Recording & Production
How to Get Gigs as a Band: Finding and Approaching Venues
Which venues book new bands, what to have ready before you ask, what to write to the booker, how to agree terms in writing and get invited back.
From repertoire to setlist, rehearsal flow to showtime — practical notes for bands and news from BandUp.
Which venues book new bands, what to have ready before you ask, what to write to the booker, how to agree terms in writing and get invited back.
The song's over and the next one hasn't started. Who counts in, who talks, what happens while someone retunes? Planning transitions as part of the setlist.
Is a phone enough, where does it go in the room, why does it distort? And the part most bands skip: listening back as a group and bringing it to the next rehearsal.
Unplugging and playing the same songs isn't an acoustic set. Which songs survive, what replaces drums and bass, and how key and set order change.
Which money goes into the shared pot, what comes off first, how much goes into the band fund? What Turkish law assumes if you never discuss it, and methods bands use.
Forgetting lyrics on stage is two separate jobs: getting through those few seconds, and learning the words so they hold up under pressure. Practical moves from the stage, plus what memory research says.
For a two-hour slot, sources say anywhere from 20 to 40 songs. Where that gap comes from, and how to work out your own number in five minutes.
No budget? A phone is enough for a music video. The decisions to make before the shoot: format, lip sync, light, shot list, permits and the edit.
Know the 12-bar blues and you can start playing with musicians you've never met. The form bar by bar, the shuffle feel, the blues scale, and what to know before a jam night.