Getting upto date and How Bands can get a Gig here

Hi guys and Girls. 

Well I haven't been great at keeping this Blog up to date, shame on me lol. Its been all go at The Hog lately. We have had some fab acts since I last wrote, including Sham 69 and LA Guns.

We are going to be going through a few changes over the next month or so and are looking to re brand. Don't worry, you will still be seeing your favourite bands at The Hog so that wont change. I am just looking to re launch The Hog in a fun and funky way. Its exciting times for all the Team here so keep your eyes peeled on the website and on this Blog ( yes I will keep it up to date more often)

I have also been really busy booking bands into the middle of next year. I have had loads of emails and calls off bands for gigs which is great, but can I politely ask bands to provide a link to a website with a Biog and demos so we can see what you have to offer. Don't forget your selling a service and with any service you need to provide credentials. I know you may be thinking ' Who the hell does she think she is?' but believe me, I ran a very successful Blondie Tribute band for 17 years and the main thing was providing a potential customer with a great marketing package to promote the band. At first this consisted of an A2 glossy poster an A4 promo card, a biog and a DVD consisting of video, audio and images. All in all this costed £5 to me but reaped great rewards and we were gigging on average 3 times a week. I also put a digital package together where I would email customers/clients back and direct them to a website with all the same info on.

Your promotional material speaks volumes about how you, as a band come across. If your promo material looks professional, your band comes across professional.

Also, do yourself and the venues a favour when it comes to being booked by every pub in the same area. Leave yourselves enough time each side of the bookings so you don't saturate the area. IE play here this week, the pub down the road the following week. Its tough out there at the moment and neither you, the band, or the venue you are playing at will reap any rewards. What will simply happen is that your audience will get complacent with 'oh we will give them a miss as they are playing up the road in a couple of weeks.' This will result in falling audience attendance which will result in your gigs being cancelled as the venues simply wont be able to cover your fee. I hope this makes sense to the FAQ that I have put for bands on the Hog website. I have had to put terms and conditions when bands are booked to play here. I'm not being a bitch ( although I don't take offence to being called one) I'm simply being a business woman and protecting well.... my business and even yours.

Well here endeth the lesson, as they say. Its something I have been trying to explain for sometime and I hope it has come across in a well written manner rather then a nutty shouty woman.