Help with paid gigs

Beauford33 · Unread post by **Beauford33** » Sun Sep 12, 2004 11:56 am

kcw wrote:Yea man im in high school too and i have the same problem. Thats why i posted this. Gotta pay the car insurance and stuff and playing music is a fun way to do it.

Im lucky enough to be in a very artsy-type school so they have occasions that require a live band to have people come. Its real fun. Maybe the best shows of the year come when they have about 3 bands play on the baseball field. Quite a few people show up, nealry 1000 to 2000 (my school has close to 4000 students). We alre3ady have a spot for that night. Now if only I could get some money...

kcw · Unread post by **kcw** » Sun Sep 12, 2004 3:31 pm

Yea my school doesnt seem to have many music programs. Band, orcestra (sp), and chorus. They dont have any theory classes or anything like that no guitar stuff. I have to teach myself theory. I taught myself guitar and it isnt too hard at this point.Teaching myself theory i mean. But I really love performing. Last year there was a battle of the bands but I need a band to do that. Well I dont need one but I would rather have one.Anyone out there live in the Hagerstown Maryland area that plays or knows someone who plays bass drums guitar violin?

SpoonInSpoon · Unread post by **SpoonInSpoon** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 5:19 pm

kcw wrote:I cant get to starbucks because its 45 minutes away.

theres one thats nearly directly across the street.

m98ter · Unread post by **m98ter** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 6:06 pm

kcw wrote:I cant get to starbucks because its 45 minutes away.

No offense, but how can you seriously be interested in PAID gigs when you wont even travel less than an hour away to play one? I've got some news for you, musicians go where the gigs are.....they don't come to you.

SpoonInSpoon · Unread post by **SpoonInSpoon** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 6:20 pm

m98ter wrote:
kcw wrote:I cant get to starbucks because its 45 minutes away.
No offense, but how can you seriously be interested in PAID gigs when you wont even travel less than an hour away to play one? I've got some news for you, musicians go where the gigs are.....they don't come to you.

nice.

MWR · Unread post by **MWR** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 7:09 pm

m98ter wrote:
kcw wrote:I cant get to starbucks because its 45 minutes away.
No offense, but how can you seriously be interested in PAID gigs when you wont even travel less than an hour away to play one? I've got some news for you, musicians go where the gigs are.....they don't come to you.

True.
Talent aside, you have to be willing to work twice as hard as the next performer. You have to pay more due's before you start getting paid. That goes for everything.
I don't know if this has been mentioned or not but what about merch? Make some simple shirts, cd's, or whatever to sell when your playing a non-paid gig. You might make some extra dough but even if you just break even your spreading the word and making a name for yourself and thats what will eventually get you the paid gigs.

kcw · Unread post by **kcw** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 9:42 pm

I have no way of getting to a place thats 45 minutes away if you understand me. If i could get there i would. And either way that starbucks is too small to have live music.

jazzgtr729 · Unread post by **jazzgtr729** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 7:57 pm

I would recommend talking to your schools music director-mine gets quite a few calls looking for combos, and the demand is especially high around Christmas. Also talk to local restaurants-I've played and been payed by places smaller than Starbucks.

kcw · Unread post by **kcw** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 9:15 pm

I dont really have a music director at my school. We have a band teacher and a Chorus teacher and an Orchestra teacher. None of which know much about guitar or where to play.

kcw · Unread post by **kcw** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 9:16 pm

But you mean ask any restaurant even if they have never had music there before?

Beauford33 · Unread post by **Beauford33** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 9:27 pm

kcw wrote:I have no way of getting to a place thats 45 minutes away if you understand me. If i could get there i would. And either way that starbucks is too small to have live music.

Then how do you expect to get a paid gig?

kcw · Unread post by **kcw** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 9:52 pm

Well I'll try to get one close to me now. Then in the summer I can go to places farther away. I'm playing at an open mic in november.

GuitarGuy305 · Unread post by **GuitarGuy305** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 6:25 pm

The first step to getting paid gigs is getting out of high school.

This is not meant to be a slam, just a fact. If you have no way to get 45 minutes away, you have no way to get gigs.

Spend the time between now and when you get out of high school honing your craft, get a multitrack recorder and a CD burner, and get your own PA. If you can get a good number of quality original compositions, a decent CD(for sale at future gigs), and your own PA(so you're not limited as far as where you can play), you are paving the way for gigs in the future.

