What Is Advancing A Concert Date?

Today, I have been wearing waaaaaay too many hats. One of the things I recommend to you is to delegate the responsibilities. Because of what we do, there are wonderful people out there who believe in us and will help us if we let them. And if things start rolling well, they should be paid for their time and efforts.

So today I fulfilled CD Mail orders; constructed and assembled six of my old Wooden Nickel albums from the seventies. They won’t release them or sell them to me, so when someone wants a CD of one of them, they contact me and I make it happen, but it is very time consuming. I do it for love and because we artists like to think that what we create matters. And if no one hears it, can it matter?

Now for people to hear what you’ve done, the avenues are few and very crowded. All the media conglomerates like Clear channel radio will not play anything that isn’t major label with monster bucks behind it and, I suspect, very fine perks for the clear channel itself for playing that music. Do you really think that there are THAT many people who like the kind of music that the radio is playing right now? A true celebration of ignorance and misogeny.

There’s the internet, but it’s very deep with artists and music and what is going to make these strangers seek you out. Start with performing. I covered the Open Mic thing to help you get started. This is after you actually have created an act and an albums worth of recorded material.

Playing live is the front line of getting yourself heard, but if you are lucky enough to get into a club, how do you get the folks to come in there and lay down their hard earned dollars to hear you, someone they’ve NEVER heard of?

That’s the tricky part.

So let’s move to the place where you’ve gotten the gig, as I have already covered getting the gig in “How Do I Book Myself?”.

First of all, determine if the room itself has a reputation. In the 70’s and 80’s, you could go to the Troubadour in Los Angeles even if you had never heard of the act. They only hired good people and you KNEW you were going to get your money’s worth. Find out if the room you are working has a constituency. That’s a nice place to begin if they have that, but whether they do or not, you must do the following:.

Ask them for their media list. Even if they hit these people every week, it only helps if you contact them as well. And if you have a label, get them to contact them, and if you have a manager, get them to do it too. The more the media hears from and about you, the more chance you have of being noticed and perhaps mentioned, or even interviewed or reviewed. But you must instigate that dialog and you must follow up on it. Different media have different deadlines. Make certain you are acquainted with those deadlines and meet them.

Thirdly, find out if they do an email blast for the gig and PROVIDE for them exactly what you would like said about you. It took me years before I caught on to the fact that noone cared if I was a Chinese linguist in the air force; or if I always played guitar and sang. They want to know if I am good; if I do a good show and if I have something to say.

So create your own blurb for everyone to use. Otherwise they will take what suits their fancy if they take anything at all. Make it easy for them. It’s the best way, trust me.

Fourthly, provide them with the 8x10 glossy photos they need; and let them know that they can also download what they need from your website in terms of more photos (black and white and color), bios and reviews and sound bites of your music if you can. And provide them with posters. And here’s the kicker. You have to do it in a timely fashion.

Don’t send your posters, pics and CD’s three months in advance—three weeks is the farthest out you want to go. They get so much stuff, they just lose it and you have to send it again.

And don’t send it out the week of the gig. It’s too late. Three weeks to two weeks out on that stuff is the best. All this stuff is called Advancing a date.

Tomorrow we’ll talk about what would make up the best kind of promo kit, be it epk or hard copy.

Comments

[Earth]

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[suodingwangzhi49]

to me, so when someone wants a CD of one of them, they contact me and I make it happen, but it is very time consuming. I do it for love and because we artists like to think that what we create matters. And if no one hears it, can it matter?

Now for people to hear what you’ve done, the avenues are few and very crowded. All the media conglomerates like Clear channel radio will not play anything that isn’t major label with monster bucks behind it and, I suspect, very fine perks for the clear channel itself for playing that music. Do you really think that there are THAT many people who like the kind of music that the raiwc repicas|