Calling amateur, gigging bands - how do you cope!?

[Roobubba]

Hi guys,

So I'm trying to get some gigs around London, and desperately trying to promote the band more, but my God there's just not enough time!!!

I have a full time job in research and I commute from Oxford to London daily, which is a large part of where all my time goes, but I was wondering what, if any, useful tricks people have come up with for making progress getting your band 'out there' - getting frequent and possibly regular gigs - while juggling 'real life'?

Roo

[gwEm]

cut back on your sleep, split up with your girlfriend (these are serious suggestions)

also i've done that oxford<->london commute - its killing. move to london and gain yourself valuable time each day.

[Nadz1lla]

Internet networking is pretty much what gets my bands gigs (when we are gigging). Search for venues and promoters in your area on Myspace / Facebook or just find their respective websites through Google and email them. Also another way is get friendly with bands from that area and tell them you would be willing to support them if they can get a gig sorted out, works wonders normally. 

Good luck dude!

[Roobubba]

cut back on your sleep, split up with your girlfriend (these are serious suggestions)

also i've done that oxford<->london commute - its killing. move to london and gain yourself valuable time each day.

Unfortunately, divorce and/or moving to London are not on my agenda. Sleep, however, this one is a possible...

[bucketshred]

Make a splash. Make gigs and event be larger than life with people, they'll remember you more for it!

Promote the shite out of your gigs.

Get a video made by my mate at www.metalwaspmedia.com. Ours is The Rabhus one. Unfortunately our drummer left after we filmed it but it's a pretty good video.

Paddy

[Dmoney]

find venues that have regular nights that your band fits into and find out who books those bands.
do gig swaps with other bands if you book nights in oxford.
maybe look for an independent label that people pay attention to (even if its a tiny DIY one) to work with, so your name gets out to a bunch of people.

just suggestions.

[MrBump]

Get a band leader who's also a stay-at-home dad to do all the work...

[nfe]

Do you post on other forums?

Best place you can network by a gazillion miles. Forums for festivals/labels/specific genres etc

Lots of them have specific musicians/gig swaps sub-forums and stuff.

[Roobubba]

Thanks for the suggestions guys!

Not enough hours in the day!!

[Ratrod]

Word of mouth.

Leave calling cards at every gig. When your gig is done, stay a while for a beer and a chat. It's not uncommon someone will offer you another gig then.

[Herbie the Rad Dorklift]

You gotta do it old school.

All the greats quit their jobs and lived like tramps til they made it.

[MrBump]

Nah, don't bother with "old school".

Use modern technology.  Use ReverbNation, or something similar, record demos, email links to all your mates, get them to do the same, use Facebook, use any number of social networking outlets to publicise your gigs and music.

Same effort, just better technology.

[Roobubba]

You gotta do it old school.

All the greats quit their jobs and lived like tramps til they made it.

See now this is a tricky one. I love my job! I've just scored a permanent contract in cancer research (any scientist's goal in the first 10-15 years of their post-PhD career is a permanent contract!). The drummer has a good job at the Diamond Light Source synchrotron (he's a scientist I worked with in my previous lab), and the bassist is a lawyer (oh well!). Honestly, if we could be as good as Meshuggah and as big as Metallica, and we'd still be highly unlikely to quit our day jobs...

[bucketshred]

A lot of the kids like constant updates in the form of video, pictures etc.

oh, buy some trendy clothes too ;)

Paddy

[Nadz1lla]

Get your hair mauled by some minus IQ Toni and Guy stylist and then get a bunch of cr@p tattoos right up to your jawline.

Paddy and I have seen the success it can bring.  :lol:

But on a serious note, yes, a lot of bands are doing more video content and chucking it up on YouTube, seems to be a good magnet for the kidz. Oh yeah, I spelled it with a "Z", I'm down!  :D