STUDIO 32

STUDIO 32

1715 Shurling Dr, Macon, GA   31211

MONEYS INC

MONEYS INC

4740 Pio Nono Ave, Macon, GA   

COCKTAILS

COCKTAILS

4755 Chambers Rd, Macon, GA   

Make Money With Your Hottie

Let’s face it; musicians get the hotties. If you are a musician, your girl/guy is among the most attractive in the area. The better the performer, the more attractive his/or her partner is.

Having someone you can trust in the crowd is always a plus. They will let you know when things are not right, or maybe give you a little a nudge in the right direction.

But they can also help you promote yourself better.

How? Well, I’ll need your help in filling in the blanks.
The Clap

People need a leader. They do not know it’s worth applauding until someone starts it off. That little bit of excitement coming from a good looking woman, is usually enough to get everyone else to believe that you are pretty damn good. You must be, right?

Get Her Friends Involved

Women travel in packs. So if you can get your woman to get her pack of girlfriends together, big things can happen for you. Initiating crowd response is a start, but you need them out there as your little army of fanatics.

Your woman can help out quite a lot with the promo pics. A small inexpensive digital camera doesn’t have great quality, but it will get you through if used creatively.Her friends can either get people up and moving OR help to gather a large group up to the front of the stage. Any pics that show YOU playing to a large group of ravenous fans can only help, right?

T-shirts and Toys

Tshirts have historically been a powerful promotional tool. If they are designed well, and people like your band, they’ll throw down ten bucks for it. It’s great for advertising, and you will only have to make the initial investment.

What ways are you getting YOUR mate involved?

Why don’t we all just work for free?

There is definitely, a divide among musicians regarding the subject of fees. Seasoned musicians, usually, understand this part of the business better than the newbies; so here is my attempt to inform. All you veterans feel free to straighten us all out.

Some argue the “business” side of things and try to “compete” with the more established acts by charging less. This goes directly against all business sense. Here’s why:

By undercutting the competition; you are ruining YOUR future business.

First, you don’t know what I get paid, so you will probably guess.  Now if you are trying to undercut me by guessing what I charge, you’ll likely go too low.

Then again, you could just ask the bar owner. Now, the bar owner has a vested interest in telling you that I play for less than I actually do, doesn’t he? So, he’ll know whatever my normal fee is, and subtract $50, and tell you, that he only pays THIS much. You are just DYING to play out so you’ll take it; AND THE BAR OWNER EQUATES YOU WITH THAT PRICE. While the economy is down, he may hire you often. But when the economy picks up, you won’t get called for the weekends- If he calls you at all. If you’re a full band charging the same thing I am, (as a solo act) then, in the bar owners mind you look like chumps. No talent chumps.


Now, put yourself in the bar owners shoes for a moment. If this Friday night, he has a band of no-talent chumps coming to play, WHY WOULD HE ADVERTISE? He knows that new customers are going to see this no talent band play and assume it is par for the course in this bar. He knows that those new customers won’t be back. He also knows that you NEED this gig, so he’ll make YOU ‘bring a crowd’. His logic is that, anyone you bring will like what they hear from you, so it will give those people (your friends) a favorable perception of his club. “This bar let my friend’s band play here. This bar is cool!”

Now you don’t have to believe me- But think about it- How many times have you played for ‘a little less’ and the bar owner DID NOT PROMOTE THE SHOW AT ALL? OR, if he does any advertising, he will do it the CHEAPEST WAY POSSIBLE…..He’ll put out flyers on colored paper that his 3^rd grade daughter threw together before soccer practice. He probably won’t even get a free posting in the Eleventh Hour, or The Telegraph. It is because he understands that you are a ‘shade tree businessman’, and he is going to use your inexperience and your misunderstanding of business to his benefit….Which is a nice way of saying, he looks forward to taking advantage of you.

You see, if you charge less, it means there is no demand for you. Isn’t it simple logic? The supply (you) remains the same, so if the price is low then the demand MUST be. Also, he has no incentive really to promote the show: It won’t take very many of your friends to cover the cost of you. Not that it matters-He will inevitably argue that you didn’t draw enough.

 I know, I know. You’re probably thinking “Well, this is temporary. We are just doing this to build a following.” Wrong, again.

