Prmting a Hward Jnes gig Putting n a gig can be a great experience! There is a fair amunt f effrt and time invlved in putting n a gig. It is nt all til and stress thugh. We bth put in a lt f hard wrk int making ur gigs a success, but at the same time we had tremendus fun, met sme great peple, made sme new friends, learnt a lt and the sense f satisfactin was wnderful. This guide is nt intended t be cmprehensive, but sme helpful hints based n ur persnal experiences frm Cheltenham and Barnsley. Best f luck! Paul and Andy A Nte f Cautin This is nt intended t put yu ff - but d please bear in mind that as a prmter yu are persnally respnsible fr ensuring the success f the event, the bking f the venue and the artist, ticket sales, the finances, prmtin, all the rganisatin and crdinatin. If ticket sales are nt gd yu will have t make up any shrtfall against the csts, if tickets sell well yu culd make sme mney! Timing Try and give yurself arund 6 mnths t get yur gig rganised and prmted. Anything less than 4 mnths and yu are prbably being ptimistic that yu can get everything rganised and the tickets sld. Gigs which take place n a Friday r Saturday will generally be better attended than thse held n ther nights. Financials/Mney Gigs can make a prfit r a lss. The prmter is respnsible fr this. Put tgether a budget listing all the csts and the expected incme t ensure that the venture will be ecnmic. The financial success will be dependent n the ticket price, the number f tickets sld and the csts incurred in putting n the gig. Paul Harris and Andrew Owen, June 2008 Page 1
Artist availability /Cntracts Yu will need t check availability f the artist first and then check these dates with yur chsen venue. This can be a little tricky t crdinate be patient! Once yu have an agreed date yu will nrmally be required t enter int cntracts with the artist, the venue and any cmpany that will be supplying peple r equipment fr the gig. Pay particular attentin t all the clauses and requirements in these cntracts as the prmter yu will be expected t meet all f these. Remember - these cntracts are legally binding! Venue Select a venue that meets the requirements f the gig. Acustic gigs are best seated, electrnic gigs are arguably better predminantly standing (with sme seating). Purpse built venues with tiered seating, lighting, public address (PA) system and a stage will typically prvide mst things that are needed t put n a gig. This can make yur jb much easier. Venues such as htels r ther halls may require yu t surce all the equipment and peple. Check the venue s plicy n peple under the age f 18 and facilities fr disabled. What yu will need t pay fr: The artist s fee The artist s rider (drinks etc. fr the dressing rm) The venue Perfrming Rights Sciety (PRS) 3.5% f grss ticket sales Bx ffice and ticketing facilities What yu might need t pay fr: Stage, if ne is nt prvided by the venue Lighting rig and pssibly a lighting engineer PA (cmprising mixing desk, amplifiers, micrphnes etc) and a sund engineer Credit card fees frm ticket purchases Paul Harris and Andrew Owen, June 2008 Page 2
Artist r persnal guest list tickets Security persnnel Insurance fr the event VAT is typically due n everything please allw fr this in yur budget! Bx ffice csts can be quite high. If the venue prvides a bx ffice facility, it will make ticket sales much easier. Alternatively, there are nline bx ffices r places like sme music shps may ffer a service. The tickets and bx ffice service will cst mney. This is either paid by yu the prmter r by the purchaser. Bking fees and credit card csts can be added t the ticket price t cver these csts. Nw yu knw what thse extra fees are which yu have t pay each time yur purchase a ticket! Prmting the Gig A gig will nly be successful if peple knw abut it. Prmting the cncert is the single mst imprtant thing n which yu shuld dedicate yur time a energy. Simply because yur gig is advertised n the internet r at the venue des nt mean that peple will buys tickets r turn up! Get the message ut there, far and wide! Prmtin ideas We fund that many media surces seem t struggle fr news. If yu can make it as easy as pssible fr the web sites, magazines etc. yu can be sure f getting sme prmtin fr yur gig. Internet sites Listings are ften free at mst sites. Get it ut there as widely as pssible. Music Gig listing What s n directries Scial netwrking sites e.g. facebk etc. Media Cnsider setting up interviews with radi, newspapers and magazines. Yu can ffer tickets fr the gig as a cmpetitin this is great prmtin. Write a press release, and send this ut t all the lcal and reginal channels. See belw fr an example. Paul Harris and Andrew Owen, June 2008 Page 3
