Musician 101- September

Musician 101

What to do to take it to the next level

By the Swami

Back in the 90’s when I had a developmental deal with Sony, I was privileged to have several great mentors. Then the labels still had A/R departments and would look for talented artists to sign and then “train” to be a pro. For me, I was lucky enough to have such encounters. Here in this monthly column I will share with you not only the things I learned from “the big boys” but really from the school of hard knocks and the other school of figuring out what not to do.

Each month I will pick a different topic that I think truly makes the difference between amateur and professional.

# 3: Promoters and Venues are your friends!

When I started out on the original circuit here in Denver in ’89, I played everywhere I could…any time, any day, any venue. I basically screwed myself by doing it. What do I mean? Let’s look at the two examples…

1 – Performing anywhere all the time…Good: exposure, experience. Bad: diluted fanbase, in-experience on stage, no main fan support (your friends), bad venue relations because of no fans, shitty day to play on (Tues for example) which all equals to little or no $$ (maybe a pitcher or beer).

2 – Strategically planning shows with venues and promoters…Good: larger fan/friend attendance, more time to market, better event day, venue and promoter makes $$, you make $$.  Bad: none.

Any artist who is serious understands that the venue or promoter needs to make $$ – bring your fans = ticket sales, liquor sales and happy owners and promoters. The misconception is it is the venue or promoters responsibility to get people to the show…Not true – the reason they booked you is so YOU can get people to the show – they believe in you. Venues and promoters do have a responsibility. That is to get the word out via advertising and social media, treat you with respect, and communicate with you at a high level before and during the event.

What do I suggest? Book a show every 8-12 weeks. Dedicate yourself to a couple venues and one promoter. Build a fan base at those venues. Talk with the owners and let them know you want to devote yourself to the venue and build a fanbase there. Trust me, you will be rewarded. And one thing, your fans will know where you are, the new fans that saw you there look forward to you returning, and the $$ will follow.

A few BIG DON’TS at a show

1 – DON’T BE LATE: Be there at least 30 minutes earlier that you are asked to be there.

2 – DON’T LEAVE EARLY: Stay the entire event – bailing early is not only unprofessional, but resonates in the minds of all parties involved in the event. Pretty selfish IMO.

3 – DON’T GET DRUNK BEFORE YOU PLAY: Seriously, you owe it to your fans, the venue, the sound guy, and the rest of your band to be pro. Party like a rock star with your fans afterwards.

4 – DON’T THINK YOU DON’T HAVE TO PROMOTE: You have a website, Reverbnation, Bandcamp? You have FB and Twitter. Frickin update them! You have friends and fans you can text and email? Do it! And be consistent – do it every time for every show. Venue owners and promoters are watching, believe me.

5 – DON’T LOLLIGAG ON STAGE AFTER YOUR SET: Get off the stage, whether you’re the first band, last band – whatever. It is a prime opportunity to shake hands, make new fans, and celebrate a good show. Hiding backstage or leaving early (#2) just disrespects your fan base and the venue.

I will share more don’ts and do’s in future columns – but I am out of space for this month. Want to share your thoughts with me? Hit me up [email protected]

Tags: swami, keith schneider

Category: Shop Talk