Get Your Band Out Of The Garage And Into A Gig
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Band Press Kit Article - So you have a garage band and do not know the next step to start performing for an audience. Perhaps you are the parent or friend of a band member and feel the band is ready to play some gigs. It may be possible that you may just be sick of all the noise coming from the basement. This is where your son or daughters band practices night and day. It is not easy to get out of the garage, but with a little hard work, your band can get moving and start performing gigs. When your band finally has some songs together and are playing well, now it's time to take the next step. Get the band out of the garage and in to a gig. Of course, your band will not make much money at first, but with a well rehearsed act and some leg work, your project can get off the ground. In the following article I will explain a few tips your band or band manager may need to get your band some gigs or shows.
The first step for the band is to put together a quality press kit. A press kit for a start up band is usually comprised of a cover page, artist bio (introduction of the band), band pictures, song list, equipment list, contact and booking information, and a band demo CD. Once your band becomes more established start introducing newspaper clippings, band reviews, and business cards to the package as well. Computers make this a fairly simple task these days using any word processor. A word processor should get the job done for a start up band press package. Most or all of your press packet design can be done in house and save you a lot of money. If you plan on sending quite a few press packages to clubs or venues, visit your local copy store and have some color copies made. It's a good idea to make sure your envelope stands out so that a venue booking the band will want to open your band press package. Try using a colored envelope or stickers of some sort on the envelope so that a band booker will notice your press kit.
One of the most difficult things for a start up band with
little or no money to achieve is recording their demo CD or
tape. This does not have to be an expensive venture. When
you are starting out try renting a 4 track tape recorder or
maybe and 8 track recorder with a CD burner. Most music
stores will rent this type of equipment at a reasonable
cost. Record 3 or 4 of your best songs or cover tunes. This
should give you sufficient quality for most local venues
when you are starting out. Once your band is more
established, you may want to purchase a portable multi track
recorder or book some studio time. It may be just as cost
effective to purchase a multi track digital recorder and
learn the ropes yourself rather than recording at a local
studio. Most studios charge an hourly rate, so look around
for the best price. There are also many computer
programs that bands can use to record their demos.
Some examples of computer recording software are
Pro Tools
Once you have a quality band demo CD and press kit it is time to start promoting your band. See part II of our article Get your band out of the garage and into a gig: Part II Band Promotion. For more information on press kit and demo tips, band resources, and band promotion visit the Media Web Source website. This site is a valuable resource for start up and established bands everywhere.
Part I: Band Press Kit and Band Demo (above)
- Part 2: Band Promotion
- Part 3: Band Websites, Agents, And Sound Techs
