Why does my band keep failing?

Having trouble getting success with your band? Yeah, I don't doubt it. There is ALOT of competition out there.

A great many of the bands out there playing are not as good as you, but they bring a crowd -so they'll get booked LONG before you and 3 times as often.

Of course sound quality is important, but without a crowd, your sound doesn't matter. Here are a few tips to help you build that crowd.

1. Always make the effort to make your crowd feel special. This means take the time to LISTEN to them when they are talking to you. They believe that you are worth the cover charge and are excited to have your attention. Listen to what they have to say and engage in true conversation with them. It goes a long way.

2. We musicians are a strange lot...we are arrogant and uncompromising, but often we need reassurance that our direction is right. We can get that from an outside source or build it in ourselves but having supreme confidence is like a poker player having an extra card.
Not Confident? GET confident.

3. Whatever you do....COMMIT to it. Don't go in tentative and apologetic. There is nothing worse than some middle-aged guy half-heartedly wandering his way through a Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, or Adele song. You're thinking of singing "Let it Go"? BELT it out. Some people might hate it, but at least they will respect the courage you had to give it your all. When I sing "Baby, One More Time" I give it all I've got. If passion pays the bills....my bills are paid: and everyone in the room knows it.

4. Stop compromising on the members you choose for your band. Wait for someone you gel with. Like a car, a band NEEDS a destination, guidance, and motion. If you ain't steering, why are you surprised when you end up in a ditch? TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR BAND. Lead, guide and direct it. Sometimes that comes from a mutual understanding of 'common sense'. Sometimes someone has to step up and say, "NO. We need to spend more time promoting THIS show than trying to find another one next month.". Drive your snowmobile-It's cold out there.

5.  I'll also add, wait until you're ready before you get out there. You got a gig coming up? Are you at your peak performance wise? No? GET AT YOUR PEAK. You can't afford to put on a shitty show.
Don't know if you're ready? Then you're not. Stop booking gigs and go back to the garage. You're screwing up the music scene with your out of key, off time, amateurish demeanor. GET IT RIGHT. Then get out there and kick butt.

6. BRING a crowd. Nothing attracts a crowd, like a crowd. Promote. Advertise. Be consistent with your logo. Offer incentives to your followers. Know that your niche helps you target your customer. Know your niche. Dress for your niche. Name your band for your niche. Let your niche dictate your bands 'personality'. Your niche should be painfully evident in every ad, post, pic, comment or interview you do. YOUR crowd will be able to find you, and they will be more dedicated to you than the ones just looking for something to do. A RABID following of 20 is 10 times better than a "doesn't care" crowd of 100.

Now ......Quit whining and get to work.

The 'Working' Parts (part 1)

All successful musical acts have found  a way to do more than just perform songs on stage. There's Booking, Promotion, Legal concerns and Marketing Strategies....and that's just for starters. 

Most local bands ignore these pieces of the business, or they stumble along blindly hoping to stay 'small time' so as not to call attention to copyright infringement, or licensing violations. Their marketing strategies are usually non-existent, and their best promotion ideas involve an event invitation on FB and a flyer they'll hang up on the venue door. These acts are doomed to play local bars forever.....If this is you....welcome to the 99.9%

In this article I plan to list the jobs that are involved with a successful band. Sometimes, one person deals with several of these responsibilities...and some responsibilities are completely ignored.
I'll miss some I'm sure. PLEASE comment and I'll add yours as well.

Performer- Yeah, I know: this is obviously YOU....(you little bad ass.)

Sound Technician- That's the guy who gets your sound right. It may involve setting the microphones in the right positions to receive sound from your amps or instruments and deliver them to the PA speakers. This guy would also be the one who selects the right microphone, speakers, or equipment for the application at hand. Pushing sliders around and applying reverb and compression is only a small part of this persons job.....(when he's a professional anyway).

Electronics Repair Tech - When things go bad, as they inevitably do, this person has the ability to bring that which is dead, back to life. When a tube blows during a performance, this guy can have you up and running before the next set. Bad connection on your guitar's 5 way switch? Good as new in 5 minutes. Did you set your acoustic down with the cable plugged in and now there's a horrible 'popping sound' every time you move? Yeah. This is the guy that turns 'spilled beer and bad habits' into 'not a problem'.