How exactly are you building a “crowd”? The only people who are going to hear you play are the bars regulars (they aren’t going to follow you ANYWHERE) and the people you bring (these fans have been around since you started). You will get to play for the occasional new person, but rarely will they return regularly.

 This is not working, is it?

Here’s an alternative….Be warned. It is a harder sell, but totally worth it.
Charge the bar more than the average band gets.

Yes, it sounds crazy, but here’s why :

The bar owner wants to be sure that the night you play is successful because he has to recoup the expense of hiring you. (You charge a lot so you must be in demand).  So he will be sure to promote it.He knows that success requires investment. This means he will tell everyone how great your band is and how people should come out to see you…Specifically, on the night you’re playing at his club.

 You need to look like someone wants you

You can do this with your promo materials, pics of your gigs on facebook, or by having a presence on Itunes or the like….Promotion is not just tshirts and koozies, but those would be a good start.( I’ll give some tips on this later, but for now just get creative) So, if you want to play to larger crowds; Raise your prices, and invest that extra money in promotion.

Building a following

Now, we all know that some people are not loyal to one bar. The advertising will get their attention and they’ll show up. If you’re any good, they’ll stay, and if they have a good time, THEY WILL COME OUT WHEN YOU PLAY SOMEWHERE ELSE.

WHO are the most expensive acts in Middle Ga.? Now, are they expensive because they are in demand, or are they in demand because they are expensive? How did they get to be “in demand”  in the first place? We all know how hard it is to raise your price once it has been set, so this is definitely something to think about.

Booking a gig is not the same thing as selling yourself. ANYBODY can book a gig. You need to learn how to get the venues calling YOU. The only way to do that is by looking like you are in demand.

So when they ask the question- “What do you charge?” Maybe you should answer the real question…”What are you worth?”

Bringing the Crowd... Back

How do you get more people to your shows? That's easy; Marketing and Promotion. The best marketing tool you could have is your actual performance. So, what if it's not good enough?

EVERY BUSINESS THAT INTENDS TO GET BETTER, FINDS A WAY TO MEASURE IT’S PRODUCT OR SERVICE. If the product is razor blades, they will use high tech devices to measure how well the razor blades cut. If the product is customer service, then they use customer satisfaction as a measuring tool. Bars determine how well you satisfy their customers by noticing how many come out to see you play.

 There are many ways a band can grade themselves; and it wouldn’t be a bad idea for musicians to use the same measuring tool that the venues use.

Like it or not, the patrons in the bar/tavern/restaurant are the customers that you are hired to entertain. If you do not notice a lot of ‘repeat customers’ on the nights that you play, you have to look closely at your show, to determine what needs to be fixed. Find them and fix them.

Being a musician myself, and going out to see bands play, I have noticed that many musicians spend a great deal of time getting their instruments setup ‘just right’. They spend a lot of time and money on getting a good amp, and a good instrument or two, and they spend a lot of time learning to play the songs in the set list.

But when they get to the gig they come up short in a few areas; Crowd involvement and the crowds’ perception of the band.

Engaging the crowd is, in my opinion, the easiest way to get ahead in the ‘customer satisfaction’ business.

You already know how- you pull out the tired old tricks- “ARE YOU READY TO ROCK?!?!” or “How are we doing out there?!?!?”  

You also pull out the old reliable- “ We haven’t played this one in a LONG time….but we’re gonna pull this one out of the vault, just for you, cause that’s what YOU want!!! YOU'RE the best crowd we've ever seen!”

And of course, “We are going to rock this place ALL NIGHT LONG! You’re not getting tired are ya!?!?!?!!!!!

These are all cliché’ and we all know it, but it’s part of the show. They are OLD tricks because they work.

Check out Paul Stanley . He was - and probably still is - the king of stage banter….

Paul Stanley on Stage

Getting the crowd to scream with you, to get them laughing, or to get them singing along; all result in increasing their heart rate. Increased heart rate will cause the release of endorphins and sweating. The result: people get happy and thirsty. Lo and behold…There’s a bartender RIGHT THERE to help them quench that thirst. Hmmm….I wonder if the consumption of alcohol will have a positive effect?… Anything you can do to get their heart rate up is going to translate into a happier crowd. This is the crowd that will return the next time you perform.

