Open for National Touring Artists.
In my previous blog Open for National Touring, I have shared some important ideas to bag an offer to open for a national touring act. In this blog I am going to share some more points on the same subject.
It is unrealistic to expect a venue to want to book you as an opener unless you are different from the other applicants and well prepared for it. As I have mentioned in my previous blog, get a website for yourself and make sure your email to bookers has a link, so they can visit your website to learn about who you are, where you are based and the venues you currently play at. If you have no idea about making and managing a website, there are companies like HyperEffects that can help you connect with your target audience efficiently. Hyper Effects is one stop for your website, marketing and cyber development requirements. It helps you to create a website to display your talent or sell your indie music or indie art.
How you pitch to the bookers also plays an important role in getting you the offer. If you are new into your career, with little experience except playing at local clubs, then you probably need to give yourself some time before you try to get an opening for big artists. There are two reasons for this. One, they need you to draw your fans to the show, which is possible only if you are famous at least locally. These fans will warm up the rest of the crowd for the main performance. In return they give you stage time in front of a huge audience. Two, they travel with their own tour support. They don’t need you unless they can benefit from you. As I have mentioned in my blog Music Festivals, be reasonable in your aspirations and act smartly. Mark important places around you on a map that can be beneficial to you for a performance. Aim at getting a festival gig in these places and give your best at those performances. If you are really good, there is a high chance that you will grab an offer at one of these performances. Otherwise, you will at least become famous locally, which is the first step forward in your career as an indie artist.
For an opening performance, find gigs with ‘next level’ artists who are not too famous, but bigger than you. That makes more sense because it forms a good match from the perspective of the venue. The chances of you opening for this type of artist are much higher. You don’t necessarily have to know them as big artists. So don’t be afraid to open for artists whose names you don’ t recognize; It can still be a good opportunity for you to make yourself known to the band’s fans.
Strategize
Maintain a list of all one-level-up venues in your area. Keep moving from opening gig in a 100-seater to 300 and 500-seater. Thereafter, start reaching out to cities and towns close by. Look up the web to find good opener spots available around. They are going to get you bigger and better shows. Bigger shows are sure to bring you more exposure by way of advertising.
Pay Attention
Be active and informed all the time. The indie music industry is moving at such a fast pace; you cannot afford to miss an opportunity. Bookmark all the venues that you have on the list that we discussed earlier. Keep a track of their monthly calendars to see which artist and bands have been added. Even if you find names that you haven’t heard before (as we mentioned above), visit their website, watch their videos, listen to their music. It will help you determine if you’re a good match for any of the upcoming shows. If there is an artist performing that you feel you can open for and they still do not have an opener, go ahead and send an email to the venue.
As I have mentioned in my blog More Tips and Tricks, while sending out an email to potential bookers to book a shows in advance, remember, it is very important for not-so-famous indie artists to prepare a good pitch for the email. The pitch should typically include your genre and style, link to your website and other social media accounts, preferably the ones that have reviews, likes and followers.
Be Patient
Pitch yourself several months in advance. Most national touring acts go through stages of approval before they add someone to join for support. The venue cannot add you unless they have a go-ahead from the band’s management. So give time to the organizer to get back to you. It is also a good opportunity to look out for if a band has a show in a few weeks and there is still no opener listed for them. Your chances of getting the spot could be high.
Please share your experiences in the comments section and I will add them in my future posts.