Part 2

Alpacas? Local Musician tries an Ad Campaign

Local musician Chris Neal has launched his ad campaign "Alpacas Unite!" The goal of course, is to entertain, and to garner more support for his shows. Following, is the time line of the 'dramedy':


As an alert of an upcoming 'gig' Chris Neal posted-

ALLRIGHT!!! Tuesday night I'll be playing again at Applebee's on Russell Pkwy!!!!

Kelly can't make it ('cause our Alpaca kicked her in the throat during the milkin') but I've made her some liquified potato salad so she won't starve and the party is ON!

Later that afternoon, Chris' wife Kelly was overrun with calls and emails, asking about her condition and the Dr.s prognosis. Remember, THIS WAS A JOKE!! People were genuinely concerned and Chris' dry sense of humor went right over their heads.

The next day Chris Neal posted the following in response to the overwhelming concern that people had for Kelly's well-being....

OK. Kelly has been approached by several people regarding the alleged Alpaca attack. I want to take this time to make it abundantly clear, that Kelly was NOT in fact attacked by an Alpaca, and No, we do not own any.
I want to apologize for the confusion I have caused and to anyone else who has started fundraising programs; to you we deeply apologize and thank you for your concern.

I WILL be performing at Applebee's on Russell Parkway tomorrow night (8/02) and I DO start at 9 and play until 12. That part was not a vicious lie.
  I also want to apologize to any victims of Alpaca violence for trivializing their pain and also to any Alpacas who have been hurt by the untoward accusation of being a violent group. I have friends who are Alpacas so obviously, I am not prejudiced.


It was at this point that Chris Neal seized the opportunity to start a promotional campaign.

As the story goes, some Alpacas were offended by Chris Neal's remarks, believing his apology was insincere, and insulted that the public so readily accepted the notion that an Alpaca could be so violent. In response they issued this press release:

From the Associated Press:
Alpacas for American Acceptance Official Press Release:
We have heard Chris Neal's 'apology' for his baseless accusations...To reiterate: No one affiliated with our organization kicked Chris Neal's wife in the throat. Chris Neal's accusations were horrific and insensitive, and although we are usually non violent, we hope he burns in hell for his lies. This is exactly the sort of thing that causes people to live in fear of Alpacas. His actions were reprehensible, and we would like to further note that "Mr. Neal", or whatever his name is, can have his shirt back. We will no longer be participants in promoting his so-called 'entertainment'.

Several popular local musicians have jumped into the conversation/debate/campaign, and have shown support for both sides, namely, Tim Burris (singer for the hugely successful rock band 'FailTrain') who responded with a post:

Do you own an Alpaca? Do you know any Alpacas that have been victims of brutal hate crimes by middle Georgia musicians? If you, or any Alpaca owning friends have seen signs of depression, withdrawal, or evidence of over milking, call the law offices of Burris and Burris today. We specialize in Alpaca civil rights, and noise ordinance disputes. We'll see to it that justice is done.

This message paid for by Alpacas for American acceptance. —

Lance Rodriguez (another well respected local musician) further responded, showing his support for the Alpacas with-

The profiling and slander of Alpacas is a rampant problem in todays society. Please do your part to advocate Alpaca rights. Donate to your local D.A.D (Douchebags for Alpacan Diplomacy) chapter today.

'The Alpacas ( Allen and Alexis)' started a Facebook page, and as their first post, introduced themselves with....

Hi! We are Allen and Alexis Alpaca. We look forward to chatting with you all! We would love to offer you relationship advice, and discuss important topics of the day.
 
Allen: I drive a light blue smart car and I like Nickye Minaj....She's hot!
My wife and I love karaoke, Nickelback, and Honey boo boo!
Alexis: I've got a thing for Justin Timberlake, but he doesn't even no I'm alive<sigh>

But the one thing we are currently very disappointed with is the Local Music scene in Middle Ga..... ESPECIALLY, Chris Neal. He is the absolute worst. His off hand comments and arrogance have caused the local Alpaca community to struggle with even more prejudice than ever before.

