bandGeek

While this site mainly tries to focus on the nerdy aspects of being in a band, there are a few common sense things that might be helpful to things. When playing a gig, how many times have you driven two hours to some venue only to realize you have no extra guitar strings or the venue doesn’t have enough mic stands for your horn section. Here’s a list of things, other than your instruments (if you forget those, you have bigger problems), that bands should try to bring to all shows….

• extra strings (extra guitars if you can)
• tuner (and extra batteries)
• extra picks
• extra guitar cables
• extra mic stands (especially if you’re a ska band!)
• notebook and pens (for mailing lists, writing set lists, etc.)
• your merch!
• some cash to make change when selling merch
• power cables (for amps, keyboards, etc.)
• power strip
• band-aids (some of us tear our fingers up while playing)
• finger nail clippers
• duct tape
• demos/one sheet (to give to other people who might want to book you)

If you want the draw the attention of a label or promoter, there are a few specific ways to publicize yourself that will really get results. Let’s face it; e-mailing venues three times a day or scrawling shameless plugs on a label’s MySpace page is not self-promotion.

One such way to acquire attention is to submit your music to print and online magazines for review. Now, it’s important to note that this is, by no means, an easy way to promote yourself. Submitting a CD will, however, expose you to new audiences and will give you more ammunition for self-promotion; I mean, having a magazine say that your lyrics are “poignant and well-spoken” is an effective way to make an impression.

Step One: Record Something Good—You might have to drop a dollar or two, but get yourself recorded in a way that represents your band. Don’t skimp out on this step; if you want reviewers to take you seriously, construct a clean recording that doesn’t compromise your talent and songwriting ability because you wanted to get it done quickly and cheaply. Also remember that it’s better to showcase your four or five best songs than to cram as much as you can onto an eighty-minute disc.

Step Two: Put It Together Professionally—Nothing screams “amateur” more than a CD-R with your band’s name scribbled on it in Sharpie, shoved into a plastic sleeve. Again, you might have to spend a few hundred, but get your disc duped by a company who does this sort of stuff professionally; they are easy enough to find on the internet (google “CD Duplication”). Slap some album art together (here, simpler is always better than complicated and cluttered) and get it printed on a two-panel insert and tray card. Foot for some on-disk printing and have it all crammed into a jewel case. Trust me when I say that your album’s artwork will make some kind of impression on your reviewer.

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