Gigs

[Pete Academy]

I'm not sure if I'm the first person to make this comment, but the 'GIGS' thread seems an absolute waste of time. You can see the tumbleweed blowing across it. For my last gig I made a joke to get a better response, and it was a success until I got a slap on the wrist.

Can we get the 'GIGS' more prominent in the forum?

[Musky]

You mean the forum? If so I'm not too sure what could be done to make more prominent other than move it to the top of the page, but that doesn't seem to generate that much traffic for the Events or Site News forums.

If it helps, I regularly browse the forum and have been out to see several BCer's bands. Sadly as yet Nearly Dan isn't one of them.

[wateroftyne]

I think the (lack of) activity in the gigs forum reflects the demand for it....

[Roland Rock]

I think it's worthwhile, but don't expect miracles.

You'll need to find someone who has bothered to look at that forum, sees that your gig is local to them, is not gigging themselves, has the money, has nothing else on/can get a pass for the evening AND likes the music of Steely Dan.

I'm in a similar position, in that I put up our gigs there, yet rarely (once I think) see another basschatter there to see us. I'm not that surprised, but keep plugging on regardless.

[BigRedX]

The Gigs forum seems to be fairly well used. What exactly are you after?

I post all the gigs I play that are open to the general public. I don't expect any further comment. It's nice when someone replies that they will be at one of our gigs, and I've met a fair few other Basschatters that way, but on a forum that covers the whole of the UK and then some and is full of musicians probably out playing their own gigs on the same night, I'm not going to expect too much. TBH most of the people here who are interested in the Terrortones are probably already following us on Facebook and other social media and will most likely know about any gigs before I post them here.

To the OP, if you are after more interest in your band's gigs from your on-line activities can I make a couple of suggestions? Firstly make the link to the band's web site in your signature clickable - it might seem like a small thing but you want to make it as easy as possible for people to access it and having to cut and paste a URL is just too much hard work for a lot of people. Secondly put the band's up coming gig dates on the front page of the site so that they are immediately visible.

[jazzyvee]

I've tended to post my gigs in the events calendar, I will use the gig section as well in future.

Jazzyve

[steve-bbb]

i posted in gigs two days ago - 22 people have viewed it - i dont need or expect any reply although any that do reply are welcome to

and i think it could be fairly safe to assume that a vast majority of the 22 viewers so far to look at it will in fact be local as i did purposely include the venue and location in the thread title

nice bit of easy free advertising

what's not to like?

Edited September 4, 2013 by steve-bbb

[Roland Rock]

[quote name='jazzyvee' timestamp='1378320987' post='2198649']
I've tended to post my gigs in the events calendar, I will use the gig section as well in future.

Jazzyve
[/quote]

I'd be well up for seeing you play - come to Nottingham!

[Toddy]

its a fair point Pete, I used to place gigs on there as yourself, not really as advertisement, as not expecting everyone to come see us, but did feel others may be interested and want to share experiences of venues etc. but like the young boy being ignored in the music shop, finally gave up, also feel that some of us playing the length of the country week in week out often in major venues are often classed on here as second rate to say our jazz fusion cousins who couldn't get a paid gig if they tried, so after a very busy and successful august ( three festivals, four theatres and four good venues) agree that support for gigging bassists on here could be improved. often information re load ins, accommodation, which pier you cant get vehicles on! etc can be really valuable,, guess some folk think all professional musicians talk about is what material you use for your nut....

[xilddx]

Seems to work for me. I think, over the past three or so years I've had one or more Basschatters show up at one of my gigs about 50% of the time, they usually let me know on the thread or by PM. Even had messages asking when we are playing near them. I think it sometimes just doesn't LOOK like people are using it.

[BigRedX]

Also IMO you have to make the contents of your gig posts both informative and interesting.

Put a link to the venue's web site or Facebook page, or at least the full physical address. There's still gigs being advertised on here in Nottingham at venues I've never heard of, so don't assume that everybody local to the area knows every gig venue. Yes they could look up the venues themselves on Google, but it doesn't take much time to do it for them, and if you are wanting your gig posts to be more effective every extra thing you do can make a difference.

If there's a poster for the gig, then add it into your post. It looks good and it might have some important information on it that you forgot to type in the post. However it's best if you can duplicate all the most important information in the typed section of the post.

Get all the most important facts about the gig in the thread title - band name, town and date. Anyone wanting all the details will read your post for the full information.

Don't post too early otherwise it will have disappeared off the front page before the gig happens, but too late and no one will see it in time. IMO two weekends before the gig is going to take place is about right. And bump your thread back up to the top a day or so before the gig just to remind those who have forgotten.

Finally also post the gig details in the Basschat calendar. Not quite as important now that up coming calendar dates are no longer displayed on the main Basschat page, but it only takes a minute to do so why not?

HTH

[Pete Academy]

Thanks for the suggestions. Looks like I might be expecting too much. I think we'd all like a few more people at gigs, so everything taken on board.