I live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. CR is a musical wasteland. Every band here is either a strictly cover band, doing Eagles songs and 80's and 90's covers, or if they're original, theyre a fucking Slipknot ripoff band. There are a few coffee shops in town that have original music, but the guys that get ALL the gigs are tools.

I play open mics, I should say PLAYED open mics with these fools. They all play this monotone bullshit 50's hippie acoustic shit. Don't get me wrong, I love acoustic music. I would come in and bust out a song like the Stone, WWYS, and a few originals. I used to frequent the open mics, and the crowds of non-musicians liked me, but I began feeling hostility from these guys, and I don't know why.
I played an open mic at this coffee shop downtown a few times. The first time I played there, the 2 girls behind the counter were talking to me about how much they enjoyed my set, etc... They have music there every Friday and Saturday night. I saw an article about the place in the paper, and the musical aspect, and the booking guy/owner's name and contact info.

My friend and I recorded a few songs, and I went down there, and dropped off the CD for the guy with my contact info. I gave it two weeks, then I called, and left a message. Gave it another two weeks. Then I called, left a message. I called a final time about a month later...left a message. I find it impossible to believe that the owner was not there all 3 times. He was there for every open mic, and he was in the background when his employees were talking to me. This douchebag knows who I am, yet will not return my calls. The reason, as far as I can tell, is that he is best buds with one of the old tools that plays gigs in town. This guy plays there at LEAST every other Saturday night, and I can't get a fucking call back. Every friend of mine as well as another buddy of mine that plays the open mics thinks these guys suck, and they are tools and that I should be up there playing. NONE of us can get gigs in this God forsaken town, yet these guys have gigs, 3 or 4 a week in the same fucking places.

Basically the reason I've gone into this whole sob story is that you should start by playing some open mics. Get to know the guys that play them regularly, that also gig.
If:
(A) You are willing to sell your soul to the fucking devil
or
(B) The guys that play the open mics and regularly gig are NOT pricks...

...perhaps you can arrange to open for one of them at a gig.

I toyed with that notion myself, but could not bring myself to ask this. They already have the notion that they are rock gods and that I should worship the ground they walk on because they have gigs and I do not.

I have since stopped going to these open mics, as have a few of my friends. I doubt we're missed, but we do not care. We jam together sometimes, but most of us don't do the open mics anymore.

I do gig sometimes in a bigger city that is about 45 minutes away, but those are few and far between.

My plan, as I suggested to you, is to take some time to compile a great set of songs for a CD, and invest in making a great recording, that I can get professionally packaged. I really think that is a big part of it. Places will most likely not call you if your CD is a CDR with a magic marker title. I own a PA already. Once I have the CD, I will attempt to get gigs around town again, and will hopefully be successful, so that I don't fucking give up altogether on music.

Adam

kcw · Unread post by **kcw** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 7:49 pm

Well about getting out of high school I dont think that is a priority I am physically unable to go to places 45 minutes away at the moment. Come the summer like I said I will be able to from then on out.

The place that is having the open mic has never had music before and its more of a fundraiser type thing. But Im thinking if I'm lucky people might be there that I can talk to and possibly get gigs from. But I can always go to Borders coffee shop and ask them. Most music they have there sucks so I dont think id have a problem getting a gig there I just need to call and ask.

I do agree with the rest of what you said though. I have about ten fairly good originals. http://www.angelfire.com/rock3/kylewalkley

For a PA system I dont have them money now. I probably wont waste my money and buy one right away just to find out I have nowhere to use it. So after a few gigs I will. If i need one i can borrow one from a friend of mine until i get one of my own.

I have no recording studios around here and I have no idea where one would be either for me to go and get a proffesional recording done. My home studio isnt too bad it needs some upgrades that I should get within the next year. The software I have for recording has a built in cover maker. One for the cd case and the cd itself though the one on the cd itself would just be a sticker. I dont know if that is what your talking about or like a real CD thing.

Good advice though.

freshead16 · Unread post by **freshead16** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 8:05 pm

what i did was look in the newspaper at weekend entertainment. If your town has that i dont know. But they have lists of all the weekend music info of bands and the places they play. i jsut write down all the places that have these bands play and than call them up and they say bring down your demo. Of all the places around here, i have yet to play any that dont pay at all. so i dont see how that would be a problem. but just some ideas to throw out there for ya. Good luck

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