Many bands
who experience trouble getting their careers off the ground will blame their
lack of notoriety on a lack of exposure.
While this can often be true, or at least partially true, it is a
mistake to think that this is your only basket short a few eggs and can lead
you to frantically filling it with rotten ones. Despite what entertainment
industry clichés might have you believe, any publicity IS NOT good publicity. I
don’t mean to imply that playing the wrong gig will doom your career, but it
may just be a waste of time. The goal of exposure is to build a fanbase. So any
time an “opportunity” for exposure comes along, first ask yourself whether or
not it is also an opportunity to build your fanbase. For example, just about
any concert promoter who works for anyone willing to pay them does not care
about helping you build a fanbase, they just want to fill out a bill. Many
bands will spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars getting gigs like this that
may even have good attendance, but don’t get them anywhere. They may get
discouraged and assume it is just because they suck so much. While they may be
correct, a more likely reason is that they are a punk band (for example),
sharing a bill with a jam band, a pop band, and a rap metal band. While some
bands have succeeded in establishing popularity across genres (i.e., the
Beatles, Rolling Stones), chances are that you are not nearly as good.
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