How to promote a band

markwho

My bands are just after finishing recording our first single with a b-side. the radio mixs are being done at the moment, and a video being done after that. With printing following.
And i was just wondering what the best protocol is about promoting. Would we be best off approaching PR people, or would we better self promoting. We are grinding with gigs at the moment but the gig well is starting to run dry though. Our music contacts are pretty much zero.
Or even if we got a manager, where would we go to get one and all that jazz.
Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

PMI

We we're quoted 60k all in for 1st single....

Do ya want the number?

madtheory

All the answers are here:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055795864

markwho

PMI wrote: »

We we're quoted 60k all in for 1st single....

Do ya want the number?

Hahaha, are you serious. I'd just buy the single myself 5,000 times. Get no.1 chart. Get publicity from that. That should be a good headstart.
Wheres that 60k even go????

PMI

You couldnt buy it 5000 times, not enough petrol pumps in a day to show widespread purchases....

On release day have to have guys in band and friends in every town around buying CD's and downloading from the shops & Sites that count cant all be in one place or they will know

60k gets you supposedly into papers etc.. ? who knows...

markwho

Wow, 60k, god pr people must think musicians actually have money or something.
Heres my plan anyway, get two guys i dont like into the band. They can be decks or something mad like that. I kill one of them and frame it on the other. And even though our band has gone through so much we still trek. Think about free coverage in all major newspapers, and news shows.
Probably shouldnt be posting this in a public forum...

8k2q1gfcz9s5d4

hey mark, i just got a tex from you about joining your band???? Yea i have decks and life insurance, why you ask

Rockshamrover

markwho wrote: »

Wow, 60k, god pr people must think musicians actually have money or something.
Heres my plan anyway, get two guys i dont like into the band. They can be decks or something mad like that. I kill one of them and frame it on the other. And even though our band has gone through so much we still trek. Think about free coverage in all major newspapers, and news shows.
Probably shouldnt be posting this in a public forum...

You're safe enough here, there's only 60 people use this forum and we'll all keep silent for a grand each.:D

BaelNaMblath

Do some research about online promotion. Find blogs that listen to your style and send them one-sheets and singles.

PaulBrewer

Give us a listen then .....

What result do you want get out of this promotion ?

tweeky

PMI, €60K is a lot for an Irish single surely you mean €6K which is still steep.
€3k plus expenses will cover PR personnel with optional radio, TV and press ad's extra again.

markwho

What result do you want get out of this promotion ?

The idea of the promotion would be to get the name of the band out there, which would make it far easier for us to get gigs. Its very hard for a unknown band from roscommon to get gigs in dublin. And the music scene out our way isnt very good at all. We get some but not as many as we'd like.
In a dream world, we'd love to have a manager with decent music industry contacts. But no one seems to wanting to be taking on anyone at the moment. So for the moment its all self-management and self-promotion.

PaulBrewer

markwho wrote: »

The idea of the promotion would be to get the name of the band out there, which would make it far easier for us to get gigs. Its very hard for a unknown band from roscommon to get gigs in dublin. And the music scene out our way isnt very good at all. We get some but not as many as we'd like.
In a dream world, we'd love to have a manager with decent music industry contacts. But no one seems to wanting to be taking on anyone at the moment. So for the moment its all self-management and self-promotion.

Could we hear the track Mark ?

madtheory

I think I see where you're going with this Paul... carry on

judas101

I wish bands looking for advice would let people listen to the bloody tracks for some honest feedback.


Damn secret songs.

SeanHurley

Hi Mark,

if you are looking for gigs I think you would be better off spending your money on going to see other bands that are your peers. While at these gigs make it a point to introduce yourself to members of the band you have just seen. Be nice/friendly, find something to compliment about the gig. Chances are you will make the guy's night and he will remember you and your band. Do this a number of times and you begin to build a network.


The reality is gigs when starting out are hard to come by and you are depending on favours in the most part. The more people/bands you make friends with, the greater chance you have a snagging supports off people. For example you could try to engineer (no pun) a situation where you offer a support in Roscommon to a Dublin band if they reciprocate with a Dublin support - everyone is a winner. You find that most bands out there are part of a set of running buddies at different levels e.g. The Coronas-The Chapters-The Minutes seem to gravitate around each other and have shared the stage on a number of occassions. Try generate your own set of running buddies.

In my opinion spending money on PR is only useful if (a) you know you are unbelievably fantastic (b) you have an impartial third party opinion that you are unbelievably fantastic (c) you have a proven record in filling venues and have an ability to shift units. PR is a lot of dough and there is no guarantee that it will work.

krd

judas101 wrote: »

I wish bands looking for advice would let people listen to the bloody tracks for some honest feedback.


