I don’t get it. I’m in one of the best bands around and we aren’t famous yet. We rule over all of those bands that MTV plays. I keep calling all these companies and leaving my contact information and no one ever calls me back. The big booking agencies tell me that someone will get back to me but then nothing. Your company has even gotten at least six emails from me. Why will no one call me back?
-Tom. Detroit, MI
As much as we would like to work with new and young acts, our main business is providing full concert solutions for corporate events and promoters with major acts. Developing young acts, it’s not really what we do. We are seldom called on to provide “opening acts” for concerts and when we do it always a name act. My advice is to not call the larger agencies or companies. Look for someone in a smaller capacity to develop your act into what it should be. Do not give up and keep working hard on your dream. Give me a call if you’re playing in the neighborhood (NYC) and can buy me a beer.
How do I get equipment endorsements so I get free stuff for my band? We’d be willing to advertise the company on our Myspace and website. Who do we contact about this?
-Jimmy. Anchorage, AK
Hey, just what Ampeg is looking for! A link on a myspace or bands website that gets 20 hits a day! They sell major music equipment so of course they would love to be showing their gear off at Buttheads Bar and Grille every other Friday night. On the bright side there are many companies, usually regional who may be interested in giving you some type of endorsement or gear. The best thing to do is research. They are going to want to know where you’re playing, how many people you’re drawing, and what time of advantage it would be to have you as an endorsee. Most major endorsements are handled by the bands production manager or individual tech. Those pictures of people you don’t know in guitar magazine endorsements are exactly that, people you don’t know. Is Fender giving you a deal if you’re not on tour? No. But you may get some strings at cost. Good luck trying to round up some free junk.
My band is starting to play bars and junk. We need to get backstage passes right?
-Brian. Lexington, KY
Great question, do you think the bar you’re playing at is going to need to see some credentials when you go to the bathroom? Or is this just something to wear around the bar to get a girl to talk to you? Either way if you’re not on a tour playing venues that will be checking them there’s no reason to have them. It makes you look pretty stupid. If you haven’t gotten a girl to notice you while you were onstage, her possibly spotting your laminate after the show probably won’t help you at all.
My bands been playing a lot of clubs on the east coast. Ever since the Great White incident we have had to scale down our pyro at clubs. Is there any suggestions you have regarding doing special effects at clubs?
-Mark. Wilkes-Barre, PA
No. Don’t think about it. Don’t do it. If you do you’re a moron.
I looked at your website and wanted to see if Garth Brooks was available for a charity hospital benefit I’m helping to arrange. We really don’t have a lot of money but can probably pay some travel expenses and it would be great publicity for Garth. How can we get him?
-Vanessa. Kansas City, MO
As much as artists are sympathetic to charities we get calls upon calls everyday about similar situations. The reality being the artists already have their own charities they are invested in and work with on a regular basis. Many of them are created by the artists themselves. Plus it’s an expense for the artist to work for little or no fee. If the artist did all the charity events they were offered with the expenses such as staging, crew members, lights, busses, and so on they would be broke. My advice would be to look at some of the younger artists who have not committed themselves to any individual charity and get them onboard for your cause. Contact the artists’ management company and speak to them about what you’d like the artist to commit to. I hope your event raises a ridiculously high amount for the charity and let me know if we can help anyway.
Simple question for you Bill, how do I get a booking agent?
-Erik. Fullerton, CA.
What does 10% of nothing equal? That is going to be the first hurdle you have to face if you aren’t an established act. The booking agency that books Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, or George Strait is not interested in booking your act. It makes no sense for them to do that financially when they can be spending their time with major artists. A good idea to point a young band such as youself is to a DIY approach. With the internet it’s possible to book your own gigs at smaller venues and trade shows with bands of the same genre. A major agency is not going to do this for you. Don’t call them or send them promotional packages. Don’t call them because your friend Ronnie has an uncle John whos wife Shannon may still work for them. It won’t help and will be a waste of money and time. Without a major management company, a major recording company, and an entertainment attorney, these things don’t happen to bands that fill bars and knights of Columbus. There are several agencies that work with smaller acts and are more into developmental situations. They are easily located once you get into the independent music network online. Our company despite the name does not handle tours for acts. We instead concentrate on corporate dates and one off events. Best of luck, contact me if you have any more questions.
So the band I’m in has been doing really, really good around here. We have an indy cd and we’ve been selling it online across the country. I think its time for us to go out on the road and tour my band isn’t so sure. What’s our next step?
-Stephan. Gainesville, FL
Congratulations on your online success and your hometown victories. As far as going out on the road I recommend you go to a map of your town and make three concentric circles around your home town. One at 90 miles, 120 miles, and then 200 miles. At that time I would concentrate exploring each circle one at a time. Hitting all the live venues within and then conquering those markets. It will be a lot simpler to hit the first two circles before you have to give up your day jobs. Are you willing to be homeless and drive around with your friends in a van for weeks at a time and living in hotel rooms (if you’re lucky)? Eating where you play? Then selling enough cds to pay for gas to get you to the next gig. If so please see my blog on booking. If not there’s no shame in having a great band that plays Friday and Saturday. The members will have a real life in a 9 to 5 with a 401k and insurance plan. It’s a tough life on the road and not for someone who wants a long-term family life.
I want to send out a lot of emails to everyone in the business. I have a directory and I want them to know about my band. What type of email should I send and should I follow it up with a press kit?
-Chris. Ontario, Canada
Stop. What are you doing? One of the biggest mistakes you could make is what you have sent me. These will go immediately into the garbage. You will waste money you could spend on more effective advertising techniques. The directories are usually out of date anyway and no press kits addressed to me ever get past my assistant. At no time unless requested should you ever send anything unsolicited to anyone. I mean, unless you want to be ridiculed in the office as we do here on a regular basis to people who use the “directories”. Anyone interested in your act will know about your act from the buzz you’ve created and any type of press you’ve generated. They will contact you about any information they made need. Now if you see my name on any of those lists, warn me.
My band and I write songs and are putting out a cd. One of my fiends told me all I have to do to copyright these songs is to mail a copy of the songs to myself. Is that true?
-Rick. Reno, NV
This is one of the major long term fallacies that gets passed around and around again. It will help you in a court case but it’s not the way to proceed with a body of work. It’s very easy to copyright material through the Library of Congress. Check their website. No one has ever won a case in superior court proving they sent a song to themselves.
My band is pressing 1,000 CDs. We made a great deal with the company to give us a complete package. A lot of people around our scene think it’s a waste to put out CDs in 2008. What do ya think?
-Roger. Norfolk, VA
Print a thousand and put them in your local stores (if there are any left) and have them in stock for heavy online sales. People still do like CDs. They like something in their hands they can look at and physically own, not something that can be deleted with an accidentally right click. The whole age of only mp3s is not a reality quite yet. For a lot of people, especially for those baby boomers who account for a great deal of music sales in the brick and mortar sales the CD is still preferred.. Look at Starbucks creating a record label and putting out product past the digital era. The CD is still not dead and still a viable product as long as you can pear it with other delivery services. Also don’t forget people at your shows are always going to walk out and want to buy something whether it’s a t-shirt or a CD. If you don’t have merch when you’re out playing how do you expect to pay for beer and gas after the shows over?
