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What Will it Sound Like Live?

When I'm working, I usually have music playing in the background.  Today a band called Jellyfish came on, which got me thinking about the songwriting and recording process.

We're at a time in the music business where it is very easy to go crazy when recording something.  Unlimited tracks, samples, effects, etc.  And there are plenty of people who take advantage of all this stuff, by adding, and adding, and adding things to the mix.  More samples, more instruments, more harmonies, etc.

Here's the problem...  Does it work live?

Live performance isn't the only way to make money in the music business, but it's where most independent musicians and bands make the majority of their money.  And to be successful at it, you have to have material which works well via live performance.

It's great to have a slickly produced record.  It's great to take advantage of new recording technology.  But don't forget that the purest form of connection with fans is made via live performance.  They can hear you, see you, smell you, touch you, and receive a complete experience, not just the aural one they get with a recording.

If you're song doesn't work in a stripped down, able-to-be-played-live way, how are you going to connect like this?

You're not.

If you're musician who plays live, when you're writing and recording songs, ask yourself, "What will it sound like live?"  And if it doesn't work live, don't do it.

Put this into the mix when you're working on a new album and I promise you it will change your career.

Musicians Are in The Drink Selling Business, So Get Paid for It!

Got another great comment about my Top 10 Ways to Get More Money from a Gig post, which I feel will help you guys.  It's a great way to make more money and also get take advantage of free nights, which often don't have a lot of competition. 

This one came via email, so I'm posting it here...

One thing you might add is that a performer or band can find a venue that has a dead night, like a Monday or Tuesday, and offer to play for the door and 10 to 20 points at the bar.  I've gotten 15 points of a bar plus the door.

 

I got this tip from Flamin Harry, who said that no one would book him and his original band in the late 70s and early 80's, so he went to a corner bar and drank and drank and noticed that only 1 other person was there, the bartender.

 

It's a good tip and I've made at least $2000 from it.

It's a great tip!  And thanks to Ian Bruce for sending it in!

Thoughts?  Post 'em below...

Gas is $4/Gallon - Should You Add a Fuel Surcharge for Gigs?

Another comment to my Top 10 Ways to Get More Money from a Gig post...

"Do you think musicians (especially touring acts) should adjust their asking price due to the huge increase in gas prices?"

My response...

Everybody else is.  UPS has an extra charge for every package they deliver.  USPS just increased postage rates.  American Airlines now charges $15 for the first piece of checked baggage and $25 for each additional piece of checked baggage.  I could go on and on...

Chances are that other bands on the road are increasing prices, so you probably wouldn't be the first to do it.  But even if you were, it's still the perfect excuse for a price increase.  You've got a "reason why" which almost everybody can relate to.

But, like a duet with Justin Timberlake, just because everybody else is doing it and you could probably get away with it, doesn't mean you should.

I believe is doing anything that you can do separate yourself from the next guy.  The fact that club owners are now paying more for talent (and probably other things, such as beer and food) will help you stand out when you approach them with a "fuel prices are going up, but we've decided to keep our prices the same as last year" pitch.

People like bargains and you'll be giving one without making yourself come off as cheap.  You'll also be doing the guy a solid, which will likely come back to help you in the future, when you need him to come through for you.

With that said, if you're playing a new place, go ahead and raise your prices a bit.  You should always be in the process of raising your prices!

But now is a better time than most.  Why?  Everybody else is raising prices, so it's likely that you'll still come off like a bargain.  Don't mention a "fuel surcharge" though.  Club bookers feel the same way about it as you do-- they hate to have somebody "nickel and dime" them.  Just because you can get away with it, doesn't mean you can forget good marketing and the fact that the guy needs to feel like he's getting his money's worth. 

And speaking of good marketing... The "fuel surcharge" (or in your case, lack thereof) is something you might want to mention in negotiation.  And on the invoice, cross out the price and note it as "FREE."  Like I said, you want the guy to feel like he's getting a bargain, even if he's paying you just as much because you raised your talent fee.

