Supporting your local music scene and attending local gigs is very important when trying to find more gigs for your band. Simply by making an effort to go to gigs and talking to the bands playing will enable you to make friends.
You should also try and strike up a conversation with the promoter and the sound man as they will be at the heart of your music scene and therefore great people to network and be friends with.
Half the battle to getting a gig in a pub is to convince the manager or landlord that it makes business sense to pay for a live band.
When putting yourself forward for gigs, use statistics to let pubs and venues know how live music can help generate revenue.
In a 2011 survey conducted by PRS For Music it was revealed that:
Pubs with featured music take on average 44% more money than pubs without, rising to 60% on weekends (Fri/Sat)
Music pubs have higher takings every day of the week
80% of pub managers said they felt music would help them survive the recession
PRS For Music
Why not approach pubs in your area with a proposal. You can offer to start off at a lower price to build up some interest and if things go well you should be able to convince the pub to pay you a reasonable amount.
Volunteer yourself
The best way to support your local music scene is to do so in person, but that involves a lot more than just going to gigs.
For those with a little time on their hands, getting in touch with promoters and bands to hand out flyers is a great way to spread the word about upcoming gigs.
Many bands are also often in need of posters, EP/album artwork so keen artistic hobbyists may wish to offer their talents.
From a musician’s perspective, a great way to support your local scene whilst also gaining useful experience is to volunteer to be a local venue’s sound/lighting technician.
Often a music venue will already have a sound/lighting man but they may be willing to show you the ropes. Who knows, if you’re good they might ask you to do it in the future!
Support on social media
For those who are unable to devote more of their time to local live music, sharing and keeping up appearances on social media is a good start.
By following up and coming bands and being friends with promoters and venues, music fans and musicians will be kept abreast of upcoming local music news and gig updates and can share these updates through social media.
It’s important to be as open minded as you can and not be afraid of taking new opportunities.
You need to make yourself and your band known to the right people, so that when a promoter is looking for bands – they think of you first!
The key aim of supporting a local music scene is to pack out live music venues and by following our tips your band will benefit and your scene will soon begin to flourish.
Sources:
- http://blog.sonicbids.com/how-to-be-a-good-music-citizen-in-your-local-scene
- http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2014/02/27/17-things-local-bands-just-dont-get
Do you support your local music scene? Let us know how in the comments below!