[xgsjx]

I've posted in Gigs & no BCers have turned up (probably due to the locale), but someone from another forum turned up at the last gig my old band ever did.
Things like Facebook & local media are the best places to advertise gigs.

[phil625sxc]

I post my jazz gigs there so don't expect anyone to turn up !! :-)

[uncle psychosis]

I don't really think its surprising that in a country with a population of 60-something million people that advertising gigs to a few thousand bassists isn't going to result in all that much interest.

[BigRedX]

Pete, are you expecting people to reply to your threads in gigs?

It's an ad. I don't expect any response to mine. If people are going to be there, they'll be there and maybe they'll come and say hi at some point in the evening. I don't expect anyone else to be posting in my gigs threads because unless it's to point out that I've made a mistake there's not really that much need.

And posting might not boost gig attendance much, but it takes 5-10 minutes to do and once you've done it here, the code is good for any other suitable forum that you take part in. Personally I can't see any down side.

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1378471141' post='2200802']
Pete, are you expecting people to reply to your threads in gigs?

It's an ad. I don't expect any response to mine. If people are going to be there, they'll be there and maybe they'll come and say hi at some point in the evening. I don't expect anyone else to be posting in my gigs threads because unless it's to point out that I've made a mistake there's not really that much need.

And posting might not boost gig attendance much, but it takes 5-10 minutes to do and once you've done it here, the code is good for any other suitable forum that you take part in. Personally I can't see any down side.
[/quote]

Good point. It's not replies but views.

[Silvia Bluejay]

London gigs advertised there will necessarily have a much higher success rate, in terms of influencing people from BC to come and see the band, due to the sheer density of the population.

I'm subscribed to that forum and get every new thread sent to me via email. Through that I have been to gigs by BCers I didn't know at all, as well as BCers i'm friends with.

My opinion is that the forum is fine as it is - you do need social media and a website, possibly all clickable in your sig, if you really want to spread the word to non-bassists, though.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1378472079' post='2200817']
Good point. It's not replies but views.
[/quote]

OK. However I've just looked at you last more usual gig post (for the gig in Crewe). That got 45 views for a single post. That's 45 people who were interested enough in your gig in Crewe to have a look at the thread, and possibly 45 people who might not have known you were playing otherwise. I don't know if anyone on here went to that gig, but for the 30 seconds it would have taken you to start the thread, a potential 45 people going is pretty good IMO. Even if just one person went to the gig as a result of seeing your post that's a good result.

[Pete Academy]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1378473982' post='2200846']
OK. However I've just looked at you last more usual gig post (for the gig in Crewe). That got 45 views for a single post. That's 45 people who were interested enough in your gig in Crewe to have a look at the thread, and possibly 45 people who might not have known you were playing otherwise. I don't know if anyone on here went to that gig, but for the 30 seconds it would have taken you to start the thread, a potential 45 people going is pretty good IMO. Even if just one person went to the gig as a result of seeing your post that's a good result.
[/quote]

If you look at my original post, which read FREE SEX IN CREWE, and which I posted in 'General Discussion', and which Hamster eventually moved to the 'Gigs' section, it's ended up with 866 views. A joke which everyone seemed to get, but was rightly pulled up by Hamster. Apologies there.

Which goes to prove that sex always sells and we're all perverts.

[JTUK]

Amen, Pete..

Persoanally I don't want anymore people to turn up at my gigs..and certainly not BC-ers.. +363+ +363+

[Marvin]

I don't look at the 'GIGS' forum at all, I gave up with it. None of the gigs are anywhere near where I live so...

Also the only BCer I know who lives near me is friends with me on FB so will know about any of my gigs (although as Dave is always gigging he'd never make it anyway) and he invites me to his gigs.

Basically you all gig too far away

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Pete Academy' timestamp='1378486615' post='2201101']
If you look at my original post, which read FREE SEX IN CREWE, and which I posted in 'General Discussion', and which Hamster eventually moved to the 'Gigs' section, it's ended up with 866 views. A joke which everyone seemed to get, but was rightly pulled up by Hamster. Apologies there.

Which goes to prove that sex always sells and we're all perverts.
[/quote]

But that's not 866 unique views (which you can pretty much guarantee the original 45 all were). And by the looks of things the majority of the people who commented had no intention in coming to see you play, so was it worth the effort? It was in a more visible part of the forum which might have helped, and the cheeky thread title certainly did! The original post in the gigs forum would have had a more focused audience, whereas your second one would attract more people to view the post, but not necessarily convert to more people in the audience at the gig. A more controlled "test and learn" would have been to put identical posts (in both content and title) in both forums to see which got the most views.

In the end though it's getting extra people in at the gigs which is what counts.

Edited September 6, 2013 by BigRedX

[barkin]

I check the gigs forum regularly, but if I see a gig 160 miles away I seldom bother to look beyond the thread title.

The number of 'views' doesn't necessarily reflect the number who've seen the ad.