I am lookinh to gig out more often than I do at the moment and I would like to know if you could answers some question about you gigging "busniess".

1. How did you get your first gig?

2. Do you play in a band?

3. Are you a solo artist?

4. How do you get gigs now?

5. Do you use booking websites such as GigMasters?

6. If you play as a solo artist and in a band, where do you most of your gigs coming from?

7. What is your typical audience? What is the typical age and gender of your audience?

7. Do you sell things at your gigs such as t-shirts, hats, CDs etc?

8. Do you stream your gigs on social networks such as Youtube, Live Stream, or Facebook?

9. How do you approch you gig? Do you view them as opportunities to sell your music, or do you gig because you enjoy preforming?

10. How do you sell yourself as a musician to convience the person looking to book that you are worth the time and money?

This question are in not particular order. Please comment as I would appreciate your perspective.

If you get the gig (1) show up early so that you don't miss the downbeat (2) be prepared (3) dress appropriately (4) do not take long breaks (5) don't drink alcohol on the gig (6) be nice and friendly to the help and the audience, even those who don't deserve to be treated nicely (6) play at an appropriate volume for the gig (7) if the crowd is grooving be prepared to play into the break or give them a couple of extra songs at the end of the night (8) remember why you are there (a) if a commercial place to sell drinks or food (b) if a party, to make the party a success in any way you can (9) Never play for free at a commercial establishment (with the exception of an audition) and don't undercut your competition - Once you play for free or short money, the word gets out and you will have a very difficult time making any more.

There are a lot of musicians out there, and whether we are in the union or not, we are all small businesses in competition with each other (hopefully friendly competition). Your job is to do it better than the others. Make better music, pace the audience better, and have a more professional off-stage demeanor.

Good luck,
Notes

I usually do this as well. I hate using a set list. It's much better to feel out your crowd and be flexible. If needed you can always keep a master list of the songs you know on hand but set lists limit you too much.

I learned long ago that I'm not clairvoyant enough to do set lists.

With experience I learned to pace the audience and give them what they need when they need it even though they aren't aware of what they need at the time. Of course, I'm not 100% accurate 100% of the time, but I'm on it most of the time.

It makes the gig more fun for the audience, and that makes it even more fun for us.

Insights and incites by Notes

I was always the opposite. I worked from set lists all the time. BUT.

I was always in bands that required guitar changes, me putting on a sax and crossing the stage to the horn section... we had to know what was coming to keep the dead air to a minimum. And in another band, our second set was 60 minutes where every song was bridged to the next, so there was no mix or match there,

But whatever works.

Very interesting thread! Most of my gigs have been through meeting people word of mouth who put me up. Very intrigued to hear other people's experiences, particularly with social media related booking.

I worked the same way with my bands.



Working this was will also get more more gigs, lots more gigs. Been there-done that-talk from experience!

As a relatively new solo live player, I'd love to know a little more about how you read the audience. Monkey see, monkey do for this little monkey. I use a set list most of the time, but even if I didn't it would be sort of random. I did notice last week a friend put on a iPod of songs and the whole crowd of mainly middle aged and older people went for it - continually dancing. When I asked him how he did it, he told me his pro DJ mate had given the set list to him. So I know it works. He put on YMCA and it went off. I tried it once at the start of a DJ session after a show at the same place and nearly got thrown out. I swore never to DJ again. :-) It's a real art form.

1. How did you get your first gig?

Cold Calling and leaving flyers etc

2. Do you play in a band?
Yes, we're called Reeverb

3. Are you a solo artist?
Not at the moment but did some solo work a few years ago under the name of Blues House

4. How do you get gigs now?
Still a lot of cold calling even to the repeat venues, they soon forget

5. Do you use booking websites such as GigMasters?
No


7. What is your typical audience? What is the typical age and gender of your audience?
We mainly play pub gigs so all ages but our catchment audience are the Boomers.

7. Do you sell things at your gigs such as t-shirts, hats, CDs etc?
Not yet

8. Do you stream your gigs on social networks such as Youtube, Live Stream, or Facebook?
No, although occasionally the venue will.

9. How do you approch you gig? Do you view them as opportunities to sell your music, or do you gig because you enjoy preforming?
Enjoy playing and growing with every gig - always a new experience, but it's also paid work.

10. How do you sell yourself as a musician to convience the person looking to book that you are worth the time and money?
I totally agree with the previous comments about not giving your band away for free in a commercial environment. We've done a fair share of fundraisers etc., but many bands these days will play for exposure and make it difficult to get paid work. Venues will usually go for the cheapest option and take the hit on the quality.