Getting to the point where you decide that you or a band are ready to go out and play gigs in the real world is truly an exciting milestone! The idea of crowds, good times and showing off your music is part of what keeps performers motivated to keep playing. It is not always clear however how to get started. Who exactly do you contact to get booked for a gig? Besides being well rehearsed are there any other requirements? This article will clear up some of the mystery of getting yourself or your band booked and playing shows.
A great place to start if you haven’t played out anywhere before is an open mic. An open mic event is usually held at a coffee shop or bar and is considered to be a low key event. The advantages of booking a coffee shop gig is that you get to try out music on a smaller size crowd while gaining performance experience. To book yourself for one of these, you usually just show up, sign up for a time slot and simply wait your turn to play. Open mics are great for trying out new songs that you haven’t worked out with your band yet. Often there is a donation jar for artists, so while you shouldn’t expect to make a significant amount of money, you might be able to buy yourself dinner! Here is a list of some open mic venues in the Fort Collins area:
- Bean Cycle
- The Alley Cat
- Avogadro’s Number
- Genoa Coffee and Wine
Another option for vocalists is to try out karaoke events. A great place to go is Chipper’s Lanes karaoke on sunday nights. While low pressure and fun, the event is run like a contest; your stage presence, musicianship and overall performance can get you some nifty prizes.
If you feel that you are further along in your quest to perform at a higher profile gig, a little bit of homework needs to be done first.
Most venues book bands based on what their “Press Kit” looks like. A press kit is basically a musician’s resume and is used for booking shows. Having a good, professional looking press kit is critical especially if you are just starting out as a band. A good press kit for a brand new band should include web links (reverbnation profile, bandcamp profile, band website), recent videos, a professional looking band photograph and an admat (a poster design for the band). That being said, getting a website put together and having a web presence can be a bit time consuming but it is not difficult. Websites like Reverbnation and Bandcamp are an easy way for people to access your recorded music in addition to a website dedicated specifically to your group.
Unless you have some sort of recording of your music available, you probably won’t get booked anywhere. Quality recording can get substantially expensive but is worth the investment if you can make it. If not, which is more likely, try making friends with people who are into recording or try to research inexpensive home studios (like yours truly). StudioK can get a good video/recording of a singer songwriter or a small ensemble which gets both the music and a video done in one sitting!
Once you have your press kit set up, it is time to start contacting potential venues for shows. Booking information for a venue is usually available on their website, you can attach a copy of your press kit along with a brief message asking if the venue has any dates available for booking performances.
Here is a list of venues in Northern Colorado that are worth contacting for booking performances:
- The Boot
- Everyday Joes
- The Whiskey
- Surfside 7
- Pateros Creek
- Moe’s BBQ
- The Mishawaka
- Yum Yums
- Colorado Room
- Ricky B’s
- Crown Pub
Thank you for reading, I hope this article was helpful. Good luck in all of your future endeavors.