It is such a great feeling to see a young enthusiastic crowd lapping up the songs and engaging with the band. The guys came of the stage with a real buzz about them and that makes me as their manager very happy. The crowd played such a big part in this and they approached us after to say how much they enjoyed it. Never forget the importance of having a chat with fans/new fans after the show it, gathering feedback and making an impression. The live crowd will ultimately make or break a gig and a bands’ career.

As a manager if there is not a large or appreciative crowd (it does happen!) and the band are a little dejected after, it is your job to pick them up, feedback on their performance and get on with it!

• How good is this opportunity?

Think about who you are playing to, how many potential new fans you may make off the back of the gig? Will the gig be well promoted by the organiser to ensure an audience? Will playing this slot open the door to bigger and better shows? It’s not all about money, when I say recognition I don’t mean loads of hard cash, it can be as little as expenses or some food. As long as you feel it is a solid opportunity, and you are starting out in your career you should be willing to play for expenses and or some grub and refreshments!

• Can you make some money other than the fee?

Selling CDs/t-shirts etc can be a great way to boost your income at a gig. Price your CDs well and they will sell (assuming the music is good!). Don’t over price your CD with big profits in mind, make sure you make a small amount on the sale, but be sure to consider the ‘pass’ on value of the person’s purchase. Get some great looking quality t-shirts printed and people will buy them. Get ladies shirts made up, they don’t want to wear a baggy tee! Lastly, think outside the box, try to come up with a novel piece of merch to sell.

• Am I likely to work with this venue/promoter again?

If you are going to be building relationships with venues and promoters be sure not to over – demand in the early days. Promoters will look after you as you develop and build up the power to bring more people through their doors. Once this happens you have far more bargaining power, meaning it is important to get your foot in the door early on (as long as you are not being exploited!) and work your way up. Show them that you are willing to help out with promotion and have real passion and good things will come your way.

Hopefully that gives you some food for thought. It is possible to run unsigned/new bands at a profit and retain artist integrity at the same time.

Do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions!

Friday night saw them turn out at a freshers week show at a major scottish university. We saw this as a great opportunity to play to a new potential fanbase. The guys were due to play at 9pm but the severe lack of event management meant they did not get to strut their stuff until midnight. This was unfortunate on two fronts 1) a lot of people had left to head to clubs 2) the band that played previously scared a huge chunk of the audience away which is always a nightmare. The band played very well and the remaining crowd had a great time. These shows are tricky as there is no fee involved (not even expenses) which is fine for bands just starting out but the lads are well established on the local scene. For info I will be blogging about sorting out gig fees etc soon.

Saturday saw the four of us packing up the gear and heading two hours north to the Angus region of Scotland to play a gig in a town that we had yet to reach (Brechin). Its a fairly small town and the venue lies just on the outskirts. We are arrived after a pleasant enough journey and could tell that it wasn’t going to be one of the best gigs ever. The place wasn’t really set up for live music and the band were placed pretty much in the middle of the lounge bar. It was a two hour set (songs were repeated after a break, the management were aware this would be the case) and although there wasn’t a huge crowd, those that were there had a great time and bought lots of merch. I always spend as much time as possible speaking to the gig goers, it is a nice touch and a good way of gaining feedback. It is also important to get your band to hang around after and speak to the fans, these are the guys that are likely to support you throughout your career.

We were put up for the night in a flat above the venue which was hardly the Ritz but served a purpose. There were no curtains though and with the sun rising at 6am it meant we were all awake rather early after retiring at 2am. The band had already performed for 4 hours in two days by this point, so the lack of sleep was not ideal.

The next gig was in the town of Montrose which is a hot bed of fans for the band and the venue is one that we have visited before to great success. We were not to be disappointed again and the place was very busy. The two hour set went down a storm and the crowd were begging for more. By the end there was a queue of fans wanting CDs signed and a chat with the guys. The fact that this went so well really helped with the morale as the previous nights gig left us a little cold.

A busy weekend was over and the journey back to Edinburgh was a bleary one. Overall it was a success and there are key things to be drawn from playing this type of show:

• Building up pockets of fans that will stay loyal, never underestimate the smaller regions
• Experience of being on the road and the organisation that comes with it
• It is fairly easy to turn a profit as the venues are keen to have bands from the cities
• Remember to try and get accommodation and meals as part of a deal, this saves money and gives you a base

Anyway hopefully this was of interest, keep reading for more hints and tips and tales of the gig trail…