Ok, I'm going to vent a little bit here on some things that I consistently see going wrong with the original music scene.....








1. - If you're band is playing a show, get there early and stay late to support all the bands on the bill. If you guys don't support each other, then how can you expect anyone else to? DON'Tsit in your van until it's time to play your set, then race out with your gear immediately after.







2. - If your band only draws 3 people paid on the door....don't ask for a guest list. As much as we're in this for the right reasons...we still have to consider this is a business. Usually the sound person is paid off of the door split, so you can't think everyone can come in for free. The more people you want to come in for free, the more money that has to come out of the venue's pocket. When a venue consistently loses money on shows....THE SHOWS STOP!







3. - PROMOTE THE SHOWS and get people out to see your band. It's difficult as a promoter to convince people to come out and listen to local original music. We're in a day and age where people are more content to listen to cover bands because its music they know. The best person to promote your band is you, first and foremost. As a promoter, we push your music, we convince bars to allow you to play your music, and we get the bar to run drink specials to help bring in people. That's all we can do...the rest is up to you to spread the word, make some friends, and get a good crowd for yourself.







4. - You need to bring people out for your shows...friends, family, people you don't even really like. It doesn't matter. There are very few places that allow original musicians to play. It's hard enough to convince a bar owner to allow original bands to play. The only way it can continue is to show the bar that it's working and the bands are bringing people out for it. All a bar owner sees is if this is making them money in order to stay in business. If they don't make money, then they close their doors, and another venue closes for good. This is their livelyhood and the way they feed their family. If original music isn't working...they're not gonna continue it.







5. - If your band doesn't have a show scheduled one night, but a couple bands you know of are playing.....come out and support them!! Bands need to come out when they're not playing and support other musicians who are playing. Bring copies of your band's cd, talk it up with the bands playing that night, trade shows with them, and just market your band in general to people who are there at the show. The guys in Local Demise have been really good about this lately. It's awesome to see a band who is trying that hard to build their fan base up.







6. - The scene can only exist if you create it. You can't go to a bar and just expect it to be packed with people eagerly awaiting to listen to new music. People are skeptical and chances are they already think you suck before you go on. So you gotta get up there and play and change their minds. Talk to them and pass out burned copies of your cd's for them to take with them. Get their email address from them and build up an email list to announce your shows. Not everyone is on myspace, although it's a great tool to use, not everyone checks their bulletins regularly.







7 - One of the biggest reasons people do enjoy local music is because they can get to know the band individually. They can attach themselves to this smaller band and make it their own. They know they can go to their shows, enjoy some drinks with them, and build up a relationship with them. That's what starts a scene and that's what needs to exist in order for original music to survive.







8. - Don't sit back and say "Why aren't people coming to our shows". Chances are people don't know who the hell you are. Spread the word. a 100 pack of CD-R's are cheap enough. Burn copies of them and pass them out. Even if it's only a 3 song sampler. Give a copy to the kid working the drive thru at Wendy's or pumping your gas at BP. Sure, everyone wants to press some legit cd's and look professional, but that costs money and then you need to sell them to make the money back. Then you're asking people to buy your cd when they don't even know you. If you hand them a simple burned copy, chances are they will throw it in their cd player in the car and check you out.







9. - DON'T BITCH ABOUT THE SET ORDER! If you're given a show and it's the first time playing a venue, chances are that you will be an opener or a closer. Suck it up, play with a good attitude, and I guarantee you'll be invited back to play on a better spot or better show. Especially if you prove you can bring out some people. If your band brings 2 people with them, you can't expect to get the best spot on the lineup. Every promoter keeps track of this shit. We know who drew well on a show and who bitched and cried because they had to play first or last. This business is very much a "give and take" thing. If you can prove to a club that you're serious and you bring out people, we remember that and we make note of it. We have blacklists of bands who don't think this applies to them....and guess what, we all talk to each other. We have friends who promote for other venues and we share that info.







10. - DON'T DROP OFF OF SHOWS WITHOUT AN INSANELY GOOD REASON FOR DOING SO!!! If you have a cold, suck it up and play. Dropping on a show with most venues will almost guarantee you'll never play there again. Also...we all talk to each other. If a band drops on me or worse yet just doesn't show up for it...I'm spreading the word about them to several other venues and promoters in the area so they don't have the same thing happen to them. So, when you think you just bailed on a show and might have ticked off some "small time" promoter, you never know who they are affiliated with. Dropping off of one show could get you blacklisted from 5 other venues without even knowing it.







