RTP-area local music and culture

["Pepe, King Prawn" <pepe_king_prawnTAKETHISBITOUT AT yahoANDTHISTOOo.co.uk>]

"skillet" <skilletx AT nc.rr.com> wrote in message
5afedea4.0404231108.79ca2e1 AT posting.google.com">news:5afedea4.0404231108.79ca2e1 AT posting.google.com...
> blewis_13 AT hotmail.com (Brandon) wrote in message
news:<14882fb2.0404230656.482accfd AT posting.google.com>...
> > There are many mysterious aspects of operating an independent band
> > that are open to a wide variety of solutions - so many that it really
> > makes it interesting.  A lot of these seem to be of the "chicken and
> > egg" type of problem.
> >
> > The mystery at hand for my band right now is booking a small tour - 1
> > or 2 weeks.  I was wondering if anyone on the list might share some of
> > their experiences in setting up short tours.  I'd be interested in
> > hearing about what works and what doesn't:
> >
> > - trading gigs with bands
> > - getting a booking agent
> > - lying your ass off (just kidding)
> > - begging
> > - working your ass off
> > - showing up at random clubs with your gear
> >
> > If you check around some local band's websites, there are quite a few
> > that have figured out something. I'm sure there's no secret, but it
> > might make for a good topic.
> >
> > Brandon
>
>
> Lying works like a champ. Hell, it's the music industry we're talking
> about. When in Rome....
> Trading gigs--this can work well or bite you in the ass. You help
> someone get a decent gig in your hometown and they pay you back with a
> show at a chinese buffet. It happens.
> Booking agent -- unless you've really got something to offer the clubs
> (decent fanbase, a new release available in that town etc.)they're not
> going to pay a guarantee and there's nothing for the agent to take
> his/her 10% out of and therefore no real reason for them to work for
> you. Unless you've found someone to help out of the goodness of their
> heart, I'd say just do it yourself. It sucks but you gain a lot of
> valuable experience.
> Begging -- just another term for booking
> Working your ass off -- that's it in a nutshell.
>
> It's really a matter of a lot of phone calls(generally not returned) a
> lot of email (ditto) and a lot of postage. I like the "buckshot" style
> of booking. Try every club in town for the same night and you'll
> probably hit one of 'em. Clubs tend to book anywhere from 1 month to 4
> months in advance depending on their reputation so keep that in mind.
> Tell the club you'll be able to get press (see "lying" above) in town
> and that the local station is playing your stuff (lying again, unless
> of course they really are). You're selling yourself so don't be afraid
> to pump it up a little.
> There are a 1000 ways to book shows and everybody will tell you
> something different. Regardless, you gotta work your ass off and it
> generally sucks. Good luck.
> Skillet

Ditto to all the above.  You will work hard and you will lose a lot of money
learning a lot of lessons the hard way.  Have fun.

Extra:  network and check referrences.  Ask bands you know in other towns
you want to play where to play/who to play with/who to play for.  Don't know
any bands in these other towns?  Ask your friends.  Or track them down
online.  Local musicians will probably jump at the chance to tell you that
the owner of Club-X makes a living cheating small touring bands, or that the
owner of Club-Y is the guy to contact, or place-Z has nice staff and a good
PA but no one ever goes there because it's out of the way and looks stupid.
Go bug the owner/booker/soundman of whatever place you play locally (Cradle?
Cave?) and ask them.  They might not have real solid information, but
they've probably overheard enough touring bands complaining or raving about
the last place they played that they have a general idea what's what in
Richmond/Greensboro/Atlanta/DC/etc.
On your first outting you will probably have to take what you can get, but
after you're booked in to play a place, look for what bands played there
then track them down and ask them for feedback.  Bad things will happen, but
they're less bad when they're not surprises.

Ask for an hour more of soundcheck than you think you need.  your scheduled
soundcheck is going to start half an hour later anyhow.

There are a number of good "how to book your own/first tour" websites (and
books you can read for free at Borders).  Sorry I don't have them
bookmarked.  find them and read them.
The one thing I haven't seen mentioned in any is that you should mark all
your gear as yours.  Every pedal and every guitar cable and every tuner,
even the roll of ducttape and the screwdrivers in your survival kit.  You
will inevitably be loaning little things to the other bands you're playing
with (and borrowing something from them).  And in the beery haze after
you're all done suddenly the owner will tell you that you've got 15 minutes
to pack up and get out.  It's in this drunken rush that the other band ends
up with half your anonymous black looks-like-everyone-else's guitar cables
and you wind up with some stupid effect pedal.