HAMMERHEAD BLOG

Many years ago I went and saw a popular local band play at a small club in downtown Seattle then called the OFF RAMP now called the GRACELAND. I convinced a prominent label representative who was in town at the time for a local Music Festival to come out and check out the band. I …

So you’ve arrived at the set, set up and performed a blinding gig to a lively and appreciative crowd. All that remains is packing up equipment and collecting your fee right? Guess again. Over the years I’ve seen many bands fail to do the following immediately after a show. You …

Below are just a few hints and reminders for anyone aiming to get their own gigs by telephone or “cold calling.” For most new bands don’t forget you have to start somewhere – so this article mostly applies to you. –        Make a top to bottom venue listing within your locale and adjacent regions. –        …

So there you were, your band was ready to play a smash mouth gig, a popular watering hole on a Saturday night. The music has been rehearsed, the equipment leased, the stage arrangements all set up. But three weeks out, the club owner discovered that tickets hadn’t been sold, and …

I have supplied you an example of booking letters you should check out. There is a comprehensive Entertainment Agencies contract sample and a very basic letter used by acts/bands/venues to confirm bookings, both of which can be adapted to your requirements. *** NOTE – The Contract and Booking letter is …

Being in a band and playing for fun is great if you have no aspirations for quitting your day job. But if the dream is to make a living in the music industry, you need to be play live period! Attacking the local live circuit is a great place to start. In …

If you suck at running sound – please quit! Sorry if I come across as being emotional about this next topic – but I cannot emphasize how critical running sound is. The issue is live sound. Some clubs around our locale no doubt use good gear. Some don’t. Some Indies bands …

A lot of bands debate on whether or not to hire a sound guy or do the setup themselves. If were talking quality venues, most professionals will in fact bring their own guy on tour with them. This keeps thing consistent show to show. If you don’t bring your own …

To get paying gigs in a club, the person you need to talk to is the club owner. The club owner will decide whether to book your band based on your demo CD. I’ve seen these people throw away CD’s without even listening to them based solely on the package appearance. …

So you got the gig, congratulations! Now what? Below are some simple tips to help you avoid those awful ‘oh no’ moments, especially if your band members are bad timekeepers, lousy with directions or have short term memories! Of course if you have never been late, missed, double booked anything, …