Our friends at Long & McQuade provided a series of seminars in the month of March 2003 for their Long & McQuade University event. The fifteen different presentations took place at L & M stores in the Greater Toronto Area and featured something for everyone in the business of making music in Canada.

On Monday, March 10, Bob Roper presented an in-depth lecture entitled "The Business of Music." This is part 5 of 8 that will appear in the GW Review, presenting some of the insights shared by Roper.

Touring and Live Play

Most musicians will tell you that's where it's at. There is no reward sweeter than playing a live show that is well received by a great audience. If you play around enough, you realize that there will be GOOD SHOWS... and not so good shows. A lot of that will depend on how the artist is feeling at the time. BUT, without a doubt, there are technical and situational barriers that can sabotage the best of bands.

One thing I'd like to mention before we move into Bob's pearls of wisdom for this month is from my OWN catalogue of experience. If you can, CHECK OUT THE GIG. If you're touring, of course this may not be a luxury you can afford. However, if you're just playing around the area, it never hurts to be cautious. If you play a gig that is not really suited to the music you make, it's likely you'll remember it as a BAD SHOW.

Now, on with Bob's lesson:

First and foremost, Bob says "Get a SOUND GUY-don't leave how you sound up to fate and at the hands of the house sound guy-if someone of significance is at that gig where you sound bad, they will probably remember that you sucked." Not everyone can afford a sound guy if they're hoping to break even for the night. However, I've been to shows with bad sound AND I've played them. At the very least, if you don't have someone manning the board, have a decent sound check and leave lots of time to compensate for any problems. I played a show at The Big Bop where there were no vocals in the audience at all. I was oblivious to this because we had vocals in the monitor mix. Half way through the set, the house sound guy comes up and switches my mic. However, there was no improvement. The sound guy gave up and left us on our own. We didn't know until we finished our set that there weren't any vocals. So, enough said. Do the best you can to ensure your sound is as good as it can be. The best way to do that is to have someone manning the soundboard.

Another strong recommendation from Roper is "get your OWN MIC-you don't know where house mics have been or who's been using them." I always use my own mic at gigs and rehearsals, but, when we're playing open stages, it's not always feasible. Last year I played an open stage where the performer before me announced "I have this really awful cold." I insisted on using a different mic than the one he hacked all over. I got some strange looks too. However, within 2 days of that performance, I was in bed with the flue. Coincidence? You be the judge.

Another thing to consider is getting your stage-legs. Roper suggests playing small, obscure venues until you are a GREAT live performer-don't play Queen Street until you're GOOD. In Toronto, access to The Horseshoe, The Cameron and The Rivoli isn't that hard to get. But this is not the place to be working out your bugs. Get the act down pat before you strut your stuff in a well-known venue.

In Roper's opinion "Music Festivals are a waste of time-you want to stand out, rather than be one of 450 performers. Furthermore, events like CMW don't get a lot of people out to see live performances because artists are NOT promoted." I attended a few venues at CMW, as GW readers will remember, and, this year, they were pretty well attended. However, Roper has a point. No one artist stood out. We just wandered into venues to see what was there. However, in my opinion, it's a nice piece in your portfolio. Don't expect it to make you a star, though. So, why are we playing a gig?

This brings us to Roper's recommendation to clarify your objectives for playing. Roper suggests that the following should be your focus when playing live venues:

Objectives for Playing

1. Increase Visibility: Building a fan base.
2. Increase Industry Exposure: Build an industry base of press, managers, musicians, etc.
3. The Gig needs to be an EVENT: Make it special, don't wear your street clothes, do something that makes you stand out, MAKE SURE you announce who you are, have a banner, etc. Pay attention to detail-script your conversation, plan in advance when you're going to break to talk to your audience and what you're going to say. Plan how you will enter and exit the stage, DO NOT tune or set-up when you enter the stage.
4. Play major cities on WEEKEND nights: No one will come to see your gigs during the week. The ONE exception is if your gig is a MEDIA/INDUSTRY event-In this case, you want to make it a weeknight or you won't get industry out. Be aware of OTHER gigs-big concerts, major sporting events, etc and don't book your gigs on those nights.
5. Break even or MAKE MONEY: You should be paid for your time

Going "on the road"
If all goes well with your well-executed local playing plan, the day will come when you consider hitting the road. All the same rules apply for out-of-town shows, but Roper recommends that you "plan ahead and try to connect with others who are established in said location in order to PROMOTE your gig." Without proper promotion, no one will come to your out of town gigs. If no one comes, what's the point? Also, Roper says it's important to "leave a trail." People's memories are short, so you need to leave behind mementos to remind people you were there. "Bring merchandise," says Roper "and find distributors for your merchandise."

Booking Agents:
According to Bob, "most ask for 10-15% of commissions for events/shows." New acts need to book themselves because booking agents are not interested in booking acts that don't make a certain amount of money. If you do find a booking agent that's willing to talk to you, you need to focus on your marketability. Remember, this IS a business. Your booking agent isn't your FAN. He needs to believe he can make money from you. Booking agents might even ask you to sign a contract. So, if you've ever asked the question "when do I need a lawyer?" a consultation with one BEFORE you sign anything would be prudent.

Roper suggests "3 act bills can help to build a fan-base and fill a room, but pick acts that are compatible to yourself and take turns HEADLINING at a variety of shows."

.In next month's Networking 101, we'll be covering How You Make Your MONEY.

Bob Roper is the President of The Bob Roper Company and is currently managing Larry Gowan, Rick Emmet and Glass Tiger to name a few. Bob also lectures at The Harris Institute and was formerly the A & R rep for Sony Music Canada. Bob has an extensive history of success in the Canadian music industry, too notable to do justice in this short profile.