Detroit's own Ty Stone from the band 2 Days Straight has taken a leap of faith and a 2500 mile drive to The City of Angels with his guitar in tow. Never taken your dreams to L.A.? Not to worry, because Ty's going to fill us in on all the gory details right here on Michiganbands.com. In this first installment, Ty writes about what it takes to get a gig in L.A. and how it compares to the Detroit scene. Click "Read More" below and enjoy.Getting a Gig In L.A.
by Ty Stoneedited by Mitch Phillips
The local music scene in LA is huge. Sunday through Saturday there are
probably 100 venues with 4 original acts every night. I've been here for
a few months and have yet to see a cover band. It's like heaven. But there are also 5000 bands in this city; the
competition is fierce. I probably get 25 fliers a night and every chick in
the city with a silicone rack is promoting something. It's hard to
keep track of it all - and I'm just talking about the week-nights.
So how do you, a stranger in this town, a migrant-rocker from D-Town, cut in front of the other 4999 bands and get a gig? Here's a surprise, the promoters want bands that can draw. (See how different the scene out here is?) Since your 30 closest friends will no longer be attending every show that you play, you have a problem. But there's a way around everything.
You see, once the bar has 100 people sitting there, they want to keep them there. That's where you come in. If you have the balls to drive 2500 miles to play your music in LA, then you must have the talent to match. And yes, talent can get you a gig. You see, people will hang around to hear a talented band play, even after their friend's band is done. I think that a lot of Detroit club owners don't understand this simple fact.
But the trick is getting the promoters to recognize your talent. And that's a hell of a trick.
First you need to make friends with the bartender because he knows all of the players. You can do this with money. You see, whenever he brings you a drink, you give him an extra dollar or two; they call it a"tip" if you've never heard of it. Eventually you find out who's the owner, who's the promoter and who's the rock star (They're harder to recognize than you might think).
So you network, you meet the people, you slide them a CD, people talk, and you get a little buzz going on (especially if you're sipping Crown Royal like the Stone does). But here's the rub: Most of the promoters won't even take a CD from you. I actually had one guy give my CD to some girl that he was hitting on that night, and another guy flat out told me that he "just doesn't listen to those any more." He says he gets dozens a week. "Just come down to the open mic on Friday, and Mike will tell me if you've got anything." And right then is when I learned that it's all about the open mic.
On any given night you can strut your stuff at one of several open mics from Hollywood to the Valley, to Santa Monica. And unlike some of the Tuesday night Ghost Town open-mics that you're used to, people are waiting in line to play here. Since they usually sign up 40-50 people, you only get one song, so make it count. Here's a little secret that most people don't catch: The door guy is usually the guy who does the booking for that bar, so don't be afraid to turn on that charm of yours and ask some questions. Tell him you're from out of town, act humble and respectful, get some good information, and then rock the fucking house. Blowing away promoters is the only way for a migrant rocker to start booking shows in LA.
Now I'm playing out almost every night. Every once in a while I get a really good show, and sell some CDs and make a little loot. It took me about three weeks to get rolling, but once you start moving, inertia kind of keeps you going. Los Angeles is an intimidating city, but if you're a good performer, and a hard worker, then you have the same shot that anyone else out here. You just have to have the balls to lay it all on the line and take a crack at it.
People are in love with Detroit right now. If you tell them that you're from Detroit, then you have instant street cred, and that helps a little bit. (By the way, it's ok to say that you're from Detroit out here because if you said Lincoln Park, no one would know what the hell you were talking about.) That doesn't mean that the first time you open your mouth you can't make a total ass out of your self though, so keep it real and have a good time.
If you decide to come out to L.A. in the next few months, look me up.
Go To Bed,
-Detroit's Own Ty Stone