Thought I'd share some of the lessons I learned from my recent UK tour. Hopefully you'll get some tips from the things I did in the right way and avoid my mistakes!
CD Sales - Sales were definitely down compared to previous tours. I did notice an increase in digital sales which was probably also due to the tour publicity but sadly with Spotify and Rhapsody sales which can sometimes amount to less that 1p per track this wasn't exactly a money spinner! There was also the fact that the CD I was selling was my previous Licorice Kiss album - I did a couple of songs from this album on the tour but the majority was new material not yet recorded. In hindsight, maybe it's better to tour with a relevant album because with the lack of music stores, sales of albums at gigs are an important revenue stream.
Radio - I was extremely pleased with the level of response I had from radio stations, especially BBC Local radio. I did 5 interviews in total which is more than I've had from any of my previous tours. Yay! All of these I got by sending emails with my press release 3 months before my tour. Probably also worth following up again just before the tour starts.
Press - Also got some great press which included Jazzwise, Jazz UK and some local newspapers too. One of the interviews I did (Crawley Observer) wasn't printed which was a disappointment and interestingly that gig was the worst attended. I wonder if there's a correlation..? I was also disappointed that there were no reviews but it's so difficult to get journalists to come out to a gig if you're not one of the hot "flavour of the month" musicians/bands or a very established name. I am neither!
Finances - In retrospect I don't think I should have had so many door deals because this put a real pressure on my finances and caused me a lot of stress. Added to this, even with sold out gigs, the door deals were so bad that despite maximum attendance, I still came away with less than £300 for the band. In future, if there is a door deal, I will make sure that the percentages work out so that the potential revenue makes doing the gig worthwhile. You need to take account of hidden costs too like money the venue charges for publicity, PRS and VAT! I didn't make any money on the tour in the end but at least I didn't make a loss which I know many bandleaders have experienced recently as it is only fair to pay the band properly whether you make any money on the gig or not. It has to be said though, if I hadn't had a bit of help from Jazz Services, I would definitely have made a loss.
Musicians - I'm very lucky to work with some excellent musicians. It's important to be flexible though because sometimes musicians get offered lucrative tours and are unavailable or there may be unexpected events that means you need to find a dep with very short notice. Both of these things happened to me but fortunately there were some great replacements and it all went very smoothly. Definitely important to have a "B list" of musicians on each instrument so that you have someone (who knows your music) to call if your band member is unavailable.
Summary - On the whole, I was very pleased with the tour and extremely grateful for the financial support I received from Jazz Services. Several sold out gigs and full houses and quite a bit of publicity which all helps with raising the profile. Now I'm looking forward to taking some time out to write some new songs and also to work on some new projects. Will keep you posted!
Please feel free to comment or ask questions below and I will help if I can.
Showing posts with label planning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label planning. Show all posts
Monday, 2 May 2011
Monday, 17 January 2011
Organising a UK Jazz Tour - Update
I've just realised that I've been a little lax lately with the blog posts. So thought I'd update you and let you know how I've been doing with my "homework"...
- Contracts/email confirmations have been received and signed for all dates.
- Received 80% of the funding grant awarded by Jazz Services. (The final 20% to be sent on the completion of the tour and my return of assessment reports/forms for each gig.)
- Flyers and posters printed and sent out to all venues for February dates. Publicity material for March dates to be sent out in the next couple of weeks.
- Press release emailed to radio stations. So far 3 interviews have been booked - BBC Stoke, BBC Devon and Solar Radio.
- Press release sent to local newspapers. Nice preview in Berwickshire newspaper and another feature planned.
- Tour details uploaded to sites like remotegoat and ReverbNation. I'd definitely recommend remotegoat as it very helpfully syndicates automatically to local newspapers and other online sites like Ents24.
- Accommodation booked.
- Rehearsal with band organised.
Monday, 1 November 2010
Gig Checklist (or Procrastination is the Thief of Time)
Last week I pre-recorded my first show for UK Jazz Radio. Should be hitting the airwaves soon - will keep you posted!
