One of the oddest problems many of us musicians have is the resistance to self promotion. I don't understand this yet I have this problem as well.
Last year Gospel of Mars did a great gig at Zebulon with the Lawrence Clark trio. I learn alot from playing gigs with better players than I, but this night what really impressed me was watching Lawrence walk around the room with a clip board after his set and talk to every person in the room (with warmth and a smile!) and ask if they would like to be on his mailing list. I would never have thought about this had I not seen it. I played with Lawrence in Washington Square a few weeks later. I watched him approach lunch eaters in between songs with a cloth bag for money and that clipboard for emails, again using a gentle and warm approach.
I think the block comes when we think we are being invasive or pushy like a sleazy used car salesman with a pencil moustache and Marlboro mouthwash breath. There is no truth there, we needn't see self promotion this way at all. People want to see your performances! And in this noisy world with social networking and so much grabbing our attention, people want warmth, a smile and to be approached by another actual human being.
I did another gig this winter as a hired saxist for this fellows band. Nobody came. I insisted on being paid, it was time and energy spent so I got my fee. I asked him "what do you do to promote your shows, you do have 4 albums under your belt so you have been doing this for a while right?" His response killed me. "People have been giving me their info for the last 10 years and I usually just throw that info out!" I replied, "you do see that this isn't sane do you? You do see this as an insult to your fans right?"
10 years of gigging, 15 people at your gig. Why bother? And that's with 4 bands on the bill who are hoping that the other 3 will bring in more people. 10 years of people giving their info and the response is like "piss off, you don't really like my music anyway!" 10 years of people giving you their email is a lot of people. Why reject that? Some wierd pious "I'm not a capitalist, I am above that behavior" jive? Why reject a good thing?
So those gigs were months ago and I've only started to use Lawrences approach. I've collected 10 this week alone and will be giving those folks a shout when I book the nex gig. It'sa good band and these folks want to hear more.
A good friend said to me "have you ever signed an email list after a set when it's sitting there next to a pile of merchandise?" Gotta admit the answer is no I haven't. Gotta strike while the iron is hot. Have a friend walk around with that clip board during your set and do that job. And when the set is over don't do like I used to do and hide out, approach people. Sure someone is going to say no or "I never sign list" like 1 cat said to me the other night, but a whole lot more will say yes and want to talk to you. Take the praise, you've earned it!
JB
Last year Gospel of Mars did a great gig at Zebulon with the Lawrence Clark trio. I learn alot from playing gigs with better players than I, but this night what really impressed me was watching Lawrence walk around the room with a clip board after his set and talk to every person in the room (with warmth and a smile!) and ask if they would like to be on his mailing list. I would never have thought about this had I not seen it. I played with Lawrence in Washington Square a few weeks later. I watched him approach lunch eaters in between songs with a cloth bag for money and that clipboard for emails, again using a gentle and warm approach.
I think the block comes when we think we are being invasive or pushy like a sleazy used car salesman with a pencil moustache and Marlboro mouthwash breath. There is no truth there, we needn't see self promotion this way at all. People want to see your performances! And in this noisy world with social networking and so much grabbing our attention, people want warmth, a smile and to be approached by another actual human being.
I did another gig this winter as a hired saxist for this fellows band. Nobody came. I insisted on being paid, it was time and energy spent so I got my fee. I asked him "what do you do to promote your shows, you do have 4 albums under your belt so you have been doing this for a while right?" His response killed me. "People have been giving me their info for the last 10 years and I usually just throw that info out!" I replied, "you do see that this isn't sane do you? You do see this as an insult to your fans right?"
10 years of gigging, 15 people at your gig. Why bother? And that's with 4 bands on the bill who are hoping that the other 3 will bring in more people. 10 years of people giving their info and the response is like "piss off, you don't really like my music anyway!" 10 years of people giving you their email is a lot of people. Why reject that? Some wierd pious "I'm not a capitalist, I am above that behavior" jive? Why reject a good thing?
So those gigs were months ago and I've only started to use Lawrences approach. I've collected 10 this week alone and will be giving those folks a shout when I book the nex gig. It'sa good band and these folks want to hear more.
A good friend said to me "have you ever signed an email list after a set when it's sitting there next to a pile of merchandise?" Gotta admit the answer is no I haven't. Gotta strike while the iron is hot. Have a friend walk around with that clip board during your set and do that job. And when the set is over don't do like I used to do and hide out, approach people. Sure someone is going to say no or "I never sign list" like 1 cat said to me the other night, but a whole lot more will say yes and want to talk to you. Take the praise, you've earned it!
JB
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