TRYING TO GET INTO ANY VENUE FOR THE FIRST TIME IS TOUGH FOR ANY NEW ARTIST, BUT IT'S JUST A MATTER OF PERSISTENCE, PROFESSIONALISM AND AN EYE ON THE BALL.

FIND YOUR PLACE

If you’re entering MySchoolAct, you’re under 18 and that’s going to rule out a lot of venues: most pubs, clubs and bars probably. Don’t stress; research. Use Google for all it’s worth to find venues who support the type of music you play and tap into MySpace: it’s one of the best ways to get an idea of what venues expect from their artists.

COVER UP

Promoters who work with unsigned acts basically want to get people through the door. It’s not unusual for them to ask you to bring 50 people along to the gig, each of whom will have to cough up $15 bucks to get in. Yep, you’re responsible for creating the music, as well as getting people to come and hear it. Tough gig.

Again, rely on the networks you already have: your Facebook, MySpace and MySchoolAct profiles. And lure your mates and family along; their support and applause will impress promoters and help you get another gig.

WORDS OF WARNING

The competition is pretty tough out there, so a few words of caution. For every decent, genuine promoter you meet, there will be others who aren't so straight up.

Paying to play: Quite simply, don’t. Some promoters occasionally have a nasty habit of expecting you to bring 50 people to a gig and paying the difference if only 40 show up. It’s simple: don’t go there.

Signing your life away: As a rule, don’t sign a contract just to play a venue. Some might demand it and, if you want the gig, you might have to, but as with all contracts, read carefully. If anything bothers you, ask the promoter to change it. Be prepared to walk away from a venue that expects you to sign.

Cold hard cash: Work out how much you’ll be paid before the gig. Venues usually pay per head: literally, how many people come through the door, which means someone’s sitting there counting them. Boring job, but important for you.

The policy will vary from place to place so make sure you know the details before you play. And never let anyone cheat you out of what you’ve earned. Ask to see the doorlist if you need to, or, worst case scenario, count heads.

Heavy stuff aside, most promoters are thoroughly professional and are in it for the same reasons as you: they love the music. Trust your instincts and chances are, you won’t have a problem.

THE BLANKET APPROACH

One of the quickest, cheapest ways to contact promoters is to send a blanket email. Okay, it’s impersonal, but you can tick off dozens of names in one go and, really, they all want to know the same things initially.

Your email needs to cover your gig experience and the type of music you play; just keep it short and sweet, and always truthful. Research the venues or promoters you want to contact and make sure you’re including information that’s relevant to what they offer.

Here’s a starting point for your email:

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‘Hello,
‘I am a [name of your town]-based [insert genre] musician and am writing to request a gig at one of your events.

I’ve been playing for [x] years and have had gigs in [insert list of towns of towns you’ve played in]. Some of the venues I’ve played include [inset gigging history, with dates where possible].

My debut album/EP/single has just been/about to be released by [insert name of record label]/is on sale at gigs while I look for distribution. [Add any information about radio play and reviews. With reviews, mention who reviewed you, but not the piece itself; better to direct readers to your MySpace page or MySchoolAct profile.]

If you have a moment, please check out my MySpace and MySchoolAct profile, which includes [x] tracks.

Thanks in advance for your time,?[your name here]?[your website info here]’

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WINNING FRIENDS AND INFLUENCING PEOPLE... NICELY

Booking a gig is the first bit of the battle. After that, you need to catch an audience. As soon as the gig’s booked, send an email to all your friends and family telling people where to get tickets, about the venue and what other bands are on the bill. A gentle reminder the day before helps too.

Your friends are probably sick of you hassling them by now, so try not to push it, but use their contacts if you can. Send a MySpace bulletin, create a Facebook event and put a flyer up on any free listing websites you can find, linking back to your web page. Cover every angle you can think of.


THE BIG EVENT

Oh yeah, stage fright... No, forget that. Focus on your audience and continue your pre-gig promotions at the venue. Get some business cards, badges or anything you can put your band name and website on: a demo, stickers, t-shirts, caps, bags, coasters or cups. Beg another favour from your friends in art class and get them to design a logo for your band.

And don’t neglect the truly old school method, the humble mailing list. Very simple: clipboard, pen, paper, your new logo at the top and two columns for a name and an email address. It’s the most ridiculously easy way to gather contacts in the local scene.