Getting gigs

[chamelious]

As an unsigned band, how do you do it?

I find i am ignored by 99% of everyone ever with perfectly polite professional emails, with reviews, weblinks, etc.

I'd be totally fine if these people whos job it is to book gigs emailed me back and said "sorry you're awful, or your music isn't right, etc" but almost everyone ever just totally ignores communication.

Whenever we actually manage to get on someones night they're almost always blown away (last week we had "best band we've ever had play here" and "one of the highlights of the festival", review here http://www.shatteredglassmedia.co.uk/live-reviews/cockrock-festival-2010-live-review-2 search for the sun explodes)

Its enough to drive a perfectly sane guys tits clean off. After your guys opinions approach. +also gregs "get better at everything/changes your clothes/instruments/faces opinion as well.

 

[Greg_L]

Getting gigs is easy if you don't suck.

Make "freinds" with other bands and split the bill. Sounds like your problem may be that you're a tiny fish in a big pond. Maybe move to a smaller pond, if you're serious. Another problem is that the music listening public is totally numb to everything now. There's just too much out there and most of it sucks. Every swinging dick that picks up a guitar starts a band and waters down the whole shebang. It probably doesn't help you that your music is just like every other modern corporate alt rock band out there. You can be great on stage, but if the music aint nuthin special............

Maybe start using strippers and midgets. I'd go see that.

 

[chamelious]

Another problem is that the music listening public is totally numb to everything now. There's just too much out there and most of it sucks. Every swinging dick that picks up a guitar starts a band and waters down the whole shebang.

Very true, we've played so many gigs with just utter awful unprofessional shite.

It probably doesn't help you that your music is just like every other modern corporate alt rock band out there.

Can you back this up at all? Just name drop a couple of bands you think we sound like.

 

[chamelious]

Another good point about the making friends with bands Greg, we're doing that one already and its probably been the biggest help to us so far, besides knowing everyone at our local venue.

 

[Greg_L]

Very true, we've played so many gigs.

Lol. So what are you actually asking about? In the OP you say you can't get gigs, and here you say that you've played a bunch. You're not gonna get booked into Wembley. I've played in bands since high school. I'm one of those swinging dicks that has been a part of many bands that should have just stayed in the garage. I've been in some truly kickass bands too that hit the scene at the right time. Even my worst bands got plenty of gigs. Maybe it's your area.

Honestly, I don't understand why bands even bother these days. I play live a lot. It's just something fun to do. I see tons of bands really humping it out there, and only 4 people show up to their shows. It's just not worth it anymore if you play rock music. If I were a young man trying to make it in music in the current landscape, I'd wise up and find a new hobby. You know where the money is? Writing faggy indie shit. Write a hit song for some suckass shmoe and then you don't have to worry about anything else.

 

[Greg_L]

Another good point about the making friends with bands Greg, we're doing that one already and its probably been the biggest help to us so far, besides knowing everyone at our local venue.

That's probably your only hope. Ride the coattails of some local, more well-known band and see what happens. Youtube videos and myspace hits don't mean shit. No one cares about that stuff. Your only chance at a following, which can lead to success, is to play. And to play, you're gonna have to get in good with someone. But all of that is moot if no one likes your product. Your genericness will either help you or kill you.

 

[chamelious]

All your words sound depressingly true to be honest Greg. And yeah we are getting shows, but we're talking 2-5 a month, needs to be more if we're ever going to stand a chance really.

We're not about to wise up though. There's no place i'd rather be than on stage playing my own music, even if it is to 4 people and even if its "just like every other modern corporate alt rock band out there". I think bands bother either because of the reason i just said, or they dream of being the next linkin park or whatever.

 

[chamelious]

Your genericness will either help you or kill you.

Again Greg you're one of the only person I've heard accuse us of being generic. Everyone who's seen us play who's had a conversation with us comments on our original songwriting. I just don't get where you're coming from with this?

 

[Greg_L]

All your words sound depressingly true to be honest Greg. And yeah we are getting shows, but we're talking 2-5 a month, needs to be more if we're ever going to stand a chance really.

We're not about to wise up though. There's no place i'd rather be than on stage playing my own music, even if it is to 4 people and even if its "just like every other modern corporate alt rock band out there". I think bands bother either because of the reason i just said, or they dream of being the next linkin park or whatever.

