930 Forums
=> GENERAL DISCUSSION => Topic started by: Bags on November 05, 2003, 12:47:00 pm
-
If you wanted to promote a band in DC, how would you do it -- everything from advertising, word of mouth, venues, etc.
I'm on a trip to Cali this afternoon, and a friend of a friend is asking how to help break a band in the DC scene (they're not local, but east coast).
-
flyers in all the trendy hipster hangouts.......play a record store like dccd.......
-
Move to New York
-
Originally posted by ggwâ?˘:
Move to New York
No need to move there, just say you did. Chum up with the workers at some record stores, see if they will play their disk.
-
should ask a guy who dates a chick in Exit Clov, ask relaxer.....
-
Hate to say this but I don't think you'll have much luck getting local record stores to play the disc unless they are truly independent. It seems the employees are always bitching about what they are sort of forced to play and generally aren't allowed to play what they want to play. Sonic could fill you in more on that side.
Try to win over college radio stations. Also, when you go to smaller clubs, see if they will play their music or consider booking the band.
Oh also, any local publications that have music reviews. Try to find out how to submit write-ups or ads for the band.
-
or if any members of the band are really hot........
then they are going to have to put out...........a lot
especially the record store clerks.......just ask sonic :p
-
Originally posted by markie:
should ask a guy who dates a chick in Exit Clov, ask relaxer.....
Yeah...coz Exit Clove hit the bigtime!
-
Originally posted by markie:
should ask a guy who dates a chick in Exit Clov, ask relaxer.....
First off it's not relaxer... :mad:
-
Originally posted by redsock:
Originally posted by markie:
should ask a guy who dates a chick in Exit Clov, ask relaxer.....
First off it's not relaxer... :mad: [/b]
As far as you know.........
-
Originally posted by mankie:
Originally posted by markie:
should ask a guy who dates a chick in Exit Clov, ask relaxer.....
Yeah...coz Exit Clove hit the bigtime! [/b]
Secondly, no band breaks in 6 months. Based on what I've seen around DC, the key to promoting your band is to play everywhere and anywhere. Sure you gotta flyer, but you gotta be good, and you gotta get people to listen to you. Playing New York helps i suppose, but only if you can get someone to actually come listen you. Its all about luck, and catching a break anyway. But it helps to be good and to be prolific in playing gigs.
-
Originally posted by redsock:
Originally posted by mankie:
Originally posted by markie:
should ask a guy who dates a chick in Exit Clov, ask relaxer.....
Yeah...coz Exit Clove hit the bigtime! [/b]
Secondly, no band breaks in 6 months. Based on what I've seen around DC, the key to promoting your band is to play everywhere and anywhere. Sure you gotta flyer, but you gotta be good, and you gotta get people to listen to you. Playing New York helps i suppose, but only if you can get someone to actually come listen you. Its all about luck, and catching a break anyway. But it helps to be good and to be prolific in playing gigs. [/b]
A catchy band name goes a long way too!
-
Originally posted by mankie:
Originally posted by redsock:
Originally posted by mankie:
Originally posted by markie:
should ask a guy who dates a chick in Exit Clov, ask relaxer.....
Yeah...coz Exit Clove hit the bigtime! [/b]
Secondly, no band breaks in 6 months. Based on what I've seen around DC, the key to promoting your band is to play everywhere and anywhere. Sure you gotta flyer, but you gotta be good, and you gotta get people to listen to you. Playing New York helps i suppose, but only if you can get someone to actually come listen you. Its all about luck, and catching a break anyway. But it helps to be good and to be prolific in playing gigs. [/b]
A catchy band name goes a long way too! [/b]
Ah, this dance we dance Mankie....and yes i saw your post in the other thread.
-
Besides CityPaper, are there other periodicals DC music fans read -- or good listserves?
-
Originally posted by Bagster:
Besides CityPaper, are there other periodicals DC music fans read -- or good listserves?
I've always maintained that a band's fortunes in DC are dictated by how well they are received on the 9:30 Forum.
-
I would hire a street team of about 20-25 teenagers who write in hip short lingo and will say anything about a band for free stuff.
-
Originally posted by ggwâ?˘:
Originally posted by Bagster:
Besides CityPaper, are there other periodicals DC music fans read -- or good listserves?
I've always maintained that a band's fortunes in DC are dictated by how well they are received on the 9:30 Forum. [/b]
Ah, the power we behold.
:roll:
-
Originally posted by Bagster:
Besides CityPaper, are there other periodicals DC music fans read -- or good listserves?
There's a new free entertainment newspaper coming out, today I think, called Frequency. Don't know anything else about it but it's worth a shot. Being new, maybe they can get some intro rates.
Oh, and then there's another freebie called Maryland Musician.
MARYLAND MUSICIAN MAGAZINE INC , 14 W SEMINARY AVE LUTHERVILLE TIMONIUM MD 21093-5521 , 410-494-0566
You might find one or two other publications on this listing (http://us2000.org/cfmc/editor.htm) that might be helpful.
-
May I reiterate, Jag, you completely kick ass!
