7.06.2008

Unsigned Acts and Drawing Fans....



Unsigned Acts and Drawing Fans....

Part 3

A Commentary, by Professor Pooch

(C) 2008 David J. Spangenberg

"Promotion" is the most obvious step that comes next in most people's minds. Artists promoting themselves, telling their fans and potential fans that they're playing at this venue or that venue.

But first, my question to you is, "What is it you're actually promoting?" That is, when you're promoting yourself, what will be your potential fans perception of what you're promoting? Will you just be one more "amateur artist" playing somewhere?

Let's step back to that Big Picture we discussed earlier and take it a few steps further. What is the perception that your still-in-the-closet-potential-fans will be expecting that will make them want to come out to see you?

"Well, we're playing at so & so's club or bar or venue." In other words, "Come out to our gig".

Let's face reality, if people have never heard of you, why should they come out to see you? What are you offering them that a thousand other unknowns can't [or don't] offer? Let's face it, if you perceive your appearance as "just a gig", what do you expect your potential audience to see it as!

It's useless spending lots of time, energy and money promoting something if people's preconceived perception will be, "Oh, why should I go there, never heard of them, no one's talking about them, so they must be boring, a waste of time."

My point: When you go out to see a favorite star performer in the big arenas, are you going to their "gig"? Or, are you going to, what is perceived to be a "Can't-Miss EVENT???

Now, it is up to the Artist, for one, to make it appear as one! And to appear as one, it should BE one. And it CAN be one, WHEN the Artists perceive it as one!

Every performance at every venue should be thought of, and looked at as an EVENT, a SHOW, a SPECIAL OCCASION, an EXPERIENCE, an important reason for people to leave their house, put gas in their car, pay the cover charge, etc., and come see you.

You must start thinking of your performances as if you were performing at a scaled down arena show. You have to take those "extra steps" ensuring people that your performance and your "show" are special, and that you're not just another band getting up in front of a microphone and playing and singing. Lots of people can get up and sing and play – and those are the Artists who will get nowhere in today's society.

Unless you've been in a cave over the last few years, you've noticed that this is a Visual Society, inundated with multimedia that is competing with your band – and people often don't have to leave their houses anymore to be entertained.

"Hey man, I'm a serious Artist. I'm not selling out for no one!". Hey man, yourself, I'm not asking you to give up any integrity - I'm just asking you to come alive! I'm not asking you to be anyone but yourself. I'm just asking you to look at this performance as a fun and rewarding event. And if you don't see it as one, how do you expect anyone else to think it's one?

All you need to do is wake up, make a slight attitude adjustment, and take whatever extra steps that you can conceive of and afford that fits your image and makes your show stand out.

Now, it is not up to just the Artists to make your shows stand out…

Artists' Managers, street teams, representatives of every sort: What are you doing to help? Are you looking at each performance as a special one, and are you being just as creative on the biz and promotion end as your artists are on their music end? And are you making sure the Venues are on the ball?

Venues: What are you doing to make people's perception be that you're the "In Place" to go to be entertained? And, are you being just as creative on the biz and promotion and public relation's end as the Artists are [should be] on their music end.

To sum it up, the Artists, Managers and Venues must work together to create this perception: an event that people will be coming to that will be extra special.

But we're wasting a lot of time here unless everyone involved understands and takes the steps to ensure that everyone's perception doesn't become another let-down. You can't, and shouldn't even try to fool your audience. You actually have to make this event be not just another event, but an event to be remembered! And, you CAN!

To be continued…

Yes, you may repost this, and yes, please have everyone who's interested in a successful career in the Music Business, read this...

Professor Pooch

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