2-5 a month? That's way plenty for a nobody local band. If anything, you may be oversaturating. No one's gonna go see some nobody band that plays the same shit over and over and over week after week. Here's what happens:

"Hey dude, chamelious's band is playing again."

"So what, they play all the time. I'll go see them some other time."

"Yeah, you're right. Let's go bowling."

 

[chamelious]

When i say 2-5 a month, i don't mean in one city. I mean within about a 400 mile radius, around 200 miles up or down the country from where we are. We don't play our home town unless its a really big support slot, we say no to any smaller supports/gigs or headline slots. Eg Wednesday we're playing Leeds for the first time (150 miles away) then Sunday is London (300 miles).

 

[Greg_L]

Again Greg you're one of the only person I've heard accuse us of being generic. Everyone who's seen us play who's had a conversation with us comments on our original songwriting. I just don't get where you're coming from with this?

I think they're just being nice. No one thinks their own music is sterile or generic....except for me. I'm the only honest person out there. Everyone thinks they're doing something unique and different and that their music is some important piece of art. It's not. It hardly ever is.

 

[Greg_L]

When i say 2-5 a month, i don't mean in one city. I mean within about a 400 mile radius, around 200 miles up or down the country from where we are. We don't play our home town unless its a really big support slot, we say no to any smaller supports/gigs or headline slots. Eg Wednesday we're playing Leeds for the first time (150 miles away) then Sunday is London (300 miles).

Well fuck man, there's nothing wrong with that. That's how you do it. Give it some time, keep plugging away, and when it doesn't work you can blame it on the music, tell me I was right, and I won't even say "I told you so".

 

[chamelious]

Well fuck man, there's nothing wrong with that. That's how you do it. Give it some time, keep plugging away, and when it doesn't work you can blame it on the music, tell me I was right, and I won't even say "I told you so".

Cheers Greg. So what if we become the next Queen and take over the world, can i print off all of our conversations onto thick card and have you eat them????

 

[Greg_L]

How's your mailing list? You do have one, right?

Don't underestimate the power of an email or physical flyer sent to someone that signs up to be kept in the loop.

 

[Greg_L]

Cheers Greg. So what if we become the next Queen and take over the world, can i print off all of our conversations onto thick card and have you eat them????

You guys already are Queens, but sure, if you get to rock and roll hall of fame status, I'll literally eat my words.

 

[kcearl]

great thread....lol


I was asked to do a gig with a bunch of other bands in Ramono by some promoter here that heard my reverbnation page...but thats his job, he scours local bands here, an in SD county and So Cal there's a ton of venues..


saying that my music on reverbnation is half shit and mixed worse, no two songs are the same genre, and Im not a band...which he didnt realise (that and im on the wrong side of 40)


just luck I suppose...Gregs right...maybe you have to move...the last five random people Ive spoke to over a beer were in bands, all playing regularly..

 

[chamelious]

I think they're just being nice. No one thinks their own music is sterile or generic....except for me. I'm the only honest person out there. Everyone thinks they're doing something unique and different and that their music is some important piece of art. It's not. It hardly ever is.

People don't run up to bands and say "wow that was amazing, please give me a cd, when are you coming back" etc etc to be "nice".

"sterile" and "generic" are both totally subjective terms within the context of music, you keep saying my bands music is generic but still haven't mentioned one band we sound like.

We try to write original music, whether we achieve it or not is down to the listener, some people love it, some people don't, as is the case with all music ever.

 

[Greg_L]

Why are you so defensive? Why would you even care what some dude 4000 miles away cares about your music? People like you that take themselves and their music too seriously are exactly why 99% of the shit out there totally sucks ass now.

Your music is original in the sense that it came from your heads. The problem is that it sounds like all the other faux angsty wannabe hard melodic "core" music out there. It's not your fault. You're a product of the modern sterile shit that you listen to.

 

[Greg_L]

Don't fall for you own hype. Just cuz some drunk goofs that happen to be in the same building that you just played in claim to like your stuff, it doesn't mean you're on to something. You got a lot to learn, kid. A lot of people like Britney Spears too. And hey, my music sucks as well. I'm just man enough to admit it and rock the fuck out anyway.

 

[kcearl]

Don't fall for you own hype. Just cuz some drunk goofs that happen to be in the same building that you just played in claim to like your stuff, it doesn't mean you're on to something. You got a lot to learn, kid. A lot of people like Britney Spears too. And hey, my music sucks as well. I'm just man enough to admit it and rock the fuck out anyway.

Im not a kid