Martin Atkins' Tour:Smart: Neither Snappy Answers Nor Stupid Questions!

This week I’m excited. I just signed a distribution deal with IPG here in Chicago, I’m heading to NYC in early August for another gallery show, interviews, and a bit of drumming with The Lunar Bear Ensemble -- who were in many ways the inspiration that enabled the revolving door of Pigface. And, if you'd like a live case study while I am out there, send me an e-mail and I’ll come and sit on your couch and paint a useful horrible picture of what the future holds for you. So, as promised, I’m looking at a part of one of the case studies – a local Chicago band called Hay Perro, as they describe themselves:

“We are a four piece band from Chicago that plays loud rock with punk and some pop overtones. We have been together for about a year, played about a dozen shows, and recently released our debut EP. We're very pleased with both the recordings and the current state of our live show and we feel that we're ready to take the proverbial next step and we're trying to figure out the best way to approach said step.

Local shows:
The conventional adage is to play anytime, anywhere, but in order to have a consistent draw (which club owners love) we usually limit shows to about once a month. This generally seems to be the best frequency of keeping people interested, but not killing our draw (which while originally just friends is now expanding to casual acquaintances and people we don't know personally). While initially we just played with friends' bands, now we are trying to branch out and stay in touch with other bands we have played with that have a similar sound (and audience). When booking, we're honest with venues in telling them that we usually draw about 15 people and on a few occasions we've drawn more than 20. We're pretty comfortable with how local shows have been working out, but we still have some questions:

Q - (HP) - We sometimes get offers (usually from other bands) to play a show close to another one that we already have scheduled. For obvious reasons, venues ask that we not play out too often. Do the benefits of extra exposure generally outweigh the cost of splitting your draw between two shows?

A - (MA) - Nope, splitting your exposure, errrr, splits your exposure and, it’s an easy way to piss off a club owner or booker – or at least make them think that you don’t have a clue about what makes a show important. So, what about emailing a bunch of these bands and saying, “HEY, we all keep doing this to each other at the last minute – adding a band to the bill in an attempt to double each of our small audiences. Rather than doing this at the last minute in an ineffective way – we aren’t going to do any other shows in the 8 weeks except for ____ in 8 weeks time……..if there are one or two of you fuckers that have had a similar experience – or, are prepared to admit it instead of waffling on about your last amazing show to a throbbing crowd (which actually means the three people down the front had a headache) then get in touch – we are doing a small FREE show at ________ on this date. The venue has said they will give us all a case of beer each and their best soundman!”
Meet with the other two bands, try and do some flyering, put together a three band, two tracks per band free giveaway CD to get more people to the show and try and latch on to any other event. Between three (or four) bands you can brainstorm some interesting ideas and try to get plugged into something! But at least, if YOU organize this, you are showing a promoter that YOU understand, even if one of the bands screws up and accepts a show close to the big show you are organizing, at least they can see that you are trying. See the answer to the next question for more ideas to do with this issue……

Q - Similarly, we also sometimes get offered shows where we know we won't draw well because of date or location. From the standpoint of building relationships with venues, is it better to play a show to a minimal turnout or to decline the offer?

A - You could ask the venue if they are stuck for a band. Because if they are, you’d be happy to help out even though it isn’t going to help you with your new strategy for moving further up the slippery ladder. (You know, the one with most of the rungs partially cut through, that smells like it’s been doused with gasoline and is riddled with dry rot, wet rot and termites? That ladder!) So, you want to build up your relationship with the venue – letting them know that they can count on you in a crisis – but also let them know that there are repercussions for you. They might assure you that they will not forget the favor.

Q - What is a reasonable negotiation strategy for getting paid after shows? Are we still at the point where we should be glad to get anything, or is it acceptable to push a little? At our last show, we drew more than 20 people at $6 each and we got paid $20. Is asking for more considered unprofessional and ungrateful?

A - Good question. Let’s think it through. It’s not unprofessional or ungrateful to ask for more money – there just doesn’t seem to be much point. IF you TRIUMPH, and, double your $$$! Wow, you did it you did it! You showed them! Yeah you did, and, between the four members of your band you each put an extra FIVE DOLLARS in your pocket – or looked at another way, you almost paid for the gas and the first round of drinks! Is it really worth raising the subject? I’d suggest just keeping your heads down and not causing any problems… The currency that you want to be paid in, the most precious coin is OPPORTUNITY. So, you need to PUSH in another direction. How about asking if the venue would agree to some kind of drinks special for an hour if you (and the other three bands) agree to waive any fee? You might be surprised at the reaction from the venue. THEN you will be able to hype the event with something that people are interested in - cheap booze! This will be a nice reward for anyone of your friends that has already seen you seven times and a great incentive for anyone that hasn’t. OK, so, approach a venue with this idea: For a Monday or Tuesday night, maybe give the first one a name – “The Unknown Zone,” “Four More Crap Bands,” “The New Music Endurance Test,” all of these bands sound terrible but with drinks at these prices you won’t care! Then you can look for bands to join you on the night that you have created! BUT, now you are on the hook. If two of the bands are horrible, stupid, disrespectful assholes, you will be on the line for it. So, you are trading off something that might be very difficult to deal with – getting a larger crowd – for something that isn’t too hard for some people – dealing with assholes. MAKE SURE YOU ARE THE LATTER AND NOT THE FORMER.
I skipped ahead to one of your next questions (next time) and saw that you want to head out of town. Why not offer this opportunity to one of the out-of-town bands that might have a foothold in Chicago? Or be close enough that some of their fans might travel to support them in Chicago (for cheap beer!) so that when you want to head out to Milwaukee, you have already done some groundwork??

A - Do yourself and everyone else a favor and TRY and streamline some of the equipment issues. Avoid a band with a drummer with 37 tom toms, bells, gamelan and a gong. See if all of the bass players will share a rig. Simple stuff that will allow a three or four band event on a Monday or Tuesday night to NOT become some kind of 2am fiasco. The club owner will tell you it’s a late crowd on a Tuesday – and he’s right – they’re not coming ‘til THURSDAY!

Ok, see ya….stay cool, unless of course you are reading this in Canada and then you are just the coolest fuck on the planet, aintcha!

MA

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