playing more shows?

[Mosh]

okay, so me and my band have been together for two months, we've played one show for a haiti benefit, and in two weeks we're playing at my girlfriend's birthday party. we're wondering when we should branch out and start trying to play shows with bigger bands that need locals to open for them. and none of that "when you feel prepared" stuff, we need to know how many of our own songs to have down. btw we're a pop punk/hardcore band.

[herestoyoufla]

okay, so me and my band have been together for two months, we've played one show for a haiti benefit, and in two weeks we're playing at my girlfriend's birthday party. we're wondering when we should branch out and start trying to play shows with bigger bands that need locals to open for them. and none of that "when you feel prepared" stuff, we need to know how many of our own songs to have down. btw we're a pop punk/hardcore band.

I think we had about 5 or 6 songs when i played my first show. We opened for Framing Hanley, had about 300 people there.
Usually if your a small local band you'll play for about 20 minutes, and load on and off stage for 10 to 15 minutes.
Take all the opportunities you get playing with big bands, it'll get you good exposure.

[Stevesayshi]

I think we had about 5 or 6 songs when i played my first show. We opened for Framing Hanley, had about 300 people there.
Usually if your a small local band you'll play for about 20 minutes, and load on and off stage for 10 to 15 minutes.
Take all the opportunities you get playing with big bands, it'll get you good exposure.


all of this could be very well and true, BUT,

Be prepared to play in cramped basements, shows with no one there, shitty clubs where the owners only care about how many tickets you can sell, and a lot of bull shit. Have at least 20 minutes of original stuff, usually 5 to 6 songs, and have a few covers ready to play in case you need them.

Good exposure doesn't only come from playing with bigger bands. It means endless promotion, making contacts and networking, and just hauling ass : )

good luck to you brother!

[herestoyoufla]

all of this could be very well and true, BUT,

Be prepared to play in cramped basements, shows with no one there, shitty clubs where the owners only care about how many tickets you can sell, and a lot of bull shit. Have at least 20 minutes of original stuff, usually 5 to 6 songs, and have a few covers ready to play in case you need them.

Good exposure doesn't only come from playing with bigger bands. It means endless promotion, making contacts and networking, and just hauling ass : )

good luck to you brother!

Very true. I'd also recommend getting guruntee's from venue's if you haven't played with them before. We traveled quite a bit one, helped sell out the venue only to be given $80 to be split 5 ways. Needless to say we will not be playing in Tarpon Springs again.

[Stevesayshi]

Very true. I'd also recommend getting guruntee's from venue's if you haven't played with them before. We traveled quite a bit one, helped sell out the venue only to be given $80 to be split 5 ways. Needless to say we will not be playing in Tarpon Springs again.


Thats also true, but at the local level its hard to get a guarantee from a venue you've never played before. If its a hometown venue that you know you can draw really well to, then a guarantee makes more sense. When / if a band starts touring, the first few tours will suck because you put money in and don't see much of it back. But, when you start getting a name for yourselves across the country, asking for 100 - 200 dollars a night is more acceptable, and then it will just go up from there.

[PerfectChaos337]

I'm not in a serious band at the moment, but I like to think that a "no show too big, no show too small" policy would work out pretty well in the long run.

[rorykills]

Just look for bands on tour. Talk to venues. Make friends with people who book shows and promoters. Just be a nice bands who talks to everyone. Be trendy. Stay on top of what is getting everyones attention.

Sounds like obvious / stupid things to do but most bands that are big right now work their asses off doing just this.... The cool thing is if you ever get big enough people start doing it all for you in the name of money. You just sit back and play where they tell you.

[SLoT]

Very true. I'd also recommend getting guruntee's from venue's if you haven't played with them before. We traveled quite a bit one, helped sell out the venue only to be given $80 to be split 5 ways. Needless to say we will not be playing in Tarpon Springs again.
Haha, you played at Neptune's didn't you?

[herestoyoufla]

Haha, you played at Neptune's didn't you?
yes, fuck that place.

[SLoT]

yes, fuck that place.
Yeah, it's an awkward place to play anyway. My high school punk band used to play there frequently, but I booked all the shows there for a while. I quit because the owner used to continuously screw bands over. I've only met one other person he never screwed over, that guy used to book shows for them too. Tight knit crew there. Sorry you got fucked over man. What's your band called?

