Q&A: Stuart Avery, SA Promotions

Manchester music’s movers and shakers give us their unique perspective on the best (and worst) of working with unsigned acts…

Stuart Avery from SA Promotions, one of Manchester's leading live events promotion companies, shares his insights.

Favourite Manchester bands: I Am Blackbird, JP Cooper, Rook & The Ravens, Beggar Joe, Dutch Uncles

What’s the best way for unsigned bands to approach you?
Drop me an e-mail with a short paragraph about the band, where they have played previously, and a link to a MySpace or website.

How can they make an impression?
Bands who are able to demonstrate some understanding of the live events industry and how it works will always get my attention. If a band gets in touch who have some great original tracks up on their site, some good gigs under their belt and they have  researched what we do and tell me why they think SA Promotions is the right organisation to work with them, I will always take them seriously.

What’s you biggest bugbear when it comes to dealing with unsigned bands?
Having to deal with the constant Band Vs Promoter attitude that runs through the unsigned scene. I can understand why a lot of bands are cautious of promoters, as they may have been ripped off, or have had bad experiences, but at the end of the day putting on a successful event is a partnership between both band and promoter, and there needs to be trust and open communication. Unfortunately, because of their past experiences, some bands bring a really negative attitude to the table which is not a good starting place for a potential relationship to blossom from.

Top tip for unsigned bands:
Research who you are targeting first; if you are a Brighton-based DJ act, there is no point in spending your time trying to sell yourself to a Manchester based promoter who deals with live music. It’s amazing how many bands waste loads of their time knocking on the wrong door!