{"id":4584,"date":"2022-03-30T20:10:57","date_gmt":"2022-03-30T20:10:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/03\/30\/how-to-book-your-first-gig\/"},"modified":"2022-03-30T20:10:57","modified_gmt":"2022-03-30T20:10:57","slug":"how-to-book-your-first-gig","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/03\/30\/how-to-book-your-first-gig\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Book Your First Gig"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/03\/30\/how-to-book-your-first-gig\/#5_Booking_Tips_for_New_Artists\" >5 Booking Tips for New Artists.<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/03\/30\/how-to-book-your-first-gig\/#1_Know_who_you_are_as_an_artist\" >1. Know who you are as an artist<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/03\/30\/how-to-book-your-first-gig\/#2_Rehearse_alot\" >2. Rehearse (alot)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/03\/30\/how-to-book-your-first-gig\/#3_Shoot_a_quality_live_video\" >3. Shoot a quality live video<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/03\/30\/how-to-book-your-first-gig\/#4_Think_about_where_youll_be_welcome\" >4. Think about where you\u2019ll be welcome<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/03\/30\/how-to-book-your-first-gig\/#5_Keep_your_email_pitches_short\" >5. Keep your email pitches short<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/03\/30\/how-to-book-your-first-gig\/#6_Find_an_opening_slot\" >6. Find an opening slot<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/03\/30\/how-to-book-your-first-gig\/#7_Be_prepared_to_take_the_next_step\" >7.\u00a0Be prepared to take the next step<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Booking_Tips_for_New_Artists\"><\/span>5 Booking Tips for New Artists.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span>For a lot of new music acts, booking that first gig can feel like a Catch-22.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>You get gigs when you\u2019ve proven you can capture a room\u2019s attention. But you can\u2019t do THAT unless you\u2019ve\u2026 got a gig.<\/p>\n<p>Well, I spoke with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jefftuohy.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jeff Tuohy<\/a>, the talent buyer for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ciscobrewers.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cisco Brewers<\/a>, and asked what advice he has for newer musicians trying to book themselves at good venues.<\/p>\n<p><em>(\u201cTalent buyer\u201d \u2014 by the way \u2014 is just a fancy term for someone that hires music acts for venues.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what he recommends for brand new acts:<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\">\n<div class=\"iframe-container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Know_who_you_are_as_an_artist\"><\/span>1. Know who you are as an artist<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>What sets you apart? What\u2019s your sound? Who\u2019s your music for?<\/p>\n<p>Doing the work to understand yourself as an artist, your goals, and your ideal audience, can help you communicate more effectively with talent buyers.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Rehearse_alot\"><\/span>2. Rehearse (alot)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Your show isn\u2019t gonna be awesome just because you\u2019ve got big dreams. So don\u2019t be in a rush to book yourself a gig.<\/p>\n<p>You have to prepare.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, there will be a lot of unknown variables at your first show. Butterflies, nervousness about attendance, a new stage environment, etc.<\/p>\n<p>So you\u2019ll want to be extra prepared. As Jeff says, \u201cdon\u2019t show your gold too early.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Shoot_a_quality_live_video\"><\/span>3. Shoot a quality live video<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A good live video does the heavy-lifting when you contact venues. Talent buyers can tell pretty quickly whether they want to hire you or not.<\/p>\n<p>Of course you probably don\u2019t have a video that\u2019s \u201clive\u201d in front of an audience yet, since you haven\u2019t played that first show. But you can still capture live footage in your rehearsal space. Even an iPhone video can work, as long as it\u2019s not sitting on top of a buzzing bass amp.<\/p>\n<p>A talent buyer can usually see a low-budget live video and be able to tell if your songs are interesting, your voice is in tune, and you\u2019re in the pocket. If you\u2019re not sure if you\u2019re meeting those criteria, keep rehearsing and try another live video a few weeks or months later.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Think_about_where_youll_be_welcome\"><\/span>4. Think about where you\u2019ll be welcome<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Not every venue is for every artist. Same goes for crowds, set lengths, and community expectations.<\/p>\n<p>Where do you fit? What venue matches your vibe? Reach out to THOSE places.<\/p>\n<p>When you do\u2026<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Keep_your_email_pitches_short\"><\/span>5. Keep your email pitches short<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>First, do your research. Read the venue FAQs. Use Google. Look at the venue calendar.<\/p>\n<p>Then write an email that is 3 or 4 sentences at most:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Who you are<\/li>\n<li>What you sound like<\/li>\n<li>What you want (and be specific about dates)<\/li>\n<li>How you\u2019ll help make the night a success<\/li>\n<li>Link to live video on YouTube<\/li>\n<li>Quick thanks and goodbye<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Find_an_opening_slot\"><\/span>6. Find an opening slot<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you\u2019re not ready to headline a 60 minute slot of your own, be on the lookout for opening gigs.<\/p>\n<p>Not only does this help you access an existing music community, but it also gives you stage experience without the pressure of being the main draw.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Be_prepared_to_take_the_next_step\"><\/span>7.\u00a0Be prepared to take the next step<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>When you DO play your first show, you want to be ready to leave the venue with actual results. That means contact info of audience members and open communication with the venue or talent buyer.<\/p>\n<p>Have a website, a social presence, an email or SMS signup list, even a business card.<\/p>\n<p>Make it easy to be hired again.<\/p>\n<p>And when you are, you\u2019ll now also be ready to tell your growing audience where you\u2019re playing next.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>For more discussion about booking great gigs and tours, watch or listen to the full DIY Musician Podcast episode below:<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-responsive embed-responsive-16by9\">\n<div class=\"iframe-container\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"iframe-container\"><\/div>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/musician-tips\/book-gigs\/\" target=\"_blank\">How to Book Your First Gig<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/diymusician.cdbaby.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">DIY Musician<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>5 Booking Tips for New Artists. For a lot of new music acts, booking that first gig can feel like a Catch-22.\u00a0 You get gigs when you\u2019ve proven you can capture a room\u2019s attention. But you can\u2019t do THAT unless you\u2019ve\u2026 got a gig. Well, I spoke with Jeff Tuohy, the talent buyer for Cisco Brewers, and asked what advice he has for newer musicians trying to book themselves at good venues. (\u201cTalent buyer\u201d \u2014 by the way \u2014 is just a fancy term for someone [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4584","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-seo-blogs"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4584","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4584"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4584\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4584"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}