Re: Finding Gigs

["Bob Maglinte" <bbqbob917@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Linda Delong" <delongj@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "harp-l" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, July 05, 2004 8:44 PM
Subject: RE: Finding Gigs


>
>
>
>
> > [Original Message]
> > From: Jimbeau Harp <jimbeauharp@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> > To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > Date: 7/5/2004 9:57:43 AM
> > Subject: RE: Finding Gigs
> >
> >
> > >From: Robb Bingham <robbingham@xxxxxxxxx>
>
> >
> > Successfully booking a gig has more to do with your business skills than
> > your musicianship.
>
>
>     The above is probably the hardest lesson for most aspiring musicians
to
> learn. It's a very hard pill to swallow when you see bands that you know
> can't play as well as yours get gig after gig in your local market.There
is
> usually one person in each group that has the mindset to be the "business"
> guy for the band.That person may not really want to do the footwork
> involved but,as in my case, gets the job by default. Ideally, a band
should
> be a democratic organization and decisions should be by consensus; if this
> isn't the case, and you want to gig, then you either have to take the lead
> and do the booking or find a new band.It's harsh but it's reality - the
> music biz ain't for sissies...
>
>
>       Jeff

Hi,
That is the absolute truth!!! It ain't no kid's game and you have to do TONS
of self promotion, like it or not. In my experiences, democracies in bands
seldom works, and someone has to do the business end of things, and often
times, you want to delegate others to do certain jobs, but the bandleader
(who usually is the one doing the business end of things), who often has to
shell out more money to get things to happen than the rest of the band (and
the rest of the band are usually the biggest whiners and the last to do
anything), as in any other business, the rule of thumb is FOLLOW UP ON
EVERYTHING!!!! You cannot allow details to slip, because things can go
horribly wrong very quickly. If you take on the belief that you are an
"artiste," and are above doing the business end of things, like promotion,
etc., you're gonna get hurt quick, because  like it or not, you also ARE a
business, and you have to be organized and motivated 24/7 or everything
falls apart.

Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA
http://www.barbequebob.com
MP3's: http://music.mp3lizard.com/barbequebob/