Yu can als pint them t the bigraphy and pictures n www.hwardjnes.cm, and yu may als cnsider writing a fact sheet see belw. Try and cntact the entertainment r features editrs when cntacting magazines. When getting in tuch with the radi statins try and target thse presenters that play music f the same genre. Radi Newspapers and magazines, including free magazines Listings magazines and whats n guides News agencies r syndicates Listings f yur lcal media resurces are ften available n the web e.g. www.mediauk.cm Psters and flyers Limited quantities f A3 psters and flyers are available frm FML. Additinal quantities are available at cst. Yu can als cnsider printing yur wn flyers r pst cards. Yu can get 100 pstcards printed at www.vistaprint.c.uk using ne f their special ffers fr abut 4. Distribute yur material in ther venues, bars, clubs, scial clubs, shp windws, ntice bards, pubs, cafes, music shps, instrument shps Material will be picked up, discarded r hidden away by peple prmting ther shws, yu might need t regularly replenish the supplies f the flyers that yu leave in public places. Venue prmtin Des the venue have a listings magazine, pster sites? Des it have reciprcal agreements with ther venues? Wrd f muth Remember t tell all yur family and friends, and get them t tell all their friends t! Yu will find that peple expect free tickets take a view n this. Wuld yu persnally pay fr a ticket fr the persn that is asking fr a free ne? Other ideas - Sell sme tickets n ebay - hand ut flyers at the end f ther gigs A plite wrd f advice n marketing and prmtin! Mst peple wrking in the media industry are bmbarded with press releases and infrmatin frm all manner f surces, events, crprate etc. Paul Harris and Andrew Owen, June 2008 Page 4
Expect t fllw up with editrs, radi presenters, features writers etc. If yur email r call is nt returned call them again! There are many ther surces f infrmatin n the web take a lk arund and see what ther advice and suggestins are available. Here is ne useful resurce www.hi-arts.c.uk/prmting_page1.htm Paul Harris and Andrew Owen, June 2008 Page 5
Example Press Release PRESS RELEASE Hward Jnes plays full gig in Cheltenham fr the first time in his 25 year career Hward Jnes, best knwn as an 80's synth pp icn is playing his first full acustic gig in Cheltenham n Saturday April 26 th at the Cheltenham Twn Hall. This intimate acustic perfrmance will feature Hward Jnes n pian and vcals, accmpanied by the talented Rbin Bult n acustic guitars and will shwcase many f Jnes' hits, interspersed with humrus anecdtes frm his 25 year career. In the 80's and early 90's Jnes was a majr recrding artist in the UK and thrughut Eurpe. He als went n t find fame in Japan, Australia and the US with a string f hits such as 'What Is Lve', 'New Sng', 'Pearl In The Shell', 'Like T Get T Knw Yu Well', 'Everlasting Lve', 'Things Can Only Get Better', 'N-ne is t Blame' and nt frgetting 'Hide And Seek' which he perfrmed at the 1985 Lndn Live Aid cncert. Whilst Jnes may appear t have been ut f the mainstream eye since then, he has cntinued t write and prduce music, releasing a dzen albums since that time, many f which eclipse his better knwn wrk. He has recently wrked with artists as diverse as Ring Starr, Ferry Crsten, Eric Prydz, The Sugababes and Sandie Shaw. Jnes' perfrmance f `Tiny Dancer' at Eltn Jhn's 50th birthday tribute cncert at Carnegie Hall in Octber 2007 received a standing vatin. He has achieved acclaim as the nly artist t debut at N 1 in the wrldwide pdcast dwnlad chart with ver 750,000 dwnlads f the track `Building ur wn Future'. Paul Harris and Andrew Owen, June 2008 Page 6