There are certainly other ways to get the crowd going-you could buy shots. You could pass out Tshirts or play ‘Sweet Home Alabama’…. again. But stage banter doesn’t cost money, or require you to sell your soul.  Use it sparingly and you’ll be packing the house in no time.

Another issue is your PA system. For God sakes man….have a little pride in yourself. Spend a little to get your sound straight. It’s totally worth it. It doesn’t matter how good you are on guitar if the crowd is not hearing that awesome tone you dialed in.

It pains me to say this, but most lead singers in Middle Ga. break the cardinal rule regarding their vocal reverb….Only use as much as you need- no more. And most importantly, TURN OFF THE REVERB WHEN YOU START TO TALK TO THE CROWD.

When you talk with the reverb on, the crowd hears muddy talking. They can’t understand half of what you’re saying, and that alone is a pain in the ass. One thing you don’t want the crowd to say to each other-“I wish he’d shut the hell up and play a song.”  If used correctly; reverb is like a perfectly executed ‘levitation illusion’ to a magician’s show. Reverb is the magic vocal secret, and no one wants you to reveal it to them. People WANT to believe you’re that gifted. (On a related note, take the bag of rice out of your pants….NO ONE wants to believe you’re THAT gifted. Really. You know who you are.)

I’ve noticed a few singers don’t use any reverb at all. On rare occasions I’d say that it’s not needed. But in an awful lot of cases; it is. Figure out a way to turn it on and off during your performances, and keep it at the minimum according to your need.

There are plenty of people out there who will give you good, honest feedback that you can use to get your show better. If you want me to do it just ask. If you’ve seen me perform you’ll know I’m much better at GIVING advice than taking it.

You might also consider enlisting the help of a professional- There are a few around town which I will add to the ‘Musicians Resource’ , But one you should talk to would be Hugh Hession. He also has a website (Making It In Music ) full of great insight. A very wise friend to have if you want to be a performer.

If nothing else- get video of your show, and use it to find your flaws. Fix them and do it again. Don’t make excuses; If it’s a turn off you don’t need it on stage.

Ok. Let’s recap. Get the crowd dancing, singing, laughing, and screaming. Make sure your music is beautiful and your speaking is clear. Get video of your performances and feedback from veterans. Rehearsal is not the same thing as practice.

Practice is where you get the SONGS right…Rehearsal is where you get the SHOW right.

Oh…..and leave the rice at home. Seriously. Your kids are going to have to eat that.

Free Lance Ruckus

Genre: Mixture of many.
Members: Richard Martin, Emmett Hardwick, Chris Covey, Dustin McCook
Hometown: Haddock, GA

Mostly influenced by popular rock-n-roll of the sixties and seventies. Modern influences include Sublime, Phish, Allman Brothers, Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana, 311, Rage against the machine, ...you get the idea.

 Richard Martin (Lead singer) is a great showman, his vocals are in key, on time, and powerful. He can convey the emotion and attitude that the song requires and he does with gusto. He weaves together a tapestry of music that stretches across decades and genres and makes it look easy.

Dustin McCook (Lead Guitar) is widely regarded as a child prodigy. I cannot tell you how many times I have been asked if I have heard about that 'new kid'. Now that I have seen him play, I know what everyone is talking about. He has the SRV tone NAILED. He's got the licks, but seeing him play is an added treat. This kid is BAD. Every moment he has his guitar in his hand, is a photo opportunity. He is definitley someone to keep an eye on as he continues forward.

Chris Covey and Emmett Hardwick hold down the rhythm section like seasoned pros, while Richard and Dustin tear up the stage, give musicians inspiration, and the crowd perspiration. These guys are a REAL band. Without a doubt; one of the best-kept secrets in Middle Ga.

Bit Covey has gotten the best videos of Free Lance Ruckus around.
Start checking out the Bit Covey videos here, but don't stop! scroll through them all....and then go catch 'em live.

Booking Agent/Press Contact
Jeanne Hardwick (478) 414 - 8322
Or contact Richard Martin through facebook

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Macon Music- Listening Room

Silence. The occassional sound of someone shifting in their seat. No glasses clinking together. No one talking about Daytona. No one over-imbibing and trying to hook up with your date. Just silence.

Well, not JUST silence. There's a performer there, too. He'd have to be ridiculously good. But tonight is not the night that he entertains you with his crowd surfing. He won't be destroying his equipment, or cussing out the drummer. There won't be pyro or tshirt cannons.

