STUDIO GIGS

[O'Doyle_Alpine Fault]

even still, i dont think $100 is hard, its not hard to bring 10 people to a gig, if not more. It's the whole risk thing again. And i dont think less gigs is more, we are doing as many gigs as we can, cause we're trying to get known, its great practise, and more people end up knowing us. Playing new sets to the same crowd defeats the purpose, if you only run over your set once at practise, thats gonna take up an hour at the most, which leaves 2-3 hours for new stuff. Then gradually replace your set so that your not losing any of the crowd you might have gained.

but that was heading away from the poiunt a lil, how hard is it to bring 30 people to a gig? 4 people in your band, 8 people each. Your general friends make up for maybe 10 regulars, so 20 extra people, i dont think is hard. Maybe some investigation into a new type of marketing if posters aint doing the job?? maybe i cud look into this when my break starts next week, simple surveys can do this... maybe ill do it for my own benefit as well

Paul friends tend to get tired of coming to see the same thing on the same road and paying $10 everytime the novelty wears off fast for friends, so what dave is saying is that less is more because you play one big one every couple of months with lots of peolpe coming rather that small amount of people coming all the time.

[dragonorchid]

what about this scenario.... "WoW, we can play at the STUDIO for only $100 of cost! which we may even get more than $100 back because we get part of the door take too"

[Mark]

  I reckon that rumour would get more bands wanting to play the studio gigs... if they knew you just had to put up a $100 deposit!.  But we won't let anyone play just cause they'll put up the hundy of course.. got to keep quality high.  It'll still be by invitation..

[O'Doyle_Alpine Fault]

what about this scenario.... "WoW, we can play at the STUDIO for only $100 of cost! which we may even get more than $100 back because we get part of the door take too"

Why would you though when you playing to no one?? as the "new way home" guy said the other night at the studio "please back away from the stage.......people are getting crushed",   "if you see someone fall down please help them up!!!""" hahaha

[dragonorchid]

and remember this is a special case only for the studio gigs, no one would have to pay for any of our other gigs, and still get part of the door take.

[Cyprien]

but its a deposit... a bond that you get back! It shouldnt be a problem if bands are not afraid to get it back because they have put the effort in.

I don't think that's what Ant's trying to say - it's the whole image of the Rock Factory in general. $100 we deposit is not the issue. We all know it's for lighting guy, etc - but other bands don't and facts get distorted and you guys get portrayed as "greedy" even though the intention was so that you don't have to fork out money out of your own pocket to cover costs. You will lose potential customers because their perception of you will be negative.

[simon_ishtar]

So I gather the numbers were low for the gig the other night?

[dragonorchid]

bands would not be playing to no one if they put the effort in. This is exactly the problem. Up till now some bands have not out the effort in because there is no risk for them.

[dragonorchid]

inverse order brought the most people. and the countless hours I spent on street promotion (getting sick in the process) were obviously completely useless.

[Cyprien]

So I gather the numbers were low for the gig the other night?

I quote Richard Simpson: "Please stand at least ten feet away from the stage.......people are getting crushed, if you see someone fall down please help them up!"

[O'Doyle_Alpine Fault]

inverse order brought the most people. and the countless hours I spent on street promotion (getting sick in the process) were obviously completely useless.

It seems pretty obvious that the poster's dont work doesnt it? how about radio advertising?? i dunno toss around some ideas , whatever ant did at the shadows gig worked beautifully!!! that was an awesome night!!

[dragonorchid]

radio adverstising is gonna cost $350 to $450... which who is going to pay for?

The Studio gig on the 13th May had plenty of people attending, all costs were covered, all bands were paid over $100 each. even with 50 tickets given away on the rock it seems (which may have helped).
Shadows gigs are usually easier... less costs. but yes, that last shadows gig went really well. What do you attribute that to Ant?

on experience, we have always found Shadows gigs to yield more pay back for the bands. but again, numbers have always depended on the bands playing.

[O'Doyle_Alpine Fault]

radio adverstising is gonna cost $350 to $450... which who is going to pay for?

The promoters normally pay for that to the best of my knowledge like ollie was saying earlier its not the bands job to bring numbers normaly the advertiser brings the numbers to any gig. also is that not what you spent roughly on flyers??? would radio advertising not be better $$ spent??

[dragonorchid]

I'm not a promotor, I do gigs as an unpaid organiser. Promotors take a cut of the door. i don't. I pay for costs only. Those bigger posters around town were a mistake obviously, one that i paid dearly for, and i won't be doing it again.

If a bands want to do a radio ad for a gig they have coming up, they may do so at their own cost. The radio ad would benefit them, not us.

[Oliver Luck]

What you need with Radio is leverage. example; Bfm is getting advertising free through Grounded. And increasing their listener base thru Josh's show. Grounded and RBG is getting Promo through Bfm thru Josh (and they've offered some trade deals for advertising the station/label/releases, etc). What you need to find is something of value to a radio station, or a punter and then leverage that into advertising for your gigs or punters turning up to a gig.

Example;
Everyone says they should be 'events', becos you get a better turnout.
Why not make them ALL events? Like call it "Replace Ants Couch Show"
And advertise it as an EVENT, with a note of some of the bands playing. Becos people are 100x more likely to go to an event rather then a gig.

