Last night my band and I had a great Wed. night concert at Cafe Du Nord. We played with two very talented artists Brittany Shane and JJ Shultz. We loved playing with them and hope to play more shows in the future.Cafe Du Nord is a wonderful and well respected live music venue here in San Francisco and Jeff and I always enjoy playing there.
Last night I talked to many people which included musicians,new fans of my music, photographers, ect. During that time I met a fellow local artists who asked me about advice on how he could go about getting a bill together at the venue.
It got me thinking this morning. I moved to San Francisco somewhere in the middle of 2003. The first place I played was an open mic at the Bazzar Cafe which is a little coffeehouse in the Richmond district. In fact as I recall I played a lot of Cafes, including the Bart Station. I busked in Fisherman's Wharf and even put together a California Coffeehouse tour with another singer-songwriter.
At some point I started playing in live music venues. I believe the first club I played here in San Francisco was The Makeout Room in the Mission district.
Since then I always strive to improve the art of putting on a successful show.
Here are some tips of advice:
1.
BUILD UP YOUR FANBASE BEFORE YOU START PLAYING IN MUSIC CLUBS
One of the key things a booking agent is looking for when booking your band is your draw. That is the honest truth. They are running a business. Bartenders want to make good tips, the venue wants to make money, they've got bills to pay, ect.For smaller venues shoot for 40-60 people. Bigger local venues 100 on a weeknight (but don't sell yourself short 160 or more has been done.)When approaching booking agents in addition to your epk/music emphasize on your draw and how you can bring business to the club.
2.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT ALL ON YOUR OWN
Put a great bill together of up to three acts. Work as a team! If all three of the bands bring 30 people to a show. That's 90 payed tickets. It makes your life easier and makes for a good draw.
3.PROMOTE YOUR SHOWS WEB 2.0 STYLE
All musicians should have a Twitter, Facebook, and Myspace account. Interact with people, get to know your fans, communicate. No one's going to know about your music if you don't let people know it even exists!Promote your shows using these sites and set up an account if you don't have one.In addition have a personal e-mail list. Go to http://www.reverbnation.com to set up an account. They have a great tool called Fan Reach. It's free, your mailing list will look pro, and you can add html photos, reviews, and mp3's to your e-mails. You can't ask for more out of a free service. I use it and it's great.
4.CLUB ETIQUETTE
* Show up exactly at load in time
* Always introduce yourself to the sound guy (he/she is the one in charge of making you sound great. Treat him right and he'll treat you right!)
*Be ready for sound check (don't make him/her look for you. This pisses sound people off tremendously!!)
5. SOUND CHECK TIPS
* Sing and play like your going to play (Don't get up on stage and when he's checking vocals start singing in a silly voice and saying something like Bla Bla Bla, Check 123. The sound guy knows that the mic works already. He's trying to get your levels for the songs that you're going to play for the show. So sing a song like you sing, play like you are going to play in the show!!)
(Also, another tip of advice when sound checking. Don't stop playing in the middle of the sound check and complain that you can't hear yourself in the monitor right away. Sometimes the sound guy needs you to play for a bit so he can adjust the levels. Play for a good while, then after your done kindly request more of this or less of that in your monitors. Don't get an attitude and stay calm. Just because you're nervous doesn't mean you have to take it out on the sound guy. The only reason why I'm mentioning this is because Jeff my guitarist in my band is also a soundman and I can't tell you how many time I've seen artists do this. A lot of time artists forget that sound guys are also musicians. Remember that the next time you play!)
* SOMETHING THAT MAY HAVE NEVER OCCURRED TO YOU - SOUND GUYS LIKE TO GET TIPS!
Did you have a good show? Was the sound good? Did the sound guy work hard? Then tip him. Now there's a thought that may have never crossed your mind. Also, he'll remember you when you play there again. This is how you build relationships.
BUILD YOUR FAN/BASE AT YOUR SHOWS
Have your mailing list set up, CD's, Merch or whatever else you have.
Here's another idea. I didn't any CD's to sell because my album is currently being recorded in the studio. However, I have a single out on iTunes. I set up a free download via my web-site. I gave free mp3's away to everyone who signed me mailing list and bunch of people signed up! I think it really smart to give gifts away. People will get a chance to hear your music and if they are more likely to purchase your full length album!
GET TO KNOW YOUR FANS
Again emphasizing on building relationships. After you perform get to know the people coming to your shows. They are the reason you are playing in the club in the first place. It's really important and it's fun. Most of fans have become really great friends of mine and I love them.
So those are my thoughts for now. I'll probably have more. I guess the most important thing is just to love what you do. Live life to the fullest, dream, live in the moment, treat others well. Remember, what you give always comes back to you.
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