How to get into bars....

[Team Transylvania]

How does a band get into a places? There's been alot of talk on rockpage recently about clubs and places that require a certain draw to let a band play. If a band is new, and hasnt played that area before, how can you guarantee a draw?? you can lie of course, but thats just stupid. all you can do is hope that they like your demo and will give you a chance. if they "give chances to new bands". my band isnt a cover band. we dont play a set of pop covers. i cant guarantee that people will come see us in a new area where we dont know anyone. i guess thats why clubs book mainly cover bands. people will go to hear party bands.
why isnt there a club that supports mainly original music? some places do let original bands play, but not enough. well, unless you know someone to get you in.
anyway, my main question is, without knowing anyone to get in, and not having a huge fanbase due to being a new band, HOW do we get into playing more area places? even if an owner likes our cd, the "how many people can you guarantee?" comes up. what does one do?

thanks for any ideas and responses.

[MeYatch]

someone's about to say "pay your dues"

Seriously, thats all you can do, you have to work for a following, play less glamorous venues, or open for other bands to gain fans in a new area. If the music's good eventually you will have an acceptable answer to "how many people can you guarentee?"

(obviously I'm in this band, but my answer is in the general as well as the specific)

[Colton]

Hmm, heres my "i really have no idea wtf im talking about" response.

Drag as many people as you can along with you. Get your girlfreind, her freinds, her freinds freinds, everyone who knows someone in the band. Try to make a big event out of it. Rent a bus! lol

Since you dont play alot of covers, maybe find another band whos in your same situation to split shows with you. Tell them to bring their girlfreinds, her freinds, ect... Between the two groups, you should have some people fillin the place. Go see other bands shows as often as you can, you pay some dues to them, chat with'm, make freinds, chances are they'll stop in and see your shows too.

I'm no expert (trust me lol), but it seems in order to get people to your shows, you need to have people at your shows. Sounds strange, yeah, but if someone drives by a venue that has two cars in the parking lot, and theres another venue down the street thats almost has nowhere to park, chances are the people are going to try to squeeze their car in there somewhere to see whats goin on...

When you got a busy place and people stop in, they'll check out the band, dig it perhaps, and see when the next event is. Print up some little "mini-schedules" to hand out..



To summarize, take as many of your own peeps as you can...

[Colton]

someone's about to say "pay your dues"

If I wouldnt blabber so much, I might have gotten my post in before you said this.. but its in there! lol

[DirtySanchez]

someone's about to say "pay your dues"

lol.

All I can say is get on the internet and find bands that play the stuff like you do. Look at their myspaces and see where they play. Contact those places. I'll give you a hint, blair/center/clearfield/cambria counties are tough for original music. Get out, be willing to travel, or be willing to not play much. We really only play 2 places in altoona and thats twice as many as most metal bands. We played the Wheelie Bar in York and it was a total different scene. Southeastern PA seems to be happening for original music. Thats all I got man. You gotta do it cuz you love it.

[songsmith]

Yep. There are clubs that run original music, they're just not around here. It's not that big a deal, really, you just have to drive, and getting away from home makes it more of an adventure, anyway.
As for the local area, I don't think you need to look for a "venue" as much as you need to look for a "scene." There are seemingly dozens of young bands playing church halls and such locally. Sure, you're not a garage band, but sometimes you gotta suck it up and play whether you think you're going to be a hit or not. My experience is, many times when I think a show is going to suck response-wise, I'm surprised at how well we're received. (Of course the inverse is true as well, sometimes you think it's going to rule, and it's just painful.)
Just keep soldiering through, keep paying your -
Just play whenever and wherever. ------>JMS

[DrumAndDestroy]

All I can say is get on the internet and find bands that play the stuff like you do. Look at their myspaces and see where they play. Contact those places. I'll give you a hint, blair/center/clearfield/cambria counties are tough for original music. Get out, be willing to travel, or be willing to not play much. We really only play 2 places in altoona and thats twice as many as most metal bands. We played the Wheelie Bar in York and it was a total different scene. Southeastern PA seems to be happening for original music. Thats all I got man. You gotta do it cuz you love it.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

My band is in the same boat. Traveling is fun...

