One ORIGINAL band needed for national act show

JayBird · Post by **JayBird** » Wednesday Feb 20, 2013

I need at LEAST one, possibly two ORIGINAL local band(s) for a national act show on April 12 at Yesterday's Party in Ebensburg, PA. You must have at least 30 minutes of original material, willing to sell tickets (you will be paid per ticket sold), must be willing to promote the show and do your end of the leg work, and must be rock/hard rock.

Contact me at www.facebook.com/jason.r.fetterman If you contact me here I'm not sure when I'll get back on, so FB is the quickest way.

Bloodsong · Post by **Bloodsong** » Wednesday Feb 20, 2013

We would be interested, but I'm not sure we are rock...

SATAN · Post by **SATAN** » Wednesday Feb 20, 2013

Way Down East will be interested. Get hold of me.

Randy

guff · Post by **guff** » Wednesday Feb 20, 2013

Isn't the bands "end of the legwork" showing up and entertaining, not selling tickets?

JayBird · Post by **JayBird** » Friday Feb 22, 2013

So Guff...just cause you're in a band, people will automatically come see your band? You don't need to promote or try selling tickets or hell...why practice. You're in a band...just show up and entertain...no matter the effort??? That mentality is the problem with bands. Just show up and entertain. Everything else is easy. No need to make your band stand out. No need to help sell tickets to help the promoter and ultimately the venue or ultimately the venue possibly booking your band or how it helps the venue to give bands a place to play. It a full circle of helping out. Just show up and entertain...nice thought! Why would anyone give a band a spot on a bill who just shows up to play when other bands will go out and promote and push tickets and talk about the venue or the opportunity or the networking they are doing to help the scene. Whatever!

guff · Post by **guff** » Friday Feb 22, 2013

Actually, I'd say the band spends a majority of their time practicing, creating and mastering their craft. On top of that, 9 out of 10 bands also take time to market their shows via social networking, online advertising and promotion and good old fashioned fliers. So is it too much to ask for the venue to actually promote the show and sell tickets?

onegunguitar · Post by **onegunguitar** » Saturday Feb 23, 2013

Local bands selling tickets is just a way to make sure the "National Act" gets paid. I've played with some "national acts" that came through.....still don't hear anything about them,well,except Saint Diablo,they had a song on Sirius Radio

soundman814 · Post by **soundman814** » Saturday Feb 23, 2013

If you don't have a budget or means to pay the talent, why is there a show going on? It's like a restaurant hiring cooks and wait staff and telling them they need to get their friends to come in if they want paid. Why are you in business?

Do the sound company, security, etc. need to sell tickets?

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Saturday Feb 23, 2013

onegunguitar wrote:Local bands selling tickets is just a way to make sure the "National Act" gets paid. I've played with some "national acts" that came through.....still don't hear anything about them,well,except Saint Diablo,they had a song on Sirius Radio

+1

If you need to rely on the local talent to sell tickets for a national headliner, then you need to book a different headliner. My band leader just booked a gig with a national headliner later this year. There's nothing in the discussions about us or any of the other acts having to sell tickets. Of course, that may have something to do with the headliner actually being an artist with real national recognition.

In most industries, if you fail to do your own job, you get handed a pink slip. A promoter's job is to promote (i.e., handle ticket sales). A surgeon's job is to perform surgery. You don't show up at the hospital and then have the surgeon hand you a scapel and say, "Go at it, champ!"

P.s. I should mention that I have friends who have toured with national bands, and they (or their label, I should say) had to PAY THE HEADLINER to open. Fuckin' lame. When did the entire music industry become bush league?

UNEARTHA7XMatt · Post by **UNEARTHA7XMatt** » Monday Feb 25, 2013

JayBird wrote:So Guff...just cause you're in a band, people will automatically come see your band? You don't need to promote or try selling tickets or hell...why practice. You're in a band...just show up and entertain...no matter the effort??? That mentality is the problem with bands. Just show up and entertain. Everything else is easy. No need to make your band stand out. No need to help sell tickets to help the promoter and ultimately the venue or ultimately the venue possibly booking your band or how it helps the venue to give bands a place to play. It a full circle of helping out. Just show up and entertain...nice thought! Why would anyone give a band a spot on a bill who just shows up to play when other bands will go out and promote and push tickets and talk about the venue or the opportunity or the networking they are doing to help the scene. Whatever!

