Unsigned Band - Looking to Promote EP and Organise a small tour

cookiekelly

In a nutshell, we are an unsigned Irish band in our early - mid 20's, based between Wicklow and Dublin. We are all experienced gigging musicians and have done the pub/wedding circuit with various bands for years. We are however, relatively inexperienced when it comes to promoting our own original material. We are looking to book up a mini tour to promote our debut EP, and I was wondering could anyone offer any help/suggestions on venues etc anywhere in the country. We are Beatles/The Band influenced, and can fill a 2 hour set with Originals and covers no problem.

Thanks in advance

Kettleson

cookiekelly wrote: »

In a nutshell, we are an unsigned Irish band in our early - mid 20's, based between Wicklow and Dublin. We are all experienced gigging musicians and have done the pub/wedding circuit with various bands for years. We are however, relatively inexperienced when it comes to promoting our own original material. We are looking to book up a mini tour to promote our debut EP, and I was wondering could anyone offer any help/suggestions on venues etc anywhere in the country. We are Beatles/The Band influenced, and can fill a 2 hour set with Originals and covers no problem.

Thanks in advance

Get a road map. Work out when you are all free. Look at towns on the map. Find out what venues there are in those towns that play your sorta music. Call the venue. You better get your skates on as good venues have booked bands months in advance.

Expect to be payed very little. You have more commercial value to a pub as a covers band than you do as an originals band. Expect to be sleeping rough enough.

Find out what local radio station covers the town you will be in. Arrange interview in advance. Have your face book and good live links to the band playing to forward to the venues. That's the first thing any promoter will want to see. If you ain't got that, don't even start to try to get gigs.

Check out originalIrish bands that are building a name for themselves, but not too big. Check out where they are playing. Those venues are good places to start contacting.

Expect to be playing to very few to begin with, and expect to make a loss. It's all about making an impact and building a fan base for next time.

Bring your EP with you and flog it at the gigs. Lastly, plan your set so that you clearly come across as a band that plays originals, otherwise you'll end up as just another covers band who write a few of their own toons. Get going lad.

cookiekelly

Cheers for that, that's pretty much exactly what I've been doing. I guess I was hoping for replies from people who might suggest venues that might be of use to us

Kettleson

For all of Ireland? Ive organised Irish tours for UK bands and it can be very time consuming if you're not focused. Sort your intended locations as a starting point.

Like how many days are you looking for? If you pick 7 nights in different locations that's your start. Forget about festivals at this stage, leave that to next year if you've made an impact.

Sort out the road map and post up the locations, then you might begin to get a bit of meat on the bone.

For example in Cork, the Old Oak Is your best etc..