Biggest Band Mistakes at College Gigs

College students are a great demographic for musicians to target because they are big time consumers of the entertainment industry. They watch music news and videos, attend concerts, go to clubs, buy music and the latest music technology – often obsessively. For any band looking to build their fan base, a college presents an enormous potential marketplace.

Many colleges have committees appointed specifically to book entertainment on their campuses. This article is going to give you the 4-1-1 on everything you need to know about getting booked on a college campus, from the college booking agents themselves. #Jethro

Finding The Booking Agents

This first step will require some research. Not every college has a direct link to their entertainment committee on their homepage. Chances are, they may not even be called the “entertainment committee,” that’s just the term we’re going to be using here, so don’t Google it. Search the college website and call the campus hotline for information. There could be several departments that book entertainment, so make sure you find the one right for you. Often, the best way to track down booking agents is to talk to other bands that landed college gigs. When you confirm that you’ve reached the right department or individual, store your contacts in a little black band book. #College

Press Kits

Sending out a press kit? Keep in mind that you’re sending something that's representative of your band. You want to appear professional, and convey who you are musically. Keep the press kit simple by including:

o Plenty of music samples,
o A paragraph of information about the band
o A blurb about your desire to play for the campus
o Contact information
o And a photo or two

Keep in mind that college booking agents have a lot of kits to look at. Too much stuff is more likely to overwhelm the booking agent than invite them into your music. “Why should we bring you here? Just answer that question,” says Nathan Kogut of Colorado State University.

the prettier press kit is not always the belle of the ball, so invest in press kits only what you’re able to comfortably spend. DO NOT OVERSPEND on large, overly detailed press kits full of articles, various photos, show reviews and page long bios. When a booking agent has a pile of kits to review, chances are all that extra stuff is going to go unnoticed. “We receive so many press kits, we can’t even review them all,” reveals Paul Spella of the University of New Mexico. The best thing you could do is condense your information. No one should need to read a novel to get to know your band.

The majority of mailed press kits consist of a CD and a one-sheet (a single page) containing band information and contacts. Not every college reviews bands the same way, so feel free to call them up or look online for each college’s press kit requirements (include that in the little black band book too). Some colleges may only want CDs, so if you send them a DVD of one of your shows, you could inconvenience them by making them find a DVD player to watch it on.

Do your research and you might even get away with not paying for postage altogether. Many colleges will gladly accept an electronic press kit (EPK) or emails with links to your band’s personal website. Not to mention that this will vastly decrease paper waste and save the booking agent from storing your CD.

If you plan on using a MySpace page to send to a booking agent, keep your page simple and professional. Watch out for comments, pictures or other posts that could give booking agents the wrong impression of you. Too many photos or graphics on your profile page could also lead to technical problems, so clean it up on a regular basis. John Rios of Montana State University says that MySpace can be very convenient for reviewing bands because he can listen to music, read information, look at photos and follow band schedules. “I can catch bands in between major cities,” he says. Paul Spella agrees that there can be advantages to maintaining a MySpace page, “It’s an easy means of connection to the college demographic.”

What A College Wants

What do colleges want to hear? What are their expectations? It’s hard to list specifics; colleges are as unique as the bands they book. Some may only want conservative, squeaky clean, ambient music, while others push the boundaries with experimental, free-form concerts. If in doubt, ask. Spend your time focusing on the colleges that want your style.

How prominent you are in the industry may also be a factor. Some colleges want the rising, but still underground artist that students will find refreshing and new. Others may prefer bands with a history in the music industry that will be recognized by their students. At the same time, there are colleges who don’t care who you are, where you come from, or what you’ve done in the industry - it’s the quality of your music that gets you booked. “We have to feel like they’re going to put on a good show,” says Colorado State’s Nathan Kogut. Don’t take offense if a college decides not to book you, just move on.