[DirtySanchez]

Yep. There are clubs that run original music, they're just not around here. It's not that big a deal, really, you just have to drive, and getting away from home makes it more of an adventure, anyway.
As for the local area, I don't think you need to look for a "venue" as much as you need to look for a "scene." There are seemingly dozens of young bands playing church halls and such locally. Sure, you're not a garage band, but sometimes you gotta suck it up and play whether you think you're going to be a hit or not. My experience is, many times when I think a show is going to suck response-wise, I'm surprised at how well we're received. (Of course the inverse is true as well, sometimes you think it's going to rule, and it's just painful.)
Just keep soldiering through, keep paying your -
Just play whenever and wherever. ------>JMS

The kids around here only go to local church/firehall shows if there is a national touring act on them. Almost every show @ jaggard has touring acts on them. Have fun kissing some 15 year olds ass to get on that show to make no money and have everyone hang out in the parking lot until the touring bands go on. I've seen it at every one of the shows I've been to.

[Big Jim]

Maybe get a big tour bus?












Maybe not. lol

[Jim Price]

Generally what's been said already is true. For going the original route, team up with like-minded bands and put shows together at places like Aldo's and 30 Something, and share and expand your fan bases. Stay in contact with fans through Myspace and by starting an email list, and promote your upcoming shows. And network and set up shows with bands from other areas like Pittsburgh or Harrisburg/York, and develop fan bases in those areas as well. And stick with it; it takes a while to build a fan base that venues will pay attention to, as well as name recognition with prospective fans; only time and persistence will enable those to develop for you.

The Altoona, Johnstown and State College areas have all lost venues friendly towards original bands in recent years, so opportunities around here are a bit thin at the moment, at least until new venues enter the scene that might be receptive to hosting original bands.

[Team Transylvania]

I just wanna play bars. the all age scene just isnt my thing. tried it, dont like it much. just my preference.
good suggestions from people though. the mini schedule is a really good idea!!

[DirtySanchez]

I just wanna play bars. the all age scene just isnt my thing.

That damn Megans Law will get you everytime.

[DrumAndDestroy]

The kids around here only go to local church/firehall shows if there is a national touring act on them. Almost every show @ jaggard has touring acts on them. Have fun kissing some 15 year olds ass to get on that show to make no money and have everyone hang out in the parking lot until the touring bands go on. I've seen it at every one of the shows I've been to.

good luck getting on a jaggard street show unless you sound like silverstein or some gay band like that.

haha the bands that kid has down at jaggard are all the same. screamo. it's a horrible scene. for the kids there...it's all about image.

a bunch of us went there once to see much the same from chicago (they were a great band who have toured with the likes of strung out, a wilhelm scream and so on and so fourth) and they ended up having to play before some of the locals...what a joke. i had them back on 2 all age shows that i sat up and they actually got to play later in the night (like they should've) and liked it much better at the lion's den (what's that tell ya?) so those kids can have their hollister-core national acts...i'll make the drive to pittsburgh to see good bands.

by the way, sanchez. US Bombs Feb 6th in Pitt...wanna go?

[Team Transylvania]

I just wanna play bars. the all age scene just isnt my thing.

That damn Megans Law will get you everytime.

yeah..thats it.

[UNEARTHA7XMatt]

The main thing you gotta do is Branch Out! Dont play the same area all the time. Once you get into the bigger cities there are more venues for Original Bands. You just have to look for them. If one bar dosent want you to play then dont get Frustrated, just move on to another one, and another one and another one. Just keep goin. Thats all I can tell you. If you can get on a bill with a band from that area or even a National act then more people will see you and meet you giving you a chance to make fans. Then the club will have no problem bringing you back because the crowd that was there gave you a good reaction. Just keep chugging, If you have to open, So Be It. Just do it because it will definately Work out for you in the end!

[WerewolfMovies]

I think that you have to pay your dues...


Especially you Keif!

[DrumAndDestroy]

keif?

[UNEARTHA7XMatt]

Ahhhh yes Keif!

[Team Transylvania]

A little known fact...I was called "Keef" most of my life back in frederick. for some reason, the homeboys cant pronounce a "th" right. comes out "f" sounding. ah...the good ole days.

[Feelgood]

Playing original music, you will likely need to branch out of this area, unfortunately. That's one reason why Subdue is always out in Cleveland. The scene there is much better for original music.