11. - EARLY, IS ON TIME !
ON TIME, IS LATE !
Be at the venue when you're supposed to be, READY TO PLAY!








We work hard at this, just as you work hard at being a band and making music. There's no one person who works harder than anyone else involved in this scene. Everyone plays some type of crucial part. The kid who goes out and flyers, the bands who create music, the promoters who pull it together, the venues who thankfully still allow this to go on....they're all equal. This doesn't work without everyone pulling together to make this something that people want to be a part of. If we're putting on great shows and spreading the word out to people who might not have an interest in listening to original music, it may change their minds.







IT's ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC...and it's about being a family that rallies around the support of that music!

WE  BOOK ORIGINAL BANDS WHO PLAY ONLY THEIR COMPOSITIONS. WE DO NOT BOOK COVER BANDS OR DJ'S. IF INTERESTED IN BOOKING A DATE, PLEASE CONTACT US THROUGH MYSPACE. OUR ADDRESS IS

www.myspace.com/elliottsrevue

TO ALL WISHING TO BOOK A DATE @ ELLIOTT'S, YOU MUST AGREE TO AND SIGN THIS DOCUMENT. PLEASE SEND SIGNED AND DATED DOCUMENT TO

elliottsrevue@yahoo.com

YOU MUST ALSO PRESENT A HARD COPY UPON ARRIVAL @ ELLIOTT'S REVUE.

* PEACE *

VICKI MOORE * ELLIOTT'S REVUE

 

AGREEMENT


This Agreement made this ______ day of _______________________ , 200_____ by and between Luna Lounge Entertainment, Inc. and/or Elliott..s Revue (..Luna..), ________________________________________________________________(..Entertainer..) and Entertainer..s authorized agent (..Entertainer..s Representative..).

WHEREAS Entertainer and its agents and/or employees, by and through Entertainer..s Representative, have agreed to appear at Luna..s premises located at 701 Trade Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101 (..Elliott..s Revue..) on the following date(s):
______________________________________________________________________________ (..performance date(s).. and

WHEREAS Luna has no licensing agreement with ASCAP, SESAC, BMI or any other licensor of separate musical compositions owned by entities other than Entertainer and/or its employees or agents.

NOW THEREFORE Luna, Entertainer, by and through Entertainer..s Representative, and Entertainer..s Representative agree to the following terms:

1. That Entertainer and its agents and/or employees will perform only those renditions of musical compositions to which it has either ownership or legal license through its agents and/or employees (..original repertoire..);

2. That, with the exception of the aforementioned original repertoire, Entertainer will not perform any renditions of the separate musical compositions which are licensed through ASCAP, SESAC, BMI or any other licensor of musical compositions owned by entities other than Entertainer (..non-original repertoire..);

3. That Entertainer and Entertainer..s Representative warrant that any renditions of musical compositions performed by Entertainer and/or its agents and employees at Elliott..s Revue on the aforementioned performance date(s) are either owned by Entertainer or are legally licensed through its agents and/or employees;

4. That Entertainer agrees that with respect to any performance of renditions of musical compositions either owned by Entertainer or by Entertainer..s agents and/or employees and legally licensed to Entertainer, Luna shall not be responsible for compensating Entertainer or its agents and/or employees for any royalties for the performance of said musical compositions at Elliott..s Revue on the aforementioned performance date(s);

5. That Entertainer..s Representative warrants that he or she has the authority, either expressly or impliedly, to execute this Agreement on behalf of Entertainer;



6. That in the event that Entertainer..s Representative does not have the authority, either expressly or impliedly, to execute this Agreement on behalf of Entertainer, that Entertainer..s Representative has agreed to execute this Agreement in his or her personal capacity;

7. That Entertainer and Entertainer..s Representative agree to hold Luna harmless for any public performance at Elliott..s Revue by Entertainer and/or its agents and employees of any renditions of the separate musical compositions previously referred to as ..non-original repertoire..;

8. That this Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of Luna, Entertainer and Entertainer..s Representative, hereto together with their heirs, administrators, executors, successors and assigns, notwithstanding the fact that Luna may or may not have agreed to compensate Entertainer for appearing on the aforementioned performance date(s).

This the ______ day of _______________________ , 200_____ .




_____________________________________________(SEAL)
Luna Lounge Entertainment, Inc.
By (print name): ______________________________________, Agent



_____________________________________________(SEAL)
Entertainer
By (print name): ______________________________________, Agent



_____________________________________________(SEAL)
Print name:
In his or her personal capacity