4 Tips To Get A Gig

By Michael Pringle

You see them up on stage and you think, My band could do that. There is a good chance you are correct. The real trick is convincing the person in charge of booking. Here are 4 tips to help make it happen:

1. Demos
You'll find Do you have a demo? or Have you recorded anything yet? to be some of the most oft heard questions. Having a demo is invaluable. You can give copies to club owners along with contact information. They can hear you and decide whether or not they like you. What's more, it makes your band seem more professional.

Here is an idea if you want to be creative: pick a friend. He/she cannot be just anyone. This person must be articulate, confident and well-mannered. Have that person go into the club, ask to speak with whomever is in charge of booking, leave the demo and say the band is interested in a show. Again, it makes you seem more professional.

2. Battle of the Bands
My current band's first show was a Battle of the Bands. There were four bands. The prize was five hundred dollars and twenty hours of studio time. Each band was expected to sell their own tickets. The band that sold the most tickets was the headliner. The band that sold the fewest was the opening act.

We did not end up winning. The headliners won. But the point was not to win. The point was to gain exposure with the hope of making a few contacts.

3. Open Mic Night
This must be the best way to get your first few gigs. Some clubs host a weekly open mic on slow nights such as Sunday, Monday or Wednesday. Sign up usually starts the night of. The benefit of open mic night is threefold. First, it is a low stress way of getting over stage fright. You get a feel for being on stage without putting too much on the line. Second, it is much more fun than rehearsal. Suppose you are rehearsing three times a week. Instead, play two open mics and rehearse once. Open mic can be to music what scrimmage is to sports. The third and final benefit of open mic night is that you might get a gig. The guy in charge of booking rarely ever misses open mic night. If you impress him, he will offer you a real show.

4. Parties
Club owners want to make money through drink sales and/or cover charges. So when an owner considers your band, the deciding factor is going to be whether or not you will get paying customers through the door. The inevitable answer to this is to have a fan base. People go to shows for the same reason they go to parties. They want to have fun. If they have fun at the party, they will go to your show knowing it will be worth it.