The Music Industry... & How I Survive It!: band

Showing posts with label band. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Finally.... Progress Is Made: Run With It!

Well well well, progress is finally being made. I know, it's been a while and I really do need to concentrate on writing in here a lot more often! Definitely working on that one :)

Ok, we have a new bass player!! **woot!!** He's really awesome, fantastic personality, great contacts and an all round good guy - the best part - he loves the music!!! That is just everything we needed rolled into one! Perfect! So the band have all been practicing... and it's sounding fantastic! I think when they play live will be awesome to watch.

So, the new bass player has some great contacts - as he works in one of the major music stores here in NZ. He has access to some great gear and he is BIG on production of shows!! That to us is a massive bonus (his thoughts on production, I mean), because that tells me that he takes this seriously. You see, it's all about putting on a show. Not just getting up and playing - but really putting on a show, creating an atmosphere.... that is what hooks people in. And it just so happens that our bass player has access to all that big production stuff - catwalk, PA (if needed), LED lighting, fog machine etc.... !

So.. not only have we got the band together and working and sounding great, but we also have a gig coming up - it's about 7 weeks away, but it's a start. I'm working on getting a lot more before then as well as after... but now that we have the band sorted, I feel like I can start doing MY job as manager. Bout time huh! lol

Also, I have that one-on-one with a music industry pro on Tuesday - am really looking forward to that, and just working on the list of questions and things I want to discuss. I have had a read about the person I am meeting with - a very accomplished lady who has managed some of the biggest bands in NZ! Awesome! What better than learning from the best! Will let you know how I go....

Monday, January 5, 2009

Getting Back On Track...

I look back at the last post and think 'gosh, how simple this could be if people got their acts together and their priorities right'. But that is ok, it's how we deal with these things that matter.

So after a lot of mulling over and thinking about it all, the lead singer (who is the leader of the band) and I have decided that we will keep the drummer on at this stage, and are currently looking at a couple of bassists. Hopefully by the end of the week, or early next week, I will know if we have found one. There's a couple of guys interested so it's just a matter of seeing how they go and making sure we get the right "fit".

As for the drummer, the singer will be having a chat to him as he needs to practice, and it drives me up the wall to see someone involved in this with no drive. He claims he really does want this - but no practice says something else. So at this stage, we will keep him on - get the name out there on the local scene, and if he continues the way he is, it will be alot easier to replace him when the band is well known.

This may sound callous, but at the end of the day - right now, all that's important is that the band is out playing asap. Once that is happening, once they build up a fanbase, get known in the area as well as round New Zealand.... then I know it won't be hard to find someone that is willing to put in the hard yards and get along with everybody else.

So... in summary, we'll check out these bass players later in the week, get the band out to play live asap, and build their following! Their self titled debut album is due out early this year, so that will be awesome to get it out there!

I have joined the MMF (Music Manager's Forum) here in New Zealand. Upon registration, you are entitled to a one on one meeting with an industry professional - so that should be a great help in seeking direction with whereto from here!

Saturday, December 20, 2008

I'm Back Baby!! Summary...

Well, it has certainly been a while... what... a whole 6 months since I have updated this blog!! Those readers that remain - thank you for your patience ;) I have since been inspired to continue. Thank you to one reader, Austin, for his lovely emails.

Ok, there's not a lot to summarise over the last 6 months. Suffice to say we have since moved to the capital city, Wellington - which has one of the most vibrant music scenes in New Zealand. We moved here a couple of months ago as I knew it was going to go nowhere if we stayed in Hamilton. It's way too small for starters and a lot of negative vibes, if you've read this blog since I started it, then you'll know exactly what I mean. If not, have a gander over the previous posts - I'm sure you'll find it interesting.

Now as for the last post - regarding funding - we put in that song as advised, and what do you know! Declined! Interesting... to say the least. "Charlie" seemed to think funding wouldn't be a problem now.

Well I guess I have come to realise that there is the 'music scene' and then there's the 'music industry'. The music scene is playing live, making fans, getting your music out there and meeting other musicians. The music industry is more getting to those 'in the know', catching the eye of the movers and shakers in the industry, coming across as serious about what you are doing and where you are going.

So, since moving down to Wellington, I have decided that it's imperative to get into the music industry. I have taken some time to meet with a few key people to help us on our path, and been given some great help and advice.

At one of these meetings, I was told that people think it's hard to break into the New Zealand music industry, but in fact, it really is quite simple. So I will be using the contacts I was given at that meeting as soon as I can.

Unfortunately, it's too late to get into the summer festivals this time round. Summer in NZ runs from December to March - so it's usually all organised prior to December. However, our plan is to get the band playing some gigs live (there are some wicked venues here in Wellington for live bands) build up the following - and in 6 months time, the organisers of festivals will be coming to us! :)

At the end of the day, it's all about having a damn good product. If you have the product, and it's that good, you will get noticed. It's inevitable. Oh sure, you can get by and 'make it' on other quirks (be it the look you have, the show you put on, or simply an amazingly charismatic stage presence), but if you want a surefire way - make sure you have damn good songs!

