This is me

As I promised my buddy Andrew who runs the Artists House twitter, I wanna educate up and coming bands to beauty of the gig swap.

First off, what is a gig swap?

A gig swap is essentially an agreement with an out of town band where you go to their city to open a show and you reciprocate in your hometown.

Generally speaking, the key is to find a band in another city who:

• sounds similar, but not too overlapping in style (ie would their fans like you)
• has a similar draw to you in your respective hometowns. Lopsided swaps are unfair.
• has a light draw (at least 10) in your hometown that can expand your local fanbase.
• is responsible, accountable, and reliable (more on that later)

So now the question is how do I find local bands:

• Contact a venue for suggestions
• Contact friends you may have in that city for suggestions
• Contact bands in your city who have played the live market you’re interested in playing for suggestions
• Search a concert database such as Jambase or Pollstar for bands who frequently play in a given city and send them a MySpace message or email.

As I mentioned earlier, I need to emphasize the reliability of the band you plan to swap with.  Before you confirm the booking of both gigs, make sure each band knows their responsibilities, what each of your compensation’s will be, and what the expectations are in regard each others’ turnouts.  In most cases, “surprises” are for people who aren’t prepared or didn’t do their job, so proceed with caution.  To save yourself a lot of disappointment, pay close attention to your initial correspondence because it’s usually telling of their character on whole.

I would recommend having the gigs booked around 3 months in advance.  That way, it gives you time to book a follow up gig in that city within a month after you do the swap.  This way, you can mention it on stage and also you will stay in people’s minds.  However, please please please please please bring a fucking clipboard with you to gather people’s info.  It’s your job to remind them, not their job to remember that you’re playing again.

If things go as planned, you should have at least 100 people playing in front of you and you should be happy if 20 of them come to see you the next time you’re in town.  It is essential to change it up and play with different bands of your caliber in other cities in order to get as many fans-to-be in front of you.  However, you best follow through with your end of the bargain and pack the house when they come to your neck of the woods.  It all comes back to accountability!!!  Execution and accountability are how you make a positive reputation for yourself.