Aside form helping you with your relationship problems, Our number one goal is to put Chris Neal out of business!

Thanks for the friendship!!!
Allen and Alexis

They have further posted comments regarding Chris Neal and his performances....


Caught the "chris neal show' ... He doesn't know ANY john denver.What a tool.

and...


He played a lot of 'popular songs' but I was hoping for some 'deepcuts', I asked for Glen Campbell, he played Glen Danzig.

Hey loser! It's not the same thing!

And 'they' have also posted:

Chris Neal will be 'performing' at Applebee's on Russell Parkway.....It's a really nice restaurant, but if you go...SHOW YOUR SUPPORT FOR ALPACAS!!!! When he finishes a song, don't applaude. Don't give him tips, and request songs like Brown eyed girl, or Sweet Home Alabama.
We don't want to boycott any music venues, we just want Chris Neal, and other musicians like him, to FAIL MISERABLY!!!
This way...they'll replace him with karaoke!
We LOVE karaoke!

Now, THIS should be humorous to all local musicians, because it is common to play to an unresponsive crowd. With this sortof statement from the Alpacas, it could be assumed that an unresponsive crowd is simply showing support for the Alpaca Unite Movement.

It is also a genius move by the 'Alpacas' to make it appear that they have more support than they do in reality. Wait...Reality?.....Oh yes, back to reality....

It's a well crafted, multi-layered ad campaign which is destined to shake the cobwebs off the local music scene, and hopefully, will spark interest in the marketing aspects that many local musicians have neglected.

Really looking forward to watching this unfold.

  I hope you are too.

The Alpaca's facebook page 

Josh Graff

From a recent press release:

 “Josh Graff is a real bluesman!” -Joseph Palmer, owner of The Hangar Bar and Grill

On Friday, June 1 the walls of The Hummingbird Stage and Tap Room will be reverberating with the sound of traditional blues guitar. Josh Graff has been making a name for himself in the Macon, GA area for nearly fifteen years now, and says, “I finally feel like I’ve found myself.”, and where better than where it all began. The twenty six year old guitarist/singer/songwriter has gone full circle, playing everything from blues, R&B, gospel, country, pop, and rock, to hip-hop all over the country from coffee shops, bars, churches, frat houses, festivals, and music venues, to opening shows for Blues Traveler, Huey Lewis and the News, Kansas, and .38 Special.

Josh Graff spent his early teens playing blues guitar and sitting in with bands like Stillwater and The Wall. By the time he had graduated high school, Graff had released three independent albums of mostly original music, and gained a local following doing solo acoustic shows. Then came the creation of Josh Graff & Co., which played relentlessly all across the southeast, and in 2006, recorded an EP in Atlanta, GA with Grammy Award Winning producer/singer/songwriter/musician Clay Cook (Zac Brown Band, John Mayer, Sugarland, Shawn Mullins, Marshall Tucker Band). After a few years together, Josh Graff & Co. went their separate ways and Graff found himself moving to Atlanta, GA to play guitar in Ben Deignan and Suburban Soul. Two years later you could find Graff on stage every Sunday playing guitar at a local church. Still not feeling as though he was doing what he knew he was here to do, Josh Graff found himself at a crossroads.

In early 2012 Josh Graff decided go back to his roots, and be true to himself, as a blues guitarist, doing something he has always wanted to do, put an all-blues band together. Graff throws a few original tunes into an eclectic mixture of traditional blues covers from Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, JB Lenoir, Otis Rush, Freddie and B.B. King, to name a few. With his ever-evolving and rotating backing band of A list musicians, Graff and his band keep the house rockin’ and the good times rollin’ all night.
The first time I met Josh, he sat in with a friend of ours to play lead. Josh proceeded to rip his guitar apart. He played behind his head, behind his back, he walked out to the crowd and stepped up on the fireplace. He really got the crowd going, and when he walked away, many thought the show was over.
In many ways, it was.
I'm bringing this to light, because it appears that Josh is trying to downplay his amazing stage presence. Does he play the blues? Yes, very well; but he is a professional showman waiting to scorch the venue with searing licks AND attitude.

