One of the main reasons for taking up a musical instrument is to be able to play to a live audience. Regardless of whether you’re playing the Oboe in a Woodwind Orchestra or playing guitar in a Rock N Roll band, entertaining others with your music is highly rewarding and can be extremely gratifying.
However, finding your first few gigs as a new band can be tough, especially if the members have no previous experience in live music or the music industry.
There is an assortment of varying factors to take into consideration when trying to arrange gigs (especially if not in your local area) but assuming you are talented at your craft and clever with promotion, it shouldn’t be too difficult for you and your band to get a gig opportunity.
After all, there are plenty of occasions or events where people are looking for live music! Such as…
Background music in bars & restaurants
Average earning potential for a solo musician: £80 – £200 (sometimes with a meal included)
If you can play guitar or the piano then keeping an open mind about where you play is a must.
Talented musicians can look in to playing background music at bars or in a restaurant whilst guests are eating in order to get more gigs mid-week.
Cocktail pianists are highly sought after in many areas, not just in the music industry but also the restaurant business and other industries throughout the UK.
Similarly, Jazz guitarists are often in high demand and feature as sophisticated entertainment in upmarket wine bars or restaurants.
These gigs have some good benefits; for a start, they are relatively low pressure – you aren’t there to function as the centre of attention, more just to add to the ambience. You may also get treated to some great food!
The downside is that they can be long stints. 2 – 3 hours with only short breaks is not uncommon.
Pay will also be less than you could potentially earn at weekends, so aim for these gigs to take place mid-week or Sundays. Afternoon gigs are also not uncommon.
Networking
One of the main ways of getting gigs is networking. While this may sound a little ‘corporate’, it’s really just a fancy word for meeting other people in the industry.
Conversing with other bands and musicians about popular venues, good promoters and reputable entertainment agents is always a good place to start when looking for shows.
Networking effectively can work wonders for new bands and can often result in being offered a show or being able to support a bigger band at their next gig.
It’s important to make the most of every opportunity that comes up – you never know where they may lead.
Pubs & clubs
Average earning potential for 4-piece band: £50 – £120 per musician
Pubs and clubs have always been traditional bread & butter type gigs for musicians new to the live scene, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a single professional musician who hasn’t played in a pub at some point in their career.
While back in the 70’s and 80’s it was feasible to make a living off of being in a pub rock band, that is a very tall order today.
The same factors that have attacked the pub trade (such as the rise in drinking at home, a tough economy leaving people with less disposable income and higher tax on alcohol) have also had a knock on effect on their ability to pay out for entertainment.
All of that aside, it’s still perfectly feasible to fill up the diary with pub gigs and earn some cash (depending on how many venues are in the area you are willing to travel to, of course!).
A popular way for new bands to get gigs in their local area is to attend and perform at local open mic nights or jam nights.
While some view these nights as detracting from booking full gigs for acts (see the LMM blog: “Are open mic nights killing live music?”) they still represent a good opportunity as it allows you to meet new people, while showcasing your talents to an audience.
If the landlord is impressed they may ask you to perform on a regular basis, and it’s not uncommon for bands to receive gig enquires for weddings and other functions after performing at open mic nights…. So make sure you have some business cards at hand!
While having a demo CD of covers could now be considered a little out-dated, a website with MP3s (or Soundcloud link) of a selection of your bands music is imperative to finding gigs and increasing your fan base.
You are not going to be booked for any gigs, regardless of location, unless somebody can listen to your band and decide if you’re suitable to play at their event.
Weddings & functions
Average earning potential for 4-piece band: £150 – £250 per musician (+ travel and usually food)
Weddings and functions can prove very lucrative as a musician, whether playing solo or as a band.
The nature of the events means there will usually be a bigger budget in place and the average wedding band can go out for very good money. For more information, see the LMM blog for real world advice on what to charge as a musician.
The strongest way to promote as a wedding band is definitely word-of-mouth. Once you have your first few gigs, you may well find yourself playing for other people that have seen you before and things can often snowball from there.
Entertainment Agencies (such as the one ran by last minute musicians) are a great way to source wedding gigs as, although an agent will charge a commission on your fee, a lot of the hassle of advertising/sourcing gigs is cut out.
Wedding planners are often tasked with sourcing entertainment, and so getting a good working relationship with a few local planners is never a bad idea.
Traditionally wedding shows have always been a good way to advertise services to couples.
There are a slightly grey area when it comes to wedding bands – for some, it works really, really well… the chance to market yourself to hundreds of potential brides & grooms certainly never hurt anyone!
However, they can be very expensive. Some very popular wedding shows can charge upwards of £1000 for a stall to exhibit on, and if nothing comes out of it you can end up badly out of pocket.
Keep in mind that this work can be quite seasonal in nature – summer is by far and away the most popular time to get married, and the post Christmas lull in spending can lead to few gigs in January and February.
For more specific advice on getting wedding gigs, check out this Last Minute Musicians blog.
Corporate events
Average earning potential for 4-piece band: £150 – £300 per musician (+ travel, food & accommodation if needed)
Often, business conferences or sales launchers will involve some kind of post-conference party or celebration.
These will almost exclusively be booked through entertainment agents but can be extremely lucrative for musicians, as the company will usually be picking up the tab.
As well as a healthy fee, the company will usually be able to provide food, accommodation and any other expenses.
Around December is undoubtly the most popular time of the year for corporate shows, as this is prime Christmas party season.
Being a music “Dep”
Many musicians also supplement their income by standing in for other bands members when they are ill or unavailable, these musicians are known as ‘deputy’ musicians or ‘dep’ for short.
The key to dep gigs is usually being available at short notice to cover in case of emergency, and having as varied a repertoire as possible.
Make sure you check out the LMM ran “Dep Musicians in the UK – Needed and available” and “UK Musicians for gigs”. With tens of thousands of members between them, new work is posted almost constantly.
The bottom line is, in the music industry, experience is just as important as who you know and your expertise at your instrument.
There are plenty of gig opportunities for bands and musicians regardless of genre or style, and with good connections you are likely to build an ever-expanding network to get your band off to a good start.
Don’t forget! if you’re looking for more gigs, consider signing your band up to the Last Minute Musicians Entertainment Directory, the UK’s leading live entertainment portal.
