Industry news & advice blog

The other week I caught up with Paula, the main promoter at The Masque, a multi-room music venue in Liverpool. Paula was kind enough to share some great tips on how to work your band, get bigger and better shows and how to make an impression on promoters across the UK.

The Masque has plenty of opportunities for unsigned artists. Are slots readily available for the unsigned bands that come to you?

For us it's very important that we give unsigned music, particularly from the Merseyside and the North West area, a chance.  It's a way of building up a local scene and us supporting music from its roots.  When we book national and international touring bands, we ask if there is the opportunity to put local support on.  It's a nice little pay back to the bands that visit our venue week in and week out.  It's great that local talent has the opportunity to support some major acts from around the world.  So there is definitely the opportunity for unsigned bands to apply - we welcome it!

How do you view the current music scene in Liverpool and how do you see it evolving in the next 2 years?

I'm always really positive about the scene in Liverpool. It's so great to see so many promoters trying to push the music they love, and new acts coming through every week.  It's for this reason that it's so hard to predict how things will evolve over the next couple of years. There's so much going on, all at the same time, that people grab influences from all over the shop!

There is a lot of underground activity in the Liverpool music scene. What is your advice to these bands and artists? How can they impress promoters such as yourself?

First thing is obvious; practice, practice, practice! The next thing is network... be seen in and around town. Go to lots of gigs, make friends with other bands and start building a strong fan base. The key is for bands not to play too much in the city.  Leave a month or two between each gig to make sure people will want to see you again and again.  Whet the appetite of your fans, but don't give them overkill, Get people excited about your music and get them begging for more.

Tips for bands to make a gig the best they can?

Again, practice, practice, and practice. A tight band is always impressive.  Even if it's not the audience's favourite genre of music, people will still always appreciate a good band. Also, make sure you connect with your audience, Don't be nervous, be confident!  Most of all enjoy it, because if you are, everyone else will.

www.masque-liverpool.com