Promote live PAs
Introduction
Playing live is the best way of promoting yourself and one of the most effective ways of getting people to hear about you.Ìý
Any good A&R will check with music mags and keep an eye out for PAs that are happening.
Live PAs are often the first contact you'll have with the music press and as you know a good review can really help build your rep.
Read on for:
Word of mouth
Getting press
Fliers
"In a live environment, invite tastemakers and other journalists down to the event and get a buzz growing that way."
Lisa Lindahl
PR Manager
The Playcentre
Word of Mouth
If you don't live in London or any other big city you can still make a name for yourself in your home town.
The small population can work to your advantage because there are fewer people to reach before you start making a big impression.
Remember, A&R will check to see who's big in different towns, not just in London .
PAs are the one time that all your supporters are gathered in the same place at the same time.
This is a good time to get a reliable member of your team to collect contact details for your mailing list.
Try doing this just after you've done a successful PA - you'll get fewer false names from the jokers and more information from the legitimate fans.
Also your audience may have relaxed from having a few drinks.
"The best way to compile a mailing list is by getting your staff to go around chatting to people in the club asking for their name, number, address, e-mail address etc."
Steve Gordon
Twice as Nice
Getting Press
You may automatically be included in local gig guides but double check to be certain.
Make sure you reach the deadline for informing local press.
Give them a couple of weeks' notice to be on the safe side.
See if you can find an angle for a story about your PA as it can make it more attractive as an event and could even become a feature story for the paper.
Whatever happens, send your press release to explain a bit more about who you are and what you're doing.
Fliers
Depending on the size of the venue, they may already have their own flyers but if it's a smaller set-up you may well have to consider designing your own.
Keep the flyers small, four to a piece of A4 paper should be cool.
- Leave them in record shops
- Send them out to your mailing list
- Hand them out to people outside any clubs that play similar styles of music to your own or attract the same crowd as you're hoping to.
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You can also text the info about your events if you don't have email details.
"People who turn up on the door with a flier get money off the admission charge and we know who they've come to see."
Rupert Dell
Promoter
Sheffield Leadmill
More... from How to...
Put together a press pack
http://www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra/1xmusic/promotion/packp01.shtml
Approach the media
http://www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra/1xmusic/promotion/mediap01.shtml
Making the best of a PA
http://www.bbc.co.uk/1xtra/1xmusic/performing/bestp01.shtml
More... from elsewhere
PA Listings
Provide listings for magazines and websites
The News Centre,
292 Vauxhall Bridge Rd,
London
SW1 1AE
Tel 020 7963 7700
Fax 020 7963 7800/7801
arts@listings.press.net
(c) 91Èȱ¬ 1Xtra 1XMusic 2006