Thoughts?  Please hit the "comments" link and and share them with other MusicMarketing.com readers.

Twitter - How Musicians Can Use it to Get More People to Gigs

Twitter is a social networking application that lets people "follow" you on daily activities via RSS feed, mobile phone text messages, instant messenger, or web.

For an example of how it works, check out my page. And if you want, feel free to "follow" me.

Most of the time, it gets really annoying when people post a message about every part of their day and exactly what they're doing...eating cereal, walking up a flight of stairs, getting a bikini wax, etc.

ZZZZZzzzzz... Nobody cares!

But, with that said, Twitter is still a great way to reach out to people.  And since the messages are sent via mobile phone and you can reach people when they're out doing things, it's a great way to reach people about live events.

My idea...

Set up an account on Twitter for each city that you play.  For example, if your band is called Band XYZ, and you play Nashville, Memphis, and Atlanta, I'd set up three accounts:

1. BandXYZ-Nashville
2. BandXYZ-Memphis
3. BandXYZ-Atlanta

Then, when you have a gig in Nashville, you can send a message to "BandXYZ-Nashville" and let everybody know. 

Have you gotten my new audio book about networking?  In it, I talk about the importance of building rapport and how "multiple touches" can help to speed that up, even if it's something quick, such as a message on Twitter.

By the way, if you haven't gotten this audio book, you can download it free with the form on the righthand column of this site. :)

Back to Twitter, rapport, and promoting local shows...

Just booked a show in Nashville?  Let "BandXYZ-Nashville"  know about it.

Playing tonight in Memphis?  Send "BandXYZ-Memphis" a reminder, a few hours before the show.

Did you record the show you did in Atlanta last night?  Let "BandXYZ-Atlanta" know they can download it on your website.  Have some photos of the show posted?  Let them know that too.

As you can see, it's easy to reach out to people, multiple times, with content which is relevant to them.  As people who "follow" you can see other people on the follow list, Twitter is also a great place for fans to connect with other fans.

Interested in more ways to use Twitter? Check out my Twitter page and "follow" me.  When I come up with new ways to use it, you'll be the first to know. 

NOTE: Don't give up on your email list and also your postal mail list.  Not everybody uses Twitter and you want to reach out to as many people as possible.  And while I'm on the subject of "old school" ways to connect with folks, if you really keep up to date on all the latest music marketing stuff, make sure you subscribe to the feed.

15,000 CDs in 18 Months -- No Joke!

Yeah, it's April Fools Day, but this is no joke!

This guy has sold 15,000 of his CDs in the last month playing on Santa Monica PIer.

How? In my opinion, a lot of it has to do with his thought process and the way he approaches things...

Tori Amos Yells at Fans, Then Kicks Them Out of Show

Last week, Tori Amos was performing in San Diego and got a bit agitated at a couple of fans whom she didn't feel were paying as much attention like they should.

Video is below.  It happens around 2:25.

In my opinion we've certainly come to a place in this country where people don't really know how to act in movies or other performance situations.  It's common to see people take phone calls and otherwise interrupt the show for others.  But is getting up out of your seat to get a drink something that warrants this kind of abuse?

I've always thought that the show needs to go on, regardless of who is in the audience or how they are behaving.  In other words, you can't blame people for being bored.  Keeping the audience entertained is the performer's job.  And these two people paid a premium price for these seats.  Last time I checked, that was Tori's qualification for obtaining the tickets...she didn't limit buyers to "people who appreciate music." If you're paying for a show, it's obvious that you appreciate it on some level.

I've never seen something like this happen with an independent band, but I've certainly seen examples of acts who expect to audience to behave a certain way.  Again, it's the performers job to make this happen.  If the audience isn't standing up and dancing, as the guy with the mic and PA system, that's your responsibility.

Take a look and let me know what you think...

Opinions? What do you think of the general situation?  And what do you think about this specific incident?  Did Tori help or hurt herself?