The Swayze's

 

A powerhouse rockabilly quartet with attitude to match!

These guys are destined to be the go-to power band for any college party in the southeast. Imagine The Stray Cats meets Johnny Cash in a drunken fistfight and you have....

The Swayze's...."named after the greatest damned american actor to ever grace the silver screen".

No argument here.

For Booking: contact
Michael at 478-952-3842

Watch it on YouTube

The Working Parts ( part 2)

Business Manager- What are the short term goals that carry you to your longterm goal? How closely are you meeting them? What is the overall strategy regarding the branding of your band? What demographic will your band appeal to, and how can you best engage them? What cover songs should you perform live? Where will you spend the night when you play a gig out of town? The Business Manager has his mind on all of these things and is the person who sits down with the Booking Agent, Promoter, Marketing Specialist, Lawyer, and Poll Data Analyst. When he makes sure that all of you are on the same page and working toward the same goal, you have made a significant step forward. The most important person in your band is your Business Manager, so get a good one.

Booking Agent- "Finds you the gigs!" Yes, but again, it goes further than that. A good Booking Agent knows your strengths and weaknesses and will put you in the venues that can propel your career. It's not just about finding work....It's about finding the work that helps you find MORE work....which turns into making more money per gig and playing to larger, more anxious crowds.

Promoter- The Promoter, obviously promotes your shows for you. He'll know how to focus your promotional efforts on your target demographic. This is your money he's working with, so don't waste time with someone who is just good at a putting together a blog page for you and who MIGHT share your Event Invitation. < wink, wink......nudge, nudge>.


Part 3

The Working Parts (part 3)

Entertainment Lawyer- Keeps you out of legal trouble and keeps you from being manipulated by unsavory characters. This might include the contracts you sign with the promoters, booking agents, or the venues. This would also include the contract you would have used to hire your Business Manager in the first place.

Poll Data Analyst- This one might not seem very relevant but hear me out. All business that deal heavily with public opinion, use poll data. Polls are taken VERY often and they tend to show trends developing or fading. Now, I am NOT SAYING YOU SHOULD FOLLOW trends....However, you will. You might not do it on purpose....or you might LEAD a trend, but it is always good to know if a certain demographic is spending more money in that genre or style of performance than another. This is how you target your promotional material. It is also the key to developing/adjusting your marketing strategy to get the most out of your time.

"If I could find a white man who had the Negro sound and the Negro feel, I could make a billion dollars."- Sam Phillips

Knowing who would love the product and who had the money to spend on it made all the difference in the lives of Sam Phillips, Elvis Presley, and a two-bit carnival hustler named 'Colonel' Tom Parker. So, The Poll Data analyst is the guy that tells you who's spending the money, what they like, and how they communicate. He provides the info that the Marketing Specialist works from.


Part 4

The Working Parts (part 4)

Publicist- Sort of bridges the gap between the Marketing Specialist and the Promoter. This person gets the word out there about what you do and how you do it. You need publicity and although promoters get your shows heard about, and your Marketing Specialist focuses on inspiring a particular group to take action; the Publicist gets you publicity. Many times he uses your private life to call attention to your professional one. Publicists encourage those in the entertainment industry to do things that call attention to themselves....One type of publicist may encourage you to start a charitable foundation....and then be sure it is leaked to the media. Another type may encourage you to do a music video of your latest song completely nude or wear a dress made of meat. to the Grammy's red carpet. Good or bad....you've been talked about and that job is done.

Marketing Specialist- Works with poll data to focus your music toward the most appropriate audience. This way your efforts are more focused- making them more efficient and successful. This is where 'branding' comes in and is the hub from which much of the decisions regarding your band will come from. Just playing a large, varied setlist of songs means that when they describe you to a friend they will say..."He plays a lot of good songs of different styles and we had fun"

HOWEVER; If all you play are songs by Tom Petty and Johnny Cash, then the name of your band will likely be 'Petty Cash' and one of your gimmicks will be giving out 2 dollar bills to everyone in the front row, or the girl who gets up and dances to your favorite song, or as change when someone buys your merch or pays the cover. People who LOVE Johnny Cash and Tom Petty will be there and to them, your song selection has already passed inspection-without even playing a note. The crowd will be waiting anxiously for the next song they can sing along to or the next trivia question they can answer. You will make a connection that lasts and your next show will be even more successful.
Branding is important. and the Marketing Specialist will help you get it right.

