March 2011
Monthly Archive
Take a Friend to a House Concert in April.
Posted by admin on 31 Mar 2011 | Tagged as: General
Do you remember how you felt the first time you experienced a house concert? Wouldn’t you love to give that feeling to a friend?
Whether you are an artist, a host, or a fan of house concerts, let’s commit to being a fan for one night in April. Check out the calendar for your area, and introduce yourself to a few hosts who have events on the schedule.
Here’s what’s in it for you.
- Artists: What better way to turn one of your fans into a host, than to actually show them what it’s like? In fact, pick a handful of friends that you’d love to introduce to the concept, and don’t even tell them that you have an ulterior motive. 8^)
- Hosts: What a great way to meet other hosts in your area, support a comrade, and share some yucks and war stories about this great hobby.
With the small size of house concerts, you know very well that a few extra enthusiastic fans can make a huge difference. Let your hair down and be a fan again. Go!
Important message to hosts: Now would be a great time to make sure your events are listed! Login and use the shiny new concert tools!
ConcertsInYourHome.com Shut Down by Authorities.
Posted by admin on 30 Mar 2011 | Tagged as: General
[This was our April Fool's joke - but make sure you click the video at the end.]
ConcertsInYourHome Shut Down by Authorities.
The “World’s Most Helpful House Concert Site” has been shut down by a coalition of record labels, ticketing services, and industry professionals.
“What they are doing is just too cool,” an exasperated label executive commented. She continued, “They are a shining example of why record labels have become irrelevant. All around us, talented artists are seizing control of their careers and taking their music straight to fans, which leaves no place for middle management arbiters of taste.”
An equally dejected Ticketmaster rep also chimed in. “We’ve found that a suggested donation leaves no room for our surcharges. Since the average donation hovers around $10-15 per guest, it’s very difficult for us to tack on a $9 service charge. Plus, people are discovering that tickets are meaningless when there’s a guest list of people the host already knows.”
The industry has been circling the wagons for some time. PRO agencies like ASCAP and BMI have been appalled for years that it’s hard to justify the collection of money from performing songwriters performing their own songs. “For some reason, no one understands why we should take a percentage of the artist’s revenue and give most of it to a songwriter whose songs did not get played. But that’s the heart of our business model!”
Fran Snyder, the founder of ConcertsInYourHome and ListeningRoomNetwork, has vowed to reinstate the site with the help of Wikileaks, and issued his reply in this video.
First-hand experience. DinnerAndSong works
Posted by admin on 18 Mar 2011 | Tagged as: Tips for Artists
First hand experience: DinnerAndSong works.
I’m on a two-week tour of Alberta, playing 11 nights in a row, thanks in part to a couple of DinnerAndSong events.
So many times in my past tours, I recall making OK money on the weekend, only to watch most of it evaporate on nights when I didn’t have a show (or accommodations.)
I’ve done two DinnerAndSong (DNS) events on this tour - the first was at a Bed and Breakfast on a Wednesday night, and the most recent was a Monday night.
The first was attended by 14 people (larger than we suggest) at $10 per person, and I sold 12 CDs at $10 each for a total of $240. I played 40 minutes, had a wonderful dinner, met some great people, inspired a guest to join as another DinnerAndSong host. The Bed and Breakfast was lovely and so were the owners who, frankly, spoiled me.
Not bad for an off night in a town where I had no fans or resources. Next time I go, I’ll have two DNS options, and a handful of fans to attend.
The second show, last monday, was a cold and snowy night in Edmonton, and we only had 4 guests and the 2 hosts. That’s small. However, we cozied up in the living room, had some great munchies, shared stories and songs, and I made $150 with CD sales and donations - again, after a 35 minute performance. Stayed in a gorgeous home with 3 acres of aspens (poplars), a friendly Bishon puppy, and some very kind people.
To recap the math, I made almost $400, and easily saved another hundred or two on food and hotel. Not bad for “filler gigs.”
Small is good. You have many fans and friends that can help you do small.
www.DinnerAndSong.com
