College Gigs?

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azraelswings

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Has anyone played any? How does an independent artist land them?
 
we played a couple, but just by knowing people in frats, activities, etc.
 
I'm about to try that myself, I'll get back to you if we get any.
 
Colleges always have student activities directors. They plan all the events that happen through the year. You can usually figure out who these people are pretty easily through the website or by knowing anyone who goes there. You can ask them if you can send them demos for future events. This actualy doesn't work all that well. Primarily because there are LOTS of bands AT colleges who usually get things first. That and the following...

Booking agents are really close with college activity directors. They work closely because colleges want music that targets their demographic and agents want the college exposure for their artists. I don't know how old you are, but becoming friends with booking agents is a really good thing. They have the contacts, and they get paid by hooking people up. Its always worth it because you individually do not have the contacts you need to spread your music and your band. Find out other bands that are more active than you in your area and find out who they work with. Or do the opposite, look up entertainment and music booking people in your area and find out which bands they work for. Never bother people who can't give you solid answers and solid proof of the people they represent. There are scammers who are nobodies, and they can't help you out.

Now...You can always schedule at venues near college campuses, and thats just a little research and networking in the areas that you are targeting. You get the same audience group, generally, and can make contacts for future refrences.

Either way takes alot of work and money. nobody said it was easy.

H2H
 
Hard2Hear said:
Colleges always have student activities directors. They plan all the events that happen through the year. You can usually figure out who these people are pretty easily through the website or by knowing anyone who goes there. You can ask them if you can send them demos for future events. This actualy doesn't work all that well. Primarily because there are LOTS of bands AT colleges who usually get things first. That and the following...
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To be entirely honest, I'm not quite sure your "bands at colleges" premise rings true, at least in my experience. I go to UCONN Storrs (the campus you think of when you hear UCONN) there are tons of bands indeed, but I don't recall ever hearing of a UCONN based group playing at the Jorg theater (Our venue space). They gig up and down the campus, certainly, but never have I seen a student band at a student activities sponsored gig.

The way I see it, though there may be a bunch of student bands, that doesn't necesarily mean S. activities knows they exist. I could be wrong.

Hard2Hear said:
Booking agents are really close with college activity directors. They work closely because colleges want music that targets their demographic and agents want the college exposure for their artists. I don't know how old you are, but becoming friends with booking agents is a really good thing.
Click to expand...

How can I meet me some booking agents?

Hard2Hear said:
They have the contacts, and they get paid by hooking people up. Its always worth it because you individually do not have the contacts you need to spread your music and your band. Find out other bands that are more active than you in your area and find out who they work with. Or do the opposite, look up entertainment and music booking people in your area and find out which bands they work for. Never bother people who can't give you solid answers and solid proof of the people they represent. There are scammers who are nobodies, and they can't help you out.

Now...You can always schedule at venues near college campuses, and thats just a little research and networking in the areas that you are targeting. You get the same audience group, generally, and can make contacts for future refrences.

Either way takes alot of work and money. nobody said it was easy.

H2H
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Who said I was looking for the easy way? :D Really though, I don't at all think it'll be easy to land college gigs through student activities, won't stop me from trying though.

Great advice, thanks.
 
If you're trying to play at your own college, talk to the programs director and pitch it as a charity gig. If you're trying to play at other colleges do the same - OR pitch it so that most of the proceeds go to the school for gym equipment etc ...

... this will get you in the door and if you impress, then it'll be easier to land return gigs for pay... simple marketing tactic. Even if you don't get the initial gig, you've made a contact. Stay in touch and ask him/her what he/she is looking for. Then give it to them.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: 90% of live giging is PR work - 10% is actual performance. BE KNOWN. Doing and arranging charity gigs in your area WILL make you news... news sells.