Hward Jnes plays Cheltenham / cntinued... With a large and lyal wrldwide fan-base and album sales in excess f eight millin, this cnsummate musician and writer has maintained an admirable independence, writing, recrding, perfrming in the way nly he knws hw. Jnes has prved that he is ne f the mst talented writers and perfrmers ut there. His independent attitude and his ability and willingness t take risks ensures that he cntinues t perate n the cutting edge f tday s music. Yu can listen t an acustic track frm the recently released Live in Birkenhead album at www.myspace.cm/hwardjnesmusic Tickets fr the gig are available frm the Cheltenham Twn Hall Bx Office n 01242 227979, by email bxffice@cheltenham.gv.uk in persn, r nline at www.cheltenhamtwnhall.rg.uk/whatsn-full.asp?id=523 Hi res press images are available frm www.hwardjnes.cm/press/index.html Fr mre inf n Hward cntact: David Stpps Friars Management Limited / dtx Recrds Ltd t: 01296 xxxxxx m: xxxxx xxxxxx e: davidstpps@fmlmusic.cm The Official Hward Jnes Website: www.hwardjnes.cm Fr mre inf n the gig r t request an interview cntact: Paul Harris m: xxxxx xxxxxx e: PaulH@rris.c.uk Paul Harris and Andrew Owen, June 2008 Page 7
Example prmtinal fact sheet Fifteen facts yu might nt knw abut Hward Jnes... The classic N One Is T Blame which reached N.1 in the U.S. singles chart has had ver 3 millin radi plays in the USA. Hward c-wrte and c-prduced the track Blue frm the Sugababes UK platinum album Angels with Dirty Faces. In 1986 Hward was vted Keybard Player f the Year in Rlling Stne magazine. The frmer Beatles drummer Ring Star invited Hward t play keybards n his tur f USA and Canada in the summer f 2001. Hward perfrmed 'Hide and Seek' at Live Aid in 1985 t 1.9 billin viewers in 150 cuntries and which has featured n the Live Aid DVD released in 2006. In Nvember 2006 Hward went straight in at N 1 n the wrldwide pdcast cuntdwn chart. The track 'Building ur wn Future' remained at N 1 fr 3 weeks and has had ver ¾ f a millin dwnlads. N ther artist has ever been N 1 n this chart fr 3 weeks and n ther artist has cme straight in at N 1 n the first week. Hward and famed 60's artiste Sandie Shaw re-recrded her signature track Puppet n a string which was released thrugh her website as Puppet's gt a brand new string. Sandie cnsiders this as a definitive versin. Hward is a classically trained pianist. In 2000 Hward was part f the Nkia Night f the Prms tur f Eurpe with a 72 piece rchestra and a 50 piece chir. Hward was ne f the first artists t recrd a gig, prduce album artwrk, duplicate and sell the live CDs straight after the gig! His wrldwide album sales t date exceed eight millin. Three albums Wrking In The Backrm, `Pian Sls fr Friends and Lved Ones' and `Pian Sls fr Friends and Lved Ones vlume 2', n his wn dtx label, are nly available at his live cncerts and n his website www.hwardjnes.cm. The Eric Prydz versin f Hward's track 'Things Can Only Get Better' was re-titled 'And D Yu Feel Scared' and featured n the 2006 FIFA Wrld Cup vide game. Hward appeared n the UK and the US TV shw Hit Me Baby One Mre Time. In the NBC n-line viewers pll, Hward was vted N 1 n the shw. A special Simlish versin f 'Things Can Only Get Better' featured n the best selling cmputer game 'Sims 2'. Fr mre inf n Hward r t request an interview cntact: David Stpps Friars Management Limited / dtx Recrds Ltd t: 01296 xxxxxx, m: xxxxx xxxxxx e: davidstpps@fmlmusic.cm The Official Hward Jnes Website: http://www.hwardjnes.cm Paul Harris and Andrew Owen, June 2008 Page 8
Example prmtinal pst card Paul Harris and Andrew Owen, June 2008 Page 9
Example Email t Media Dear Tanya, Hward Jnes plays acustic gig at Cheltenham Twn Hall n Saturday 26th April 2008 Please find attached a press pack n Hward Jnes first full gig in Cheltenham - included is a press release, bigraphy, 15 facts yu might nt knw and sme pictures. I am currently rganising telephne interviews and wndered whether yu wuld be interested in speaking with him? Hward as yu may knw is best knwn as an 80's synth pp icn. He has released many albums since that time, many f which eclipse his better knwn wrk and he has very recently wrked with artists as diverse as Ferry Crsten, Eric Prydz, The Sugababes, Ring Starr and Sandi Shaw. He recently perfrmed at Eltn Jhn's 50th birthday tribute at Carnegie Hall. Jnes is the nly artist t debut at N 1 in the wrldwide pdcast dwnlad chart with 750,000 dwnlads f the track Building Our Own Future. If yu are interested in speaking with Hward, running an article r even a cmpetitin please cntact me ASAP, many thanks. With best regards, Paul Paul Harris and Andrew Owen, June 2008 Page 10