The Gig Salad Blog

We have all heard this before and its absolutely true. We may get a gig with a new client based on first impression, but what generates repeat business is creating a network of friends. Referrals are huge in the entertainment industry. Its not always about who you know, its also about who you make a lasting impression on.

People hire entertainers so they can take a break from the everyday same old thing. We represent more than a genre or a talent. We become that escape and people will pay us for it. How amazing is that!

There are countless books and discussions on attitude so I will say one thing about it: Your attitude determines your success and it either brightens or dims the room. Do we brighten the room? This is a question we all should ask.

When we begin to view our audience as the real reason for our performance, everything changes. There is no longer an air of separation between us and them. We are performing for them and they make our success possible. This builds our confidence and prevents us from getting an ego. People love to be around others who make them feel good and they will pay big money if you represent that.

-Robert Michaels, Illusionist and Mentalist

See Robert Michaels on Gig Salad

Conan O’Brien. Jay Leno. The Tonight Show. Feelings were hurt, fans were irate, affiliates were appeased, business decisions were made, millions of dollars exchanged hands and everyone walked away happy. Personally, I’m with Coco. You may be with Leno, or maybe you’re into Letterman, or perhaps you’re in your third dream by 9:30pm and you don’t care about any of this. I’m just glad the drama’s over and we can all move on.

Conan shared some honest words during his last show, which were motivational, and quite touching.

I’m asking this particularly of young people that watch: Please do not be cynical. I hate cynicism. For the record, it’s my least favorite quality. It doesn’t lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.

A cynic is someone who gripes constantly but never does anything about anything and is determined to stay that way. Just below the surface of a cynic is someone who simply doesn’t have any answers, nor any motivation to find them. Cynicism is typically the product of frustration and disillusionment with organizations, authorities and other aspects of society.

Don’t be cynical, work hard, be kind. These simple, inspirational directives are applicable to performers, entrepreneurs, agents, parents, kids, neighbors, you and me. Be a dreamer, and when you fall, get back up again. And along the way, love the unloveable, speak well of others and help them succeed, and as the former Tonight Show host has promised, “Amazing things will happen.”

It is the one thing that musicians and performers dread. We’re all human, and it can happen. I am referring to double-booking. (Yikes!). Maybe two contracts got stuck together in your files and you didn’t realize you had booked that second wedding on the same day. Or perhaps you transferred the time of the gig from the contract to your calendar incorrectly. Or maybe a fellow band member booked a gig and didn’t tell the other members. However it happened, it can be a real jam.

Beyond double- and triple-checking your availability when a client calls, if you get stuck with two jobs that are just too close together, here is what you can do:

Arrive at the second job earlier that day and drop off equipment (instruments, amps, etc.). Set up as much as possible. Then, go off to your first job with another set of equipment. When you are done at the first job, you will be able to cut down on set-up time when you arrive at the second job because you won’t have to load in. Doing this really helped me when I was in this pickle very recently, and neither of my clients were suspect of anything amiss. (Caution: Of course, make sure you can leave equipment at the first gig in a secure location.)

Certainly, if you can only do the two jobs by cloning yourself and your band members, then you’ve got to give up one of the jobs. Select the job that will be easier to refer to someone else. Find a replacement before you phone your client to give them the bad news. Give your potential replacement all the details about the gig, including your client’s music choices, so that when the client phones them, you will have done all the legwork for them. If you cannot find comparable substitute musicians for the gig, contact your favorite booking agent or wedding coordinator and explain the situation to them.

When you speak with your client, tell them that you have found another musician or band for them. Talk up the other band’s great attributes, give your client their number, and tell them, “Let me know what you would like to do after you speak with them.” Or, refer them to a reputable booking agent or wedding coordinator. One referral is enough—The point is to save your client from needing to contact a bunch of different referrals.

Next, put everything in writing: Your conversation with your client, their decision about whether to have money refunded or sent to the alternative act, and your sincerest apologies. Follow the rules that you established in your performance agreement regarding cancellations, and cite these guidelines verbatim in your letter. Mail this letter to your client (keeping a copy for your records), along with any money owed to them. Then, breathe a sigh of relief.

Even if your client decides they don’t want to book the other performers you recommended, they will appreciate the effort on your part and there is a better chance they will react in a rational way to your news. By the way, handle any gig that you have to cancel for any reason in this manner, even if you didn’t double-book.

