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How to Increase Your Band Gigs by 50%- New Survey, October 2008
Here’s some useful news for bands who want to play live gigs with their own material. A new survey by the publishers of Gig-Getter: How to get more gigs than you can play has revealed just how much more likely your band is to get gigs - if you include some covers as well.

The survey of semi-pro & amateur bands across 12 countries showed that 60% of original bands play at least some covers in their sets and those that do, play on average 50% more gigs than bands performing original material only.

“Most big name bands started out playing some at least some covers” says Gareth Bird, author of Gig-Getter.

“But if your band doesn’t like the idea of simply copying other people’s material you can stamp your own identity on a cover song. You can still get creative playing covers by taking a well-known song in a whole new direction. More to the point, it will help you get gigs.” adds Bird, a regular performer with his band at the Hard Rock Café.

The bands who took part in the survey were all subscribers to the free monthly emailed Gig-Getter newsletter aimed at helping semi-pro & amateur musicians get more gigs.
http://www.gig-getter.co.uk

The survey found the average number of band gigs played with “all original” sets of material to be 2 per month with “Original and some covers” at 3 per month. Original-only bands though, were twice as likely to be without a gig in any given month.

Guitarists were revealed as the most likely band member to be the chief gig-getter in any band. 30% of all those surveyed were Guitarists who’d taken on the job versus 24% of vocalists, 22% bassists, 15% drums and 9% keyboards/other instruments.

Gig-Getter Monthly Newsletter Launch - April 2008

Here’s something for you if you’re not sure how to get started playing live or your just not getting enough gigs. Gareth Bird, author of Gig-Getter: How to get more gigs than you can play is launching a free monthly newsletter aimed at helping you get your band out more often.

The newsletter which is delivered via email, will offer help around areas like finding and approaching venues, securing repeat bookings, producing demos, getting people to come to your gigs and making sure you get paid on the night. As well as updates on the latest gig-getting news for amateur and semi-pro bands you’ll also find performance-related tips such as creating great set-lists and putting together memorable shows.

Gig-Getter Launch Press Release: January 2007

DON’T LET YOURSELF LAPSE.

There’s nothing more frustrating for band members than endless rehearsals with no gigs in sight. But for many, waiting around for the next gig is something which may never change much. According to the Music Industries Association, latest figures for the numbers of guitars sold in the UK show a +25% rise year on year and are now double what they were in 1999. There are now some 4 million players many of whom would like to perform in public more than they currently do.

“The competition to get gigs will only become more intense”, predicts Gareth Bird, author of the new manual Gig-Getter: How to get more gigs than you can play©. “The MIA’s own Weekend Warrior initiative last year for example, created 80 new bands from 450 lapsed musicians aged over 35.”

Bird contends that getting plenty of fee-paying gigs without the need for an agent is something that any half-decent band can achieve. To fully succeed though in today’s competitive environment they must work out what’s different about their act and then learn how to comfortably sell that difference.

Gig-Getter: How to get more gigs than you can play© has 17 informative, inspirational and very practical steps to help guitarists and any band members get all the gigs they want. The material covers everything from finding potential venues then successfully approaching them, to creating a memorable live show and keeping venues sold so they book you time after time.

As of 2006 there were over 18 million lapsed musicians in the UK (c. 9 million guitarists), the bulk of whom had given up by the time they were 21.

“If more of these players had known how to make sure they got regular bookings they might still be playing now” says Bird.

MAGAZINE FEATURES

Total Guitar November 2007

Bass Guitar Magazine - October 2007

Bass Guitar Magazine September 2007

Bass Guitar Magazine - August 2007

Reverb Magazine - July 2007

Reviews

About the Author: Gareth Bird is an active semi-pro bassist who gigs regularly at venues like the Hard Rock Café. He has his own Sales & Marketing business advising a number of leading European companies and is the author of Gig-Getter: How to get more gigs than you can play. He has written about How to Get Gigs for Total Guitar, Bass Guitar and Reverb Magazines.Gareth is available for interview and can be contacted via the details below.

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Contact: Gareth Bird, GBA Publishing 52 Walton Road, Stockton Heath, Cheshire, U.K. WA4 6NL

Telephone: 00441925-757879 Email

Copyright 2008 GBA PublishingC