Jazz Band London The Bandleaders Perspective
If you run a jazz band in London you will know how important it is to sell each individual gig. No longer are you getting arrangements done, sorting rehearsals, booking musicians, hustling for work, putting up a public address system, announcing numbers, driving to gigs, making payments and all the other stuff that a band leader does on a regular basis. You are now a sales man for the gig.
Jazz Band London The Bandleaders Perspective
Jazz Band London The Bandleaders Perspective
It used to be that a club would make a decision about booking a band based on a cassette player, a grainy old photo and some charm from the bandleader. The charm was always the hard bit. I have heard some people took years to break into certain venues after doggedly reminding bookers of their existence! When you consider how few venues there are out there, compared to how many great bands there are, you must have some sympathy for bookers of Jazz Bands in London.
Jazz Band London The Bandleaders Perspective
Now a band leader, selling his jazz band, is more likely to have a promo video made, usually at great cost. Hi resolution photographs as well and sometimes Cd’s too. These are becoming less common. Still expensive to produce but less easy to sell. More and more people have a perception that music should be free. Mainly thanks to Spotify and Youtube. (Lets not be a hypocrite here, I haven’t bought a cd in 5 years) When selling his “product” or the band to a London booker, the band leader needs to reassure the booker that he or she is in a position to fill the venue. Venues come in two types. The ones where music is offered as a “side” attraction. Think a piano jazz trio playing on the top floor of a London hotels Then there are the ones that sell themselves as a Jazz Club or a music bar. These are the ones where the venue will expect your band name will be a “draw” If it’s not, well chances are the band will not be eating meat that evening!
Jazz Band London the Bandleaders Perspective
Jazz Band London The Bandleaders Perspective
So, band leaders in London are having to use face book, insta gram, twitter and all other social media platforms to make as many people aware of who they are and where they are playing. It’s exhausting! Here’s me writing articles to build my social media profile instead of practicing!! Does it pay off? Well, it is a form of black art. Sometimes it feels like yelling into a void. You will be in a London jazz club and someone will come up, say they saw a tweet you posted, checked out the band on you tube, looked at my face book page, checked out the website then decided to come along and check out the band live. Next thing is they are a friend on face book and twitter and you can engage with them about further future gigs.
The Mississippi Swamp Dogs don’t just hire their jazz band out for jazz venues. They are just as likely to be found at a wedding, a party, a corporate event for corporate entertainment. Henley, the Cotswolds, Surrey, Brighton and for a Burlesque evening. Want more information? Contact us here.