Stylist- Who dresses the band? Yeah, I know, it's weird trying to dress a certain way. Your stage and beyond clothing choices should reflect the public's perception of your 'style'. You probably think that each member of the band should just dress in whatever makes them comfortable. BUT, if that was 'how it's done' then how would KISS, DEVO, The Ramone's, The Beatles, The Blues Brothers, Metallica, Judas Priest, Motley Crue, Stray Cats, etc. have communicated to you what type of music they played with a picture?

I know there are more (especially when it comes to putting together an album, for example), but I think this is a good start. How much time have you put into considering which member of your band is currently dealing with one or more of these responsibilities? Who is in your band BECAUSE they are good at one of these responsibilities?

Anyway.......Food for thought and discussion, I guess.

Sister Sandoz

Trino Prados- Bassist

Russ Hearst- Guitar, 
Back Up Vocals

Russell Bell- Guitar


Eric Moore- Percussion

Becky Sandoz Carlisle- Vocalist

 The '90s called. They want grunge to come back! 6L6 is a refreshing cover band specializing in the new oldies!

Sister Sandoz will rock you like you keep begging to be rocked!!

They cover many of the alternative songs from the 90s & today, & have a few '80s faves in the mix. If you wanna hear System of a Down, Nirvana, No Doubt, the Ramones, Joan Jett, & Jackyl in the same show, then 6L6 is your new favorite band!

Call Becky at 478-951-1085

for Booking!

Uncle Earl and Friends

Uncle Earl and Friends promo video on Facebook!!

Band Name & Members "Uncle Earl & Friends"- Uncle Earl Tribble (Drums & Vocals) Al Scarborough (Bass & Vocals) & Ben Caldwell (Guitar & Vocals).

Contact Earl for booking! prodrummer67@windstream.net

Uncle Earl wanted to put a band together but found all the musicians he wanted to work with were committed to other bands and projects. He worked around the musician's schedules by calling on other friends that played. About 6 months into scheduling gigs, he had his core players in Al Scarborough (Bass & Vocals) & Ben Caldwell (Guitar & Vocals). The result is a 3 piece group that focuses on tight harmonies and grooves. The band, when needed, also adds Sax, Keys, Trumpet, Harmonica and occasionally a female singer. These are Uncle Earls "Friends". We also have a lot of horn players that sit-in on regular gigs. It would not be uncommon to see 3 different sax players at any given show!!

Influences and artists they cover: Wet Willie, The Beatles, Van Morrison, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty,Otis Redding, ZZ Topp and 60's Rock & Soul (Temptations, Wilson Pickett, James Brown, etc.)

Any recent gigs that stand out?

We had some crazy moments on stage with the crowd when we were booked on Tybee Island at this year's Pirates Fest. The whole crowd was in Pirate costumes and partied ALL day and night long. If they liked a certain song they would hold up their mugs and yell "AAARRRHH!!". We drove an electric golf cart to the gig but ran short on power. We were pushed by 4 Pirates to the front door of the club. The whole weekend was an insane party from dusk to dawn!

We really enjoy playing all the clubs around the Middle Georgia area but we call The Dawghouse and Shooter's in Gray our home clubs. The owners/managers/staff are so good to us and all of our friends! The Dawghouse is a great biker bar and Shooter's is great for the whole family. We do different shows for different clubs. That's the great advantage of having 3 lead singers in the same band. What do you see as the best part of the Middle Ga. music scene?

"What we love most about the Middle Georgia music scene is the wide variety of music that is played in the clubs around town. We along with other bands will start a set with some Otis Redding move into Charlie Daniels and end with some Pink Floyd. No where else are you going to hear that!!"

How to build yourself a great band website for free.

First of all- I have done this.
As a matter of fact this entire website was built for free- exactly the way I am descrrbing it to you.

