Getting in to Gigging...
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Author: Pete Crewdson
There's a lot more to organising a gig than most people think;
it can be an easy process, but most of the time troubles arise.
Make sure you do it the right way and avoid the problems that so
many others have to face.
Start Early: Make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to get
the gig organised. Yes, you want to get bands playing and get
your teeth in to it as soon as you can, but the longer you have
to organise and promote your gig is ultimately better. Try to
book a gig a few months in advance.
Don't go for all the popular bands: So you can get 4 big bands
to play together and bring in quite a big crowd with each, but
realistically, how many times does that band play in the same
place within a few month of each other; the bigger the band, the
more times they've been there before. Try out a gig with one
bigger headliner and three smaller up-coming bands. Each of the
bands get the gigging experience, and being younger and newer
they probably haven't played many shows; that means more of
their fans want to see them, and their show is something more
special even than the headliners.
Don't overload: Both on equipment and bands. Only put on as many
bands as you think is necessary, don't try to squeeze out 5
minute change-overs just so you can stick another band on, play
it safe and keep it smooth. The same goes for equipment, using
one drum kit all night is best, and getting the bands to help
each other out when it comes to amplifiers is always a big
bonus. Less equipment = less hassle, which ultimately = smoother
gig.
Think big: Just because your putting on a small gig at the local
music venue doesn't mean it can't sell out. With the right
promotion and the right bands, any gig can get close to selling
out on the night. Always think big when it comes to creating
posters and promoting; look at professional posters and find the
bits that draw attention. Stay away from cluttered posters with
band websites and reviews scribbled all over them - when it
comes down to it, the only thing people need to know is who and
where the bands are playing.
Get on the bandwagon: So you don't like MySpace, you don't like
Facebook, you don't like PureVolume - get over it and get on
promoting. MySpace is the biggest promotion tool you could ever
dream of. Make a digital copy of the poster and send it to all
your MySpace friends; tell the bands to send it to theirs and
tell them to keep sending it on to their friends. Viral
marketing is key to a successful gig.
Pre-Sell tickets: This can not be stressed enough! Pre-selling
tickets means that those people who like to say they're coming
to a gig, but fail to show up have a ticket before they get
there. It works as an insurance policy so people know they have
a ticket, and will come to the gig because of it. If the worst
comes to it, then you've still got the money from the advance
tickets.
Sound check everyone early: Most engineers will tell you that it
is better to sound check each band, and it is. Make sure that
you get the bands to the venue quite a while before the gig so
each gets time to sound check fully. Most bands will be happy to
show up if they know they're having a good sound check for the
show.
From experience, gigs go much more successfully when you inject
a bit of common sense in to the equation; don't go in feet
first, plan and get it right. Anyone can put on a successful gig
when they know how.
About the Author
Pete is a music journalist and gig promoter. He runs his own online music magazine in the devon area and is famed for his online fan site for Linkin Park.
Rating: 5.00