Getting Paid…Or Not

ike we said earlier, not every college has the same process for dealing with bands and that includes payment. You might be able to get a sweet paycheck for your time. Then again, you might not. Budgets are going to vary from college to college and their size or locations are not reliable clues in determining how much they can pay you. For example, a community college in the middle of Wisconsin may be able to pay you more than a huge university in San Francisco.

This variation in payment means you’ll have to be flexible and willing to adjust your performance price from college to college. If you’re unwilling to budge, you could be wiping out several valuable opportunities. If you need extra money for traveling expenses, make sure the entertainment committee knows that - many are willing to cover travel and boarding costs. The best method? Ask high but be willing to go low if that’s the determining factor to being booked.

In this economic downtime, many colleges (especially state subsidized ones) are going through budget cuts. That means there’s a good chance the entertainment committee is functioning on less dollars. Don’t take a request to lower your price personally, state college or not. Some bands like to set a rate price for college performances. However, if a committee has a strict budget to function on, they’ll have very little regard for your ‘college rate.’

Do not try to bluff the college by threatening not to do the show if you don’t get the high price you want. It’s easier to say “no” and drop you than to continue negotiations. If you are able to do a show, DO IT! Only pass it up if the timing’s wrong or there’s not enough money to cover travel and expenses.

After You Get Booked

Once you’re booked, get a contract signed. Don’t rely on emails or phone calls to hold up if something goes wrong. Most colleges have their own contracts and are legally bound to use them. If you have a personal contract, only use it if the college doesn’t have one and they’re willing to use yours. There’s no need to sign both a personal and official college contract.

Next, get as much information about your performance as possible:

o What do you have to bring and what will be provided? (Ask about the PA system!)
o Will someone meet you when you arrive?
o Where on campus is your show going to be? (Always get maps of a campus you’re unfamiliar with, and don’t be afraid to ask for someone to help you navigate around)
o If outdoors, will there be a rain alternate?
o If the show is cancelled for a reason that’s not your fault (for example, if it rains and there is no alternate location) will you still get paid?
o Are you expected to draw a specific number of spectators to your show?
o Will the campus require a parking permit and will the college pay for it?
o If you have a large vehicle, or a trailer, what are the parking details? (Discuss this days, not hours or minutes, in advance. Some campuses may not have parking to accommodate cars with trailers or large sized vehicles, and may need to make arrangements.)

Most important of all… merchandise. Playing at a college is about expanding your fan base. Always ask if you can bring some merch, like t-shirts, stickers, pins and of course CDs. Be aware that some colleges will charge a percentage of your merchandise sales. If a college doesn’t allow the sale of merchandise (for whatever reason), bring flyers or business cards to hand out instead.

Right before a performance, make sure everyone is on the same page about the details of the show - and that means EVERYONE! If you’re a musician and your manager did all the booking, it may help to call or email the college anyway to get a rundown. Complications may arise when not all the information is clearly transferred from the college, to the manager and then to the band. In fact, most colleges prefer working out show details with those who are going to be present on the day of the show. “When bands come to campus, they don’t bring their (management),” says John Rios of Montana State University. John prefers talking to band members as opposed to managers to avoid performance day miscommunications, it’s a pet peeve of many college booking agents.

Building A Relationship

You sent a press kit, played a show, got a check (or not), and now it’s all over, right? Not yet! If you played once at a college, increase your chances of playing again by building a relationship and leaving on a positive note. Send a follow-up email thanking the entertainment committee for booking your band, and slip in a line about how you’d like to play again in the future. Booking agents like to know that you appreciated their work to get you booked. If you can, toss them a free t-shirt along with your thanks.

Now you know how to get booked on a college campus. Next time, we’re going to expand on the subject of building a strong relationship with a college campus, and most importantly, we’ll look at the mistakes that can damage your reputation on the college music circuit. Watch out for the “Biggest Band Mistakes” revealed by college planners around the country, coming soon to Sonic Weekly.

Contributors to this article include:

Paul Spella, University of New Mexico, NM - Student Union, Concerts

John Rios, Montana State University, MT - Concerts Director

Nathan Kogut, Colorado State University, CO - A.S.A.P. Concerts