Haulix Advice: 4 Basic Tips For Booking Shows Away From Home

Hello, everyone! After spending the first part of the week learning about the people behind some of the web’s biggest music portals we’ve decided the next two days will focus on advice. If you have any suggestions for future installments of this column, or if you have a question you’d like us to tackle in the weeks ahead, please email james@haulix.com and share your thoughts. You can also find us on Twitter.

There comes a point in the life of every band when they decide it’s time to take their art on the road. This usually leads to a string of local gigs, often in locations that are not technically ‘music venues,’ and it offers artists a front row seat to view how the world reacts to their creative offerings. If it’s a hit, that desire to share their music with live audiences will only grow, and in time you will begin to look at places outside of your zip code with hope that one day you can storm actual stages instead of just your friend’s basement. We’re not a booking company and we cannot guarantee you any gigs, but in today’s column we’re going to do our best to help you get started with booking shows out-of-state.

But wait, if we’re not a booking company then how do we know what kind of advice to offer artists? Good question. To create this piece we partnered with Tyler Osborne, vocalist for DC hardcore band Over & Out, and asked him to tell us about the lessons he learned while booking his band’s first tour last spring. Tyler’s responses helped shape the four tips that follow, and we hope it helps you get a bit further in your career:

1. Be reasonable.

The first thing to keep in mind when approaching the task of booking your first shows outside of your local market is that it’s very likely no one working the venue in the area you’re trying to play has heard or seen your band before. Like the friends of your friends who were dragged to your early performances to help fill space it is up to you to sell them on your sound and its ability to draw a crowd. Demanding ridiculous guarantees and fussing too much over your placement on a bill filled with locals who actually draw will quickly earn you a bad reputation in live music. Just like the PR side of things, the world of live events is actually far smaller than it seems. Everyone knows everyone, and when someone leaves an impression – good or bad – that news gets out. Your first tour should open doors, not close them, so try you best to be gracious whenever possible.

2. Maintain an online media resource (that does not require a ‘Like’ for access).

This seems like a no-brainer in an age where every artist is on at least two or three social networks, but it is absolutely imperative that you maintain an online collection of materials that can help sell your band. This may include, but is not limited to high quality song streams, promotional imagery, live video, and social media stats. This information provides venues with everything they need to know about you and your work, as well as simplifies the marketing process should they choose to give you a gig.

3. Use the internet to learn everything you can about the area you want to visit, and use that information to land the gig that’s right for you.

I’ve never worked in an age where the internet wasn’t available to aide in the process, but I imagine booking tours anytime before the late 1990s was insanely more difficult than it is today. Now when bands, or at least forward-thinking bands want to book shows in other places they can leverage the essentially endless avenues of information gathering that exist online. Research the cities you’d like to visit, learn the venues that work best for your music, and most importantly – network with artists from the area (as well as those who play there on a regular basis). Well crafted pitch emails and great songs will get you far, but it would be impossible to put a price on knowing the person who knows the person who can get you a show in any specific area. This may mean swapping shows with bands or opening a large bill, but it will get your foot in the door of another music scene. Once you get that opportunity it’s on you to make the most of it, and with a bit of luck your next time attempting to visit that location will be a much easier one to organize.

4. Don’t let the word ‘no’ get you down.

We have covered this when discussing other areas of the business, but it’s of the utmost importance that you do not let the word ‘no’ stop you from chasing your dreams. Venues will pass on you, concert attendees will stare at their phones while you perform, but somewhere amidst the sea of glowing screens will be at least one set of eyes entirely transfixed on the art you’re creating just feet in front of their face. Your music will strike a chord in their soul that they never knew other understood and they will want to tell every single soul they know to give your music a chance to have the same impact on them. The buzz will grow and in time things like booking will become easier. It’s hard for everyone early on, but keep trying! Believe in yourself and others will follow.

James Shotwell