Indie Bible - Darkjoy

Be humble and thankful
You’re in a strange town and a new club, act like a guest. Nothing ticks off a club owner/promoter who’s taken a
chance on an unknown band more than out-of-towners swaggering into a club like Paris Hilton in an episode of
“The Simple Life.” No matter how cool you are in your own town, this is unproven ground and your first
impression is important. Ask, don’t demand. Set up quickly. Play at an appropriate volume. Clean up after
yourselves. Be friendly and courteous. Say “please” and “thank you”. Unless you’re booking in Jerkville USA,
this positive attitude could set you well on your way to a repeat booking with better perks and more local support.
Seize every opportunity
If you’re going to take the time away from work, family, and the buzz you’ve built in your own music community
to head out into the great beyond and conquer unknown lands…you might as well come back with something other
than lovely memories and an out-of-state parking ticket. You’re in a new place and the possibilities are endless.
Sell CDs. Sell T-shirts. Get new names on your mailing list. Solicit local reviews, interviews, and radio.
Introduce yourself to other club owners for future bookings. Find out who books local festivals. Play an
impromptu house party after your gig. Make new friends that can street team for you next time. Think of
something I haven’t even written here and do it!
Don’t expect to conquer the world in one tour
Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your touring empire be. Have fun. Enjoy each trip and using it as a
building block to make each tour to that particular place better and more elaborate. Play your cards right, and after
a few trips you may be making terrific money, have secured lodging (either new friends let you crash or a club
pays for a motel), get food and drinks comped, and guaranteed press and radio coverage.
In short, touring can be the best thing that ever happened to your band if you work hard, play it smart, and follow
through correctly. But no matter how much you love to tour, always remember to keep your foot in the door
locally. It’s the great work that you do at home that makes other clubs excited about you bringing your show to
their town.
Sheena Metal is a radio host, producer, promoter, music supervisor, consultant, columnist, journalist and
musician. Her syndicated radio program, Music Highway Radio, airs on over 700 affiliates to more than 126
million listeners. Her musicians’ assistance program, Music Highway, boasts over 10,000 members. She
currently promotes numerous live shows weekly in the Los Angeles Area, where she resides. For more info:
http://www.sheena-metal.com.
t h e m u s i c b u s i n e s s
10 KEY BUSINESS PRINCIPLES
by Diane Rapaport, author of "A Music Business Primer"
© 2007 Reprinted with permission.
Given two bands (or two businesses) that have equal talent, the one that incorporates the business principles
below will often have a competitive edge.
Business principles to follow
1. Get to know the people you work with personally. Go out of your way to meet them.
2. Make it easy to for people to associate with your business.
• Show up for gigs and appointments on time
• Keep promises you make
• Phone people back in a timely manner
• Have a positive attitude
• Pay your bills on time. If you cannot, call people up and explain your situation.
• Be nice to secretaries and receptionists. Often the "gatekeepers" for access to their bosses.
• Develop long-term relationships with service vendors.
• Key business people have few minutes to listen. State what you want succinctly and politely.
• Say thank you. Forgive easily. Anyone can make a mistake.
The Indie Bible - 7 h Edition 1157 www.indiebible.com