Recently, a group of seasoned improvisers in the SF/Sacramento area were debating/bemoaning the ‘sad state of artistic support’ out there (tipping, cd sales, etc) on a discussion list.
I can’t count the times I’ve been too lazy/bitter/whatever about asking for support at a gig and consequently not being tipped or sold a single cd. Guess you can’t just leave the tip jar out and/or stand around at the cd booth…
Years ago on a Ramona the Pest tour we were given some inspirational tapes (cassettes!) about making money touring, etc. We had a long drive from LA and were playing that night at Club Congress in Tucson. For giggles we listened to it. And were…impressed. The part we all decided to try as a test went something like this:
‘After you finish your set, walk off the stage and head straight to the audience and work the room. Introduce yourself to people, ask them if they enjoyed the show, thank them and ask them to buy a cd and support your work. You’ve got 10 minutes to do this before you lose ‘em. This is crucial. Get someone (in the band or whomever) to get the gear off for you (or even be a dick and leave it there) and work the room – don’t go talk to your friends, etc. plenty of time for that later.’
So we did this – and sold 15 CDs as opposed to usual two or three…And did we keep doing this? Yes – for a few gigs and then the old ways crept back in. This stuff is hard and I guess you have to learn it, or find/hire someone to do it for you. Excepting the house party/punk scene and home concert thing – where people seem to be programmed a little differently, but even then – you gotta work it. You can’t just blame it on and be bitter about the supposed sad state of artistic appreciation.
And I also have to say that in the process we were surprised to learn just how much people liked and were willing to support ALL KINDS of music – if we were good at making it – and engaged with them.
I sent this off to Derek Sivers after reading some inspiring articles about booking on his site. He was kind to take the time and respond:
Cool! I love your story and e-mail! Very inspirational. Thanks for sharing. Keep in touch and let me know if I can help with anything, OK? All the best, Derek Sivers
So there you have it. Engage, people, engage.