I haven't completed all the "homework" for this week though... When you were at school/college studying, did you ever do that thing where you procrastinated by buying and arranging new files or arranging folders on your computer and changing your desktop or screensaver instead of doing any real work? Makes you feel as if you're doing something to get organised but in reality not much gets done! Well, I've had that sort of week... So I thought I'd post my efforts in creating an excellent gig checklist so that you'll have no excuse when it comes to arranging YOUR gigs/tour! :-D Feel free to copy and share.
I haven't completed all the "homework" for this week though... When you were at school/college studying, did you ever do that thing where you procrastinated by buying and arranging new files or arranging folders on your computer and changing your desktop or screensaver instead of doing any real work? Makes you feel as if you're doing something to get organised but in reality not much gets done! Well, I've had that sort of week... So I thought I'd post my efforts in creating an excellent gig checklist so that you'll have no excuse when it comes to arranging YOUR gigs/tour! :-D Feel free to copy and share.
Gig Checklist
Venue | |
Date | |
Address | |
Contact | |
Marketing contact | |
Technical contact/ Sound engineer | |
Capacity | |
Box office tel/ Ticket price | |
Fee/Guarantee/Door | |
Payment arrangements | |
Merchandise sales (commission?) | |
Photo & copy deadline/ requirements | |
Number of flyers/posters | |
Parking and loading | |
Local newspaper contacts | |
Local radio contacts | |
Soundcheck time/ Doors open | |
Set times | |
Piano | |
Food/Drinks | |
Accommodation | |
Travel directions |
Friday, 22 October 2010
Jazz on the Airwaves
Yesterday I attended the relaunch party and one year anniversary of UK Jazz Radio. It was so wonderful to see the support for what is sadly one of the few media outlets for jazz in this country. There was great music from Digby Fairweather and his band and guest spots included appearances from the excellent Geoff Eales, the fabulous Tina May and a wonderful singer I'd not heard before called Val Wiseman.
BBC Radio does a fairly good job but obviously they need to cater to all tastes and can't be expected to play jazz 24/7. Here's a useful page where you can find a summary of the jazz on BBC Radio. Looking through this list though we can see that they've also included blues in this list and also that a lot of the programmes are general music programmes that aren't averse to adding jazz tracks to the playlist rather than playing jazz exclusively.
Then there's Jazz FM... After the demise of theJazz - a new station that only lasted 2 years - I was so excited to hear in 2008 that Jazz FM was back on the airwaves after its ambush and takeover by Smooth FM. Sadly, however, it's no longer available on FM (regular radio) and can only be heard online or on DAB (digital radio) in restricted areas. On a positive note though, apparently it's available using iPhone or Google android apps too.
So with the lack of dedicated jazz on the radio, I'm really hoping that all lovers of jazz will get behind and give massive support to UK Jazz Radio - a new internet radio station - that devotes itself completely to jazz and has already attracted 600,000 listeners worldwide. Founder and one-man operator Brian Soundy has worked tirelessly to get the station up and running and the presenters have given their time to promote and support jazz in the UK. Please listen to the excellent programmes and most of all SPREAD THE WORD!
(I have to declare an interest here... I'm one of 9 new presenters to the station and will be starting my "Juliet Kelly's Vocal Zone" programme soon to highlight the wealth of vocal talent on the current jazz scene. It goes without saying that we are all indebted to the icons of the past like Ella, Sarah, Nina and Bille but I'm hoping to introduce listeners to singers who are currently continuing the tradition and/or pushing the boundaries to contribute to the vibrant and evolving jazz scene today. I'll post details of the first programme soon.)
In other news... I've been a bit slack recently with working on the tour but during the last week I've:
If I've missed any jazz radio programmes on other independent stations please feel free to post them below. It would be great to have a comprehensive list of all the jazz radio shows in the UK.
BBC Radio does a fairly good job but obviously they need to cater to all tastes and can't be expected to play jazz 24/7. Here's a useful page where you can find a summary of the jazz on BBC Radio. Looking through this list though we can see that they've also included blues in this list and also that a lot of the programmes are general music programmes that aren't averse to adding jazz tracks to the playlist rather than playing jazz exclusively.
