issue 37 working_Layout 1 11/1/2013 1:17 PM Page 14
CIDER MAGAZINE
ISSUE 36
PG 14
WWW.CIDERMAG.COM
How the turn tables
Success is what you make it
The dance music scene in Vermont
and most of New Hampshire is struggling.
There are some solid attempts, some successes, and some that just fell a little bit. I
want to discuss is how we can learn from
their mistakes, and to encourage people to
start throwing their own events.
The two sides: Promotion and fulfillment. The difference between getting people to say “It will be awesome, I’m going”
and getting them to say “last time was awesome, I’m going again.” Both are equally
important.
with STEGGA
aka Justin Looper
about your event, they need to be personally invested. If you’re trying to throw a dance party at a
local bar or club, find the most well-known people
in that area, or in that venue are and recruit them
as part of the team. Get them out there talking
about it, get them asking “You’re planning on going
to ___, right?”. Use things like guest/reduced
cover lists and drink tickets etc. to get people inbeen booked to play
vested in bringing people to your party.
an event that started off promising, and
the crowd started building, then one of
the opening acts didn’t engage the
Throwing an event enjoyable enough that
crowd at all, and they got bored and
people want to stay at, and come back to the next left. When trying to build a scene, it’s
time. In large part, this is made up of three things: important to realize it has to be gradSimply getting people to go to your
Venue, production (sound, lighting, decoration
ual, you have to ease people into it.
event. The biggest challenge, and the
etc.), and performers. All three need to be done
It’s also a very important thing
biggest reason things aren’t already workcorrectly. It’s inherently not really possible to make to understand is that your lineup nowaing well already, is low attendance. The cur- up for one with another.
days unfortunately has less to do with
rent problem is that promoters often think
The venue is a very loaded concept, bethe promotion of the event than we’d
that their job is to post flyers and make a
cause it includes its own clientele, its physical
like it to. No matter how popular they
facebook event, and some imaginary
setup, and the deal that you can get with the own- are, you should not assume that they
source of people they’ve never met will see ers. All of these need to be taken into account,
are going to pull enough fans to make
them and come out, and their event will be
along with, perhaps the most important one, and
or break your event. For example, I
packed. This is unfortunately not the case.
the one which promoters often put enough thought opened for Basshunter this summer,
You need to think about where those people into, the location. The venue, and especially the lo- on his first US tour in years. We ended
are actually going to come from. You need
cation of the venue is the element that has the
up with less than five hundred people
to put yourself in their shoes. Most people
most involvement with the promotion, and makes in the house, because the promotion
just don’t go to events that they don’t alor breaks the event most of the time.
and location were so badly handled,
ready know their friends will be at. Simply
Your production is very technical. If you
and only the incredible devout fans
put, the way you get people to come out to don’t have an understanding of live sound, you
came out. Promotion is what packs
an event is by having their friends already
need to have someone you trust who is. The pro- parties, DJs are what makes them fun.
planning on going. Now, that might seem
duction is very dependant on the venue, and there
cheeky, but I really mean that literally. Mar- will always be endless discussion about whether
keting an event without an established local or not “it’s enough”.
Throwing events on a small
scene is much different from marketing a
Your performers are crucial, obviously, be- scale is not a huge amount of work, it
show in a city with big headliners that sell
cause the music being played is what the event is just takes some thought into the
themselves. Your job is not to spread the
all about, it’s the reason everyone is there tospecifics. Even if you just think of yourmessage that your event is happening, it’s
gether. The performers have to be picked and or- self as the person that likes to get
to convince people that they want to be
ganized correctly. You have to have your audience everyone dancing to the jukebox,
there. Your job isn’t to inform people what’s in mind when you book your DJs. Is it in a bar,
you’re more than capable of giving it a
going on, it’s to get your friends to bring
where you’re banking on having the local townies shot. It just takes a whole lot of talking
their friends.
come out because they heard there’s “dance
to make it come together. The best
Yes, of course in a perfect world,
party”? Then you need to b ook DJs who will play
way to start is to think about venues
we’d be more willing to go outside of our
music that has the feeling you want to go for, but you know of in your area. A bar where
comfort zones and go to see live music, but is still accessible to people not -into- the Dance
you know somebody, or even just one
that doesn’t just happen spontaneously,
Music scene. As much as I wish it were appropri- that has an open night. I’ve played
there have to be catalysts. We need more
ate to do turntablism with Glitch Hop and Drum n
gigs in granges, in churches, in
people leading. There’s an enormous
Bass at every event, it honestly just isn’t. You have skateparks, in colleges. Most people
amount of inertia to overcome when trying
to play to the crowd. And you as the promoter
know of a place that could be great for
to build a scene. building a scene is all
need to control this by booking the right acts for
a party, it just takes organizing a few
about buzz. People need to be talking
your scene. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve
friends to make it happen.
Promotion
Fulfillment
Anyone can do this