PEOPLE POWER
Feb 1, 2006 12:00 PM, By Erik Hawkins
After countless hours rehearsing and several more spent hauling and setting up your gear, you feel ready to perform for a sizable audience. This isn't about your ego; it's about a return on your investment. The larger the crowd, the more people you can touch with your music — that's the payoff. The objective is to have as many people in attendance at each show as possible. However, as everybody who has promoted their own shows can attest, getting more than a handful of people to come out — consistently — to your gigs can be a serious challenge. Fortunately, there are several tried-and-true tactics to help guarantee that the next venue you play will be filled with potential new fans.
DON'T GO IT ALONE
Besides the shoestring budget, the most difficult obstacle of promoting is simply reaching the people who may actually come to your show. There are only so many low-cost (or no-cost) means of informing people about a show: e-mail lists, homemade flyers and word-of-mouth. E-mail lists are not 100 percent effective, because you can't expect the same people on your list to come out to all of your shows, especially when you're playing out of town. Flyers are great, but it takes time to distribute them, and by most accounts, if 1 percent of the people you hand flyers to actually make it to your show, you're doing really well. As for word-of-mouth, the catch is that you can't know everybody. Your ability to spread the word is limited to how many people you, your bandmates and friends of the band actually know. The good news is that there's a straightforward solution: Don't try to do everything yourself. Instead, pool your limited resources with other indie artists to create a network of resources that's greater than the sum of its parts.
With several critically acclaimed albums under her belt — and a book to boot — successful indie artist Gilli Moon (www.gillimoon.com) knows something about pooling resources. She says, “Develop a music concept that works as a platform for crossing over fans. For example, I've created the Females on Fire compilation CD [www.femalesonfire.com]. We're on our second release, a double-CD featuring 60 female artists. Using the CD as a springboard, we're able to put on shows that effectively bring the fan base of each female artist out to the event. This provides an opportunity for the artist to reach lots of potential new fans, and a chance for the audience to see several great acts in a single night. Each artist promotes the night as if it's their own, and with everybody doing their own PR and press releases, no one artist is expected to pull off this huge campaign. Even just doing the basics maximizes the return for everybody, creating a much bigger promotional push than if you were trying to do it all on your own. Strength in numbers.”
THINK OUTSIDE THE CLUB
You're not obliged to perform only in clubs (or bars with tacked-on stages). There are lots of events you can play where an audience is guaranteed, and your promotional efforts — though always beneficial — would not be required. Get your band on the bill at county fairs, festivals and showcases. County fairs and festivals in particular can be ideal, because they usually need musical entertainment, they're heavily promoted locally, and there's almost always a steady stream of people passing through who are looking for entertainment.
Performing rights organizations such as BMI and ASCAP, with local chapters in most major U.S. cities, regularly sponsor showcases for their artists. Because these organizations make their revenues from the performance of songs (for example, when a song is played in a film or on the radio), it's in their best interest to get as many people (especially industry types) as possible out to their showcases. To play a showcase, fair or festival, you'll need to track down the person booking the talent and send them your CD and press kit. Most of these people will accept unsolicited material because it's their job to find and book new, local talent. Just make sure to begin communications with them well in advance of the actual event, or it may be too late to add your band to the lineup, even if they like your music. Be prepared to make several follow-up phone calls.
For electronic artists in particular, warehouse parties and DJ-centric events can be a wonderful outlet. People are there to party and dance, and if your music is appropriate, the event's promoter may be willing to sandwich your band's performance between DJs. “Whenever possible, I like to bring in a live act,” popular Los Angeles DJ/promoter DJ Wolfie (www.djwolfie.com) says. “It helps to break up the evening and gives the artist a chance to get out and play in front of a great crowd. I've booked artists ranging from New Zealand's leading electronic act, Pitch Black [www.pitchblack.co.nz], to San Francisco's amazing, self-sampling beatboxer Kid Beyond [www.kidbeyond.com], and the acts have always been well-received by our audiences.”
BABY GOT PIGGYBACK
Another alternative is the ever-popular tactic of piggybacking onto a name artist as an opening act. Though this can be an excellent way of getting in front of a huge audience, realistically, very few unsigned bands are selected to tour with a name artist. However, in those instances when an opening act is not booked or falls through at the last moment, this can be the opportunity of a lifetime for an unsigned band. Of course, your music must fit the bill; you can't expect to open for a punk band if you play pop rock. Get to know concert promoters who promote large venues and big acts in your area, and then ask if they will accept your CD and press kit. “I know a concert promoter in Arizona, and he called me last-minute to open for Simple Minds,” Moon recounts. “The venue was packed with 2,000 fans who had come to see Simple Minds, and after I had played, there was a long line of new fans at my booth waiting for me to sign my CDs.”
After you've played a killer show, and there are lots of new faces in the audience, take advantage of the situation. Set up a merchandise table (beforehand), add people to your e-mail list and sell some CDs. This is how you'll grow your fan base and, at the same time, create a valuable resource for future events.
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