Gigging | creative deconstruction

Think Outside the Venue To Get That First Gig

Posted on 14. Oct, 2009 by refe.

10

Most new bands approach the first part of their careers like this: We need to find an audience, but in order to find an audience we have to play shows. If we want to play shows we have to get a talent buyer to book us, but talent buyers are going to want to know [...]

Continue Reading

Targeting and Converting Potential Fans

Posted on 09. Oct, 2009 by refe.

11

A goal is only as good as the strategy put in place to reach it. In my previous post I talked about Kevin Kelly’s 1,000 True Fans concept, and expanded it a bit to include the three other groups that make up an artist’s fan base: active, passive and potential fans.
This model may not be [...]

Continue Reading

Deconstructing the Week in Music August 17-23

Posted on 23. Aug, 2009 by refe.

0

Here’s a recap of what went on in the music industry this week. Make sure to check out anything you might have missed and leave your comments. Know something we don’t? Submit a story.

Continue Reading

Guest Post: What Makes A Great Live Performance?

Posted on 17. Aug, 2009 by refe.

1

This is a guest post by Andrew McMillen, a music writer based in Brisbane, Australia. Andrew is coordinating blog content for an Australian music event, One Movement For Music, which debuts in October 2009. The blog at OneMovementWord.com contains interviews with artists and speakers appearing at the event, Australian music news, as well as guest [...]

Continue Reading

Deconstructing the Week in Music 6.29 – 7.5

Posted on 05. Jul, 2009 by refe.

0

Here’s a recap of what went on in the music industry this week. Make sure to check out anything you might have missed and leave your comments. Know something we don’t? Submit a story.

Continue Reading

Number One Way to Make Sure Your Band Fails

Posted on 03. Jul, 2009 by refe.

2

There’s no secret formula to insure that your band will be successful, but I can tell you one fool-proof way to guarantee its failure: stop gigging.
It’s so basic, yet I have been consistently surprised at how many bands come to me looking for help getting their careers off the ground who treat gigging as a chore. When [...]

Continue Reading

The Unlikely Prince of Indie

Posted on 20. May, 2009 by refe.

1

Greg Kot, in his new book Ripped, focuses on the story of an unlikely but high profile independent artist – Prince. While the diminutive 80’s pop star and his music may not seem relevant to many of you, it turns out he is actually an interesting example of an artist bucking the traditional system and [...]

Continue Reading

5 Steps to Building an Online Following and Turning it into Gigs

Posted on 16. Apr, 2009 by refe.

0

I’ve been talking a lot lately about a band’s first gig. The first gig can be one of the most difficult milestones in a band’s career if they don’t already know a few of the right people. It’s a vicious cycle: you have no following because venues won’t book you, venues won’t book you because [...]

Continue Reading

First Gig is all about Who you Know – On MySpace

Posted on 06. Apr, 2009 by refe.

5

I was talking with an artist this weekend about his career, and he told me about some of the trouble he’d been having getting that first gig. Although he had previously been part of a band that played out on a regular basis, it has been a few years and most of his connections have [...]