I wrote today on my myspace blog:
http://www.myspace.com/more_gigs about the importance of choosing the right band members if you're going to be  successful with band gigs.

This might sound obvious but often you can get blinded by a potential band member's personality or just how good they are playing etc.

We've been going through this recently and are taking a lot of time over it. In the past we've played with singers who were fantastic interacting with an audience for example. But their negative attitude, unless the gig were a high profile "ego-booster" was far too draining to continue with.

Others have simply not had the commitment or motivation to invest in updating their gear when it was clearly needed. Its a bit formal (and hardly rock n roll) to say you should be "interviewing" potential band members to Gage their attitudes . But the idea really is to just try and find out how good a match their aims and likes/dislikes are for those of the band and rest of the band members. A little bit of extra time invested up front will save a lot of potential heartache later

http:www.gig-getter.co.uk

I've been asked this question a lot by the bands I work with who want to get started gigging and it came to mind again this week with a new band who have just formed.

Some bands think they should try and persuade local venues to host Live Music nights. This is possible but will need more persuasion than simply finding those venues which already feature live bands and introducing your act to them.

So where do you find them? It's incredibly simple when you think about it but these are the ways I've used which have met with the most success.

1. Other bands websites.
Search for other bands in your area and then check out the "Gigs" section of their websites. These will often include venue phone numbers.
2. Search for "Live Music venues Chicago" (or wherever you're aiming for)
3. Scan music and local press for music event/night ads
4. Keep your eyes open when visiting any town you'd like to target. Ask around while you're there for venue details
5. Networking. Talk to other musicians you know. Swap details so that if they're offered a gig when they're already booked up, you can pick it up for them. (You'll probably need to offer to do the same for them in return).

You may not believe it now, but when you start to build your reputation and numbers of gig bookings you'll be grateful for a substitute band you can offer to venues if you ever have to cancel. This can enhance your reputation as reliable and professional even when you're letting a venue down.

Remember:

* Build a long list of potential venues to target. Aim for 100 over time

* Always keep adding to your list.

Times change and some venues will stop hosting live music. Others won't be interested in your act. So, to continually maximize the numbers of gigs you can play - keep adding to your list of venues.

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

Your manager must be "into" your music. Yes, he needs to know how to do the business, how to promote you, but you need him (or her) to do this with the enthusiasm that only a "fan" can have.   more »

Getting Gigs when everyone's complaining about a recession   more »

Last months survey of Gig-Getter subscribers revealed that more than 50% of semi-pro and amateur bands play both covers and original material at any gig. the remaining bands play either exclusively their own material or someone else's.

So an interesting post here:


http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2077423
 
about what's the most marketable era or type of covers for bands to play when they want to maximize gig numbers.

Useful info in some of the responses and if you care to scroll down to mine (posted today) you'll see what I've learnt helping acts around the world.

1. Playing covers AND original material will increase the number of gigs you can get
2. Even the most anti-covers band mate can get creative with a cover song by adding their own identity to the version  your band does.

Finally, and this is the one the original poster kind of missed out on with his post - you don't need to pick an era to focus on. In fact the more gigs you want t be playing, the wider your choice of material should be.

You'll need to have a lot of songs in your "portfolio" but you could consider having a 60's set, 70's, 80's, right up to present day. We also like to have a dedicated classic rock set for certain places. You can and of course mix these sets up when the type of venue or occasion calls for it.

This way, providing all band members are too precious about what they play, you'll be ready and available for any type of booking...