Oh, and suffice to say: practice, practice, practice.
No good having damn good songs but your drummer misses a beat, your bass player gets it wrong, or your vocalist forgets a line.

More on that tomorrow ;)

This band has the product. It has a great vocalist and lead guitarist, but alas, I don't see the level of commitment needed from the other musicians. But I'll talk about that shortly :)

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Theory: How To Sell Out A Show

I am back, and have been chatting with the lead singer about playing live and the options we have. He came up with this great idea - now, from everything I have heard, in theory it looks like it could work and it could work well. Important to note, that we haven't tried it yet obviously, but it's definitely got potential. Check it out and see what you think:

How To Sell Out A Show

Firstly, print 600 tickets (or maximum capacity of venue) that will cost $5 to purchase.
You then get people along by going out and selling them a ticket however, not many people will be interested in buying a ticket to see a band they have never heard of. So you then offer them a ticket (or a couple of tickets) for free. Be sure to tell them "look, there's only 40 tickets left, how bout I give you tickets for you and a couple of mates free!". This way (although you don't have only 40 tickets left) you are giving that person the idea that it's going to be a great night out because a) it's nearly sold out already; and b) they are getting in free! This will encourage and make it successful before it actually is. And let's face it, people love to get something for nothing. But ensure that you are only giving these tickets to people that are really keen to go.
An added idea for getting the tickets out to people is to pass on 50 or so to local radio stations to give away, and possibly other media outlets. The whole point of this is to make the even look successful before it actually is! If people think a venue is selling out - it encourages them to go... they don't want to miss out.
You then get the venue to pay you $350 (if not more) for costs (based on getting half those tickets/heads along). Let's face it - they will be on the make with a (near) full bar, and you shouldn't have to fork out money and let the show cost you. So the venue gets full, sells drinks and makes more money on the bar, and you (the band) gets an audience, thus gaining exposure and starting your following.
On the night, put a $5 door charge on for extra's who didn't get a ticket. If the venue is pumping, but you're not at capacity - you will always get people off the street wanting to join the party.
Now I suggest you do this as a once off to help build a profile in each city.
No advertising is needed as tickets are given away to get the numbers along. However, posters can be put up though for general awareness, also get it into all the local gig guides - including local radio.

Hope this helps - I happen to think it's got great potential for a band just starting out! A big ups to the lead singer for this idea... I think he has a hidden talent for marketing!! haha

Friday, May 30, 2008

The Importance Of People Loving You!

We are currently looking at moving out of this area and up to the biggest city in New Zealand. I think, for the genre this band caters to, and the much larger population, that they will be more in their element. Not only that, but there is a much larger range of live music venues - and that's a massive bonus.

Which brings me to my next point. The biggest thing I have learned over the past week is how important large local fanbase is. If you can grow your local following to a reasonable size of loyal fans, then any shows you put on are going to be a blast - and you know you won't have to worry about costs. Let's face it - if you have just 500 fans that are willing to spend $5 to see you play live, that's $2,500! With that money you can put on one hell of a show! Not only that, but if you have the great songs - then it will just get better and better. Doing that is what makes the big guys sit up and take notice!

I won't go into detail on how we will go about growing our fanbase just yet - I will do a full post on that real soon - and let you know what my idea's are. So keep following our journey, find out how it all goes... I will keep you fully updated!

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

He Who Has The Power... Speak!

* Note from this point on, I will use the psydoneum of 'Charlie' for the VIP.

Okay, so it'd been 5 days since the 'showcase' and we hadn't heard anything from Charlie. I thought I would take the opportunity to email him and thank him for organising the show. I also wanted his advice on whether to take up that Canadian PR company on their offer ($799 for promotion via radio in 3 countries for 4-6 weeks - NB: not guaranteed airplay).

So I emailed a thank you note to him and his business partner saying that I'm not sure exactly where we go from here and asked what they thought of the PR offer from that company. I heard back from him later in the day saying "you're welcome" and that he was disappointed no record or radio people turned up. He said the next step is for the guys to start working on being a trio and for the lead singer/guitarist to work on featuring his guitar playing early on in the show - and eliminate the covers. He continued on to say "keep working on the next album and take it from there". Funnily enough he didn't mention anything in regards to my question re the PR Company.

I caught up with the lead singer later on who said that he, too, had emailed Charlie - just wanting to say a personal thank you. He had received a reply saying "that's fine, I think you need to lift your act now and play to your strengths - feature your guitar playing right off - even if it's only to make fans sit up and take notice. Your songs are great, the trio is strong - look how Silverchair have done, it's different - you can do it! Go well and good luck!"

So... with those emails, I figure it's the end of the road with 'Charlie' unfortunately. But I might be wrong - I'm only assuming and probably reading too much between the lines. At the end of the show last Thursday, Charlie did mention that if he were younger, he'd take them on himself - but he doesn't manage bands anymore. He said that he would always be able to help me with the business side of it though.

