New bands - How to get up "out there"

Work towards an album, seriously!

Then you'll have a product to sell and get on the radio, wouldn't worry too much about gigs tbh.

Why would anybody go and see you if they dont know your songs??

Plus, do u think the big A&r record company guys are checking out bands in dublin at the moment?? Hmm doubt it,

Act professional and you'll be taken more seriously, hook up with some of the better producers in the country. They are easy to contact if your willing todo some searching!

Heya lads. Here's a few thoughts based on what I've learned in the last few years. The key is very hard work and A LOT (and I mean that) of patience. There's no great secrets or revelations in this, just logic that is often overlooked by some acts.

It is not what you know, it is who you know. Go out and network. Go to see bands play, everywhere you can in every style you can. Go talk to the bands (and their support) Don't shmooze like an asshole but congratulate them on their gig, ask what they're up to, when they're playing next. IF they're doing something you could realistically be part of, offer your help or support. Make your face and name recognized. Familiarity is one of the key elements in this business.

Also, meet and make friends with as many people as you can at these gigs. These are people who come to see live music, something you are looking for. Friends will come to your gigs, Friends are invaluable at helping getting your name out there. Make as many friends as possible.

Sounds good so far, goin out to gigs and meeting people and maybe a few drinks along the way While you're out though, remember you are working and networking. Pay attention to the band and the sound engineer and anyone else who is also working. Look out for what equipment is used, what needs to be mic-ed up and what's coming through the PA best. Look out for what songs and styles are working for the crowd most - and at what point of the night they are. Attain a professional knowledge.

Have business cards ready in case you meet someone that can ever help you - Promoters, DJ, Journalists etc. All it takes is a chance encounter to open up a new world for you- Don't be left behind because someone couldn't get in touch with you. On these cards, have links to all your online spaces. You should be present on every major social network. It is one of the key tools a band has in the modern day business. All contact details should be kept up to date and correct. All content should be entertaining and reflective of what you want to present your band as.

As you won't get many gigs at the start, concentrate on your online presence and on your craft. It goes without saying that you must always always improve yourself as a musician. And you must constantly strive to improve yourselves as a band and as songwriters. Always set your goals as high in this regard - as they are in your expectations of success.

Save up (or beg, borrow, steal) and get 3 of your best songs professionally recorded. Have them on your Myspace, Facebook, Soundcloud, Youtube etc etc etc. Post interesting things to say about (or around) your band on Twitter, at least once everyday. Get some photos taken. There are loads of people out there always looking to grow their portfolio. Find them. This doesn't cost you and you get some high quality product. Play to the strengths of your band, if someone is good with web design, media production etc, use them for that. If someone has a degree in commerce, put them in charge of money....

You can guess where the newly acquired friends come in with all this. Ask them to share your page / share links. Don't pester them, don't update your pages unless you have really something to say. Remember they are your friends as well as your audience.

If you have access to some home recording equipment, Record a cover in your band's own style and post it for free download every month / fortnight. This will improve your creative processes as well as provide content that people will enjoy and for free. Always give credit to original songwriter and always keep it fresh and interesting E.g don't just do classic rock covers, don't do just a indie version everytime. By the way, if you don't have home recording equipment, it is well worth investing in some. To record demos, as a songwriting tool and a way to learn about production.

As I said earlier, you won't get many gigs in the early days especially if you are doing your own stuff and especially if you want to get paid. There are however lots of little showcases around the place (especially in Dublin) that give a stage to indie bands. Now, I don't have a lot to good to say about this type of thing so I'm not gonna. However, It will be essential to hone your live set and there is no garage or practice space in the world that will allow you to do this. So get out and play. You will get depressed at stages, you will feel under-appreciated but you will learn and you will grow some much needed tough skin. Never pay to play though, ever. You've paid to buy your equipment, you've paid for any lessons you've gotten. You've paid in the hours you spent learning your instruments and writing your songs. You should never take it up the ass just to put it all on stage. If you make one new fan on these nights, consider it a success. Do this as much as you can at the start, get comfortable on stage. The more people you can bring to these things the better, it shows the bar manager (who knows other bar managers) or the promoter (who knows other.. yknow) you can bring a following to a place.

Now you're probably thinking at this stage (if you're still reading) "Yeah I know, get on with it".. What all of this is leading to is... If you want to play at the bigger venues or you can't understand why it can't be easier is that you have to have your crowd before you can have your venue. Unless you know someone in the business, you won't get in - unless you have a crowd, and to get a crowd you need to be truly special (like Jimi Hendrix special) or you need to be patient and work hard for years. If you work hard, you will get up the ladder eventually, it's called paying your dues, there are no quick fixes unless you are really lucky. You need to be in the right time at right place to be lucky, and to do that you need to be in as many places as you can (with a business card hopefully ). If you have a friend / relation that's in anywhere in the business. Hustle and get your band in there!

Think of your bio (that should be on your webspaces btw) as your CV and think of what a booker / promoter would like to read if they read that CV. Be patient and be innovative in getting those facts actually on your bio. Look outside of the music world at people who are promoting other things with innovative (and hopefully inexpensive ways) then steal their ideas and use them for your band.

You need to have as many songs/sounds as you can to hit as many people as you can. Also, think of all the acts that broke out because of their versions of other people's music (a free download is a great way of spreading those;)). So try and have a huge output of material and be good at your instrument to allow that output. Basically throw as much stuff as you can at the wall - and then you will have more chance of something sticking.

Lads, it is hard. It is soul-crushing. It is de-moralising. Often it's just one bad thing after another. Just work hard and be patient. Remember that you are in a business that can't exist without the music, but also music can't exist without the business. Have a foot in each camp, and think in both ways. The people who can help you most are often more interested in the business side - and that means they're after the people who are following you, so again the more you have the better. Also, there are some who actually care about the music so what you can do counts for more. So be good!

I hope, in some small way the above helps - as I said, no great revelations.