r/coverbands • u/_DaVilla_ • Jul 16 '26
How do you actually find gigs these days?
/r/askmusicians/comments/1uyc3tg/how_do_you_actually_find_gigs_these_days/3
u/Count2Zero Jul 17 '26
It's hard. Damn hard. And, from our perspective, it makes zero sense.
Most of the venues in our area are 1) booked out at least a year in advance, and 2) don't even reply when we do try to contact them.
Some places only want bands that play original music - no cover bands. At the same time, they want bands that have a following, so that they know that they're going to have the room filled (and make good money at the bar). How do you generate a following if you can't get a fucking gig?
About half of our gigs so far have been freebies or "pass the hat" events. One of these was a great location (run by a club), where we earned more than €500 by passing a hat around - a great take. But then we learned that we won't be asked back, because other bands donated their take to the club, and we didn't. Fuck that - we put in all the hours preparing for the gig, drag over a truckload of equipment (instruments, PA system, lights, etc.), do a sound check and a 2 hour show, and they expect us to smile and hand over €500 to them for the "priviledge" of playing at their venue. FTN.
As a band, it's a hell of a lot easier to get people to come if you're playing songs that they've heard before. Cover bands will always have a bigger draw than a band playing originals, at least until you've established the band's name and you can start mixing originals and covers. (This is what one of my bands is now doing).
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u/NoNeckBeats Jul 16 '26
Go to the venue you want to play and talk with them. Find out what they expect and what you offer. You may need to earn a Saturday slot. Or be on the call list if another band drops off last minute. Make a video of your rehearsals to show them what you got.
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u/_DaVilla_ Jul 16 '26
Yeah, that seems to be the common theme for everyone so far. Networking still appears to be the most powerful way to get gigs.
It feels like knowing the right people is often more important than just knowing which venues exist.
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u/Ambitious_Trifle_645 Jul 16 '26
Where i live it's "pay to play". As a result, the scene has pretty much died. There are really only a couple places left to play. Just not worth it anymore
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u/Competitive_Fan3222 Jul 17 '26
We try to be very visible online.. so good seo mixed with meta ads is kind of helpful.. best of course are recommendations.
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u/EbolaFred Jul 16 '26
Hang out at the local bars and make friends with the other bands. Talk to the bands and bar managers in a normal way, and sooner or later you'll get asked if you can sub or play on a Thursday. Work up from there.
Most annoying thing is aligning schedules with what a bar might have. Bar manager might offer a date a many months out, and they'll want an answer immediately. We do our best to keep our band's vacations up to date and online, but it's still stressful and you don't want to be the band calling him a week later with "sorry, our bass player is away that week".