I am the Spam Bot.

Incedentally, anyone got any tips for sending out demos to record folk? I'm thinking three or four tracks....

Should one bother with a lovely colour sleeve or just send a scrawled on CD-R? When you send things "unsolicited" there's quite a strong chance of being unheard anywhere isn't there?

Jock

Jock Mooney wrote:

---

Should one bother with a lovely colour sleeve or just send a scrawled on CD-R? When you send things "unsolicited" there's quite a strong chance of being unheard anywhere isn't there?

---

Don't bother spending anything on the sleeve. It is guaranteed to get separated from the CD and lost somewhere. If it's brilliant, it might get you closer to the top of the pile, but equally it might annoy someone and put it to the bottom. Try not to put anything else in the envelope - lengthy covering letters, photos, novelty gifts, etc. They will all become detached from the CD, but also stand more chance of pissing someone off rather than making someone keen to listen to it quickly. Perhaps a very quick note, if you can find the name of the person you want to be targeting it to - if it was produced by someone notable or someone notable likes it or your bassist used to be in Sleeper or you've spoken to another band and they recommended you talk to that label or something - but that's it. If they care, they will contact you for all the various bits of information. The golden rule, the thing you must make sure you do above all else is PUT YOUR BAND NAME AND SODDING PHONE NUMBER, LEGIBLY, ON THE CD ITSELF.  It will get passed around a few people, left in a club, left in someone's car, carried around in someone's DJ bag, or just end up in a pile of CDs out of their cases next to a hi-fi.

Anyway. It will probably get listened to, but for how long is largely dependent on the label you've sent it to. A major will be knee-deep in submissions and will have its A&R people delegate it to the work experience kid who in all probability will listen for 20 seconds before deciding you don't sound enough like whatever band he likes, and bin it. A smaller indie label will probably not have anywhere near as many submissions, and is more likely to give it a good listen - maybe even give you a ring, and come and see you play, if you're doing a show near them - but the more time and effort they can afford to spend farting around listening to demos, the less money they'll probably be able to offer you if they actually do put it out.

Have you tried to get on one of the showcases at the Arts Centre in Newcastle yet? The bloke who runs the place is a useful contact if you can get round the fact he's a bit awkward to impress!

Also, remember to send ya demo to Press and Radio with details of forthcoming concerts. If you can pull crowds at gigs and create a bit of a buzzing cult fanbase, chances are the a&r men will bump into at some point anyway.

Don't put anymore than 3 songs on a demo and make the songs snappy. No long intros and 1st verses. Normally you have 10 seconds to impress a music industry employee.

Personally, with t'internet being all the rage i'd fuck the industry, cut out the middle man release the stuff yourself. It's hard work but you already have proven the fact you have no quarms about shamlessly promoting yourself!

I studyed the music industry at college and university and discovered it's evil! Consentrate on promotion is my advice.

Cunts are still running the biz!

Well  I should be paying you for promotion then! That may just stretch to a pint though.

Gig wise things are a bit "early days" for us, and as I said we only really "do" acoustic, less people to pay! We've done about three gigs...the most "proper" of which was at the Cumberland Arms in February.

Trying to get a few support slots in there, and there may be something at Tanners in the vista, but you know how these things are!