Thanks. It's funny, I don't even know what this band is like!
- Bags
-
;)
-
Originally posted by Bagster:
Besides CityPaper, are there other periodicals DC music fans read -- or good listserves?
Rumor has it, this kick-ass website is under development, which would allow local bands of all shapes and sizes the ability to promote themselves to a large audience. I'll let you know when i hear more about it...wink wink, nudge nudge
-
Originally posted by Bagster:
Besides CityPaper, are there other periodicals DC music fans read -- or good listserves?
Or you could try www.arlingtonmusicscene.com (http://www.arlingtonmusicscene.com)
but they're kinda klicky....
-
Originally posted by Bagster:
Besides CityPaper, are there other periodicals DC music fans read -- or good listserves?
Try On Tap and Music Monthly. Smaller circulations but still worthwhile.
Also research Internet radio stations whose playlists align with the band's music. Much easier to crack than broadcast radio.
Couple of standard references: http://www.musicdish.com/bookstore/books/howtopromote.php3 (http://www.musicdish.com/bookstore/books/howtopromote.php3)
http://www.musicdish.com/bookstore/books/indiebible.php3 (http://www.musicdish.com/bookstore/books/indiebible.php3)
And of course, they'll want one of these for their website: http://www.tourvote.com/buttonplace.html (http://www.tourvote.com/buttonplace.html)
-
Here's another publication to check out that covers DC and Bmore:
http://www.musicmonthly.com/ (http://www.musicmonthly.com/)
MindCage
Mindless Faith (http://www.mindlessfaith.com)
Deep6 Productions (http://www.deep6.com)
-
Don't read free papers!
Why are they free?
-
Originally posted by Dupek Chopra:
Don't read free papers!
Why are they free?
Because they have different business models from the paid-circulation papers. If you're thinking they are just pimps for their advertisers, well, ALL newspapers are pimps for their advertisers. The free-circulation papers just go about it another way.
I've lived in at least two cities where a local alternative (free) newsweekly was by a long shot the best paper in town.
-
get your name everywhere. stickers, posters, flyers do whatever you can to get your band's name of every toilet stall, on every phonebooth and on every homeless person....wellmaybe not the latter of it all but you get my point. in connecticut record stores will play what you give them
-
Originally posted by Liberte:
Because they have different business models..?
Pardon my French (http://www.80s.com/saveferris/sounds/cam/hellmatter.wav), but that sounds just like a load of happy MBA (http://www.80s.com/saveferris/sounds/cam/sir.wav) regurgitation.
-
Originally posted by Dupek Chopra:
Originally posted by Liberte:
Why are they free?
Because they have different business models..?
Pardon my French (http://www.80s.com/saveferris/sounds/cam/goddamnit2.wav), but that's just a load of happy MBA horseshit. [/b][/QUOTE]
Pardon my English, but I'm not an MBA and it's just a load of basic economic reality. A business model is simply a description of how you spend money and how you get money in the door to pay yourself and your bills. Every business has one, whether they call it that or not.
Free newspapers have a model that lowers their distribution costs by enough that they don't have to charge the reader for putting a copy in his or her hands. There's nothing about that which necessarily compromises the readability of the editorial content. If you choose to believe otherwise, that's your prerogative. Just don't expect not to get called on trying to pass that opinion off as based in fact.
The original topic of the thread was how to help musicians trying to find a new audience in a new location. The free papers are one potentially useful avenue for promotion, because plenty of music fans manage to get past voodoo bullshit prejudices about the nominal cost of something being the same as its value. They find it worth their time to pick up and read those papers which provide interesting and useful content, again and again and again. Is there some reason the band in question should NOT want to reach those fans (who by the way number several hundred thousand weekly readers in Metro DC alone)?
-
Originally posted by Liberte:
Is there some reason the band in question should NOT want to reach those fans (who by the way number several hundred thousand weekly readers in Metro DC alone)?
Honestly, I can't comment. I tried to read a free paper once, but there was something in the pulp or the ink that gave my fingers rather a virulent atopic dermatitis. Hey, you're the business factotum, not me. You've been to Woodstock. You like to bandy terms like "business model". I'll just have to take your word for it, okay? Peace, love & IBM to you.
-
Originally posted by Dupek Chopra:
Originally posted by Liberte:
Is there some reason the band in question should NOT want to reach those fans (who by the way number several hundred thousand weekly readers in Metro DC alone)? [/b]
Honestly, I can't comment. I tried to read a free paper once, but there was something in the pulp/ink that gave my fingers rather a virulent atopic dermatitis. Hey, you're the business factotum, not me. You've been to Woodstock. You like to bandy terms like "business model". I'll just have to take your word for it, okay? Peace, love & IBM to you. [/QB]
And peace to you, bro. It's still a free country, nobody should have to suffer an allergic reaction to material they don't want to read in the first place.
-
ask sparks
-
I think you can go far if you have a cool logo on a sticker. Give them out to kids to put on their cars, no need for them to hear the band first, and then the buzz will grow.