Then there's Jazz FM... After the demise of theJazz - a new station that only lasted 2 years - I was so excited to hear in 2008 that Jazz FM was back on the airwaves after its ambush and takeover by Smooth FM. Sadly, however, it's no longer available on FM (regular radio) and can only be heard online or on DAB (digital radio) in restricted areas. On a positive note though, apparently it's available using iPhone or Google android apps too.
So with the lack of dedicated jazz on the radio, I'm really hoping that all lovers of jazz will get behind and give massive support to UK Jazz Radio - a new internet radio station - that devotes itself completely to jazz and has already attracted 600,000 listeners worldwide. Founder and one-man operator Brian Soundy has worked tirelessly to get the station up and running and the presenters have given their time to promote and support jazz in the UK. Please listen to the excellent programmes and most of all SPREAD THE WORD!
(I have to declare an interest here... I'm one of 9 new presenters to the station and will be starting my "Juliet Kelly's Vocal Zone" programme soon to highlight the wealth of vocal talent on the current jazz scene. It goes without saying that we are all indebted to the icons of the past like Ella, Sarah, Nina and Bille but I'm hoping to introduce listeners to singers who are currently continuing the tradition and/or pushing the boundaries to contribute to the vibrant and evolving jazz scene today. I'll post details of the first programme soon.)
In other news... I've been a bit slack recently with working on the tour but during the last week I've:
- Worked on the press release - almost finished.
- Confirmed all dates with promoters (apart from one. Hmm....at this late stage it's doubtful that I'll be able to replace it as I did with the other two.)
- Previewed the material at the Pizza Express. Just a few rough edges that need to be sorted before we take it on tour. On the whole though I'm very pleased!
- Making sure that I've sent all necessary information to each promoter/venue for brochures/websites/programmes.
- Researching contacts for local newspapers and radio stations for the areas I'll be visiting.
If I've missed any jazz radio programmes on other independent stations please feel free to post them below. It would be great to have a comprehensive list of all the jazz radio shows in the UK.
Tuesday, 12 October 2010
Getting the Word Out
I've had a good, although very busy, week. First of all disaster struck on Wednesday when two of the gigs I'd had pencilled for the tour fell through so I had to frantically search around to replace them. This was obviously made a lot more difficult as they had to be on the exact date of the lost gigs to fill the slots and also be geograhically feasible. Anyway, the good news is that I managed to fill both gaps! It will mean we'll be doing a lot of travelling but I think it will be worth it.
I've edited my blurb for the tour down to a 100-word paragraph and chosen the photos but I still need to write my press release to send to local newspapers and radio stations. I've started sending the brochure copy off to the arts centres as they print these so far in advance.
I've also started researching the local press but will be contacting the individual promoters to ask for their list of contacts as it's always good if you have an actual name rather than just the name of the publication or radio station. Most local papers are weekly though so I won't need to send that info off until nearer the time but for the national periodicals like Jazz UK and Jazzwise, I'll be sending the press release (when I've written it!) off fairly soon as their deadlines are much earlier.
I had a bit of a shock this week when one of the arts centres sent their publicity request through and they require 750 flyers and 50 posters! The funny thing is that so often I've sent off reams of flyers and posters months before only to arrive at the venue for the gig and find that not even ONE poster has gone up!!! But I've found an excellent company that does reasonably priced flyers and it's a lot more cost-effective to produce larger numbers so it probably won't impact on my slender budget as much as I'd thought.
Hotels were also on my list this week. Saw an ad for mega cheap rooms in Travelodge or Premier Inn if you booked early enough. But when I looked at the actual hotels in the areas I need they looked a bit grim so I spent hours trying to find cute, rustic B&B's near the venues. I've found a gorgeous one in Berwick upon Tweed where we'll stay for our gig at The Maltings. After travelling for hours and arriving at a picturesque location, I think it would be rather demoralising to end up staying at a Travelodge. It may cost a little bit more but I think I've made the right decision... at least I hope so!
Also had some VERY exciting news this week connected with a new project. But I'll leave that until another time. :-)
I've edited my blurb for the tour down to a 100-word paragraph and chosen the photos but I still need to write my press release to send to local newspapers and radio stations. I've started sending the brochure copy off to the arts centres as they print these so far in advance.
