig venues, what you're trying to do here is to get a picture of how your band compares with the others who will be competing essentially the same gigs. 

Later, you can look at using what you learn from this activity to create a strong identity and points of difference for your own act.

Gig-Getter Band Booking ebook

Can You Still Get Band Bookings for 2011?

Even this late in the day you can still band bookings for this year if you approach it the right way. If you have the availability and are ready to confirm a date at short notice you can keep adding bookings to your band’s diary in November and December.

Clearly now we’re mainly talking about other bands or acts cancelling pre-booked gigs and you being called on to take their place. 

Here are three proven actions you need to take NOW to maximise your chances of last minute band bookings for the rest of this year.

1. Make sure you have an up-to-date Gig-calendar.

All band members need to have access to this and confirm which nights they’re available on.  The chance of a gig can be lost if a venue calls about your availability and you tell them you’ll have to get back to them. Often they have a list of potential replacement bands to call and the gig will go to the first to say “yes”.

Search “Online calendar” (there are numerous available) and you’ll find one something which you can all share online. This will make sure you’re ready to confirm at a moments notice – crucial when you get the frantic phone call from a venue where the band has let them down.

2. Create a Newsletter and mail to Potential Venues.

Its’ all very well being ready to take a booking if a distraught venue calls you, but how do you get them to pick up the phone and ring your number when they need a band?

You have to get your name in front of them on a regular basis as the “Go to” alternative when they have a night to fill.

The first step in doing this is creating a long list of target venues. Once you have these. You need to make sure they have something they can refer to when they need a band or act in an emergency. That something is a band newsletter. You can send them via email or post. In my personal experience I’ve found hard copies to be more effective – although many bands I’ve worked with had booking gigs via their digital newsletter.

Great. But what do you say in your newsletter?

Here are some ideas which could get you started

 - Have you got a New(ish) band member you could write something about? 

 - What about New equipment you might have invested in? 

 - Details or photos of any gigs you’ve  recently played 

 - Forthcoming gigs 

 - New numbers or material you’ve added or written

 - Clear contact details for how you can be reached and booked via email and phone 

 - An idea on the genre of music you play 

 - Photos of any of the above 

 - A statement close to your contact details saying something like:

 “Some dates in December still available due to late cancellation”

If you have a good demo you’re happy with, you can enclose this with the newsletter.  Make sure all your contact details are printed on the CD. Don’t worry if you don’t have a demo though, a well crafted mail-out can get you band bookings even without being heard.

3. Follow-up your newsletter with a phone call

Talk to the person who makes the decisions about booking the bands. Check they received the mailing and remind them you have some availability in December should they need it.

It’s easy to give in this late in the day and believe all the 2011 band bookings are taken. Don’t be fooled. There are still gigs to be had if your band’s name is the one in front of the venue when they need one at short notice.

More on Last Minute Band Booking 

Get Gigs ebook

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

How to Get Gigs at the Last Minute

Picture the scene: the club manager is putting the finishing touches to the New Year's decorations ready for the big night.

He's sold all the tickets and is looking forward to a great New Year's eve with lots of happy party-goers filling his tills on the biggest night of the year.


Suddenly the phone rings at the venue. It's the guitarist from the band due to play tomorrow night. He apologetically tells the venue manager that the singer has a throat infection, lost his voice and they won't be able to do the gig. Can you imagine the panic?







Where's any venue going to turn when they're in this predicament? They might ring an agency who may or may not have an act spare for New year's eve.

They will certainly check they're files for details on any other bands who they may have used before or who may have contacted them.

If your band is up for a gig at short notice can you see how useful it would be to have been sending this venue a regular monthly newsletter and in particular adding the phrase "Some dates in December still available" to the one which you sent early this month?

Can you imagine the leverage you'd have with the size of your fee in cases like these? What about the potential for future gigs at this venue now you've helped them out in their time of need.....















How to Get Gigs

When some of the Gig Crowd Gets a little TOO Roused...

A lot of bands like to get an audience involved and maybe get one or two of them up on the stage from time to time when they play - I know we do.

As I've written about elsewhere, the audience generally love this, particularly if the "additional band member" has what you might call strong visual appeal while they shout some backing vocals or bash away on a tambourine.

The venue management are usually pretty keen on this kind of involvement, as long as it doesn’t descend into a free for all.

Sometimes if you have to coax a person up onto the stage you can tell they don’t feel comfortable while they’re up there. You’ll need to whisper reassurances to them if this is the case. Other times some customers can be only too at home up on there with you.

We’ve had some pretty close shaves with guys falling over and almost into our gear but last weekend was a first for us.

We invited a girl up so we could sing a ballad to/at her. She didn’t stay there long. She clearly found the attention hard to bear. We carried the song on for a minute or so before another guest arrived up uninvited. She danced around and tried to sing a little which was met with great approval from the (mostly male) bar audience.

At the end of the number I thanked her for her "input" and she left.

Fast forward to the end of the night when she appeared back up again (uninvited) for the first of our 3 encore numbers and stayed there right through to the bitter end.

In these circumstances generally, after one song one of us would whisper to our "guest" that they’d probably better leave the stage in case the management started to object. This normally does the trick. In this case though, we suggested she confine her vocals to singing backing with me when I came in and that she concentrate on her dancing.

Seemed to go down a treat all round. Sometimes you just have to roll with these things I suppose....