Tips for Brides, Event Planners, And Anyone Hiring Performers

Musicians are human. We make mistakes. Life gets in the way and sometimes we need to cancel a performance for rational reasons: family events, surgery, pregnancy, and all kinds of other things, including accidentally double-booking. We’ll try our best to find you a replacement act when these things happen, but if we don’t, please ask us to help you. We may know great booking agents or wedding coordinators who can also help. And we’ll happily return your deposit or send it along to the replacement act you select. We are truly sorry when we need to cancel.

Tips for Musicians:

Understand how your client feels when you need to cancel. Be honest with them. Then, help them as much as possible, even if they get irate. I’d be upset, too, if I suddenly couldn’t have my favorite band play at my event. A little sincere compassion goes a long way.

Many more tips are available from my book “The Musician’s Guide to Brides” available wherever Hal Leonard Books are sold: music and bookstores, and through online retailers including sheetmusicplus.com, amazon.com, and of course, at my website at celticharpmusic.com.

I’m looking forward to reading your stories, comments, and feedback.

Anne :-)

Anne Roos
Celtic Harp Music by Anne Roos

(And contact me at anne@celticharpmusic.com for personal consultation and mentoring—Make a living while gigging)

As a professional speaker at conferences all over the United States there is a huge need to be flexible for my clients as they plan out their schedules and make the decisions for their conferences to run effectively. Many, many times I have been moved from the opening key note to the middle of the second day or to wrap it up at the end. My attitude is always one of great flexibility. My clients have always appreciated my willingness to make changes for their schedule.

Lately, it seems all aspects of life have huge changes occurring concurrently. All you have to do is pick up a newspaper or watch the news to realize that we are seeing major change going on all around the world, in our nation, in our state, and even in our own community. Our family and business, likewise, are going through incredible changes. I suspect it is the same with each of you.

Facing change can be difficult, and many people try to avoid it whenever possible. We all know change is a fact of life and we might as well accept it. I think we have to take it a step farther and actually embrace change–even anticipate and proactively welcome it into our lives, because as difficult as change is to deal with, positive and good things are often the result of change.

I have noticed that whenever I try to resist change, things are quite a bit tougher for me, and then I still have to go through the change anyway. When I decide to see the opportunities presenting themselves through change, I notice life is so much more manageable–even exciting. Now, it is to the point that I really appreciate the dynamic of change. I seek it out. Sometimes I even cause change to happen.

The fear of change has the power to paralyze us, if we let it, and then we don’t enjoy the success we desire. I challenge myself and others everyday to look for the opportunities in the midst of change, then step out, take the risk, make the change, embrace the change, and live the change!

One of my favorite sayings is this – “New information causes change!”

Visit Mr. Attitude Bob Prentice on Gig Salad

My name is Lisa Cash Hanson. I have been a performer for most of my life. I’m also a business woman. In my earlier years I was living in LA and was working on getting a record deal. During that time I remember a specific event that became a turning point in my life.

When I was  about twenty, I was in a meeting with a famous producer. He asked if I sounded like a certain artist. I shot back, (remember I was young) “NO! She’s not talented…” The gentleman beside him replied, “I’m her manager”. Meeting over. That’s as far as I ever went with those connections.

I learned a very valuable lesson that day and continue to practice that lesson many years later.

Don’t say negative comments regarding others in your own industry or any other. First of all, most industries are very small. Chances are you could be speaking to someone who knows the person you’re chastising, may even like that person, or  the person could be a family member. Secondly, I heard a wonderful man say, “You never brighten your own candle by putting out another person’s candle”. Think about that for a moment.

I know the world of impersonators, of which I am a part, is an industry which is very competitive. I understand many entertainers, agents and musicians are all vying for the same role. You must resist any urge to try and elevate yourself by casting your competition down. It will only make you look bad.

Many times I have spoken with agents who would inquire if I knew a particular performer. If I know that the agent would be in jeopardy of losing an account if the performer wasn’t up to par talent-wise, I may simply say, “I really like her.” That way I am not saying anything negative about the other talent, and I just steer the agent in a better direction.

I have many girlfriends who portray the exact characters I do. When their names come up in mixed company and I am asked an opinion about them I just smile and tell them I know them well, and that they are very good.

I know this may seem pretty basic but I am always amazed when I hear fellow performers trashing other performers. (I want to say that I’ve not been perfect in this area and I have grown over the years). If you hear them speak that way about another talent, chances are they’ve spoken that way about you too.

So the Golden Rule is, watch your words. Use your voice to encourage others and lift them up. It will be seed well sown and you’ll reap great benefits.  As you compliment your fellow workers, there’s a good chance that they will speak highly of you as well. There are so many talented artists, business people, musicians, and let’s all lift each other up.

