Booking Shows

Being in a band has a lot of perks and high points, but at the same time there is a lot of leg work involved so you are able to play shows and get your music out there to people.  I deal with a lot of the leg work of the band because I find the business interesting and I want our band to get out there as much as possible.  When we first started out last year, we did a few "Open Mic" nights at clubs like the 8x10 and the World Cafe Live in Philadelphia and that helped us out in a big way to get in good with the club, and now we play at the 8x10 on a monthly basis.  But a lot of the booking has to deal with pushing people, because club/bar owners are getting many e-mails a day inquiring for bands to play; so instead of just sending e-mails, I also call a lot of people as well to be a little more personable and tell people what our band is about and why it would be a successful night if we did.  And that usually does the trick, because if you remain nice and personable through the whole process of booking and then playing the show, that stands out to a club owner, and that has worked out in our band's advantage very well in the past year.  Another way we network and talk to other local bands is Myspace.  Myspace is CRUCIAL if you are in a local band because it gives information about the band, you can get a chance to listen to music and watch videos, and you get their contact numbers and e-mail address.  Right now all we have is Myspace, and it has done us very well but we are looking to advance and get a legitimate website, because it is more professional, and that's what people like to see. Because until you actually meet the people at the club, the only thing that represents you is a Myspace or a website.  Another way that we try to get shows is by checking other bands Myspace, and see what shows they are playing and see what clubs they are playing, so the we can contact a club we've never heard about, or we can try to share the stage with that band for that night.  Booking shows can be complicated at times, especially if you are struggling to get shows, but it has its high points as well, because you get to meet new people and see how the music business works.