While I’m sure many people who frequent this site are either accomplished at, or unconcerned with booking gigs, there’s always some new aspiring young musicians out there who dream of one day making it big. As I’ve mentioned previously, a broadband Internet connection can help you build your audience without even leaving your own home if you’re so equipped. That doesn’t negate the fact that to fully develop your craft, you need to get out and do your thing in front of other people. Where does one start?

Obviously the first thing you have to do is not suck… Unfortunately, many never get over that one little piece of the puzzle for reasons too numerous to mention. Secondly, be prepared to play a 45 minute set minimum. It’s better to have too much material than not enough. Now, assuming you’ve got yer shit straight, the next thing to do is get your band a Web site, or at the very least, a MySpace and make sure you have some decent mp3’s of your stuff up. At least 3 songs. Once that’s done, PIMP YOUR PROFILE. I say this knowing that I don’t spend enough time on my own MySpace profile but in the beginning, I was all over it. Get friendly with similar bands, the clubs that book those bands (most of them have MySpaces as well) and just spend some time online getting a feel for the landscape. Note how many bands appear on any one bill to get an idea of how long of a set people are playing.

Once your comfortable (or just can’t wait any longer), start hitting up clubs online to find out about booking if it’s not already spelled out somewhere. Don’t be surprised if this doesn’t get you very far but you never know. It doesn’t hurt by starting with the easy road, just be prepared for limited results.

The next thing to do is get on the phone with the venue (assuming e-mail doesn’t work) and get the name of the person who does the booking. Find out when the best time is to see this person at the club. It’s not normally top secret information so someone will usually offer it willingly. Write this information down. If you’re serious, you’ll start a file with club names and contacts that you’ll be updating constantly.

Go to the club at the optimum designated time with a demo CD at least, preferably a full blown press kit with head shots, bios and any information about the band that will help you get booked. Many times a CD is enough but make sure that thing is clearly marked with your contact information on the disc itself. Sharpies are fine if you’re not going to put an actual label on it. Show up clean and sober, don’t mumble, be friendly. Even though you’re a musician, in this instance you’re trying to transact business so act accordingly. If for some reason the booking person is unavailable, DO NOT leave your demo stuff with just anybody. When the time comes for the follow up phone call, nobody will even know who you are and you’ll just have to go back with another kit.

If you do get in front of the booking agent or person, don’t over do it. Introduce yourself, reference the person by name who gave you their name, and simply express interest in playing at their club. These people can be a little self-important at times because in many cases they’re getting CD’s on a daily basis and they start feeling… powerful. In a sense, they are so the best thing to do is let them do the talking and you should just be ready to field questions. If they want to give you a tour of the venue, take it. Be aware of where power is on stage, etc. so you’ll have extension cords or strips if you need them. If they’re preoccupied and seemingly in a hurry, give them your material, thank them for their time and tell them what day you will be calling them to follow up, THEN DO IT. Once you’ve made contact, persistence is the only thing that stands between you and any gig. People will hem and haw, dodge phone calls, ignore e-mails… You name it… Just always remember to be pleasant and no matter what happens, stay on them until you either get a date, or they flat out tell you no.

Good Luck!