Although, I think that you just had insanely bad luck the other night as New Way Home is a crowd puller (as is Alpine Fault and the others) and its very very strange that there wasnt more of a crowd.

[dragonorchid]

how about if I only ever ask for a $100 deposit/bond from bands that have never played there before? If they have played there before, and/or at one of our other gigs before and proven themselves, then there is no need for it? Kinda like a first time usage bond? which they likely get back anyway? Most of the time, downers have been from bands that have never played there before and don't really try making a buzz about it because there is no risk for them.

[Willow]

this reminds me of a sale scrum, everyones talking and NO ONE is listening without an EGO, there are people saying things with their own angenda and not willing to say what they think for fear of saying the wrong thing and be jumped on for it or they are going to hurt feelings.

there have been some good ideas put up none of which have been listend to or taken on board, its a f**king mess people! your going around in circles!.

[Geetadave]

the 50 free tickets worked a charm, i'd make it 100 next time even, it's not about making money, it's about showcasing some great kiwi talent and why not give away free tickets through the rock like the may 13th gig (and yeah michelle they did get them and gave all of them away). it looks a lot better if theres a shitload of people there, everyone who was at the may 13th gig said it was mean, and usually if someone has a free ticket, they will bring someone else who will pay a lot of the time.

[goatboy]

Hmmm...seems to me you've got a lot of people with a lot of different ideas about what works and what doesn't. From experience, stay clear of radio advertising for gigs unless it's a special event e.g. album launch. While it does make your bands name a little more accessible to the general public, it's very expensive for what it is.

I personally know of a lot of bands that were put off doing Rock Factory gigs because their requests to do them were continually denied. I can't remember the last time I saw a Rock Factory gig that didn't involve one of about 6 bands that "always" play these gigs. If I didn't know any better I'd have the opinion that the Rock Factory was very elitist i.e. if we don't like you even though other people do you're not doing one of our gigs. Now add the perception that these gigs cost to play at and.....well you're probably shooting yourself in the foot.

I think the best suggestions I've heard are from Ant. Forget the Studio, concentrate on smaller venues. Stick with posters though, they do work!!!

[Geetadave]

this reminds me of a sale scrum, everyones talking and NO ONE is listening without an EGO, there are people saying things with their own angenda and not willing to say what they think for fear of saying the wrong thing and be jumped on for it or they are going to hurt feelings.

there have been some good ideas put up none of which have been listend to or taken on board, its a f**king mess people! your going around in circles!.

i'm sure mark and michelle are taking ideas in

[Geetadave]

i dont think posters do sh*t..  

[dragonorchid]

oh I give up. I'm not a promoter, this is precisely why it has to be left to the bands. In the end it is up to you guys. That is all I have to say.

[Ant_Alpine Fault]

Posters are fun... but I lost my Black Crayon and can't colour in Derek's emo fringe...  

[simon_ishtar]

I think the best suggestions I've heard are from Ant. Forget the Studio, concentrate on smaller venues. Stick with posters though, they do work!!!

Agreed.
 depends on venue, time put up, design, where put up and people giving a rats arse. Personally I'd never waste time hitting K Rd. The Bus stop areas and round the traffic lights on Symonds st though.....

[dragonorchid]

Goatboy, Its not that we are elitist, well perhaps a little... its that we do gigs with bands we know work, or we try and match genres. Usually the bands will have done a shadows gig that we've seen first (we 've seen them perform and how the crowd responds to them). All I know is that everytime I've done otherwise, like tried and gotten someone else untried into a gig it has backfired on me like the last gig.

[dragonorchid]

Gigs are hard. I don't know why i even bother with them sometimes, except perhaps to keep mark occupied. But I do enjoy seeing some of you guys live... but then I usually don't see you coz I'm stuck on the door at the Studio.

[dragonorchid]

right, suggestions for other venues...

[simon_ishtar]

Adding my own personal agenda into the mix we've had mixed results with studio gigs. first time Jamie brought two talbes of people alone and we would have easily made our hypothetical $100 back, second time we were on last and found it a harder sell to a lot of people, not least of all cause of that.
 My personal bitch and moan we kicked arse that second gig, certainly outgunned Killt. We regularly (well me anyyway) post here and have done our bit to help RF where we can.  and did we get the birthday spot? like f**k we did, you gave it to the inferior band.
 I think RF is far from cliquey or elitist.

[dragonorchid]

um, that wasnt my choice , but hey... we can't have all 50 bands that we've dealt with play on our Birthday can we? This is exactly were that "can't please eveyone" comes in and we always try our best support everyone. There are bands on here that have never rehearsed and recorded with us... originally the Studio gigs were organised ONLY for bands that had recorded with us, but I've tried to open that up a little, except that it has backfired on us when we have. hmmm, Maybe I should put that they have recorded with us back as criteria for the Studio gigs, and scrap the $100 deposit.

Then we can really cliquey and elitist.

[Willow]

So the bands who do support RF but dont practice and will never record with you , will get no consideration for any futrue gigs with the RF


also stop changeing your posts after you post them yeah its getting realy anoying when you post something up and it no longer reads the same way

[Tags:]

The Rock Factory Community  THE ROCK FACTORY SECTION  Rock Factory Interactive - Talk with the Rock Factory Team  Topic: STUDIO GIGS