Industry news & advice blog

Once a maverick approach that worked for a handful of artistes, going it alone (or DIY) is fast becoming the only viable route to making any kind of significant progress.  It’s not about keeping all the money (what money?), but creating the action that might generate opportunities. Rob Sandall reports

Any emerging act will tell you that the only chance of making even a modest sum of money – at least initially – is by finding, promoting and playing as many shows as possible.

With record sales yielding little and some of the labels directionless and floundering, the DIY route of self-promotion has become less of an option and more of a necessity.

As for working without an agent, Geoff Thompson, co-founder of grassroots industry gathering Un-Convention, says that there are pros and cons to taking the initiative and finding your own shows. 

“Obviously the experience and contacts of agents and promoters can be invaluable for some artistes, but when you're starting out it's a very crowded market, and this is where those taking DIY approach can benefit,” he says.

“Playing on a bill with three other unrelated acts doesn't make sense for anyone, least of all the audience. But if you put on your own event, you are the promoter, you can decide who you'll be playing with, and chances are you'll know your audience better than anyone else.

“Taking that further, finding acts that have a similar vibe to your own in another city, and then arranging gig swaps, can be incredibly beneficial,” he adds.

While citing the likes of Enter Shikari and Mumford and Sons as examples of better-known artistes who have embraced and benefitted from DIY, Thompson also mentions Manchester outfit The Ironweed Project, who have recently been working hard on so-called gig hijacks.

“The trick is to find an established act that you consider to sound like your own, find out when they’re coming to your city and book a venue as close as possible to where they'll be, for a late show” he says.

“If you then flyer the touring band’s gig as people arrive and leave, pointing them towards the venue you've playing – maybe billed as the unofficial after-party, you’ll net the people who are often looking for somewhere to go after the main show.”

Illusion of success
Music Glue’s Mark Meharry, whose company provides free online marketing services for selected fledgling acts, firmly believes that these days, “going DIY is the only option unless you go on The X-Factor”.

“Artistes that have a career strategy based on impressing the industry before the fans, will have a very short career. What really matters is honing your craft and building a loyal fanbase,” he says. 

“As for industry experience, what actually is that?  We speak to a lot of so-called industry experts and they are so out-of-touch with what is happening today, it’s beyond a joke.

On the subject of pay-to-play gigs, Meharry believes that the entire concept is nothing more than an illusion designed to ensnare the more naive acts.

“We have these supposed gate-keepers claiming that the path to success starts with them,” he says. 

“If that were true, they’d not need to charge baby bands, and would be a lot more subtle about what they were doing, lest they were inundated with requests for help.

“The intermediaries of the world are losing power rapidly,” he adds.

Promoter, manager and agent Howard Mark is another who has nothing but ire for the pay-to-play system, and says that those peddling it as a star-making opportunity should be ashamed.

“It's quite shrouded these days, and people get sucked in without realising, then get paid a tenner cos of some weird system where you have nothing on the first 40 people you brought,” he says.

Reassuring sceptics
Matty Hall, head of bookings at London’s Lexington (cap. 250) says the major reservations a venue might have in dealing directly with an act, will be trust.

“Using an agent is dealing with someone you know, and you can often take a good guess at how many people the act will be able to attract to a gig,” he says. “If a band contacts me directly, I have to go on what they’re promising without being entirely sure.

“That’s not to say that our doors are closed to self-promotion – the acts will just have to do a lot more chasing and really turn heads.”

Veteran London-based regional promoter David Messer adds that there’s no longer room in the industry for those doing things “the old way”.

“There is no old way anymore. What band is going to get a record label these days? The labels don’t have any money.

“Acts are in a really difficult situation and the onus is on them to get out there and work hard to promote themselves.

“In fact, I’m just preparing for a meeting with an act that will be working with me to bypass the idea of agents and traditional promoters, and look after themselves,” says Messer.

“DIY is the only way to go for anyone taking the industry seriously these days.”


For more news on the emerging and unsigned live sector see LIVE UK. LIVE UK is a subscription only magazine, to find out more call 020 7486 7007 or go to www.liveuk.com

Image credits:
The Lexington – Matty Hall
DMP – David Messer   
Music Glue – Mark Meharry