To get gigs as a new band, start with open mic nights, support slots and shows you put on yourselves, then use those shows to build a record bookers trust. Rehearse a tight 30-minute set, put your songs, a live video and contact details on one EPK page, and pitch small venues in your city before you try anywhere bigger. Each good show leads to the next one.
What venues want from a new band
A venue books a band to sell tickets and drinks. With no track record you're a risk, and your job is to make the risk smaller. Bookers look for:
- A crowd. Even 15 or 20 people on a weeknight matters to a small venue.
- A tight set, with a live video to prove it.
- Reliability. On time, on schedule, and you know your tech needs.
- Fit. Music that suits the venue's usual nights.
You won't headline a Saturday in your first year. New bands start on weeknights and support slots, and every booker expects that.
Step 1: Get the set ready
Before you ask anyone for a gig, rehearse a set you'd be proud to play to strangers.
- Build 30 minutes of material. Most opening slots run 25 to 40.
- Open and close with your two strongest songs.
- Plan the gaps between songs. Dead air loses a room.
- Run the full set three times in a row in rehearsal, at gig volume.
- Time it, and know which song to drop if the slot gets cut short.
Practise setting up and tearing down in under 10 minutes. Changeovers at small venues are tight, and sound engineers remember the band who held up the night.
Step 2: Record proof
Bookers want to hear and see you first. Get together:
- Two or three recorded songs. Demos are fine if the songs are strong and the mix is clean.
- One live video. A phone on a tripod at rehearsal works. Get the full band in frame, in good light, with decent audio.
- Photos. At least one of the whole band, 2000 pixels or more on the short edge. Our guide to press photos for musicians covers what to shoot.
- A short bio. Who you are, what you sound like, where you're from. Start from the band bio examples.
Step 3: Build one page for bookers
Put bio, songs, live video, photos, upcoming gigs and a booking email on a single EPK page. Every pitch carries one link, and the booker finds everything in one place.
Add a short tech rider and stage plot too. A small venue wants to know how many inputs you need and whether you bring your own drum kit. See the guide to tech riders and stage plots.
Step 4: Find your first gigs
Work up from the easiest gigs to land. Roughly in order of difficulty:
| Route | How to get in | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Open mic nights | Sign up on the night or by email | Stage time, feedback, contacts |
| Showcases and band nights | Apply through the promoter | A real audience, a booker's attention |
| Shows with friends' bands | Ask bands you know to share a bill | Shared crowd, shared costs |
| Self-organised shows | Hire a small room, run the night | Full control, a story to pitch with |
| Support slots | Pitch venues and touring bands | Bigger rooms, new fans |
| Weeknight headline | Pitch with a record of draw | Your own night |
Open mics and band nights
Open mics teach you how to play a room, and plenty of promoters scout them for support acts. Play well, talk to the host, and ask who books the main stage.
Swap shows with other bands
Find two or three local bands at your level in a similar genre and play each other's shows. Three bands on a bill draw more people than one new band on its own.
Put on your own show
Plenty of bars hire out a back room on a weeknight for a low fee or a bar minimum. Book one, invite two other bands, make a poster, sell tickets. Sixty people at a show you ran yourselves is a strong line for every pitch after.
Support slots
When a touring band plays your city, the local promoter often needs an opener. Watch venue listings two or three months ahead and email about specific shows where your sound fits.
Step 5: Pitch the venue
Email the venue's booker with:
- Your band name, genre and city in the first line.
- The date or kind of slot you want.
- One or two facts: your best show, your draw, a release.
- One link to your EPK.
Stay under 150 words and follow up once after a week. How to email a venue or promoter has templates to copy.
Step 6: Bring a crowd
Draw is the number a venue remembers. Before every show:
- Post the gig two weeks out, one week out and on the day.
- Message friends one by one. A direct invite beats a story post.
- Split promotion across the band. Four people with 25 friends each fill a small room.
- Give the venue an accurate guestlist and count your ticket sales.
Afterwards, write down how many people came for you. "Drew 45 on a Tuesday" gets you a second booking.
Step 7: Play the gig like a professional
- Arrive at load-in time, not doors.
- Bring spare strings, cables, sticks and a power strip.
- Introduce yourselves to the sound engineer and hand over your input list.
- Start and finish on time. Running over eats into the next band's set.
- Stay for the other bands. Promoters notice who leaves after their own set.
- Thank the booker on your way out and ask about future dates.
Step 8: Keep the momentum
After each show, add the gig to your EPK, post photos and a clip, and follow up with the booker within two days. Aim for one or two shows a month at home, then branch out to towns within a two-hour drive. Leave three or four weeks between local shows so you don't split your crowd.
Mistakes new bands make
- Pitching big venues before playing small ones.
- Sending a Dropbox folder instead of one link.
- Bringing a 60-minute set to a 30-minute slot.
- Booking three local shows in the same month.
- Leaving a gig without collecting fans' contact details.
A page bookers will open
Artist Kit gives your band a free EPK at artistkit.co/yourband, with sections for your bio, music, gigs, photos, videos and booking contact. Releases show cover art and listen links for Spotify, Bandcamp and more, live videos play on the page, and bookers download your press kit in one click. The EPK for bands page walks through the whole layout.