[herestoyoufla]

Yeah, it's an awkward place to play anyway. My high school punk band used to play there frequently, but I booked all the shows there for a while. I quit because the owner used to continuously screw bands over. I've only met one other person he never screwed over, that guy used to book shows for them too. Tight knit crew there. Sorry you got fucked over man. What's your band called?
At the time we were called Drama Party, but we switched up members and are trying to decide between Fuel The Fiasco or Here's to You.
Right now everyone's leaning toward's Here's to You...what'd you think?

[SLoT]

At the time we were called Drama Party, but we switched up members and are trying to decide between Fuel The Fiasco or Here's to You.
Right now everyone's leaning toward's Here's to You...what'd you think?
I think I remember you asking for help in a thread about a new band name... anyway, I dig Fuel the Fiasco.

[herestoyoufla]

I think I remember you asking for help in a thread about a new band name... anyway, I dig Fuel the Fiasco.
yeah me too. We were set on that and then 2 of the members decided they didn't like it.
grrrr...

[SLoT]

yeah me too. We were set on that and then 2 of the members decided they didn't like it.
grrrr...
Well, I personally think Here's to You, is too generic and you'll blend right in with all these other three word bands. Fuel the Fiasco leaves some play room if you wanted to ever change things up a bit.

[herestoyoufla]

Well, I personally think Here's to You, is too generic and you'll blend right in with all these other three word bands. Fuel the Fiasco leaves some play room if you wanted to ever change things up a bit.
yeah i agree...
I should make a thread about it.
hahaha.

[SLoT]

yeah i agree...
I should make a thread about it.
hahaha.
Hahah. Maybe a poll even. What kind of music do you guys play?

[herestoyoufla]

Hahah. Maybe a poll even. What kind of music do you guys play?
pop rock.
cartel/all time lowish stuff.

[SLoT]

pop rock.
cartel/all time lowish stuff.
Word. There's not too much of that around here. It's essentially just metal bands for the most part. I used to be in Avernus Road until some serious shit went down (one of our guitar players passed away last April), and I took some time off from music after that. Recently though some members of a band I'm close with formed their own group called The Day of the Idealist. I'm filling in as their bass player for now, until I go back to school. Maybe after we get our shit together we can hook something up.

[herestoyoufla]

Word. There's not too much of that around here. It's essentially just metal bands for the most part. I used to be in Avernus Road until some serious shit went down (one of our guitar players passed away last April), and I took some time off from music after that. Recently though some members of a band I'm close with formed their own group called The Day of the Idealist. I'm filling in as their bass player for now, until I go back to school. Maybe after we get our shit together we can hook something up.
Yeah man, that'd be tight.
Does that mean your band's a metal band?

[SLoT]

Yeah man, that'd be tight.
Does that mean your band's a metal band?
Avernus Road was, but the band I'm in now is more mainstream oriented. Rock with some harder breakdowns that are thrown off course by the second guitarist's solos (which hail from the 70's and 80's).

[herestoyoufla]

Avernus Road was, but the band I'm in now is more mainstream oriented. Rock with some harder breakdowns that are thrown off course by the second guitarist's solos (which hail from the 70's and 80's).
ahh, nice. You guys have any songs up?

[SLoT]

ahh, nice. You guys have any songs up?
yeah, we've got a demo our drummer did (he played all the instruments and sang it as well). I think it's this (http://absolutepunk.net/www.myspace.com/dayoftheidealist) link.

[herestoyoufla]

yeah, we've got a demo our drummer did (he played all the instruments and sang it as well). I think it's this (http://absolutepunk.net/www.myspace.com/dayoftheidealist) link.
Alright, i'll check it out later.
I can't get the link right now cause i'm at work...

[SLoT]

Alright, i'll check it out later.
I can't get the link right now cause i'm at work...
True. That's the same reason I'm not sure I gave you the right one. I can't check haha.

[herestoyoufla]

True. That's the same reason I'm not sure I gave you the right one. I can't check haha.
haha oh well, i guess we'll see later on

[SLoT]

haha oh well, i guess we'll see later on
Yeah, if it doesn't work, just put the word "the" in front of it and that should do it.

[herestoyoufla]

Yeah, if it doesn't work, just put the word "the" in front of it and that should do it.
Aight.