I do love one of those shows when you have to shove the pool table to one side, bring all your own equipment, have no monitors, and all the people at the bar stare at the band like they’re aliens. Of course I didn’t shove the pool table – I’m management. Here’s a plus about “Band A” – they don’t have a hard time getting shows. So generally they’re well behaved, they have songs, and they’re bring a handful of friends along. Lowell Hobbs of Tongues of Fire says that you shouldn’t book too much, that each show should be an event. I’ve heard this from @Derek Allen too. I’d subscribe to that theory if “Band A” was destroying each show. They’ll have a great loose show – and then only four of them will show up and it will be entertaining but not a religious experience. I want to book them shows until they get sulky and arrogant and obnoxious. 
That was the good part of band managing this week. I also failed on social media. How do you reach a larger audience? On Wednesday I paid social media for likes – because I believe 5,000 likes will make it easier to get them on a label, play at festivals, and get 100 people to shows. I paid $5 to social media. “Band A” has +11 likes this week. About 50 cents a like. So that didn’t work. Or maybe the ads need to be smarter?
So how do you get people to listen to this music? Bumperstickers? Music videos? People do like music videos. So a music video, of the band sitting around, or looking artsy and angsty is fine – but “Band A” is having a local show soon and I want all their friends to show up. Because if all their friends show up, they’ll act wild, and then they’ll tell all their friends they’re in a music video. Organic marketing!!! (Please someone get in a fight, or make-out on the dance floor, or at least I hope the smoke machine will be working again…) We’ll see…
Also, looking forward to this week – we will be interviewing Sean from BURGER RECORDS and Jordan from Godless America Records (and hopefully Tristen Colby) for our 4 questions in 5 minutes section.

Cinnamon=Sergio Dean. Introducing the houses of GOT. Rappin’. Bill Murray. Plus lots of great music! (Follow us on Facebook! Instagram! Twitter!)

On the road, fakely: John shows off his improvisational skills as we pretend to drive to SXSW. We also feature TWO songs from Wisconsin, math rock, a cowboy song from Northern Ireland, and we break down what your band’s Facebook goals should be. (Please take a second to like Holy Crap Records on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram, and our website, with lots of stuff on it about these and other bands, including artist interviews, is at www.hlycrp.com.)

Your links are here!: Holiday Music Motel, Direct Hit!, Roy Arbuckle, Fantomex, Dressy Bessy