Wednesday 20th July, 2022
I’ve actually got a gig tonight… AND I’m finding time for my rehearsals, my existential dread, & my journal… Ain’t no rest for the wicked.
Naturally, we’re gonna chat about live music / gigging. Specifically… let’s chat about the core of a live show. I ran a music night in Dublin for about 3 or 4 years & it taught me some of the biggest lessons in music. How to act professionally, what a promoter is looking for, & most importantly, what makes events happen…
Bums in seat… or feets on streets? IDK a standing alternative… but you get me. The single most important part of a show is the crowd. If you can’t get a crowd in a door, then nothing is really happening. So, the whole music industry (at least the live industry & it’s partners) is looking to attract a crowd. As we go on, never forget that. NEVERRRRRR….. It all comes back to it.
Now I know what you’re wondering… “Nathan, how DO you attract a crowd. How do you get people to show up?”
My answer? I’ve nooooooo idea… & a surprising amount of people, at every level of the industry, have an equally pathetic understanding of what brings in a crowd. Naturally, getting a crowd of already existing fans is easy enough. Fleetwood Mac could fill a stadium easier than I could fill my bedroom. At that superstar level, there are a whole other range of issues & problems to fix. But for those of us at the thin end of the wedge, we need to focus on a few things first… & as we go on I’m gonna talk about live shows for original music, & assume that you don’t have a bunch of open mics & ‘up/coming’ shows to play.
Advertise, ask, blackmail… & most importantly, never shut up about it.
The first thing you can do to fill out a room is guilt your friends & family into showing up… & maybe even bring someone with them. Honestly, I do this all of the time. Even after a few years of gigging, I do my best to fill the room with people who are somewhat ‘obliged’ to come see me. (I’m even launching my album the day before my birthday just to add that extra guilt.)
The second thing you could do (as I have some friends who do it) is use your '‘connections’ on/off dating apps to bring people into your show. This mostly works for women… but it could help. I have no personal experience with this… although it’s been suggested to me more than once… & it works for those who seem to do it. (dunno how you’d deal with the awkward moment after the show where all of the people there think they’re on a date with you though)
Thirdly, there are other musicians. Not just the musicians whose shows you go to, which you should do if you can, but there are support acts that you could ask to come & play. They’ll guilt their friends & family too, which means a whole new crowd to play for.
There is a dark, fourth option, to be used VERY carefully… & this is putting on an ‘unticketed’ show in a venue with lots of people already there. It’s a specific scenario sure, but you could fill out a room with ‘curious’ strangers already on a night out. This can be dangerous for those of us not ready to control a rowdy crowd. I’ve seen it go well, & I’ve seen it fall apart.
Additionally, which is a whole journal entry of itself, is advertising. This comes in the form of online content & real life posters, etc… This can work really well for those of you skilled with the algorithms or with skills that apply easily to social media… or it can work if you know the best places to hang posters. In both scenarios, knowing who your audience is, is key. Advertising is still somewhat of a mystery to me.. so I only use it for bigger gigs (like September 2nd). For the show today I used a lot of social media reposting to let my existing audience, friends, & family know that it was happening. They didn’t come because of the line up, or the cool artwork on the poster… they’re coming for me.
My social media, this journal, & my monthly behind the scenes are the only ways that people can really check in on me. This, a result of my hermit-like ‘work ethic’ that keeps me declining social offers & staying home all the time. (something that I’m working on… I swear)
For the September show, I’ve yet to properly advertise…
but I am waiting & working on a few things. I want to use my album art to create a poster for the night. The posters I’ve made so far are alright… but the album art is soooo perfect that I think it’ll attract a better eye… my kind of artsy crowd. I used to use apps like Canva, or even Preview on the Mac… but since I’ve become a student at BIMM, I’ve had access to Photoshop in there. (as you know from my AMAZING photoshop work on the film poster)
Getting the font right is a whole journey, that’s taken me years, & is probably not over yet. Building a sense of negative space & eye lines in a poster is really important if you’re making your own. Finding the right printer is important too. (go cheap… it’s just easier…) I’ve gone with the good quality prints… & they’re really nice to have on your wall after the show is finished… but if you’re hanging them around the town, they’ll all end up in some bin, somewhere. Save your money for selling posters or something like that. (again, Merch is a whole other journal entry, for another day)
I’m using my September show to drive traffic over to my Patreon in all honesty. So, I’m going to use a Patreon offer… all of my Patrons will get free tickets to my show in September. This is actually cheaper than the ticket price… but I’m hoping that those new Patrons might stay for a few months & I’ll earn a little more over a longer time. With that in mind, I’m just about to finish an updated introduction video, a thank you message, & a ‘trailer’ for the album. Combined with the film trailer, these videos will need to be formatted for tik tok, instagram stories, & youtube shorts… which are more successful for advertising with sound apparently. As an artist I need to use the music to bring people in… then my face… then who knows what else… I’m not nearly educated enough in marketing.
Lemmie give you a quick breakdown of the posters I’ll be printing & why…
A3 portrait… these are the eye grabbers. I use them in busier places & in places with other posters to try & draw the eye as best as I can.
A4 portrait… these are usually for indoor use & I’ve seen some people put them on electricity boxes. (although that’s illegal so I’d NEVER DO THAT….)
A6 flyers… these need to be double sided because there just isn’t room to fit all of the info on them. On one face is the artwork with my name, & maybe the ‘type’ of even that it is… ‘Album Launch & Film Premiere’, etc… These exist next to the cash register at cafes & shops. They are perfect for handing out to people on the street, or to people that you’re chatting too.
That reminds me… WHAT kind of info should you put on a poster/flyer??? (here’s a list… maybe use all… but I’d advise you to use as little info as possible)
Your name (& any support acts)
The Venue
The Date & time
Where you can buy tickets (& most likely how much they are) *QR codes are great for this
Where you can find out more info (Website/Socials) *you can actually use a QR code for this too
A tag line or possibly a quote to give people a sense of the show.
Beyond that, I wouldn’t put on much more… even all of this can be a bit much. There might be some things that you think I’ve missed…. but you’re wrong. :P Actually there is the whole idea of actually putting on a good show… but that’s part two: ‘How to get your crowd to come back’. Anyways, I gotta go load in for sound check. I hope some of this has been useful to ye. Have your own great shows, & send me a message directly to guilt me into showing up. “I’ll do my best.” (this means no btw…)
Baiiii,
Nathan
