Audiences go to a live concert for 3 reasons: “To be captured & engaged, to experience the moment, and to have their lives changed in some way".

This is what Jimi Hendrix said in an interview nearly half a century ago. The man was not only a musical genius but he understood the value of a live rock and roll gig. You could safely say he was ahead of his times in many ways. He was so engaging that he became “one” with the audience and understood the benefit of a great gig. A gig which is done in a proper club, with a proper sound system, with a proper stage and a great organizing team behind it.

This is the difference between something worth doing and your average crappy gig you get where you are just “one of tonight's bands” on the bill because the pub or little bar needs music on a monday night to get some “atmosphere”. There are many so called promoters or booking agents who will just book anything in any watering hole just for the sake of building up his, or her numbers. This, most of the times is bad business not only for them but for the bands as well. Enthusiasm or the willing to put any band on stage, doesn't always translate well in the real world.

What the scene needs, is professionalism, good practical and marketing skills. As I write this piece as an Australian Ex-pat living in London, I recall my initial experience as a booking agent within the Western Australia music scene in Perth and around the state, where it started as a necessity because my own band could not find any gigs and the agents I went to, gave us nothing, not even a share of the door take (this was us, in our early 20's in the late 1990's). You obviously do it because you want your name out there but by organizing it properly, with pre-ticket sales and a serious shameless promotion, you can do it yourselves or do it through a proper organization such as Emergenza.

The question every band should ask is: what is my goal? Do I just want to play a shitty pub and invite a few mates or do I really want to do something that will help my band and possibly launch us into something bigger? Are we “just doing a gig” or are we going all the way to Germany? Or maybe get an endorsement with a music manufacturer? Perhaps the song on the compilation so that the publishers can hear it? A professional photographic portfolio for our promotion? Or is it only because we want to play The Metro in Sydney in front of music business people and a 1000 music lovers?

In my experience as a booking agent in London the last 15 years, where I've seen bands like Coldplay, The Libertines and Keane pull 200 people before signing a contract, I learned that all bands really need, is an initial kick up the back side from the right promoters/organizers. After that t's about focusing on the good gigs. Not the crappy one for the sake of doing one and saying, “well, it's a rehearsal”....it's not! It's bad practice. If you are serious about your band then you analyze each and every situation and give it some thought. The hunger should always be there, the will to show that you are good and worthy of attention also but every single successful band understands that a good promoter or concert organizer will help if they help themselves. Take the ticket sale for example: The more you sell the more you earn. This is not only beneficial for the bands pockets but ultimately your band will have the numbers to fill the venue....and that, will always make you look good.

And what are labels, publishers, management and music business people looking for when they go and see a band? They need the buzz! They need a packed place, they need that professionally run gig, not your crappy one on a monday at the pub. I have many friends at Universal music in London and they discard anything (even with a tinge of snobbery, I may add) that “they've haven't heard of, unless there's a buzz about them”. They wouldn't do monday nights unless it's a great gig with plenty of people. They just don't want to waste any time unless the place is packed and well organized. Don't fool yourselves, nobody gets discovered just like that. This is not the 1970's. They do go to Emergenza gigs around the world (Nico and Vinz were signed on the spot in Norway at our Emergenza final and went on to do 300 million hits on youtube) but that's because the reputation of a properly organized gig is in place and we tell them about the bands working hard.

The other thing a band should consider is being careful about doing as many gigs as possible. Why would you want to “dilute” yourselves? What is the point of doing 5 gigs in a month in crappy places? Your fan-base will eventually get sick and tired of you. You need to nurture and keep the fans “safe”. Doing once a month is better. Think of this, if you do an Emergenza gig and concentrate on that and go through the main stages and you throw one or two other warm-up gigs it's probably better business practice. Your crowd is still hungry for you and you get helped along the way to grow and build and gain your reputation.

Next time you accept any gig just pause and think for a second. Is it really better than the one you do for the Emergenza festival? Will it clash with something more important? We've seen musicians in the USA move wedding dates.....now that, is dedication to the project. Follow your heart but your your head all you rockers out there.