There are some amazing jobs out there. I'm really interested in how people get into spending their lives doing what they love. Last week I caught up with Alaina; Entrepreneur and Booking agent.
Hi Alaina, working as a booking agent sounds like a dream job. How did you get
into it?
I have a love of rock music and had been running my music blog Rock Chic for about 7 years. A recurring question from bands was ‘how do I get a gig in your city?!’ So, that’s when I started bookings gigs not just in Bristol, but in other local cities.
What would you have are the best parts and most difficult parts of being a booking agent? Getting venues and promoters to listen to you and gain interest in the talent you’re putting forward can be a challenge, as usually they’re inundated so you have to stand out. This is why I started the promo side of the business, so I help bands and artists to approach not only venues, but press and radio stations when they have a new release coming up. I help out with running social media channels too.
What do you look for when booking talent? Obviously a band that sounds great, but also one that are in it as much as you are. Bands who are responsive and easy to contact, committed and passionate about what they do are really important factors.
What strengths and weaknesses do you need to do this job? You need to be persistent and not afraid to push for something you want! (On the band's behalf that is). You need to be ok with working random hours and have a love of live music.
What has been your career highlight? Most definitely meeting a huge amount of my heroes all in one evening when I attended the Classic Rock Magazine awards. Slash (Guns 'n' Roses), Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath), Joe Perry (Aerosmith), but mostly meeting Jimmy Page (guitarist for Led Zeppelin). I still can't believe that to this day - talking with a living legend is quite something.
What have you got coming up? I am about to start a regular newsletter which gives free tips to bands and artists on how to approach media, how to book gigs, run social media and tips on the top things most bands get wrong. This is available to anyone who needs it, by getting in touch with me with their email address.
FB: @rockchicme
Insta: @rockchicme
T: @rock_chic_me
Jades book ACTORPRENEUR- A Working Actors Guide is now available in paperback and ebook at Amazon, Etsy and Waterstones
Bình luận