How To Book A Gig?

I am a local music enthusiast. I've been involved in the music business for a few years now,and has been fascinated by it since I was 15 years old, silently observing and learning the ins and outs of this very rough industry. Throughout the years, I've learnt a tremendous amount, having experienced the music business lifestyle of the rich and the famous, as well as the unknown and struggling. Hence, I've decided to share my knowledge and experience with aspiring musicians, bands, artiste managers etc. I will be writing guides, giving tips, and answering questions, if any, regarding the local music scene.

Music Biz Guide # 1: How to book a gig?

Gigs and shows are aplenty these days compared to a few years back. Mostly, these gigs are concentrated in towns like JB, Ipoh and KL, but places like Terengganu, Penang, Kuantan and Melaka are slowly catching up. The key to booking a gig, especially if you are a new band, is to be as shameless as possible. Opportunities will not come knocking on your door, instead you have to go out and about, knocking on other people's doors, even if you do not know who is behind that door.

Demo recordings are essential these days. Get one done if you have not already. Recording is way cheaper than it used to be. Heck, you can even do it for free at home. Once your demo of preferably 3-5 songs is ready, make a few copies of it. The most important thing to do now is to write down your band name and contact number. You have no idea how many bands overlook such a basic step. You can choose to write it down on the CD itself or on a piece of paper which you can insert into the CD case. But to be safe, you can do both. You never know when a small piece of paper might go missing. You can also choose to design a cover for your demo, but bare in mind, even an award winning design is not gonna book you a gig if your music simply sucks.

Another necessity is a band bio. Every band needs one. If you can't write English for nuts, please don't even try. If you write better in Malay, by all means write your bio in Malay. Try to limit your bio to just one page long, or at most, one and a half page. Always start the bio with your band name and a picture of your band. Again, do not forget to include your contact details.

Once you've done all of the above, you're ready to go. To be more presentable, you might wanna consider getting a folder for all your materials.

Now, go online and check your gig guide. Attend as many gigs as possible. At every gig, spot the organizers, speak to them, tell them about your band, and pass them your material. It'll be best if you get hold of the organizers contact details as well. Contact them a week or two after to check if they have listened to your demo. Ask for theircomments and use any criticism to improve further. Sometimes, gig organizers do not book you for your musical talent, but for the amount of crowd you can bring in for the gig. If you have a lot of friends who are willing to pay to watch your band perform, emphasise on that point and convince the organizers that you can bring in revenue for them.

In addition, you might also wanna send your demo's to music magazines or fanzines for reviews etc. But to do as such, your production quality has to be at an acceptable level. Also, utilize the internet as much as possible. Myspace used to be the in thing, but I personally think that blogs are a good marketing tool, and can be more personal. The internet has no borders, so think out of the box, be creative. Find ways to create hype and publicity for your band.

Networking is also important. Be nice to everyone you meet. You never know when you might need that persons help.

For queries, please feel free to email me at musicbiztimes@gmail.com

Good luck!

Cheers!