Lisa Cash Hanson
Blueberry Baboon

http://blueberrybaboon.blogspot.com
http://bestshaniatwain.com

Lisa on Gig Salad

There is someone out there that is the best at what they do, whose very name is synonymous with excellence, superiority, dominance. Like it or not, there is a leader in every industry and in every vocation. It isn’t to say that they could survive without others around them, engaging in competition, motivation, spurring on, challenging, pushing and prodding.

We may not appreciate this leader’s accomplishments. We may not like him or her as a person, based on our perception of them in the public eye. We may not agree with them philosophically, politically or ethically. But for some, their rank as “one of the very best” is undeniable, while for others these accomplishments are irrelevant in terms of measuring greatness: they are compensated the most; they have the most fans; they win the most races, games, matches, or meets; they build the most buildings or create the most innovative products.

Let me mention a few by way of a little game. I will mention a field, you shout out the name. Ready, here we go. Talk Radio Hosts… You guessed it: Rush Limbaugh.

Here’s why: “I am doing what I was meant to do”, Rush admits. He is passionate about it. He has the most listeners, he is able to charge the most for advertising and he has accomplished more in his field than any others before him. Rush rules when it comes to Talk Radio hosts.

When analyzing talent and success, we all have filters by which we judge. An individual’s personality, political agenda, race, history, public behavior and countless other factors all play in to our judgment process. For instance, if you are a Democrat you may have thrown up in your mouth a little when you saw the picture of Rush on this page. Or maybe you didn’t even get this far in reading.

Now, what if we discussed OJ Simpson as being one of the best running backs of all time? Or labeled Phil Spector as the quintessential genius of rock and roll? Or A-Rod as the most gifted athlete of all time? Images of murder, cover-up, lies and cheating taint the voting… but we’re talking about measuring talent, not about personal like or dislike.

Let’s give it another go, Golf…. Right again: Tiger Woods. Can anyone argue with this? For a moment try to get forget the recent meltdown. Hard to do isn’t it? In my lifetime and maybe in modern history, there has never been someone that has gone from such a high regard to oblivion so quickly, with such extreme. But when you think of golf, I dare say forever, you will think of Tiger first and foremost.

Why? Because from the moment Tiger putted with Bob Hope on the Mike Douglas show at just a little older than a toddler it seemed, till recently, we watched in awe at a fellow human being applying his God-given gift. Yes he started with natural born talent, already a skilled golfer by age 5. But without Tiger’s father and mentor instilling in him a work ethic, discipline, self-control and passion that he made his own we would not be talking about Tiger right now.

Mr. Woods had always been surrounded by the best teachers, coaches and advisers the golf world has to offer. Now, it seems he needs the same in his personal life.

CNBC called us recently to discuss whether our Tiger Woods impersonators on Gig Salad were suffering professionally in the wake of Tiger’s personal public downfall. Our comment was that it would blow over and affect no one “as soon as he tees up again.” It just happened that during the days following that interview, a billion other mistresses came forward, and he announced his hiatus from golf. I guess we’ll have to wait for that tee off.  Here’s the CNBC interview.

One more for the road. Greatest American Rock n Roll Band ever. OK, so I may not be able to defend this one entirely because it’s slightly more objective and falls more within the realm of opinion, but Aerosmith is/(was?) the greatest, hardest-hitting, rhythmic, durable, harmonious rock band of all time. That’s just how I see it.

And Steven Tyler, the leader of said band is the quintessential rock star. He’s the best. Because I said so. Steven, thanks for waking up and getting some help.

So, what are you best at? What area of your life are you improving? Where are you striving for excellence? There’s no room for mediocrity, and who would want it anyway?

“I do not try to dance better than anyone else. I only try to to dance better than myself.” — Mikhail Baryshnikov

Whatever you are striving for, do it with a reckless abandon. Strive for perfection, while knowing it cannot be obtained, but pursuing it you will call yourself higher. Get better than you were the day before. Become your personal best. And stay out of trouble.

Whether you are a live music venue owner looking for the right local act, an event planner hoping to impress your client with exceptional entertainment, a parent booking a magician for a child’s party, or a bride searching for a violinist for the upcoming wedding ceremony, there is a certain protocol that you will want to adhere to in order to ensure that your corporate or private event will be a hit.

The following is what we suggest:

Know whom you are booking. If you have never heard or seen the act you think you would like to book AND they have NOT come highly recommended by a reliable personal source, then you should do the following:

• View their website.
• Get referrals from those who have booked the act.
• Have a contract with clear and precise terms.
• If at all possible, go see the act perform live.
• Take note of who is pictured in the acts’ promotional material. Have a clear understanding as to whether the pictured personnel is who will be performing for you when you hire them.
• Most importantly, you must trust and like who you are dealing with while negotiating the booking.

