October, 2001 - The New Economy, And How It Affects You
It looks like we're headed for a recession. By "we", I mean the country. Look around; people are losing their jobs, planes flying 1/2 full, 0% interest on new cars, gas prices way down, the signs are all around us. What does it mean for your studio or if you're in a band? If you do it right, it could be a good thing for you.
In recessions, people don't have the extra money for big vacations, new houses, new cars, or high ticket items. They stay a lot closer to home - and they spend less. But people are funny; they really don't like being reminded that their lifestyle has had to take a nose dive, so they find less expensive ways to entertain themselves during a recession.
They buy candy, cosmetics, booze, records, go out to eat locally, go to a movie, or see an inexpensive live show, instead of going on their European vacation, or buying a new BMW. During every major recession this country has endured, the candy, cosmetics, booze, and entertainment industry has thrived.
As the recession gets worse, expect some of the local clubs to start filling up. People may not be able to afford a new stereo, but they can afford to buy a CD or two every couple of weeks, or go to a live show. If you make sure your show has a lot of entertainment value, you're gonna get booked - a lot. And if you're a studio, remind bands that they can run off CDs at home and sell them in clubs.
People wanna escape from their problems during a recession. They wanna get out every so often and just forget about their lives - even if it's just for a little while. If your show can do that, you'll be working - it's as simple as that.
Now's the time to look at how you come across on stage. Is the audience having fun listening to you? Are you doing your best to entertain them? Get somebody with a camcorder to videotape your group on stage, and then, have everybody in the band look at it. What needs to be changed? Insane outfits? More clowning around on stage? Jokes in between songs? (God, how I hate "Hi, how's everybody doing?" after the end of the first song.) You get the idea. Whatever you can do to make your band stand out will help you in the months to come. Do you guys even look like a band, or are you a bunch of people that look like they just came in off the street to play?
Now's the time to start thinking about making a CD to sell at shows. It can be a good source of extra income. Play everywhere you can. Add new songs. Do the old songs differently. Give people a reason to come out to your shows. If you do the same show this month that you did a month ago, you won't have a following next month. Studios and bands CAN make money in hard times; it just calls for a little creative thinking.
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Topic: The New Economy, And How It Affects You (Rare Article) (Read 2745 times)