[Team Transylvania]

Original bands should HAVE to leave their home area.

[DirtySanchez]

A little known fact...I was called "Keef" most of my life back in frederick. for some reason, the homeboys cant pronounce a "th" right. comes out "f" sounding. ah...the good ole days.

This is great.

Yo Keef, wutchyu doin about free o clock playa?!!!


Justin, wednesdays suck for me. Mandatory meetings in clearfield that start at 5pm.

[DrumAndDestroy]

A little known fact...I was called "Keef" most of my life back in frederick. for some reason, the homeboys cant pronounce a "th" right. comes out "f" sounding. ah...the good ole days.

This is great.

Yo Keef, wutchyu doin about free o clock playa?!!!


Justin, wednesdays suck for me. Mandatory meetings in clearfield that start at 5pm.

time to quit your job for the blair county bar scene...duh

[witchhunt]

Hmm, heres my "i really have no idea wtf im talking about" response.

Drag as many people as you can along with you. Get your girlfreind, her freinds, her freinds freinds, everyone who knows someone in the band. ...

There's a lot to be said for this.

[bassist_25]

It's always a little difficult to answer threads like these because what may work for one band may not necessarily work for another. Sometimes you have to try a couple different approaches to find what really works for you and fits with what the goals are of you and your bandmates. With that said...

The first thing to keep in mind is that when you play licensed venues you are being contracted to help sell liquor - bottom line. It's not politically correct to say. It's not about overshadowing the art or the music. You can still be about the art; it's just that you have to please yourself first in that regard. If you're pleasing yourself privately then you can please the club owner pubilically (that sounds strange saying that LOL), and that means getting bodies through the door who want to enjoy themselves. I'm pretty much stating the obvious with this one. "Duh, everyone knows that, Paul!"

The key, I believe on the local level, is truly getting a rapport with the people who come to see you. Keith, I know that you have often questioned the validity of whether the people in the audience at a local show are truly fans or are rather just there out of convience. In my personal experience, if you're drawing a huge crowd, it's because they are into what you're doing. They may not hold you in the same regard as a national touring band...but on the other hand, some people do. There are some people who really think it's awesome. My point is that most local venues really don't have that large of a built-in crowd. Therefore, you need to be able to draw people in. Again, that's a big "DUH!!!"

The key, then, is to build a fanbase. If you have pockets of fans in the areas that you plan to gig in, then it's much easier to get leverage when booking a club. Demos are cool, but if you seriously want to get noticed, then I suggest a live video recording of people standing stagefront reacting to you. The sound quality is obviously not going to be the same as a studio recording, but having a great sounding demo isn't going to show whether you have something that people are going to come out and see. There's a reason why every show promo thread that Rob posts has audience shots from the previous gig. Your CD of recorded music is your promo for fans; the live video and action shots functions as promo for club owners.

As others have stated, you have to start off paying your dues, because you aren't going to have that fanbase when you're starting out. That means lower paying gigs, opening for bands, and playing for the door. I also think that it's really important to have a strategy. A lot of bands say, "We're going to write these songs/learn these songs, book some shows, and it's going to be cool." They usually don't get very far. First you need to state what you wish to accomplish (e.g., make people cognizant of our original music; make a decent amount of money; get label interest) and then figure out the best way of going about it. Look into which types of venues cater to the style of music you are playing and hold the type of demograhic that is going to be into what you're doing. Try not to play in an area too much or it's going to be real easy to burn out, especially if you're just gigging on a set's worth of original stuff. Again, in the type of scene you're looking into, networking with other bands is really important.

My last point, which was actually one of the first things I said - Build that rapport with the people who come and see you. It's very important to make yourself accessible off stage. If people are interested in your band, they're going to want to chat with you. Don't let obnoxious people stand there and annoy you, but be sure to thank people and let them know that you appreciate them being there. Because as cliche' as it is to say, if it weren't for people wanting to come check you out, you might as well sit in the basement and jam. Be a rockstar when you're on stage, but not off. I've seen too many bands carry the attitude off stage and it's a total turn off.

Well, hopefully I didn't ramble too much. I don't have all of the answers, but can just offer my experience and what has worked in my situations. Hope some of this helps.