Lock the set before you do anything else
Before you approach a promoter or announce anything publicly, you need a set you could play in your sleep. Not almost ready. Ready. Twenty minutes of material, performed start to finish at full intensity, no stopping, in rehearsal. If you can't do that yet, nothing else on this list matters.
Don't launch social media until you have a show confirmed
This is the one most bands get backwards. The instinct is to start posting as soon as the band exists. The reality is that the first thing anyone sees when they find you should be something to act on. A show announcement is far more compelling than a "we've formed" post. Hold everything until the first gig is confirmed, then launch.
Research the venue and the other bands
Know the capacity. Know what time doors are, what time soundcheck is, and how long your set is. Know the other bands on the bill and genuinely listen to them beforehand. Being able to say something real to the other bands when you meet them matters. Scenes are built on those small moments of genuine connection.
Have someone filming
This is not optional. You need footage from the first show. Phone footage is fine. Even if the performance isn't perfect, crowd footage and stage presence footage becomes the evidence you use to book the next show. The bands who document from the start build momentum faster than the ones who don't, simply because they have something to show.
The night itself
- Arrive early enough that you're not rushed at soundcheck
- Introduce yourselves to the promoter when you arrive, not when there's a problem
- Thank the other bands, the venue staff, the promoter, and the crowd from the stage
- Tell the room what you're called, twice, before the last song
- After the set, stay for the rest of the show
That last one is more important than it sounds. Bands who pack up and leave after their set are noticed. Bands who stay, watch, and engage become part of the scene. There's a difference between playing a show and being in a scene.
The full checklist walks through every stage from forming your band to your first regional tour, in the right order. 23 pages, instant download.
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