I guess it's now just a matter of plugging away at it ourselves and seeing what becomes.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Day Of The Showcase (Part 1)

I was emailed earlier this week by the venue manager and told that if the band play "too loud" and don't turn it down if asked, then we won't be getting paid. I felt like writing back and saying "you do realise this is a rock band?! It isn't an acoustic trio...! How the #*#@!% do you make a rock band play "not loud"??!" I was starting to wonder if maybe this wasn't the right type of venue. To be honest, it put a real dampener on the show and now I had a lead singer (also doing their sound) who was now trying to focus on getting a great sound - but not too loud!

Anyway, Thursday morning we picked up the PA at 8.30am, loaded the van with everything else and hit the road at 12.30pm. It all seemed to be going to plan, we were right on schedule and had everything we needed (I credit the lists we made - lists are great!!).

We arrived up in Auckland at about 2.30pm and started unloading the van and getting the PA set up. By 5pm the guys were ready for sound check - although we couldn't do a thorough one unfortunately as the venue was already receiving complaints about the noise! Crazy!

After sound check, we were approached by a young couple who asked if we had a banner for the band. We had silver backing and 'drop' banners on the side with the band name - but no backdrop as such. They told me they had their own print company and would love to print off a massive 3m x 1.2m banner for the back of the stage! Not only that, but they would do it free of charge! Full colour, anything we wanted! What a fantastic offer and I was so grateful for it. They surprised me even further by leaving right then to design one up and print off - all for the show tonight! [...to be cont...]

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

The Wheels Are A-Turning...!

Good things are a-happening here right now! Showcase is tomorrow night and already great things are happening.

The lead singer has had two interviews with major commercial radio stations today!! One had been set up a while ago as it's currently New Zealand Music Month, and the other was hooked up via phone through the VIP that has organised the showcase! That station will also playlist the band's first single in a sort of 'homegrown' type segment - that is specifically for the really good unsigned bands. This is a major break for us - commercial radio is really hard to break into, even those homegrown segments - as it really is a 'who you know' industry.

So all is good in our world right now. There is more to add - and will tell you all about it in about 2 days time. I won't post tomorrow (Thursday 22nd) but will be back Friday and will tell you how it all went and also the latest on the drama that's developing with that forum... once again unfortunately.

See ya!

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Gimme More.... (No, not Britney!)

Putting the subject of the showcase aside for this post, I thought it was about time to point out a very valid point that one might easily overlook in these particular circumstances.

This point: Never stop creating.

That's the beauty of having someone like me, a manager, to look after the business side of things - it allows the artist to keep on creating and do what they are good at. Because let's face it - if you are going to get anywhere in the music industry, you need to realise that there is more to it than just playing great songs! There's sooo much more to it! Yes, us managers are actually worth our 10%!! haha

So, back to it. Gimme more...!! No, not Britney Spears (though I must admit, I quite like a couple of her latest songs!) - but more songs, more riffs! Keep up those skills, keep creating new melodies, lyrics, riffs etc. Really work it and make each song better than the one before.

The artist I manage has been working on their second album - which I must say, is even better than the first! The tracks are absolutely awesome and I am very much looking forward to seeing that album go places! Strong hooks and good riffy feels! Lovin' it! I think they are on to a real winner with that one! And that's only 4 of the songs.

Basically, the idea is, to get about 20 or so tracks recorded as demo's - then we'll have a little party, check out the tracks and see if we can whittle it down to about 11 or 12 tracks to go on that second album. So good things abound...!

Counting down to showcase... 3 days to go! After the past week's drama, we want nothing else to go wrong! Lead singer is complaining he feels like he's coming down with something - I have dosed him up on Vitamin C & Echinaecia!!! So hopefully (fingers crossed) that stops any possible bug in it's tracks!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: "It is not the hours we put in on the job, it is what we put into the hours that counts"

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Join Me On My Journey...

I manage a rock band here in New Zealand - they're a pretty wicked band (and no, I'm not just being biassed - I couldn't promote or stand behind something I didn't believe it). And please note: this blog is NOT for promotional purposes, hence I won't be mentioning the band.

It's a hard industry to break into, especially being a female, I don't feel that there's the respect that there would be if I was male - but I might be wrong there. Either way, I feel that I'm slowly making some headway - completely believing in your artist and having that passion for their music is a major part of it all.

In saying all this, the most important thing I have learned is to leave all the nay-sayers behind. You don't need that - and anyone that just sees the negative in what you're doing is not worth the time or effort. It used to bother me, whenever I talked about what I was doing, or the goals I had, I felt like I had to defend myself, my thoughts and my actions - it became draining and I didn't enjoy those conversations. I can no longer be bothered with it and I fully believe you can achieve anything if you really put your mind to it and really focus on it. Any backlash I get now - it drives me and motivates me. I have a point to prove and I will prove it. Already on this journey I am on, I have left behind several people... because their negativity drains me.

That said, join me on this journey to getting a band to world-wide fame. My goal is to write on this every single day (forgive me if I miss a day!), and to diary the ways and means by which I get there. Maybe it will help some of you along the way. But the whole reason I know it will happen for me is because this band I manage has the ability to make it huge! You will see.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: "LUCK is what happens when PREPARATION meets OPPORTUNITY"