He has a guitar and a microphone. We are all grownups here. He doesn't play to help you drown out you cares, your problems, your relationships long gone. His songs help you relive them. To help himself relive them. He talks about his past, his friendships and his losses. This is the goal of a songwriter's life-to have a roomful of people stop and absorb all the passion, the heartache, the pain, and love that pours from him. The crowd is made up of musicians and music aficionados- people who appreciate what it takes to put your soul to paper.
 Scott Pallot and Travis Bryant host an experience that has been absent from the 'nightlife' that is the Middle Ga. music scene. Thankfully, they did it right. Every show so far has sold out, and I am sure that will continue, because performers who would normally play 4 hours to a crowded nightclub with out breaking a sweat-walk off this stage in less than half that time visibly drained; and the audience is better for it.In this venue, performers give you all they've got, and more than they ever thought they would have to give.

It's music therapy, and 'intimate' is a word left wanting .

Check 'em out here.

Or view this video of Jason Taylor Hobbs on stage accompanied by Scott Pallot.

Flat Bridge

4 piece band out of Macon. Aidan Dibble, Lance Daniel, Stephen Thigpen, and Steven Taylor. They are recording their first album right now and you can get a sneak peek here.

Sweet Mckenzie and Grey Sky Day are really cool, well arranged songs. Their music has a very 'signature' quality to it, although I can't exactly explain it. At first listen it sounds almost off key or maybe the vocals aren't mixed right, but in no time, you get used to it and it makes the song 100 times better than if it sounded "perfect" from the begininng. It is a much needed injection of raw and real, in a world of digital masterpieces.

They bring a great combination of Country and Rock- I guess you would call it Americana with grit. I'm really looking forward to listening to the whole album. I'm curious as to whether they have stumbled across something or if it's by design.

Rock on, brothers. You have set the bar high.

$10 for me to book you a gig?

Yep. Let me explain.

I have been approached by 17 different musicians on the subject of booking. Each one of them tells me that I have a knack for sales. They say that I have been missing my calling, and my calling is as a booking agent or a promoter.

I have experience in sales and I seem to remember that I was pretty good at it. The problem that I ran into with sales is how mundane the field can be. It’s a numbers game and you have to get a certain number of no’s in order to reach your goal of yes’s.

It is also important to be a fan of the product. If you believe in something, it will come out in your conversation with the potential buyer. Once they believe that you believe in your product…you’re at least half way to closing the sale.

The number one problem salesmen have is asking for the money. A salesman can deliver the best sales pitch the world has ever seen, and the potential buyer is absolutely aching to make the purchase, and suddenly the salesman gets nervous. He gets nervous because he has finally reached the moment of truth. It all comes down to this. All the preparation, all the practicing, all of the cold calls have brought him to this one defining moment- and no matter how sure the salesman is that the sale is in the bag, he will get nervous at this moment. A “no” at this point will be devastating; so he’ll do almost anything to get a yes.

Chances are; he’ll totally blow it.

He’ll likely accept less than his asking price….Or he’ll agree to less than optimum circumstances, just to relieve some of the pressure and make the product or service EVEN MORE inviting. What he doesn’t realize is that the potential customer sees these “accommodations” as evidence that the salesman believes that the product isn’t worth the asking price; so he’ll lower it and ask again. The buyer now has it in his head that the prices are too high. He thinks this because this is what the salesman sold him on.

Knowing how to close the sale, and ask for the money have always been somewhat easy for me. At least, that’s what my supervisors, customers and coworkers have always thought.

Another problem salesmen have to confront is choosing a customer who would most likely be interested in the product for sale. Obviously, if you are selling 4 wheelers, a retiree is probably not going to be your optimum target.

 In order to leverage the odds in his favor, a car salesman will set up a lot full of cars that are for sale where potential customers will COME TO HIM! He knows they need his product, so part of the work is done. This is why this MidGaLIVE Music database is such a promising idea.

Booking bands is just another type of sales job. A good Booking agent will find a venue where your style would be popular with the patrons. Don’t send Holocaustion to a country and western night at some restaurant. The fact is-Lance will be fine and he will totally entertain these people -but that is not what he had in mind when it was booked.

