boogie1
Member
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2007
- Messages
- 37
- Reaction score
- 0
Been thinking about better ways to get people to see the band on a regular basis.
What are some ways to build a following? These are some of the things that come to mind:
Setlist: Make it danceable. In the case of my band, we like to do a different mix, stuff other bands can't do vocally or instrumentally, or are too lazy to take the time and learn. We get a lot of comments from people saying they never heard a band do that song, etc. And if we do play any standard stuff, we try to do it better.
Get Involved: Get to know listeners. Talk to them in between sets. Get them involved when you're playing too. A friend of mine does stuff like putting his guitar around a chicks head and playing it like she's doing it- some people really get a kick out of this. ( You have to pick the right person of course!)
Mascot: Iron Maiden has Eddie. We used to have a blow up doll. Sometimes we called it the bass players' girlfriend.
Schwag: T-shirts, mailing lists, business cards, websites, My Space. It's all about shameless self-promotion.
Flyers: Get those flyers up at least a week in advance and make sure no other bands tear them down. ( See Rock Star movie.......)
Games: Twister for beer? Wet T Contest?
Requests: If you get a request for a song that's in the next set, oblige them and play it next. It goes a long way.
Sound: Get a good sound. Feedback and excess volume scare people away. ( My God- did I just say that?)
Eliminate dead time: Keep the flow going, and do lots of banter in between songs.
Avoid stupid cliches: " Remember, the more you drink the better we sound" kind of crap.
Put on a show. Ham it up. Go wireless. For some reason, I can walk around the club wireless and people instantly think you're a Guitar God! Even if you're playing the same 3 chords!
I know there's a lot more but that's off the top of my head. Anybody have input?
What are some ways to build a following? These are some of the things that come to mind:
Setlist: Make it danceable. In the case of my band, we like to do a different mix, stuff other bands can't do vocally or instrumentally, or are too lazy to take the time and learn. We get a lot of comments from people saying they never heard a band do that song, etc. And if we do play any standard stuff, we try to do it better.
Get Involved: Get to know listeners. Talk to them in between sets. Get them involved when you're playing too. A friend of mine does stuff like putting his guitar around a chicks head and playing it like she's doing it- some people really get a kick out of this. ( You have to pick the right person of course!)
Mascot: Iron Maiden has Eddie. We used to have a blow up doll. Sometimes we called it the bass players' girlfriend.
Schwag: T-shirts, mailing lists, business cards, websites, My Space. It's all about shameless self-promotion.
Flyers: Get those flyers up at least a week in advance and make sure no other bands tear them down. ( See Rock Star movie.......)
Games: Twister for beer? Wet T Contest?
Requests: If you get a request for a song that's in the next set, oblige them and play it next. It goes a long way.
Sound: Get a good sound. Feedback and excess volume scare people away. ( My God- did I just say that?)
Eliminate dead time: Keep the flow going, and do lots of banter in between songs.
Avoid stupid cliches: " Remember, the more you drink the better we sound" kind of crap.
Put on a show. Ham it up. Go wireless. For some reason, I can walk around the club wireless and people instantly think you're a Guitar God! Even if you're playing the same 3 chords!
I know there's a lot more but that's off the top of my head. Anybody have input?