This is a tricky one! - I do all the bands bookings and PR an can spend hours on the phone and pc contacting likely (ish) venues, i usually start with a email, then follow up with the first of many phone calls - have patience this can take quite a while and you need luck as well as owt else to get a gig! I have found the line "we will do the first gig for a reduced price and then WHEN you rebook us the price goes up" works fairly well but not always!

Oh yes, only send a cd if and when the venue is interested as many of these venues don't listen to them anyway, send a link to a website or myspace site via email and let them chaeck you out this way, cheaper in the long run I;ve found!
Linda

Sorry mate, there's no sure fire way. Some pubs want CDs, some say they don't have time to listen to them. Just as well cos we never actually made one. One comment we got was "we don't want to hear what you are like in a studio, you've got to be able to play live". Catch 22.

We got a break by playing an hour set for free at a charity bash then got a gig from that. Then it was word of mouth and leg work. Jam nights are a good way of getting noticed both by publicans and other bands although you may end up travelling a fair way to play 3 songs for nowt.

Look at it from the pub's point of view. A bad band can empty the place and cost a couple of grand in lost takings. It's a risk that some pubs won't take. Be prepared to go in cheap on the first gig. Dangle the carrot. If they like you they will ask you back. It worked for us. We still do it sometimes nearly 3 years on.

Good Luck

Col

Pull yer finga out Keef !!!!!

Networking last night and may have something for you guys. ( sold me soul to the devil (again) to get a shot.

I run a venue and I will not put on a band unless we either have a demo cd or somewhere we can listen to them via myspace etc or even a local gig that we can go to. Then it comes down to quality of performance and whether I feel the material is suitable for my audience. Thirdly its price. Every venue is different and what bands need to remember is that the price you ask for, the landlord needs to take triple that just to cover your costs to break even without paying staff etc. e.g. bnad charge of £200, then £600 across the bar is needed. But if you have quality bands then the crowd come in and its worth paying those extra few bucks to get what you need. Speculate to accumulate so to speak.

The Roadhouse and The Ruby Lounge in Manchester will generally always put you on once, then you just gotta work your arse off to get people to turn up! Ticket venues are a bit risky though if you cant guarantee 30 ppl or so you'll rarely get booked again by the same venue. Try a few free city centre pub venues to cut your teeth.

Nige Here Ring the pub lancaster TOP TOP VENUE and great crowd

As long as the CD sounds good it doesn't do any harm to send one. I recently found one that Tourguide had sent us that had 'been put somewhere safe for me' - when I rang up it turned out they'd sent it about a year earlier, but it sounded good & their price was reasonable so I gave them a gig!! Always write what it is on the CD too!!

But, bear in mind, you could sound top playing live but a crap recording (on a CD or your website) could really put me off giving you a chance, so only use them if they're good.

I usually want to know the setlist and the price for a first gig. I'll look at past gigs to judge the bands experience, and if a band has a good website I take it as I sign they're serious about what they do and would be more receptive towards them. The cheaper first gig option is always going to be a good way to get a foot thru the door tho!!

Also, ALWAYS put a contact phone number, I'm happy to message thru NWB but can't be bothered with emails.

I sent our myspace link to about 20 live-music licensed pubs in Cheshire, and got one booking. I courted my own local for weeks, gave them a CD, phoned a few times, got the appointment to talk dates and was asked what kind of music we played. Then the landlady insisted that I'd told her we did Motown during a previous conversation. We went through the motions of a tentative date, then she would never confirm it for us. We wanted 125.00.

Sadly there are a few out there who fail to see the big picture.

Theres one def worth putting on the screw you too list.

NEVER sell yourselves short chaps, some places think that cheap equals desperate to get the gig and will 'try it on'.