If you're already scratching around for the next band booking in 2011, here are 10 things you won't have in common with the busiest bands and solo artists.
1. You don't know enough venues
Selling your band for a gig is like all selling, a numbers game. The more targets you have to aim at, the more you're going to hit. To the extent that if you knew enough venues you could get some gigs no matter how bad you were or how you went about trying to get the band booking.
How many venues is enough? Well, we have around a 100 on our database although they're not all active. But, you can fill you diary for a year with less half that amount. Much less as time goes on if you know what you're doing.
Find gigs by knowing more venues
2. You don't approach enough venues
Having a good list of target is vital of course but if you don't do anything with that list what's it worth? You've got to get out there and pitch your band. You might feel you're not a natural salesperson , that you don't have what us Brits call the "Gift of the gab". Well, remember this. Once, you had no idea how to play a guitar, drums, keys, sing or whatever exactly it is you do onstage. If you're a driver, remember how unnatural it felt at one time to try and remember all those things you needed to do to make a car move?
If you can learn a song tab or lyrics you can easily learn what and how to say and do the things necessary to get your band booked over and over. However, not if you're not approaching venues you can't...
3. You don't approach venues in the right way
As mentioned earlier, with a long enough list of targets you'll get the odd gig no matter how you go about it. For consistent, repeat work at quality venues though you'll need to know what you're doing.
The what to say when you pitch and how to say it. Doing this successfully doesn't involve phoning a gig venue up and spouting off awkwardly about your band for a several minutes before being told "NO".
Band Booking tips
4. You have too much similar competition for gigs at the venues you're targeting
If you feel this is the case, actually, you're fooling yourself.
"Too much competition" ,
"Other bands doing the same thing as us are getting all the gigs" actually means one of two things. Either you don't understand what makes your band distinctive from others. Or, it actually isn't any different from other bands of the same genre who are targeting the venues. Either way, your first step is to find out more about these other bands and working out how to create a stronger, more unique identity for yourselves. This "difference" is what you'll focus on when you talk to venues. Ultimately, you'll should be able to briefly and quickly summarise reasons why any venue should chose to book your band.
5. You give up too easily when you're told "Thanks, but no thanks"
We all get rejected from time to time, no matter what we're doing. Pitching for band gigs you will be told you're not needed more often than you're welcomed for a band booking. Fact. You can either try to avoid this and hope you somehow get gigs anyway. Don't hold your breath though. Or you can do what every successful salesperson or businessperson does and realise that every "YES" made up of a lot of "no"s.
Once you're regularly pitching your band
you'll get to know on average how many different venues you'll need to call you need before you get a band booking. This will keep you going through the "rejection".
Another important point about venues saying "No" though. The most successful at booking their band know that circumstances change at venues. They might be fully booked for the year with their usual roster of bands as of March, for example, but a band can cancel a particular date leaving the venues with a sudden vacancy they need to fill. Bands can split up suddenly, giving a venue a longer term problem. Venue management changes and the new band booker often wants something fresh. Don't give up on a venue because of one initial "thanks, but no thanks". The busiest bands stay in touch with all their targets.
6. You're online presence isn't attracting gigs
In addition to the more pro-active and direct methods of band booking bu directly approaching venues yourself - are venues coming to you? If you're website isn't attracting regular enquires about your availability from new sources then you probably need to do something to make sure you get found online more easily. Find out what search terms people are using to book bands like your in your area and have your website optimised for these.Consider a wordpress blog as part of this if you're struggling to rank highly enough for your keywords.
7. You don't cultivate a fan-base
You can say all the right things to get the band booing, turn up and play a great couple of sets but if there's no-one in the venue you'll be doing well to get a repeat booking. Put bluntly, a lousy band with a huge following will generally get asked back more often than a technically brilliant one with pull.
You need to bring hundreds of people to your gigs. Just a handful will be enough to swell many bars. You can achieve a lot more than this by using Facebook in the right way though for example.
Facebook for bands
Bring and keep the gig crowd
8. You're missing opportunities to get more gigs while you're playing
When you're onstage does everyone in the venue know the name of the band and how they can be booked? Are you asking for multiple repeat bookings from the venue when you come offstage?
9. You don't play "Shows".
The best bands, the ones which are out all the time, don't strum through two sets while staring at their fretboards.
You want to make an impression on a venue and the crowd. You want to keep them at the venue throughout the night - boosting takings at the bar for the venues. You don't do this by playing in the background. You do it by putting on a show, getting the crowd (no matter how small) involved in the performance. You don't need to be "natural performers" to do this. Just take a little time planning out the gig and inserting one or two little memorable moments in there.
Stagecraft for bands
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