One of the biggest keys to success and longevity for any band is being able to tour, and tour internationally to fans across the world. Though it’s great having a strong fan base in your home country, playing overseas can help you reach untapped fan bases and live music markets, plus who doesn’t want to travel?
Though thanks to the internet any band have have fans from across the world, nothing compares to seeing (or discovering) your favourite act live, and that’s why it’s important to be able to find an international booking agent that understands you and what you want to achieve as a band.
We chatted with two booking agents, one based in the US and one in Asia about the key tips and tricks you should know if you’re hoping to capture the attention of an international booking agent.
Michelle Cable is the Director of North American based booking agency Panache. One of Panache’s main focusses bridging the gap between DIY culture and the mainstream music industry through their unique approach to booking shows, and their intimate relationships with their roster. Their focus is not only getting their acts killer shows, but also building a foundation for creating a successful and long-term careers for the musicians on their roster. Some of the acts on the Panache roster include locals King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, The Twerps, and Dune Rats as well as international favourites like Ty Segall, Thee Oh Sees and Mac DeMarco.
Mel Yong is a booking agent who works in the Asian region. After eight years in Australia, Melissa is now based in Singapore where she presents shows for the company/ website she founded Other Sounds. Some of the tours Mel has worked on have included sold-out shows for Dune Rats, Mac DeMarco, Dirty Beaches, La Dispute, and Postiljonen. She also works as an on-ground tour coordinator, organising tours in the Asia for both local and international acts, with a wide understanding of the Asian touring market and the intricacies of each country as well as its relationships to other countries such as Australia.
Both Michelle and Mel will be speaking at this year’s BIGSOUND conference, for more info on where to catch them, visit the BIGSOUND website.
Be Proactive/ Don’t Be Afraid To DIY
Michelle: “I always appreciate when a band has had some experience in booking themselves shows or a small tour. It gives them perspective on what a booking agent will actually do for them. It also allows an artist to put themselves out there instead of waiting around to just be discovered.”
Record Yourself Live
Mel: “Make sure you’ve got heaps of live footage on YouTube, it’s probably the first thing I look up when someone tells me about a new band. I don’t think I could book someone whose live show I’ve never seen, whether online or in person: if you’ve got rad tour footage of not only your performance but also the crowd going crazy, that means far more to me than how many likes you have on Facebook or how professional your press photos look.
It’s also a good resource for me when trying to sell the show on to promoters/venues in the region — you’ve already convinced me but now these videos have to convince them!”
Play Locally With International Bands From Countries You’d Like To Tour
Michelle: “One of the best ways I hear about new international acts is through acts on our roster who go overseas and end up playing with an amazing support band in the country they are touring.
So while you are waiting to hop oceans and tour another continent, you can start getting noticed by showing what you’re worth in your home soil. One of the best pieces of advice I can give a band is to: Be nice and make friends with other bands. This goes a long way. I love it when a band I work with comes back and is really excited about a band they met from thousands of miles away. I’m more keen to check it out when I get positive feedback from other acts on our roster.”
Try And Get As Much Press Coverage As Possible
Mel: “Press coverage is so important! Like a solid live video which tells me, “Damn, I need to see these guys live,” reviews or interviews give you to an extent, some credibility and also make you more easily searchable on the World Wide Web.”
Michelle: “In these modern times you can really access the masses by your music being featured on blogs, music sites, and other media outlets. It’s advantageous to work on promoting yourself both locally and internationally either through a publicist or your own press releases.
Plenty of blogs will post about an international artist that has reached out to them if they really dig the music. You don’t need someone else sending the email. You can do it yourself in the beginning. One post on a popular blog can work wonders for exposure. It will also really benefit an artist when it comes time to apply for those international touring visas. As a lot of times you’ll need “evidence” or international press to get approval.”
Make Sure You’re Accessible Online
Mel: “Probably overarching all of these points is just making yourself accessible online. We’re not able to fly over just to see you live so everything we know of you will be from the Internet — whether it’s on a website or your Facebook page (which personally, I tend towards because it also shows engagement), it’s great when we can see every show you’ve played since the band started, who these shows were with and at which venues, photos/videos from the shows, posters/artwork, releases/discography, etc.
Basically we want to see that you’ve worked hard doing your thing for a while, that there is potential in developing your already established online profile in our region, and that we’d be a good fit with your band personally and professionally.”
Take Advantage Of Your Local Festivals And Conferences
Michelle: “It’s really important to take advantage of the resources your city/country offers you through arts funding and local conferences and music festivals. A lot of these conferences will fly in international delegates just to see the local talent. So take advantage of the fact that 100 industry folks from all over the world are flying to your city to see bands that are native to your home.
Do your homework about the delegates who are coming over. Look at the artists on their rosters and at their clients. See whose likeminded to your style of music, and if it’s a good fit, then write them, introduce yourself and invite them to your showcasing event. But remember to keep the email short, sweet and to the point. Everyone’s busy and won’t take time to sit down and read a novel of an email.”
Be The Best Live Act You Can Be
Michelle: “I believe before any artist plays in front of an international audience they should really hone their live performance and stage show. These days people are inundated with so many new bands, you really have a lot of competition.
If you want to blow away your competitors, make sure you are ready to perform live and knock their socks off. First impressions are really important and can take you far. As a booking agent, it’s really important for me to love a band’s live show as much as the music, since that’s what I’ll be bringing to city after city each night on tour.”
Header photo source: Facebook.
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