Getting the gig is one half of the job. Don't forget your crowd...   more »

Some interesting thoughts here for performing at gigs and even to stimulate your creativity if you're songwriting.

http://www.concertsinyourhome.com/blog/archives/183#comment-2100

As I mention on a comment at the foot of the post, if you too are in a rut playing the same gigs at the same old places, you need to extend your list of potential venues. Other bands websites are a great place to start finding the names of venues you can contact.

http://www.gig-getter.co.uk

Can you really sell merchandise at gigs even when your band is just starting out and you have no real fans?   more »

Here's something I found on a blog this morning which has some good info re gigs for bands.It's posted by an online "Artist development" company..

http://iblogarea.com/willasblog4061/2008/07/06/the-gig-is-up-getting-those-gigs/

I've posted a comment highlighting what I feel are some of the elements most often missed by bands trying to get started. The comments haven't been approved yet so I've added them below in for my readers. What do you think?

An interesting question posed on www.talkbass.com this week about how long people generally spend trying to get gigs.

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=447978

Even though there are only a handful of responses so far you still get pretty much a full range of typical responses. From the guy who wastes hours in the bar hoping to talk with the venue booker, through people who want to avoid contacting anyone in person and do it all via myspace. As I say on my post, anyone who's spending more than an hour a week in order to fill up their gig diary is doing something wrong.

For me, driving to and hanging around bars hoping  the manager will grant you an audience, mailing CDs to people who haven't asked for them or even relying on venue bookers knowing their way around myspace is all a little too unreliable.

You can't beat asking the right questions with a quick phone call or the using the right words in a short regular newsletter to guarantee bookings piling in.