Count the costs. Know for certain what all costs will be BEFORE making an offer, signing a contract or sending any money.

• Ask to see any riders, addendums, stage plots, sound and light requirements, etc.
• Know if you are responsible for any travel expenses, accommodations, meals, etc.
• Know in what form payments are expected and when payments will be due.

Get advice from professionals. Ask professional party planners or talent agencies their opinions about a particular entertainer, or ask to run a contract by them that you have received from an entertainer if you are unsure about the details. Use caution whenever you hire a contractor for any reason, whether to fix your kitchen sink or to perform at your daughter’s wedding. Get everything in writing and feel GREAT before signing a contract.

There will always be at least a hint of fear of the unknown when you sign a contract with someone with whom you do not have a relationship, but if that fear is to the point where you think it might be telling you something, listen to it before putting your pen to paper.

On the eve of The King’s birthday I am reminiscing about my first of two concert promoting forays.

It was August of 2007 and a great opportunity. It was the perfect show to cut my promoting teeth on. Heck, I was partnering with the act that I happened to also represent. The response from buyers all over the country for this show had been superb. It would be produced at a fantastic venue, the beautiful, newly renovated Gillioz Theatre. The capacity seemed manageable, about 1100 seats after we hand out comps. and a stack to the radio station for promotions. My goodness gracious, the show is a tribute to the Elvis Presley, the king of rock & roll.

Strategically scheduled during the week of the 30th anniversary and celebration of said king’s passing. I mean, what’s cooler as a tie-in than that the artist we are saluting sat in one of the very seats some 45 years ago that an attendee may sit in. He was watching a movie which he often did, in small town USA as he toured. Ok, you guessed it, Elvis Presley is the voice, the moves, the memory that Matt Lewis, live from Las Vegas came to replicate.

As the presenter of the event, I sweated it out as promoters often do. There is so many details. So much can go wrong even amongst all that goes right. Part of it was first time jitters.  Even as a risk taker, dare say “gambler”, as all promoters are by nature, to some degree . That is is the life of a concert and event promoter.

The experience was worth every penny, and I would do it all over again, and it taught me a bit more about who these people are on the other side of the negotiating table to know their perspective of the deal.  In hindsight, I might have read a Bill Graham biography first, Bill Graham Presents or Rage & Roll. But like anything else, there ain’t nothing like experience.

So talent, here’s the punchline: When you get booked for a gig, don’t assume that the promoter is cheap (or worse) because he has negotiated a “better” deal for himself. Just because you received less than your asking price doesn’t mean the guy is raking you. Understand the level of work, time, resources, effort, costs that go into promoting a successful event and instead of having attitude, or treating them like a necessary evil, look at the promoter as a partner. Together you will help bring entertainment to the audience. Together… because one could hardly do it without the other.

This is what my experience taught me and I am better for it, even though we probably broke even on the show. Heck, it didn’t deter me from soon after promoting a dance/concert with the “Auld Lang Syne” players themselves, Guy Lombardo’s Royal Canadians. And there will be other shows.

I love you, promoters and talent buyers. I love working with you. And I consider what I do with you to be a true partnership. I am here for you, so call if you need help finding or booking a good act. If anyone wants to celebrate the King’s birthday on January 8 by promoting a concert in his honor, check out the killer lineup of Elvis Impersonators on Gig Salad.

There is a much buzzed-about place that’s helping talented individuals and groups to be seen, heard and hired, and it’s not just another place to dump audio and video clips in hopes of getting discovered. Gig Salad has taken the ol’ school concept of a “press kit”, cleaned it up, coined the term PromoKit and marketed to event planners, agents and talent buyers. Never before has a Jazz Band in Peoria been able to be seen and hired by a buyer in Lansing with such flair, finesse, and ease.

With the help of two national television spots on game show, The Price Is Right, word is spreading even faster.

As founding partner of Gig Salad, I am very proud of this website and have never been more excited than I am now about what we’re building. My business partner Steve Tetrault and I love what we do, and are thrilled about how Gig Salad has developed and grown over the years, and especially over this past year. Gig Salad is an ongoing work that is by the people, and for the people. We listen to what our members and users say and implement 99% of the suggestions they make. These are the people, after all, we are serving with this website. We have some exciting features coming soon based on user feedback which will lead to greater visibility and more gigs for our members.

It is our job to get our members exposure, then gig leads. As well, it is our job to provide the most comprehensive website for event planners of all levels to find the talent, vendors and services they need to produce their event. After that, it is their job to seal the deal.

