Is there a market for a Dublin group that sets up gigs (that's not a scam)?

poker991

Ok so im a 19 year old business student in college, just watched the social network for the second time and again i am now very motivated to do something creative.
I've been in a band before, and yes ive had my run ins with ************* and those pay to play gigs, i just now learnt about ******** i think they did something similar?
I put on my first gig also last year and i lost money on it, but that was due to having to pay the main band and some bad organisation

Basically im wondering do people think there's a market for some sort of group that organise gigs for acts that would otherwise not be able to get gigs.
Im not talking about those ****ty *********** gigs i know people from little green cars, delorentos, heroes in hiding and id like to put on good shows with goog bands like these.

Do people think the dublin music scene is too dead to do something like this

poker991

poker991 wrote: »

Ok so im a 19 year old business student in college, just watched the social network for the second time and again i am now very motivated to do something creative.
I've been in a band before, and yes ive had my run ins with ************* and those pay to play gigs, i just now learnt about ******** i think they did something similar?
I put on my first gig also last year and i lost money on it, but that was due to having to pay the main band and some bad organisation

Basically im wondering do people think there's a market for some sort of group that organise gigs for acts that would otherwise not be able to get gigs.
Im not talking about those ****ty *********** gigs i know people from little green cars, delorentos, heroes in hiding and id like to put on good shows with goog bands like these.

Do people think the dublin music scene is too dead to do something like this

Lesson one. DO NOT name names in a disparaging way in public. Especially those you WILL* need to work with one way or another.

Is it profitable without ripping bands off?

Unfortunately no. The only way is to get big venues and pack them out (200+). Which is pretty difficult.


*The business is so small, you will borrow stuff / trade contacts and possibly co-host gigs/battles. so better not to burn your bridges before you start.

drumdrum

Papa Smut wrote: »

Lesson one. DO NOT name names in a disparaging way in public. Especially those you WILL* need to work with one way or another.

Is it profitable without ripping bands off?

Unfortunately no. The only way is to get big venues and pack them out (200+). Which is pretty difficult.


*The business is so small, you will borrow stuff / trade contacts and possibly co-host gigs/battles. so better not to burn your bridges before you start.

^^^ Amen to that!

But yeah, what Papa Smut said is spot on. Aiming to pay bands is admirable, but unless the band have a decent following or have some sort of a profile then you will most likely end up paying the bands to play to a handful of people and YOU bearing the financial brunt of it all. It may seem negative, but its just how it is out there...

That isn't to say anything about the bands talent by the way. You could get an amazing band that are just starting out and while they might play great, the likely hood of them bringing a load of people is low.

You mention there a few bands with a bit of profile there which is good. In fact its great as a starting point for your promo company. Use them (and pay them obviously!) to generate buzz about the gig. Send emails out to Nova and Phantom who both do "gigs on the town" type of things. Advertise as much as possible online in muso places (like here on boards! ) and if you can, put posters up in music shops, bars, coffee joints, colleges etc. Basically wherever you can. Get onto college music societies also is another good route (unfortunately your timing is crap as most colleges are closed now for summer!). Also, make sure that your backline is sorted on the night. Not all bands are ok sharing gear so don't take this for granted. You have no grounds to get pissy with the bands on the night for refusing to share gear. Ok, a pair of drumsticks are one thing, but sharing a set of cymbals or an amp is another. Just make sure that everything is covered and you'll be fine. If you spread the gear out between bands then this can work great, but always check with the bands first. Usually its headline band bring the drumkit, then the rest of the bands bring the rest of the gear (as long as its good gear, mind!)

The point here is that where most other starting promo companies fail is their failure to draw a crowd, and the biggest draw for the crowd is the name of the headline band. Drink promos help too if you can cut a deal with the venue/bar manager. If you want your gig to pack out you need to appeal to people that know OF the band, and not who know the band. There is a big difference here, and too many times have I seen either utterly ****e or utterly brilliant bands do a gig to about 6 people and the other bands!
Thats where your ace (the named band from your list, say for example "Delorentos") come in. They attract the people.

Depending on the amount of advertising/promotion you do online and offline, will help swell the numbers. People wont go to a gig that they don't know is on. If your headline band have a new EP / album out near the time, it may be an idea to try to organise their album launch for them as your gig or part of your gig. More people might turn up if you advertise that they are playing new material...

Anyways, this sort of attitude and approach IMHO is far more likely to wield positive results. Just make sure that you make it professional. Don't rent out downstairs in the Mezz in Temple Bar or some other dive. Professionalism goes along way towards future business as too does positive people skills, so I reckon don't burn potential bridges, don't get carried away, be prepared for the potential possibility that you may still lose money and above all else, enjoy it and learn from it!

FWIW: For me (and this will vary from person to person), the important considerations for a gig, for the average punter, are:
1 - Band/Music,
2 - Venue (usually tied in with sound),
3 - Cost / admission price. If the admission price is a little bit high, drink promos can help to offset this. But I wouldn't charge too much in.
Try to find a happy medium from both the gig-go-ers POV and your POV as a business person.


Hope this helps, even if a lot of it is common sense!

poker991

Thanks for all the advice, the one thing I think would be hard is finding a band that people like all the time to headline, there really aren't many, from my experience people in secondary school like 4th and 5th year LOVE going to gigs because they've never been, I remember getting so many friends to go to gigs that in hindsight were awful, its just something different for them to do and this would be one of the markets I would be looking out for, because i think it is really hard to get overage gigs packed ever as most people my age want to go to clubs not gigs, and even if they go out after they prefer to save their mney and predrink at home

Malice

In addition to what Papa Smut and drumdrum wrote I'd also highly recommend proof-reading what you write and fixing any obvious typos (as I've just done with the thread title).

drumdrum

poker991 wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice, the one thing I think would be hard is finding a band that people like all the time to headline, there really aren't many, from my experience people in secondary school like 4th and 5th year LOVE going to gigs because they've never been, I remember getting so many friends to go to gigs that in hindsight were awful, its just something different for them to do and this would be one of the markets I would be looking out for...

Thats a very good idea, but it also shares some pitfalls. Mainly, your target audience will be under 18 and that will tie your hands in a lot of situations. you may be able to get a day time slot in a pub, but due to the law, they can't be in the pub past 9pm (at least I think its 9pm...). And as I'm sure you're aware of, daytime shows just have a different - and usually lesser - "buzz" about them. Also, teenagers can be a messy/rowdy crowd especially when plied with drink which many of them undoubtedly will be. Just make sure that it doesn't ruin your night.

IME, underage gigs can be a volatile one to manage. Don't get me wrong, it can be great and I agree its usually easier to get a decent turn out (where else will they go? ) but its the law and the venue restrictions that may make things difficult for you.

poker991 wrote: »

because i think it is really hard to get overage gigs packed ever as most people my age want to go to clubs not gigs, and even if they go out after they prefer to save their money and predrink at home

Unfortunately, you are correct on this one... stupid recession! :mad:
As I mentioned before, drink promos can help to rectify this situation somewhat as too can cheaper admission rates before a certain time. Of course, a lot will still predrink, but heres another option for you:
Why not put the gig on later? (if you can!) Say from 12 - 2am or something? Obviously this will depend on the venue and curfew times, but I know that a fair few place in Dublin do late night gigs at the weekends and sometimes during the week. Check with the bands as well to see if they are cool with playing so late.
I mean, IME, most people predrink until about 11 or 12 or so and then head into town. If you can't make them suit you, you suit them....

EDIT: Oh yeah....and best of luck with it all!