Truth About Starting A Band And Getting First Gigs Options

[Bogdan Radovic]

Hey everyone, I'm starting this thread to share some of my experiences related to playing with brand new, demo bands and getting first gigs. I'm not sure if everything here will be applicable to your local music scene but some of the things should be universal. My experiences come from bands playing mostly original songs not covers.

* How smaller gig venues/clubs usually operate

The deal with gig venue for starting, demo bands is that band pays a certain fee in order to perform. Yes, this is the first major disappointment, you need to pay to play. This fee usually covers costs of clubs sound engineer, person selling the tickets, security personnel. I'm mostly talking about deals with smaller/medium sized rock clubs not large venues. Sometimes the club would provide its own PA system as well as stage gear (drums, amps, mics etc), this could be included in the venue price or not. If the club doesn't have the necessary equipment or stage gear, you need to rent it 3rd party. Band gets the percentage of the sold tickets and takes on the responsibility of marketing and actually filling the club with audience. First of all, you'll notice that these conditions are not very fair: band pays a fee, shares percentage with the club and pretty much does everything else while club makes money off customers buying drinks, gets free promotion and higher attendance, gets a fee from the band for the show and doesn't take much risk at all (unless the band really sucks ). This is why it is very hard for new bands to make any revenue from their music when starting and there are lots of costs involved in their operation (recording studio, rehearsal space, gear etc). I'd like to say that this is unfortunately normal and that you should be prepared to go through this process. Over time, the clubs will get better and bigger while the "fees and conditions" will start being looser and better for the band. This all relates to how much audience band attracts and how popular it is. My advice - just trust and believe in your music and go out and have fun and try not to be bothered with those things. Rock out that stage and have fun with your audience who came there to see you. There is no better feeling than that!

* Gear in small/medium clubs

You can expect some small/medium clubs that have regular gigs to have their own gear available. This gear is unfortunately often too abused and not maintained well. Bands usually try to bring their own guitar/bass amps if they have them or can borrow them from friends. Drum kits usually don't present a problem as long as they are somewhat functional (drummers should bring their own kick drum pedal and some cymbals though). Don't forget to bring power extension cords as well as extra guitar and mic cables (xlr>xlr). Always have a backup plan in mind if something is missing when you get to the club. Usually there is a sound check organized several hours before the show, so you have some time to fix problems if you encounter any. Monitoring on stage in small/medium clubs is often non existing. This is the last piece of gear the club owners will get for their club. Also, bands usually don't have this gear - monitors for on stage use which allow you to hear back vocals, guitars and other parts of the mix so that you can play better and hear everything nicely.

* How to get a first gig

The best and easiest way to get your first gig is not to organize your own, rather find a slightly more experienced band playing similar style of music and become friends with them. Ask them if they would call you to play 6 songs as a supporting act on one of their gigs. Being social and just networking goes a long way. If your band sounds nice and has songs which they like, they will call you. This way you don't need to deal with too many organization factors and just enjoy your first show! To do this, you can just send some messages via FB to bands you and your band mates like and get in touch. Don't be shy!

* How to organize your first gig

Find a small rock club in your area and it should be a place where you already had a chance to hang out in and which organizes gigs. Go to the club and ask for the manager. Tell him about your band and ask for conditions for playing in the club. Usually they will actually not even listen to your demos etc rather offer you a "Standard deal" we talked about earlier. If you are OK with the deal, arrange a date and you got the major part down. I'm suggesting a small club as it will be easier to "fill" even if just your friends only come to the gig. It is always much more fun to play in a small club with enough people than in big one which is half empty. Also, the more snug the club and filled with people, the better the sound will be! Once you have the date down, find more "friendly" bands to play with you. Actually you can do this step before arranging the final date and check with club manager if he is ok with having 2-3 demo bands playing in one night. Ask 1 or 2 bands if they'd like to be your guests at the gig and perform for lets say 30 minutes each. More bands = more people in the audience = FUN GIG Once you have all the details down (where, when, who), start promoting the gig. You can start with a gig event on Facebook and getting the word out in the school, via your friends etc. You could also print some flyers/posters if budget allows. Make sure you are professional in way you handle organization so always make sure that the guest bands are well informed about sound check. Also, see if they have any special needs or gear on stage etc etc. Show up at the soundcheck early to make sure everything is OK. The band which plays first always does the sound check last so that his sound/gear can just stay connected and setup on stage.

* Other first gig opportunities

Great other opportunities for first gigs also include: school gigs (these are always so fun), local demo band competitions. Both are great opportunities as you don't need to handle any organization on your own, rather just show up and play.

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To sum it up, always believe in your music and have fun!
There are tons of hurdles, disappointing things etc in bands "life" but trust me - good things always outweigh it and fun and happiness always prevails. Playing in a band is an amazing experience, it is fun and it can bring a lot of amazing things in your life!

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[Todd Simpson]

This is a KILLER Post Bogdan!! If it's not part of our wiki, it should be!!!

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