Another thing the booking agent has to deal with is ensuring that the band doesn’t have any underlying issues at this particular venue. If the bass players ex-wife is the bar manager, chances are pretty good that the gig is going to suck. People can be very petty sometimes. Of course. You can’t be expected to know things like this….but you can bet that the bass player knows, and when the booking agent says; “I’ve got you booked at Rivalry’s Friday night.” The band will savor cancelling the gig at the last minute.

Finally, a problem that seems to always be an issue is the date of the gig. I don’t know how many times bands have told me that a particular date is available, and then after I book the gig- “Oh, damn. I forgot about the drummer’s girlfriend’s birthday….sorry.”

So; We finally come down to my explanation. You were wanting to know how I could book you a gig and you would only have to pay me $10. How I can I do this?….You are going to help me make the sale.

STEP ONE: Tell me WHERE you want to play.

First, you are going to find a venue that you believe you will do well in. Maybe you’re a biker, and this club has a “Bike Night”. Maybe most of the bands that play at this venue play a similar type of music but your band plays it better.  Whatever. It’s totally your decision, and one that I am not qualified to make.

Step Two: Tell me WHEN you want to play there.

Tip: When you are trying to make a sale, it sometimes helps to get the potential customer to say yes to you a few times leading up to the close. The idea is that the customer is agreeing with you which establishes a positive connection to you. So when you follow it with; “You’re going to love hearing my band.” The venue manager thinks, “You know what?.... I will!”

 If I try to book your band on a night that they historically have other things going on ( such as karaoke, open mic, trivia, poker, etc.) she will have to tell me no. At that point, I will have lost momentum. It is easy enough to find out if a day’s event is pre planned: while you’re there checking out the band, ASK SOMEBODY about the other things they do besides live music.

Step Three: How much do you want to charge this venue?

There are no set rules on this sort of thing. I know that some bands charge $100 per member of the band and encourage others to go no lower. This is totally your call, but if you are playing a venue that is out of town, you don’t want me to suggest you for $400 when everyone else is getting $600. Not only is it leaving money on the table, it makes you appear to offer a lower quality service than the next guy. Also, if they think that your band is of lower quality, they are not going to spend money to promote it. THEY WILL ONLY WORK HARD TO PROMOTE BANDS THAT THEY BELIEVE ARE GOING TO BE AMAZING. Setting the right price will help you convince them that you are just that AMAZING. Ask the band that is playing, about the bars budget, or act like a non-musician and ask a waitress “So how much do bands get paid?”

Step Four: Give me $10.

I will be paid before I do any work, AND I will be paid whether you get the gig or not.

I will NOT be booking your band. I WILL, however, contact the venue and tell them I am your booking agent. I will tell them that you are available on a certain date (the one you choose) which will be 2 months in advance. I will tell them that you normally play for more, but that you would be willing to play their venue for ‘X’ dollars which happens to be a little more than what the band that played last week did it for. I will tell them that, if they are interested, they will have to call you to confirm the details.

THEN, I will tell YOU the deal and YOU will book the gig.

Now, it is possible that you will pick a venue that doesn’t cater to your style. You may choose a venue that doesn’t consistently cater live music. Or, you may choose a venue who can barely afford $250 plus bar tab while you demand $500. Normally, a booking agent will be responsible for getting these details right and he will be able to navigate around these simple issues.

I am not a booking agent. I am a salesman.

I will sell the venue on the idea of you. That is all I promise. It is up to you to make your product and service worthwhile to the customer. I just tell them all about how your band is perfect for their venue. I tell them when YOU are available, and how fortunate they are to have this opportunity. I will tell them that your band is one of the best bands in Ga. and that your frontman makes the women go crazy. I will tell them that they are going to LOVE your band and let’s go ahead and nail this thing down.

Together, we won’t book every venue we try. But we will succeed sometimes, and the more we try, the better we will get at it. The more you try to find the venues that are good for you, the better you’ll get. No one can do this with %100 success.
 But with practice, we will get good at it won’t we?
Do you want more gigs?
Do you want to play out more often?
Do you want to make more money?
$10 per phone call is cheap, isn’t it?

Ok, then, let’s get started.
Now, at this point, you are probably itching to contact me. Don't. I don't do booking. This article should have given you ALL you need to know to do it yourself. Once you do it a few times, you'll realize how expensive the offer above is.
Get to work and quit trying to find someone else to do your job for you.

Good Luck! 
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