Seattle Music News

Welcome To the Working Week pt. 2 Okay, so this is what I'm thinking... if we're really going to do one of those deep inside looks at what goes on “behind the scenes” at a music club (and I'm pretty certain, that's what we're going for here) then lets try starting from the ground up... and where does it all begin? The demo. The initial introduction between club and artist right? You know the first thought in a bands mind is “How do I get them to listen to this?” and the first thought in a club bookers mind is “Um, do I really want to listen to this?” (Yeah, it sounds snotty but it's true, so we're just going to have to accept that) Now, there are definitely things one can do to increase the likelihood of getting your demo reviewed... and sadly just because it gets reviewed doesn't guarantee a show but it does take you one more step in the right direction. So okay... if you were looking for ways to get a bookers attention, you could tape a $50 to you demo... I mean, that'd definitely garner a response I would think (truth be told, I've made that suggestion for years but have yet to receive anything and still end up booking a lot of bands, so maybe that's more wishful thinking than anything else.) Or you could include a bunch of snacks (pre-packaged would probably be safer) as who doesn't like snacks you know? Honestly, I'm not trying to condone bribery here. The point I'm trying to make is that a) you definitely want your demo to stand out (and we haven't even gotten to the music part of it yet have we?) and b) be memorable as well. I think a good rule of thumb is that you can't expect other people to take your demo anymore seriously than you do. So, if you mail off a cd-r with no artwork and some scribbled sharpie writing... well, it's like going to a job interview in flip flops and cut-offs isn't it? There was a band that a few years ago that sent me a demo that was a walkman strapped to a board that had been decorated in artistic drawings and notes and whatnot. Still sticks out very clearly in my mind. Actually have the thing posted up in my office at home. See what an impression that made? And bam! Couldn't have made it any easier for me to listen to and sure enough I did. So, mission accomplished right? Also, a good thing to keep in mind is that your contact info should be readily available (on the cd itself is a pretty smart idea too). I mean, you really want to make it as easy as possible to be contacted don't you? Well, of course you do. Now what do you do if in submitting your music, it's not a cd but a web link that you're e-mailing over... well, okay that definitely can be easier than mailing a cd but all the more reason to make sure it stands out a little more than the other mass of missives being sent. I know having an e-mail with too many words can make the whole thing wash out and that really seems to be the opposite effect from what you're going for doesn't it? It does help to have the pertinent info in the message sure... like when you're looking to play, who you'd like to play with, how many people you can bring (think of this one like an online dating profile... if you lie, your date is going to find out the truth eventually and then where are you?) and so forth. Never hurts to be funny or include a recipe or something. Again, keep in mind that bookers and agents get a lot of these messages a day and if you're going to make it onto their radar, then doing something a little different might take a little more time (and yes I know being different and creative for every single club you're sending out to can be time consuming) but in the long run chances are it will pay off for you much more than just doing the “usual” you know?