Does your band need a booking agent?

[AeonicSlumber]

Playing live helps. But so does practicing, and working really hard at writing songs. Some bands get big after a long stint of playing shitty music at small live shows, but I am willing to be that many of the bands who have 'made it' did so by spending time in the shed. The shed being wherever they spend their time to practice, write, re-write, etc. Too many bands have a facebook (was myspace) site before they can play.

Also, as with any business, if you try to create a customer base for your product, you are fighting a difficult battle. Sometimes you need to find a customer base, and create a product for them, or find the customer base to deliver your product. Jazz musicians learned this a long time ago. Some metal bands have too.

A lot of musicians do not want the nomadic lifestyle involved. That probably is one of the major limiters on the career of any musician/band. Sure you can go tour 200 days a year, but you could make more at Chic-Fil-A (and obviously at better paying careers) and still record music, and then play a few live dates. This seems to be the formula for the majority of my favorite metal bands. I realize this article was 'if you want to be booked', so I'm digressing

In which we have no idea what we're talking about, but pretend to to look cool June 2k11 edition.

 

[Claus / Intromental]

I'll rewrite for you. Danish Pride or something

Thanks.

Many bands who want to be booked, do not have the talent sufficient for regular bookings. These bands need to spend more time working on their music, instead of being concerned with getting on stage. Once a band has strong material and can play it well, then it is time to start playing live. It pays off this way.

Yes and no ... there are bands who LEARN a lot from being on stage. Getting the band to function as a band, and that can lead to better song writing.

But yeah, I see your point about bands without talent trying to get booked. Man, you have no idea how many talentless bands contacts me daily trying to either get Intromental to book for them in general, or want us to book them for certain festivals (ehmmm, ehmmm, ...) - all I can say to them is "please take a couple of more years to write better material and then come back to me".

c.

 

[dcowboys311]

Yeah I mean, it's definitely a combination of good songwriting skills and live performance for the most part. Obviously there are exceptions, but I don't think there are too many bands who got signed to decent labels just on the whole "they write good tunes" principle without playing shows. It's easier to get signed when you write shitty music and draw 500 people/show than it is to write good stuff but nobody cares about it.

 

[Cheiron]

You don't write shitty music and get 500 people at a show. You just write music for shitty people.

 

[dcowboys311]

You don't write shitty music and get 500 people at a show. You just write music for shitty people.

Brokencyde
Blood on the Dance Floor
Attack Attack
and on and on and on

 

[DuchessOfDork]

There's something for everyone!

 

[AngraRULES]

You don't write shitty music and get 500 people at a show...You just write music for shitty people.

Ahhh but you do... The shitty people showing up are just the outcome.

 

[Cheiron]

You have to quote the second part. ;p

I didn't think I actually posted it. Thought I wrote it and then closed the window.


But seriously, it was a good article. My only other advice is to find a booking agent that doesn't fuck over local promoters.

 

[AngraRULES]

But seriously, it was a good article. My only other advice is to find a booking agent that doesn't fuck over local promoters.

True. However, you'd be surprised how much it works out the other way around as well... :/

 

[dcowboys311]

http://community2.metalreview.com/b...ve/2011/05/02/without-logic-adapt-or-die.aspx