what would that be
Well, you'll need a decent repertoire so work on having 45 minutes of material polished and ready to roll (the average length of a support slot).
Do as many pub/ club gigs as you can - nobody will take you on if you have no track record.
Get some CD's run off to send round to managers with your details - you'll find music managers in the phone book. Be prepared that if they don't want you they won't even bother to call and say so.
Remember that the first gig your new manager will put you up for is a £20 support slot on a Monday night in a London club, and then it'll be six nights touring the remote places in the country to make sure you can hack being on the road together.
You can't play Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham in that order cos the guy in Manchester won't take you unless his mate in Leeds says you're good, so be prepared to travel a lot for little reward. Oh, and the guy in Birmingham's got a mate in Plymouth who'll book you but only if the guy in Manchester liked you.
Have T-shirts made, coffee cups, baseball caps etc to sell - you make more money that way in the early days.
Have a batch of CD's run off to sell or give away at gigs to get your name out there.
Remember, managers get paid a percentage, and sound and lighting engineers and roadies don't do it for free either.
Have fun, and god luck,
A :-)
"Be good at what you can do" - Fingerbanger"
I have always felt that it is better to do what is beautiful than what is 'right'" - Eliot Fisk
Wedding music and guitar lessons in Essex. Listen at: http://www.rollmopmusic.co.uk
Yeah, the list does go on and on... but that's what a manager is for. If you're looking at hiring the whole list yourself, cross off manager - you've taken on that role.
I assume you want good people. That means people who know how to do the job - and that means people who've done the job before. So look for them:
Managers - if you decide to go the manager route, talk to other acts. They'll tell you who seems dedicated to their acts, and who is just building a big stable. They'll be more than willing to share horror stories too.
Agent - talk to venue owners. An agent is only as good as the gigs they can get, and they get the gigs from venues.
Distributor - flip through several months of Billboard. Read every listing in the top 200. Below each listing is the 'imprint' (label) and the 'distributing label'.
Publisher - look at acts in your genre that recorded covers. A publisher got that cover placed with the band... and they'll be listed in the copyright on the CD liner notes.
Publicist - make a list of bands that get great publicity in your genre. Google their press releases. Find the line that says 'media contact' and call them.
Road manager - venue owners again. They'll know who's on top of the details when acts come from out of town.
For information on touring overseas, the best source I've seen is an out-of-print book by vibist Gary Burton called "The Musician's Guide to the Road". It's got tons of information on things you've never thought about - like getting carnets for your gear (sorta like a passport for equipment, so you can import/export it from each country without taxes). The book's probably got enough information for you to act as your own road manager if you're so inclined.
Three others you want to think about for your team, especially if you manage yourself:
Accountant - part of a manager's role is to keep the books, pay the bills, and make sure the taxes are paid on time. Not paying taxes can land you in jail. Taxes get a lot more complicated when you deal with merchandise (as a label does) than just income (as an artist)
Lawyer - when you deal with a distributor, this will be essential. Contracts are long and confusing. Make sure it's a lawyer who specializes in intellectual property.
Insurance agent - lots can go wrong, from stolen gear to medical emergencies. All of the bad stuff is expensive, and most is insurable.
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
thank you
Lol, being a truely independent artist is HARRRD. There so much work.
Everything you want to do is great and yes it is hard but and it's a big but ... you're only as good as your material. In other words no one books anyone etc etc if they can't make a buck off of you. So what is the essence here. You may be putting the cart before the horse. Do you have an hour of great tunes or not.
good luck
"Nothing happens until something moves."
Albert Einstein