Damn secret songs.

I think these Roscommon boys are onto us. If we hear the track and it's any good we'll steal it and make millions.

And we'll send a bunch of Dublin gangland criminals to Roscommon to 'tie up a few loose ends'

I'll give you a tip of something I've seen done. Oasis, before they had management or anything, used to put a small ad in NME every week with just the word Oasis, nothing else. It cost very little. As time went on the ad got bigger - but still cost them very little. The whole thing - people who are really into music read the small ads - and eventually after a few months start asking - "who the **** are oasis?"


But it still doesn't change anything boys. If we find out ye're all hiding a hit down in Roscommon. We'll come down and take it from ye - and we'll have to kill everyone you're related to, and anyone who might have heard the track. All those mysterious murders around the country, that never get solved. That's us - If we hear something we like from Leitrim - that singer song writer is as good as dead.

PaulBrewer

Another Great Post Sean

SeanHurley wrote: »

Hi Mark,

if you are looking for gigs I think you would be better off spending your money on going to see other bands that are your peers. While at these gigs make it a point to introduce yourself to members of the band you have just seen. Be nice/friendly, find something to compliment about the gig. Chances are you will make the guy's night and he will remember you and your band. Do this a number of times and you begin to build a network.


The reality is gigs when starting out are hard to come by and you are depending on favours in the most part. The more people/bands you make friends with, the greater chance you have a snagging supports off people. For example you could try to engineer (no pun) a situation where you offer a support in Roscommon to a Dublin band if they reciprocate with a Dublin support - everyone is a winner. You find that most bands out there are part of a set of running buddies at different levels e.g. The Coronas-The Chapters-The Minutes seem to gravitate around each other and have shared the stage on a number of occassions. Try generate your own set of running buddies.

In my opinion spending money on PR is only useful if (a) you know you are unbelievably fantastic (b) you have an impartial third party opinion that you are unbelievably fantastic (c) you have a proven record in filling venues and have an ability to shift units. PR is a lot of dough and there is no guarantee that it will work.

markwho

Hahaha, yeah. I definitely wont post the song now. All you guys from the big shmoke is gonna steal and make millions. Ah no here it is for you aural pleasure. hopefully. They aint finished though and have to be remixed a bit. So please, be gentle :P

http://music.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=music.popupplayer&sindex=-1.0&shuffle=false&amix=false&pmix=false&plid=76026&artid=22358310&profid=479352531&friendid=479352531&sseed=0&ptype=3&stime=0&ap=1&rpeat=false

Hopefully that link works.

a situation where you offer a support in Roscommon to a Dublin band if they reciprocate with a Dublin support - everyone is a winner.

We tried this, but unfortunately there is a very small music scene, if none at all in roscommon. So its very unfair on the dublin band. And there are alot of dublin bands that wouldnt like that deal at all. Cant really blame them to be honest.

I'll give you a tip of something I've seen done. Oasis, before they had ....

That oasis thing is quite cool, i can imagine doing something similar today except on the internet. A viral campaign of a sort. Can be done for free on the internet too. Good ideas to steal here

SeanHurley

markwho wrote: »

We tried this, but unfortunately there is a very small music scene, if none at all in roscommon. So its very unfair on the dublin band. And there are alot of dublin bands that wouldnt like that deal at all. Cant really blame them to be honest.

Don't be so defeatist :P Create a music scene! Why not approach a local bar owner about the possibility of hosting a regular live gig night in the pub. I would imagine there are a fair few bands in Roscommon and her neighboring counties that are in the same boat - seriously networking is a huge part of getting gigs and making a name for yourself.

A bit of neck goes a long way too

Rockshamrover

markwho wrote: »

Hahaha, yeah. I definitely wont post the song now. All you guys from the big shmoke is gonna steal and make millions. Ah no here it is for you aural pleasure. hopefully. They aint finished though and have to be remixed a bit. So please, be gentle :P

http://music.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=music.popupplayer&sindex=-1.0&shuffle=false&amix=false&pmix=false&plid=76026&artid=22358310&profid=479352531&friendid=479352531&sseed=0&ptype=3&stime=0&ap=1&rpeat=false

Hopefully that link works.


We tried this, but unfortunately there is a very small music scene, if none at all in roscommon. So its very unfair on the dublin band. And there are alot of dublin bands that wouldnt like that deal at all. Cant really blame them to be honest.



That oasis thing is quite cool, i can imagine doing something similar today except on the internet. A viral campaign of a sort. Can be done for free on the internet too. Good ideas to steal here

Nice songs Mark. Fair play for posting. As you say, not the finished article, but a good basis to build on.

Good luck.