# Gaining a following in other states?



## SwampWhompa (Jan 23, 2014)

This thread's purpose is kinda to ask a simple question, as the thread about pre-sale tickets got me thinking, since my band has kinda fed into the pay-to-play system quite a bit, but, I do understand venues/promoters want to ensure that they make up for losses and get some return on a show, so, how would a band go about getting a following in other states so venues will be more likely to book them? I'm pretty confident in our ability to play here, our upcoming ep release seems to have created buzz, but how does a band get people to come out and see them outside of their hometown?


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## SwampWhompa (Jan 23, 2014)

Aaaanybody?


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## tedtan (Jan 24, 2014)




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## Orgalmer (Jan 31, 2014)

Breaking into a new state would be tough, you could use social media and target the states you want to play in and network as much as possible. My band is on the verge of heading down this path and we don't have pay-to-play bullshittery here fortunately, but even so, trying to get a following in another state will likely take time and a fair bit of money.

One thing I did see that was quite cool was when Parkway Drive toured the US for the first time ever their shows were pretty much empty - they didn't really have many fans there at the time. They returned back some time later for another tour and their shows were packed out.


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## GunpointMetal (Jan 31, 2014)

Orgalmer said:


> Breaking into a new state would be tough, you could use social media and target the states you want to play in and network as much as possible. My band is on the verge of heading down this path and we don't have pay-to-play bullshittery here fortunately, but even so, trying to get a following in another state will likely take time and a fair bit of money.
> 
> One thing I did see that was quite cool was when Parkway Drive toured the US for the first time ever their shows were pretty much empty - they didn't really have many fans there at the time. They returned back some time later for another tour and their shows were packed out.



thats kinda the deal....for a no-name band, start looking up bands from where you would like to play and see who has lots of friends and activity, tell them how awesome they are (even if they are not awesome) and tell them you're thinking about coming through and where is a good place to play, whose a good band to call....half the time you'll end up with a show.


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## TheSeventhHead (Jan 31, 2014)

Make good impressions with out of state bands that are playing in your home town, and get their contact info. Or keep up relations with hometown bands that end up leaving the state. You can always offer to open for them at a venue in their home town. I've gotten show requests three states away in the Spokane to Seattle area just because a couple guys I kept in contact with on their way through or after they left were trying to book metal shows and wanted to see if we could get out there. It's not the right word, but in a way "forcing" the right people to know who you are, in a polite way, is a big deal.


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## bobbybuu (Feb 1, 2014)

TheSeventhHead said:


> Make good impressions with out of state bands that are playing in your home town, and get their contact info. Or keep up relations with hometown bands that end up leaving the state. You can always offer to open for them at a venue in their home town. I've gotten show requests three states away in the Spokane to Seattle area just because a couple guys I kept in contact with on their way through or after they left were trying to book metal shows and wanted to see if we could get out there. It's not the right word, but in a way "forcing" the right people to know who you are, in a polite way, is a big deal.




Dead on. You need to network (physically and digitally).


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## rahul_mukerji (Feb 3, 2014)

One way of working things out [at least the way we go about doing things] is look for similar acts in that state. 

If your bands playing style fuses well with another bands style then you can always ask them if they have any upcoming gigs and if you can share the bill / open for them. 

Once in a while, its also a good idea to do the "Local Bands / Open Hard rock Night" gigs at local bars in other states. You might be lumped in with an acoustic set and a hip-hop band, but there's a decent chance you can make some contacts off that gig, and have someone come to you and go "Hey, you guys sound like xxx_yyy from here, you should do a show with them". It goes a LONG way.

And like other people have mentioned before [and Washington DC / Baltimore CL has these quite regularly] SWAP gigs with bands. I know there is a Philly band that keeps posting on Wash DC CL about doing swaps. They've had regular posts in 2013 !!

Plus Baltimore must have some good venues where you play regularly and those places might routinely get out-of-state bands and they might have contacts in their hometown [even if they are not your style]. If you go support some of these bands, they'll hook you up most of the time.

Good Luck man ... I know its hard out there to break out of the home rut.


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## psycle_1 (Feb 8, 2014)

bobbybuu said:


> Dead on. You need to network (physically and digitally).



+1.

Too bad I suck at networking... Thank god my other guitarist is all about it. He lives and breathes that shit.


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