Online Research
Research online the venues,
the booking and promotion agencies that operate in your own city organising the type of concerts you would like to play. Make sure
these concerts are in a similar vein as your own music. More often than not you
will not be making contact with the venue or the artist themselves but rather the promoter. Find out who is promoting the shows by researching the websites of venues and tickets offices and they will display the name and website of the company that is organising the show or booking the artist on their calendars.
Making Contact
Send the promoters an email with your EPK and a
request to be the supporting act for a particular show they are organising. Don't write a long email, be brief and to the point,
it should only take a few seconds to read and if they are interested they will look at your
EPK and listen to your music. It's best to
send this kind of request a few months in advance if possible, so you need to do your research with this in mind. If they can't get you the slot of opening act for the particular show you are aiming for,
they may very well offer you to open for another concert they are organising in the future. But at first you want to be as specific as possible so that they know you are sincere and not just fishing for any show you can get.
Don't ask for a fee at first, if they want you to open the show and they are worth working with, they will offer you one.
Go to Shows
When you know of a certain agency that is regularly putting on shows in your city,
go out to those concerts and meet the organisers; usually they will be there helping out and making sure everything runs smoothly. Ask the people taking the tickets or selling the merchandise if the promoters of the show are there and if they are, find them and give them a CD or business card with a way to get in touch with you and how to find your music.
The more often you show your face at these concert the more likely you will be remembered.
Get Your Fans Out
When you get the chance to open up a bigger concert
be sure to get as many of your own fans out as possible as if it were your own record release show. Just because you are expecting to play to a larger audience doesn't mean you don't have to do your work to get people out.
The promoters and venues will remember you when you bring out as many people as you can and will consider to work with you again in the future. If you don't bring your own fans as well, it is almost guaranteed that they won't work with you again. Every concert is a group effort and your success will depend on what you can give. As the opening act you will
gain exposure, meet people who work in the business behind the scenes and get the hands on experience of entertaining a larger crowd.
