How to get booked for gigs: part one
Think you’ve got what it takes to get on stage and show your skills? Check out Guitar Planet’s guide to start playing your own shows at the venues you want.
When you’re just starting out, getting gigs can be tough. Whether you’re trying to book your band on a small stage, or you just want to sit in a coffee shop with an acoustic, venue managers need to know that when they book you at their place, they’re getting something out of it.
In a sense, getting your own set booked becomes something of a “Catch-22”; if you don’t have experience, you won’t get gigs, but if you can’t get gigs, then you never get the experience. And since playing live is undoubtedly one of the best ways to improve yourself as a guitarist, we at Guitar Planet have put together a few tips which will have you playing crowds in no time.
Record a demo
Whether it be Joe’s Café or Radio City Music Hall, the manager is always going to want to hear what you’ve got before he or she even gives you the time of day, so the first thing anyone who’s played local gigs will tell you is to make a demo. Without some kind of sample to show up front, the odds of you booking a stage will drop significantly. And given the technology available to almost every musician out there, there’s no excuse not to have one.
Lucky for you, gone are the days of every guitarist being forced to spend ridiculous amounts of money on a studio session just to put down a few tracks. If you don’t have that kind of cash (and most of us don’t), there are plenty of alternatives. At this stage as a guitarist, investing a few dollars in a USB audio interface is never a bad idea and the price of getting your hands on one is constantly getting better. The Line 6 Pod Studio UX2, for example, is an amazing, feature-packed USB interface that will get you professional sound quality for around €150.
You don’t have to be a sound technician to manage a simple USB interface, but the finished product might suggest that you are. The few extra dollars spent can take you a long way in booking the venues you want, as you’ll be sure to impress anyone who hears your recording.
Get yourself to open mics
- "There’s simply no better way to become a great guitarist than to throw yourself at the mercy of strangers in a bar"
Never underestimate the value of playing open mic nights at a local pub. A lot of guitarists scoff at the chance because they want exclusivity over a venue and the crowd’s attention. Or because they showed up a little late and have to wait an hour or two to get on stage. But the reality is that there’s simply no better way to become a great guitarist than to throw yourself at the mercy of strangers in a bar. You’ll learn a lot about yourself and your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to performing.
You might even find that you’re not as ready as you thought you were to play in front of people and be thankful that you figured it out before attempting the feat for a crowd of friends and fans. Take the opportunity to tame your nerves.
At the start, no gig is too small and you’re likely to not get paid for your first few exclusive gigs anyway. Pubs with open mics book gigs on the other six nights in the week. It’s one of your best chances to get heard by the manager.
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