I eventually decided to purchase a domain name and pay for my own hosting which I now know was totally unnecessary. I bought the domain name for the 'easy to remember' URL (MidGaLive.com) but I didn't have to....with all of the tools and resources available, having an easy to remember domain name is not nearly as valuable as it used to be.

So let's get started.

First, go to Blogger.com and sign up. Yes. It's a Blog. Who cares? Does MidGaLive.com look like a blog? It can be a Blog about your band.
 It's free, except you'll have to have a gmail account. There are other free blog services out there...WordPress appears to be very popular, although I have no experience with it; So, for the purpose of this article I'll focus on the one Blogger.com offers.

You can make it appear any way you want, but I suggest using the templates available and just dressing it up with your own color schemes. It's VERY easy. On the 'layout' window, you can move things around or add 'widgets' these are the tools (or toys) of your site. The calendar, the Contact Form, the advertisments, the 'flyers' you want to post, etc. ...are all added here. Copy/paste/done.

Once done, you can add 'pages' which are the tabs at the top of this screen. Here are some suggestions for yours...

Bio  This can give a history of your band....how you met, your influences, your aversion to mustard sauce on your sardines, whatever. Regardless, MAKE IT INTERESTING. Stretch the truth a little. People will forgive a little stretch of the truth for the sake of entertainment.

FanOfTheWeek Reward your most active and 'fanatic' fans by giving them a shout out on a page of their own. Tell them you love them for loving you.

MerchPage You can show pics of the merch you have for sale. Show pics of your T-Shirts, your CD's, koozies, keychains, calendars, condoms, panties, coffee cups, pens, pencils, water bottles, athletic supporters, etc.. You would of course need to go ahead and order one or 2  (I use vistaprint....I get my Tshirts for $5 or less.) Sign up for a PayPal account and then go to the merchant services tab to create a 'button" for your purpose. It'll give you an "HTML code" that you can copy and paste to your page. You have to pay a very small percentage for every transaction- 2.9% plus 30 cents for each transaction. If you sold a ten dollar CD.... your take would be $9.41, not bad.
Your Bands' Merch Store? Done.

GigCalendar I got mine from Brown Bear software. It's free, but you can pay them for a  more advanced version later if you want. It's a brillliant thing to put on your website. It gives you options that you may not realize  you have.
         For one, you can make a contest among a small group to get you gigs. These people will compete with one another for a prize of your choosing. The prize could be a free concert at their house, or a lump sum of cash. The contest can be restarted as often as you like. Each person in the competition can have a color coded 'label' that shows up on the calendar telling EVERYONE who booked it....The one with the most bookings will be the winner.
        It has a hierarchy style of password protection, which means you can set it up so that several people can add gigs, but only YOU can delete them.

Oh- and it's a great way to show your fans where you are playing.

A site like this gives you easy, consistent promotion because it's always in the same place. Share the link with everyone everywhere online. You can make a QR code that links to your website and then put that pic on EVERYTHING. All your merch should have it.....All your business cards, mailers, posters.....stickers....The QR code should be everywhere. It's too easy and too effective to ignore. NOT familiar with it? Check out the tab above labeled QR Code Generator.

You can collect email addresses of your fans (if they want to give them to you). Just by adding a 'Contact Form' like the one on this page.

When you write posts, you can add your latest video, or pics from last nights gig, or a link to your Reverbnation, Facebook, Twitter......whatever.

It's a great FREE tool....and I don't understand why you had not started using it before now. If you have any difficulty.....let me know....I'll help out. Once you get it going, let me know....I'll add a link to your website from your MidGaLive.com page.

Please know that your page here on MidGaLive.com can be turned into a single page website! I can give you access to your own page and you can put anything you want on it. Merch, Links, whatever....
MidGaLive.com averages 2000 pageviews per month....and costs  you nothing.

So, if you're nervous about building one from scratch.....The offer is there....just let me know....Send me a message and say...."I want to use MidGaLive.com as a home for my bands single-page website." I can only do this for 82 more bands so, don't wait long....



Ok.....Breaks over....and your excuses are dead......Get to work.