I've also started researching the local press but will be contacting the individual promoters to ask for their list of contacts as it's always good if you have an actual name rather than just the name of the publication or radio station. Most local papers are weekly though so I won't need to send that info off until nearer the time but for the national periodicals like Jazz UK and Jazzwise, I'll be sending the press release (when I've written it!) off fairly soon as their deadlines are much earlier.
I had a bit of a shock this week when one of the arts centres sent their publicity request through and they require 750 flyers and 50 posters! The funny thing is that so often I've sent off reams of flyers and posters months before only to arrive at the venue for the gig and find that not even ONE poster has gone up!!! But I've found an excellent company that does reasonably priced flyers and it's a lot more cost-effective to produce larger numbers so it probably won't impact on my slender budget as much as I'd thought.
Hotels were also on my list this week. Saw an ad for mega cheap rooms in Travelodge or Premier Inn if you booked early enough. But when I looked at the actual hotels in the areas I need they looked a bit grim so I spent hours trying to find cute, rustic B&B's near the venues. I've found a gorgeous one in Berwick upon Tweed where we'll stay for our gig at The Maltings. After travelling for hours and arriving at a picturesque location, I think it would be rather demoralising to end up staying at a Travelodge. It may cost a little bit more but I think I've made the right decision... at least I hope so!
Also had some VERY exciting news this week connected with a new project. But I'll leave that until another time. :-)
Sunday, 26 September 2010
How to Plan and Carry Out a Successful Jazz Tour
Okay - I've decided what I want to write about. The title of this post is perhaps a bit of wishful thinking at this point as I'm far from sure that the tour will be a successful one! But I thought it might be helpful to myself and others to document my journey - setting up, marketing and carrying out a jazz tour in the UK.
I've completed five UK tours in the past. For three of them I've had help from Jazz Services and for the other two, I've been fortunate enough to receive an Arts Council award. My last UK tour was at the end of 2009 where I promoted my latest album, Licorice Kiss. Although up to now I've mainly concentrated on writing, performing and recording my own original songs, my latest project is going to concentrate mainly on jazz standards. I've called it "Inspired: Celebrating the Divas of Jazz" and it will feature new arrangements of songs from the jazz singers past and present who have inspired and influenced me. I'll also include specially written songs alongside those of the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Norma Winstone and Cassandra Wilson,
So... to get you up-to-date, here's a short summary of what I've been up to over the last few months:
April-July 2009
I've completed five UK tours in the past. For three of them I've had help from Jazz Services and for the other two, I've been fortunate enough to receive an Arts Council award. My last UK tour was at the end of 2009 where I promoted my latest album, Licorice Kiss. Although up to now I've mainly concentrated on writing, performing and recording my own original songs, my latest project is going to concentrate mainly on jazz standards. I've called it "Inspired: Celebrating the Divas of Jazz" and it will feature new arrangements of songs from the jazz singers past and present who have inspired and influenced me. I'll also include specially written songs alongside those of the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Norma Winstone and Cassandra Wilson,
So... to get you up-to-date, here's a short summary of what I've been up to over the last few months:
April-July 2009
- Called up various promoters throughout the UK to ask if I could send them info about my new project
- Checked availability dates with my band (can be problematic - especially if like me your band is comprised of excellent in-demand musicians!)
- Sent an email with a few paragraphs about the project and proposed dates with an attached mp3 of the band
- About a week later, followed up the email with a call to see if they've had a chance to listen (at this stage, barring a couple of exceptions, most of them hadn't)
- Another follow up call 10 days later. Tried to get an idea if they were interested and attempted to get either a booking or a pencilled date if they were.
- And repeat... and repeat... and repeat...
- Filled in my Jazz Services touring support application form. (Important to get this in before the deadline and to read guidance notes carefully.)
- Waited to hear decision about grant...
- Got news of successful application. Yay! I didn't receive all the money I asked for as funds were very tight and quality of applicants very high but it's great to have help to make this tour happen!
- Confirm pencilled dates and confirm dates with band
- Write press release for tour
- The music! Never as much time as I would like for this but need to write some new songs and work on new arrangements with my pianist George
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