Advice for a band?

[Moff Chumley]

My good friends, Handshake, are one or two songs short of an EP, and with that in mind, they're doing everything they can to promote themselves. The problem is, they're broke high school students. They've managed to record a couple tunes, which they have up on their Facebook for free. They've gotten a couple of (free) local gigs, and have about 1,500 fans on Facebook. So, my question to you, Playground, is thus: what do we do from here?

Linky (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Handshake/133756975973)

For the record, I recorded/mixed/engineered Siamese and Night of Electric Orchids, so if you technically inclined playgrounders have any comments on those two, feel free. :smallsmile:

[fknm]

The most important bit of advice I can give them is to turn 21 as fast as possible. Doing so will drastically open up the number of venues where they can play.

That said, they need to write and record about 30 minutes of material (which could well be what they have recorded; it's hard to tell, since Facebook doesn't tell track length in its music player), find out who promotes local concerts in their genre, and give a physical copy of their material - with lyrics and artwork - to said promoters.

[Xyk]

Advice? Rock.:smallfurious:

[Jack Squat]

What's the normal turnout for the gigs? How often have they been getting them?

It sounds like they already have a good number of fans for not having released a CD, it might be in their interests to raise some money and put together some merchandise. Stickers and key chain fobs are cheap, and visible. Shirts and hats are a little more expensive, but are a little more visible than a key chain that sits in someone's back pocket.

It looks like they're getting advertised that they're preforming, both though FB events and posters. Have they appeared in any local magazines/papers? My University one has little promotional deals about bands all the time, so does the city events periodical.

[thubby]

Linky (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Handshake/133756975973)

For the record, I recorded/mixed/engineered Siamese and Night of Electric Orchids, so if you technically inclined playgrounders have any comments on those two, feel free. :smallsmile:

you need to downplay your drummer. I know format change/compression/online player tend to distort things but your drums are drowning out everyone else.

getting the end product balanced is just a matter of trial and error.

[ForzaFiori]

you need to downplay your drummer. I know format change/compression/online player tend to distort things but your drums are drowning out everyone else.

getting the end product balanced is just a matter of trial and error.

I don't know. On Electric Orchids, the louder drums and background guitar give it a cool sound, especially since you can still hear the bass good. I think it gives it a really nice feel to the song.

Siamese could use a slight tone down on the drums though.

[Moff Chumley]

What's the normal turnout for the gigs? How often have they been getting them?

It sounds like they already have a good number of fans for not having released a CD, it might be in their interests to raise some money and put together some merchandise. Stickers and key chain fobs are cheap, and visible. Shirts and hats are a little more expensive, but are a little more visible than a key chain that sits in someone's back pocket.

It looks like they're getting advertised that they're preforming, both though FB events and posters. Have they appeared in any local magazines/papers? My University one has little promotional deals about bands all the time, so does the city events periodical.

Attendance has ranged from seventy five people to ten, depending on where they were playing and who they could get to attend. They've been playing two or three times a month at various clubs since December. The band is still investing in new gear (just bought a drum machine and is looking into a few guitar effects) but are planning on printing twenty or so shirts eventually. They've managed to get blogged about a few times, but no appearances in any print publication...


you need to downplay your drummer. I know format change/compression/online player tend to distort things but your drums are drowning out everyone else.

getting the end product balanced is just a matter of trial and error.

Duly noted. I've been mixing with ProTools 7 LE, which is so not my gig it's not even funny, but I should have about twenty gigs of plugins downloaded off KVR pretty soon, so that's gonna really help tame the drums.

[xPANCAKEx]

play more shows

contact promotors, send them CDs if they've never seen the band (a myspace/facebook link alone is just insulting - "hi, put on our band, oh and by the way, you make all the effort to find out if you like us")

spread out - travel to shows if they have to (4 hour road trips are not out of the question)

unfortunately they WILL lose some of the money they already don't have, but thats part of the nature of being a band. Unless you're a hair metal act, you ain't gunna be making dollar from the get go.

[SDF]

Look at touring acts stopping near your area, and contact venues to see if they can be an opening act. Probably one of the best ways to get local exposure. You can play at most 21+ venues if you make arrangements beforehand. (One of my friends bands does this often as two of their members are under 21. They usually just have to leave as soon as their set is over)

[Vorpalbob]

Learn Free Bird. :smalltongue:

And, of course, Stairway.

[Moff Chumley]

@Freebird: NEVAR