Entire songs vs Partial songs when shopping for gigs???

[Fmmahoganyrush]

When putting together a demo package for the sole purpose of persuing gigs, do you:

1) make a tape/CD with entire songs

or

2) make a tape/CD consisting of partial tunes (fade in/out)

I've done both, but I also know that most bar owners are typically "very busy people"... ...do "they" have the time (or attention span) to actually listen to a CD consisting of, say, 4 to 6 entire songs (~30 minutes), or is it better to have 4 - 6 excerpts from songs (~10 - 15 minutes)?

 

[dafduc]

We used to do medleys - very effective. The tapes are lots of fun at parties 15 years later too, especially the segues!

Anymore, though, with CD's, potentail customers can skip through easily, so the whole song thing might work now. But back in the day, our agents always wanted medleys.

 

[mikeh]

From what I've seen the agencies still prefer abouy 5-6 songs with no more than 30sec-1min of each song.

Avoid instrumental intro and solos - it is best to have verse, chorus, fade).

I agree that medleys are a good way to get the songs across quickly. In any case a medley or a reduced arrangement still require new arrangements and practise.

I have had a few bands record these types of demos at my facility and I warned them to make sure in advance that they had prepared and learned the new arrangments - then they show up and stumble all over the songs (and they couldn't understand why they couldn't have a completed & mixed demo in 4 hours).

Even with CD's you need to have short arrangments - case in point if the song has a 16 bar solo intro, the club owner don't want to sit through it or try to shuttle to the actual singing.