Getting And Performing Gigs

Believe it or not, when my band goes on tour, we make money. It’s not a lot of money, but we certainly come out on top. This is a result of a couple years of groundwork and less profitable tours, careful planning, and grants. It’s also the result of being able to manage our finances…

In the past I’ve written about booking effective shows and promoting shows, but I have yet to cover how to make the most of a show once it’s booked and publicized. I’ve found the key to making my shows effective is knowing what you want to accomplish. I only play shows that have a purpose….

You’ve booked your tour, you’re playing effective shows. The opening band is lined up (or you’re playing support) and the contracts are signed. But will anyone come to your show? Music is not a “build it and they will come” kind of industry. There is always lots going on and it’s often difficult to compete…

So you’ve decided it’s time to hit the road. That’s an exciting step in your musical journey, but it can be a daunting task. The only way to do it without becoming overwhelmed is to adopt a methodical, step by step approach, with a clear vision and realistic goals. Today, I will be focusing on…

The guitar’s enduring popularity might have something to do with how it makes look one feel and appear in live performance. Guitars are cool. They can turn through-and-through music geeks like Steve Vai and Joe Satriani into mysterious virtuosos and otherworldly aliens. They can turn shy, introverted types like Jimi Hendrix into wild animals onstage….

The image of a touring musician as portrayed by the media is a glamorous one – packed-out venues, parties in nice hotels, stages with full lights and sound, and a big, comfy bus to top it all off. Sadly, the reality of touring can be a harsh wake-up call for many budding musicians. The truth…

A widely held belief among artists is that their music is enough. They don’t think they need to work on their image, their stage banter, or their live presentation. While it is true that great music is a good asset to have, unless you plan on being a studio artist and just marketing your songs…

Have you ever complained about some of the lackluster live performance opportunities you’ve had? I know I have. Maybe you played and didn’t get compensated fairly for your time. Maybe the crowd wasn’t that into what you were doing. Maybe the gig ended with someone getting hurt or a guitar amp blowing up. Look, unfortunately,…

Stage presence is more important than you may even realize. It has a huge impact on how well your show is received, and ultimately how much merch you’ll sell at your gigs too. It make take some time to get your act together, but when you see the audience rushing your merch booth at the…

If you’re a performing musician, one thing’s for sure; you’re not going to be performing just once! And here’s the thing about anything you do on a recurring basis; it can be boiled down into a checklist. The question, of course, is why would you want to go to the trouble of creating a checklist?…

Having a car definitely has it’s advantages. But so does taking the expense of having and maintaining a vehicle and investing it elsewhere. For those of us working musicians who don’t have a car for whatever reason but still have gigs to get to – we have to figure out more creative means of transportation….

If you play your cards right, eventually you’ll break away from dead-end bar gigs with small crowds. It’s a “paying your dues” phase that most have to go through. How long it lasts is different for everyone, but smart artists that take time to educate themselves can usually shorten the life span. Especially if they…

Editor Note: Hi guys, today we’ve something a bit different. Cynthia Brando has kindly agreed to share her story with you, specifically looking at why she feels she got stage fright, and some of the things she did to better manage that as a performing musician. It’s our hope that if you also suffer with…

For most bands and artists gigging is a big component of their overall strategy. Although their are a few who have successfully taken the road less traveled, the vast majority of artists need to play live if they want to grow and sustain a music career - this is true whether they are megastars performing in packed…