- Tanlith -
 
i'll hafta agree on the charity gigs, that's how we got our foot in the door. If you go to a lot of the open mics, there are usually people/activities directors there looking for people to play @ benefits. If you play @ an open mic and they like you, they'll approach you. At least that's what happened for us. Now we play some annual benefits, which eventually leads to paying gigs. best of luck!
 
artCROSS said:
i'll hafta agree on the charity gigs, that's how we got our foot in the door. If you go to a lot of the open mics, there are usually people/activities directors there looking for people to play @ benefits. If you play @ an open mic and they like you, they'll approach you. At least that's what happened for us. Now we play some annual benefits, which eventually leads to paying gigs. best of luck!
Click to expand...

How large was the school?
 
azraelswings said:
To be entirely honest, I'm not quite sure your "bands at colleges" premise rings true, at least in my experience.

How can I meet me some booking agents?
Click to expand...


Well it depends on the school. I do know some schools that wont talk to unsigned bands cause their campus is mucic rich and have lots of events for their own students bands. If you have representation, its a different story.

As to agents....thats one of the things you hold dearly close to you in the music biz...your contacts. I met my primary publicity and booking lady through my management a few years ago. She had offered to help a huge band that my manager was in, then he sent her to me. She is well known in parts of the music industry all across the country and it worked out great. We also because friends, so when I want to play out, or set up a small tour, its easy for me to do cause she sets me up with people who owe her favors. The way it works is that places really want something to happen, she makes it happen, and they owe her a favor. Then I want to play out, she calls in a favor, and I get great venues or openers.

You just have to ask around and get known in your area. Networking is so very important. And I'll be flat out honest here, for anyone reading this in the future. If you're not something special, no one will want to talk to you. No one wants to waste their time on another barely talented artist, or one who has no drive to put it all out there. You have to be good to get your foot in the door. This, of course, applies with any aspect of the music industry.

This isn't directed at anyone at all. Just future refrence for those reading along. Be honest with yourself about your abilities and your determination.

H2H
 
Actually, doing the colledge circuit can be very profitable. I had a friend that was getting 2-8k per show. He had a manager that could get him the gigs. The only problem is that the manager took off with the money. That was after doing it for about 7 years or so.

What did Regan say, Trust but verify.
 
Well thanks all for the advice. At this point, I'm not sure how much college exposure I can hope for. I'm sure I can get plenty of show opportunities at my school, DIY affairs if nothing else. I'll also play as many open mic nights as possible, I figure even if I can't bring the band along, at least the tunes will be heard. When we finish a press kit I'll start sending them out to CT schools. In the meantime I'll start playing in school area bars to try and establish a fan base around the school.

It just seems like such a perfect way to gain exposure. At least at residential schools. Being an RA at school, I have to display a flyer for any given concert somewhere on my floor. Same for any other floor on campus. College sponsored shows seem very well promoted from my perspective. Not to mention the hope of student newspaper coverage.

When one considers that everyone at a college is a young adult, and lets face it, young people by and large are the demographic most interested in new music, campuses become prime show space.

Maybe I'm failing to consider something, but I'd certainly like to get my tunes heard at campuses.
 
Youre failing to consider nothing.

Colleges are #1 for most bands playing rock music. From the smallest to the highest level. And thats what makes them tough to get sometimes. Even the guys making tons of money want their audience base to grow.


H2H
 
One more thing

Hard2Hear said:
Youre failing to consider nothing.

Colleges are #1 for most bands playing rock music. From the smallest to the highest level. And thats what makes them tough to get sometimes. Even the guys making tons of money want their audience base to grow.


H2H
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Actually, there's one other thing I didn't fail to consider, but failed to mention: the student activities fee and subsequent fund. By throwing part of the budget to student activities, the school lowers the price of tix for students. Case in point: I saw Muse for $5, only because I could see them for $5. Later I bought their CD. Experiences like these make me wanna play schools.
 
I always played around campus. we opened up for other bands at bars and when there was a party we got invited. the student events commitee people were all wankers, they booked crap. yes, i am party to the guilt. anyway, the huge, unlimited kegger parties thrown by frats were played by grateful dead wannabees or i guess now dave mathews wannabees. muzak. it weren't tough to break in there.
 
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