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I agree with you on alot that you are saying here Jay. Alot of the bands believe if they just post flyers on facebook and start tagging people or whatever those people will come to the show. This just makes me wanna LoL! Its ridiculous! Put in the leg work. Ive been in the music scene in the Johnstown/Altoona area for a long time. Not quite as long as Bush but hey I didnt have Moses as a drummer either LoL. Sorry Bushy! But seriously, if you want on the bill, Sell the tickets. So youre paying for the National Act! Big Deal! Youre still gonna make a lil bit off the show. Honestly if youre in it for the money youre in the wrong business anyways! I give you credit Jay for trying to put these shows on again. You were a huge help a few years back with getting one of my old bands a big start in the Johnstown area. Horns up to anyone who is trying to help the local music scene. If you see selling tickets as a burden then dont play the show! Simple fucking answer!

JayBird · Post by **JayBird** » Wednesday Feb 27, 2013

UNEARTHA7XMatt wrote:
JayBird wrote:So Guff...just cause you're in a band, people will automatically come see your band? You don't need to promote or try selling tickets or hell...why practice. You're in a band...just show up and entertain...no matter the effort??? That mentality is the problem with bands. Just show up and entertain. Everything else is easy. No need to make your band stand out. No need to help sell tickets to help the promoter and ultimately the venue or ultimately the venue possibly booking your band or how it helps the venue to give bands a place to play. It a full circle of helping out. Just show up and entertain...nice thought! Why would anyone give a band a spot on a bill who just shows up to play when other bands will go out and promote and push tickets and talk about the venue or the opportunity or the networking they are doing to help the scene. Whatever!
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I agree with you on alot that you are saying here Jay. Alot of the bands believe if they just post flyers on facebook and start tagging people or whatever those people will come to the show. This just makes me wanna LoL! Its ridiculous! Put in the leg work. Ive been in the music scene in the Johnstown/Altoona area for a long time. Not quite as long as Bush but hey I didnt have Moses as a drummer either LoL. Sorry Bushy! But seriously, if you want on the bill, Sell the tickets. So youre paying for the National Act! Big Deal! Youre still gonna make a lil bit off the show. Honestly if youre in it for the money youre in the wrong business anyways! I give you credit Jay for trying to put these shows on again. You were a huge help a few years back with getting one of my old bands a big start in the Johnstown area. Horns up to anyone who is trying to help the local music scene. If you see selling tickets as a burden then dont play the show! Simple fucking answer!

Thanks Matt! You always did do your part and for that, I'd put any band you work with on one of my bills...if the music fit. As for the others...I have the money to pay the bands. I've tried making huge strides for this area as far as a national scene...some bands have stuck, some haven't. As for not hearing about many of the bands I've brought in...well...it's because you're in Western/Central PA. Many of the bands that pull in 100 people around here are pulling THOUSANDS elsewhere. We live in country/classic rockville and our radio stations suck. I'm not needing bands to pay for the national acts. But I'm needing bands to show they are in this for more than just a resume builder. I pay for EVERYTHING and I'd like to have the bands bring in new faces, their crowd, help put extra people into the venue. It only benefits EVERYONE. And if an opener can pull people...it helps them. It shows the venue they are worthy of their own show(s). A band willing to sell tickets is also, in my opinion, hungry for success...more professional...understanding of the industry. Without local radio play, a small/mid level national gets paid squat and has a harder time in redneck USA. But for the 100 people who do show up...those 100 people are loyal and greatful for seeing some of their underground bands scratch and claw to make it. They will remember their fans and the fans will remember these shows. So...if you or anyone else thinks selling tickets is too much to ask...Then please keep your band doing what it does and I'll keep doing what I do. I'm not offended your band doesn't want to sell tickets just as you shouldn't be offended I ask bands to try and sell tickets for national shows. Bands need to understand...just showing up to "entertain"...it isn't enough.