Always thought this would be a brilliant scheme, much like the Gabbo episode of the simpsons.
-
Originally posted by Sir HC:
I think you can go far if you have a cool logo on a sticker. Give them out to kids to put on their cars, no need for them to hear the band first, and then the buzz will grow.
Always thought this would be a brilliant scheme, much like the Gabbo episode of the simpsons.
Yeah although it wasn't a cool logo, emmet swimming's logo appeared all over the dulles toll road at all the ticket booths for awhile.
I've started targeting the mallcore kidz by giving Hot Topics in the area some tracks off our newest CD to play in the store which they seemed very happy about doing...
MindCage
Mindless Faith (http://www.mindlessfaith.com)
Deep6 Productions (http://www.deep6.com)
-
send the radio station a disk....keep requesting them on the radio. maybe eventually get playd when no ones awake or the right person will hear it.
-
Originally posted by flawd101:
send the radio station a disk....keep requesting them on the radio. maybe eventually get playd when no ones awake or the right person will hear it.
It would also help if you stuffed a plain envelope full of Monopoly money and enclosed that along with your disc!
-
Just thought of the most brilliant scam. You send out the CDs with 1/2 a $20 bill with the songs supposedly offering clues to how to get the other half. Heck, makes people have to listen to it to get the money.
-
Or just send the CD in an envelope with a couple of really ratty dollar bills in it along with a post-it note saying, "There's lot's more where this came from, if you know what I mean..?".
-
Sending CDs to radio stations is an excellent way to enhance the revenues of the CD manufacturing and duplication industries. Except as part of a carefully targeted total promotional effort, it is less likely to help a band prosper than spending the same money on lottery tickets.
-
So who should the fistfuls of cash go to, then?
-
Originally posted by Dupek Chopra:
So who should the fistfuls of cash go to, then?
ME!!!!!
-
Originally posted by Liberte:
Sending CDs to radio stations is an excellent way to enhance the revenues of the CD manufacturing and duplication industries. Except as part of a carefully targeted total promotional effort, it is less likely to help a band prosper than spending the same money on lottery tickets.
And a good way to give the station some new coasters to place their drinks on! :)
MindCage
Mindless Faith (http://www.mindlessfaith.com)
Deep6 Productions (http://www.deep6.com)
-
Originally posted by Bagster:
Besides CityPaper, are there other periodicals DC music fans read -- or good listserves?
im too lazy to read the rest of the thread... you should check out www.pheer.com (http://www.pheer.com) - it's extremely well visited by myriads of scenesters from all over DC Md and Va.. all you have to do is email the guy with your Show Info and he'll put it up.. great for exposure, especially if you're playing with a relatively well known local/regional band.. ;)
-
I write music/concert/website (don't ask) reviews for a college newspaper. I could give you the address for the newspaper office if you want.
Although, mind you, it's the Georgetown University newspaper. There's a dearth of hipsters. Or, in fact, anyone who cares about music. That's a lie. There are about 4 of us who care.
-
You should send a promo copy to 411mania.com. Broad entertainment site with a readership of about 2mil per day. And that guy who does the music news report on Sundays is such a handsome, clever, spectacularly intelligent guy. Cough.
-
Thanks everyone -- good suggestions all, not only for my friend who wants to promote this band, but for me to keep up with the scene!!
;)
-
Originally posted by Embarrassed Laura:
Although, mind you, it's the Georgetown University newspaper. There's a dearth of hipsters. Or, in fact, anyone who cares about music. That's a lie. There are about 4 of us who care.
Try printing it in farsi and I bet you'd bet a lot more readers from that school.
;)
-
Originally posted by Embarrassed Laura:
I write music/concert/website (don't ask) reviews for a college newspaper. I could give you the address for the newspaper office if you want.
Although, mind you, it's the Georgetown University newspaper. There's a dearth of hipsters. Or, in fact, anyone who cares about music. That's a lie. There are about 4 of us who care.
Georgetown has done some cool concerts in the past, they used to do shows at the bar on campus (the basement?), maybe they still do shows, I have no clue.
Saw the Sugarcubes there years back, and Stone Roses almost played there.
-
Georgetown use to have the absolute best ever radio station in the world! It was just too good and got kicked off the air. When it came back up, the frequency was substantially dropped, but who cares because it sucks now. (Sorry if I offended anyone.)
-
Originally posted by Sir HC:
Originally posted by Embarrassed Laura:
I write music/concert/website (don't ask) reviews for a college newspaper. I could give you the address for the newspaper office if you want.
Although, mind you, it's the Georgetown University newspaper. There's a dearth of hipsters. Or, in fact, anyone who cares about music. That's a lie. There are about 4 of us who care.
Georgetown has done some cool concerts in the past, they used to do shows at the bar on campus (the basement?), maybe they still do shows, I have no clue.
Saw the Sugarcubes there years back, and Stone Roses almost played there. [/b]
Nah. The last concert they had was Homecoming featuring Train, Vertical Horizon and Sister Hazel. Winning combination. I think I went to see Hot Hot Heat instead.