From the Garage to the Stage: Land Gigs in 3 Easy Steps

You’ve been rehearsing with your band for some time and you’ve all agreed that you have enough music in your repertoire to start playing shows. The only problem is that there’s only a handful of people who even know your band exists!

So, how do you get your name out of your rehearsal space and into the world where fans scream your name?

Here are a few tips that have helped those who came before you - including myself:

Not every city is as open to ‘postering’ as a means of promotion. Downtown streets that become littered with homemade signs tend to get overlooked, mainly because they become an eyesore after a while. If you look in the right places however, you can strategically promote yourself before your first gig. Why put up posters if you haven’t landed the gig you ask? This sounds devious, but I speak from experience when I tell you to try this!

Pick a bar from a neighbouring city - the internet will help you choose the right one if you’ve never left the borders. Back date the poster a few weeks and place them around the city where other bands have posted their shows. The reason for this is simple: when you do land the gig that you want, someone in the bar is bound to tell their friends that they caught your show back in whatever bar at whatever time you posted. Spreading your name is paramount to success.

Now that you’ve seen a few of the posters that line the street lamps in your city, you’ll notice more than one band name on the line-up. The very first act that takes the stage is known as the showcase. I’m sorry to tell you that this is usually a non-paying gig and used for exposure only; that is your payment.

It is also more than likely that you’ll usually get no more than thirty minutes to impress the crowd, so choose the most powerful songs in your set list! There are many different avenues to take to get on this list, but it’s a necessary step in paying your dues. If you’ve hired a manager at fifteen percent, they should be able to land this for you. If you’re going at it alone, it’s best to contact the headliner with a friendly introduction, possibly with a drink from the bar. However it is best to use caution when approaching the subject about a showcase slot. Most of the time headliners aren’t in the mood to discuss this during their gig. State your name, what you’re looking for and finish with, “mind if I call you sometime to talk about it?".

So the showcase went better than expected and the bar manager — who was undoubtedly at the gig — was impressed with your performance (and definitely the bar sales from the night). Your band name has popped up on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook in late night drunken tweets and pictures from the night before. You also made sure that someone was at the show to film a few clips and record some live samples that you can post on your band’s Postach.io site with YouTube and Soundcloud embeds (FYI, if you need help with this on Postach.io, use that help button - it works). Now it’s time to approach the bar manager with a proposal to play in his establishment. What are you going to take as your arsenal to get him to say yes?

Knowledge is power! Make sure you know what he or she pays the talent they hire. You don’t want to undercut any other band playing in the city, driving the prices down, nor do you want to come in so high that he laughs in your face. You will also want to have an opening act all lined up, saving her from having to do any work. If you can, it would help to find a band that has already played the club and would be willing to help you out. This way the manager knows that at least there will be a following in the bar that will help sales. Finally, prove that you can provide advertising and promotion that will benefit the bar. Remember that promoting your band’s gig also acts as free advertising for the establishment. They rely on you just as much as you rely on them.

So you have done it! Your band is now one of the well-known names in the city and you’ve joined a community of musicians that are all striving for the same glory. Stoked fans are screaming “No way! That band called [place your name here] is playing at the club again tonight?! Let’s go!"

Do yourself a favour and remember how you got there. Just behind you is another band looking to break into the scene and they’re going to need your help. The music scene can be a tricky mistress — the respect of your peers can mean the difference between a steady flow of work and the black list.

Just in case you missed it, here’s some word’s of wisdom to help get your band ready for the studio: “Turn Your Musical Aspirations Into a Reality"