So what is Gig Salad? It is the spot on the web to find local and regional event talent, vendors and resources anywhere in the U.S. and Canada. It is a place where you can speak to a live voice on the phone if you have any questions or are just looking for some professional advice or counsel. We want to provide the very best service, the very best search results, the very best leads and ultimately the very best gigs for the event industry. It is a cornucopia, from Flamenco Bands to Magicians, Clowns to Wedding Bands, Impersonators to Fire Breathers, Cake Decorators to Photographers and More.

But here’s the real reason we’re rising to the top: We are the place where brides, venue owners, agents, talent buyers and event planners can find what they want, when they want it and can come back for more whenever they need it without being charged a service fee or paying a commission to do so. We don’t charge our members to see their gig leads as some sites do; and we don’t up-sell at every turn.

Gig Salad is a membership site that treats its members with respect and dignity, and doesn’t bamboozle folks with gimmickry. We’re transparent. We’re honest. We’re different! If you’re a band, performer, speaker, or event vendor, get listed here so we can share the banquet with you!

I was living in Manhattan, it was 1989, and I was in my early twenties. I had recently broken up with a girl I dated briefly in high school and reconnected with after she had graduated from the Art Institute of Philadelphia. I convinced her to move to New York, that there was no better place to pursue her career in advertising. I proposed to her after we were living together for a short time. Our relationship was not remarkable. But I was insecure and wanted to somehow “solidify” the relationship. I didn’t want to lose her and a ring could do that, but I was wrong. I was wrong to ask her. I was wrong to think that a ring could keep her. I was wrong to want to keep her. She was wrong for accepting, but I figure she either felt sorry for me or didn’t know how else to handle the awkward proposal. It didn’t work out, which was obviously good for us both.

Still, I was devastated when we broke up, and the experience sent me searching for higher and greater meaning. I found myself at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, begging God for answers. Soon after I found myself at a young, thriving church in Manhattan, which had a progressive performing arts ministry boasting Broadway performers as some of the attendees and one TV star who was apparently the pinnacle of the group. Playing Elvin on the hugely successful Cosby Show, Geoffrey Owens was as big a draw as meeting Jesus himself for some. I admit, I was drawn too by potentially getting some clarity about Christianity as I was about possibly making some advancement with my own fledgling acting career by way of rubbing shoulders with one the most recognizable actors of that time.

I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and joined that church. I later became friends with Geoffrey. He was often the go-to guy if there was a question about how to develop a career in acting, or how to manage a career as an actor and maintain a personal relationship with God. His advice was always practical and inspiring, yet challenging. What follows are notes I took from a lesson Geoffrey taught to a group in 1992, which helped organize my thoughts as to why I was doing what I was doing. Perhaps there will be something for you here as well.

- – - – - – - – - -

Why do I want to be a ___________?
(insert your career here)

__I can’t do anything else.

__To make money.

__To be famous.
(What’s my time frame? Am I ready to join the obscure? What’s my plan?)

__Because I am good at it.

__To express myself.
(Why not talk to people on the street? Why wait to get permission?)

__To communicate.

__To change the world.
(Be a dreamer but don’t JUST dream.)

__I don’t want to do anything else. I have to do this.

There is no right or wrong answer to your selection. Just answer honestly.

- – - – - – - – - –

So, what am I doing about it?

Studying? How, and how much?

Pursuing? How, and how intensely?

Practicing? How, and how frequently?

Networking? Where, and with whom?

Auditioning? Where, and how often?

- – - – - – - – - -

It starts with the right mindset, then takes the right work ethic.

Quit the security of your day job. (waiter, host, etc.) Audition for anything. Allow my passion to fuel my discipline. Take small time stuff. Pursue others in my field. Take non-paying jobs. No one owes me anything. I am not a victim. What excuses am I making for myself? Do I believe in myself too much or too little? Am I waiting for inspiration? Do I want to be a professional artist, or simply an artist? Are my goals like concrete or quicksand? Should I give up, and if so, why? (I won’t give up if I have passion.) I have to make something of my TALENT! NO DELUSIONS! Get up early and GET STARTED! Work on and at things I love.

Hopefully you can make some sense of my notes from that class. Ultimately, it’s important to first know why you’re doing what you’re doing. When you’ve worked that out, then it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to work. A fulfilling career as a performer (whether or not your name becomes a household one or not) will be driven by your passion and hard work.

In closing, I have come to realize that I am successful as long as I am living each day to the fullest, in pursuit of goodness and excellence, and that my failures will be nobody’s fault but mine.

Thanks again Geoffrey for the inspiration and direction.