Anyone got advice regarding approaching promoters etc?

[Unfolding]

Just curious 'cause I've been attempting to meet up with some locals that're into making & releasing beats etc. No luck so far.

Tried a few different angles to getting a foot in the door (being super positive & friendly/cold calling with unreleased music/writing music for folks: once to their vibe & once was at gut level)... What's consistent is a total lack of response after I send 'em some songs. That makes shit hard, I can handle a straight up "Nah, fuck off" but no answer pisses me right off. Art that gets no response is the worst kind of art & I don't want to be that guy.

Also, are these 2 tracks shit? In need to know if they are/aren't. These are some of the tunes intended for different folks that flopped. Be objective!

Sayitagain.mp3
[mp3]http://sp-forums.com/download/file.php?id=1816[/mp3]
Flicker.mp3
[mp3]http://sp-forums.com/download/file.php?id=1815[/mp3]
^Sorry if those songs mean this is in the wrong thread.

[nobdy]

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[Ill Green]

Thing about promoters is that they want a sureshot. You really need to lay the foundation in your talents and build from there, promoting yourself. Find small gigs and they'll eventually build into big ones.

When you've gained momentum, then hit up promoters for that extra push. Its all about money, so that extra push comes at a cost. Beware.

[Unfolding]

Andy: Thanks man! Based in Canberra, Australia. Not a big scene for hip hop, electronic & sample based music here but it's growing.

Ill- Nice! Hadn't considered it from that angle. Makes total sense too, I was always gonna be careful with anyone who has an agenda involving cash & favours but thanks for the insight.

[nobdy]

...

[in haze]

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[preqwal]

It is hard to get started, but once you get a few contacts you'll find things start falling into place.

I'd try and find some low key venues around where hipsters and students hang out. I find they're a bit more open to eclectic music. try and put on some free shows in these places. Maybe find a band that uses electronics and ask them if you can support.

Also, there'll be loads of community type groups into art and music that are also generally open to random types of music.

It's really all about getting to know people. Once one person likes your stuff they'll speak to another person until a venue owner or promoter hears it and gives you a chance.

I'd also recommend finding a visual artist (VJ) to work with live. He in turn will have a whole bunch of contacts that you had no idea about. basically, the more creative people you work with the more people you'll meet!!

I work with a VJ and all of a sudden we've picked up momentum. It's actually helped us being the only "electronic" act around my home town.

Let me know how things go.

P.S. I really like those tracks and would love to hear them live!

[Unfolding]

Great advice fellas, really appreciate all this!

If I wasn't on the wrong side of the planet, I'd make sure you're all on the door list for the gig or got a 6pack at the backyard show. Cheers!

[hseiken]

Personal experience here from days in a band:

First, hit up the no-one-cares places. Usually these bars and stuff will let you play, but they'll only pay you in beer or whatever and usually promotion is up to you to get people in the door. If you're able to get friends and stuff to look like a halfway decent audience on a slow night (which is generally our first gigs...Mondays and Tuesdays), then after that, you can have more leverage to play different days. If you do this at several places, when you go approach more popular joints instead of dive bars, you can use that as credentials...i..e "we've played x venues already" when you talk to the owner. If you're interested in building your name, again, be prepared to just play really bad paying gigs at first. In one summer we went from playing for a pitcher of beer to 200$ per band member for a one hour show with an audience that went from like 3 rednecks to 100+ people our music was aimed at.

But we promoted ourselves. I made the flyers and all the band members would make copies and leave them places. And we played quite a few shows just for beer before we made any money (our first paying gig, each band member got like 50 bucks a piece...). Some places allow you to charge at the door but you have to provide the doorman. I know one show we were at, we were playing with another band that was charging 3 bucks at the door and we had no idea. When we complained about this to the manager, turned out it was other band who set all that up just for themselves. The shitty thing was that we recongized some people who attended a previous show, so our fans paid the other band essentially. Kinda shitty. So if you end up setting something up like that, be sure to run it by whoever else might be on stage that night and possibly offer a little bit of the take cause we didn't get any and the other band just looked like douches.

[MattCoops]

Have 4 or more different emcees spit over your stuff. Make sure they sound good. And make it into a mixtape collection you can stream over Bandcamp. Direct people to that mix so they have a sort of portfolio of how you work.
Have a CD with a bunch of beats on it you can get to them to shop.
Keep in touch, be personable and build a relationship with those interested. Keep their contact info even if they dont buy nothing from you

[lodger]

something important to keep in mind is what audience you're trying to get. Like someone said before, promoters are looking for a sure thing and can't afford to alienate their audience. furthermore, if you are dealing with a promoter that books mainstream hiphop the crowd they pull in might not be sympathetic to your music...its as much who you recruit into your audience as anyone.

Also, consider gathering like minded people..try talking to your local arts gallery and see if you can play there during an opening. consider playing to one or two people who like you stuff and get them to bring friends, so on. Establish a rep via youtube, be willing to play in other areas first and travel...and then you can bring it all home.

[providloe]

canberra is the place for the suburban lounge show. look at how cbr hardcore created a scene from nothing. chuck a party, do a set in ur kitchen or whatever, film the shit n chuck it on youtube/soundcloud. enjoy the smell of ur own farts a bit.

[Unfolding]

Damn, wasn't expecting anyone with local knowledge to speak up! Prov, you from here?

Been to a few of those hardcore house gigs, they're a nice idea but I own my home... Which makes me too precious to put on a gig with 30 people in my living room (not that I could pull those numbers anytime soon, even with other beatmakers). But it'd be great to have a dozen mates over for a barbeque, beer & beats sesh... Hmm...