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Vintage Logos
Custom Bass Drum Heads, Stage Graphics & Band Merch

How To Build Connections With Fans

Author Archives: Shawn McNamara

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How To Build Connections With Fans

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Any performing artist knows that fans are one of the most important assets they can have. Without any fanbase, they’re just someone making noise to a big, empty room. So how do you build connections with fans?

The relationship an artist establishes with their fans is crucial. However, creating that relationship with fans can be a daunting and not-so-straightforward task.

Today we’ll be answering this question, giving you some insight into how to better connect with your fans and in turn, gain even more.

Showcase Your Personality

Fans love to get to know their favorite artist and find ways that they can personally relate to them. Therefore, use your social media or other promotional channels to give them a little taste of your life beyond the stage! With just some simple posts you can highlight your personality and show them what you love about life.

Publicly sharing details of personal life can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be a drastic step. It can be as simple as tagging a new favorite lunch spot while you’re on the road, or posting a link to your favorite new playlist. A little bit can go a long way!

Get Them Involved

Any relationship is a two-way street, and the relationship with your fans is no exception. Consequently, you need to make sure you’re not the only one doing the talking!

You can get your fans involved by posting polls and asking them questions. You can get their input on your latest project or even ask for ideas for upcoming projects!

Most importantly, try to keep up with responding to your fans as much as possible. When you’re busy or your fan-base has grown large it can be impossible to respond to everything, but still try to make an effort as best you can. Fans will appreciate this more than you think, knowing that they are more than just another voice in the crowd.

Don’t Only Sell To Them!

Finally, the most important point of all: don’t just sell stuff to them! It’s easy to get focused on promoting your newest merch item or selling tickets to your tour, but if that’s all fans ever get, they’re going to tune you out. You’ve got to offer something of interest to them beyond just demanding their money.

This can come in a number of ways, so just use your imagination. Maybe a free giveaway or a well-thought-out music recommendation? Whatever the case, the point is that you’re providing them with something of value that’s worth their time.

Conclusion

In the end, we see that it doesn’t take a lot to build connections with fans! Just a few simple steps can set you in the right direction in creating meaningful relationships with your fans.

Clever Ways To Make More Money With Your Music

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As a professional musician, you know how difficult it can be to make money from your live shows. Many venues are stingy with what they’ll pay artists. And if ticket sales are light, you might not make anything at all! So what can you do to make more money doing music?

Well, what if we told you that there are other ways you can earn money performing your music live? That there are alternative types of gigs out there which can easily supplement your main shows?

Today we’ll take a look at clever ways to make more money with your music.

4 Different Types Of Gigs That Pay Good Money

#1: Corporate events and private parties

The first type of gig on this list is the most lucrative: corporate events and private parties. No party is complete without music, and what’s better than exclusive, live music?! A live band brings a whole new dynamic to the atmosphere, setting the tone for the entire event or party.

More often than not, businesses and party hosts have deep pockets and are willing to pay you a premium to perform. This is completely fair, as you are, in essence, offering them a premium service.

A particular advantage of gigs like this (along with most of the others on this list) is that you don’t have to worry about promotion. There is a built-in audience, so you can just show up and play! In fact, performing at an event or party can increase your exposure since many new people will hear your music that might not hear it otherwise.

Corporate event and private party gigs can be hard to find sometimes. But with diligent networking, the opportunities definitely present themselves. You can also try using websites and services like GigMasters, which many bands have had success with.

#2: Weddings

Like the first type of gig on this list, weddings are also very lucrative and there is always demand for live music. Wedding gigs can be broken down into two different types: music for the ceremony and music for the reception.

Of course, only certain types of bands will be able to play for a wedding ceremony. (You won’t find any work here if you’re a heavy metal band – at least not at a traditional wedding!) However, wedding receptions offer possibilities for a lot of different types of music, especially if its good music for dancing.

Weddings are like event and party gigs in that you can find them through networking, advertising, and online booking services.

#3: Concert series and festivals

Almost every band dreams of performing at a big festival, but what many don’t realize is that there are smaller, local festivals and concert series that are much easier to get into. Many communities host summer concert series and are always looking for good entertainment to fill their schedule.

Similarly, many public events like charity races or barbecues want live music and are willing to hire a good band to perform.

These gigs are great because you usually get paid a flat fee regardless of attendance and the organizers take care of most of the promotion. You also get a lot of exposure to a crowd that might not otherwise be familiar with your music.

To find these gigs, just do some online searching for concert series or local events in your area. Once you identify one that might be a good fit for your band, contact the coordinator and see if they’d be willing to hire you to perform. Even if they’re already booked up, chances are they’d be willing to consider you for the next time around.

#4: House concerts

Finally, we look at a more niche type of alternative gig: house concerts. These gigs are great because they bring your music directly into the homes of your fans and give you a chance to share it in a very intimate space.

House concerts have many advantages. First off, they eliminate the middle-man of a venue, so usually, all earnings from tickets sales or tips go directly to you as the artist.

Second, most house concerts hosts provide touring bands with a free place to stay, as well as dinner before they perform.

If you already have established connections with your fans through email or social media, you can easily reach out to them to see if any would be willing to host a house concert. You can also search online for people who regularly host house concerts. Then contact them to see if they would be interested in hosting your band.

Conclusion

All-in-all, we hope you gained a little new insight into the possibilities for alternative gigs for your band. With this knowledge and a little bit of dedication, you will be able to make more money with your music in no time at all!

Promote Your Band on Vintage Logos’ Social Media

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Hey there, Vintage Logos customers! Would you like a free and easy way to promote your band?

We’re looking for more footage of our products in action and we’re hoping you’ll help us out. Simply share photos and videos of you using our gear on stage and get attention from everyone that follows our social media!

What’s in it for you? Well, our Instagram has over 1,000 followers, while our Facebook has over 20,000 likes! That’s a huge number of potential new fans for you!

In addition, this is an opportunity to get the attention of other bands and musicians from all around the world. You can open the door to all sorts of new collaboration possibilities!

Here’s how it works:

  • Start by grabbing a photo or video of you using one of our products, whether that be a custom bass drum head, an amp grill cover, or anything in between
  • Then just upload it to social media, either by posting it directly to our Facebook page, or tagging our Instagram handle
  • Make sure to link back to your band or artist account so everyone can follow you too

We’re also interested in seeing photos and videos of people setting up and installing our products. If you have anything along those lines, we’d love to see it too!

We hope you’ll take advantage of this unique opportunity to promote yourself while helping us out too. Promote your band and start sharing those photos and videos today!

Transform Your On-Stage Look with a Custom Amp Grill Cloth

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There is one thing we prioritize here at Vintage Logos, it’s helping bands to look their best on stage. When bands have a striking on-stage image, they make a far more powerful and memorable impression.  And a custom amp grill cloth can help do just that.

Previously on our blog, we discussed simple techniques for bands to implement to help improve their stage presence. This included building engagement with each other and with the audience, but also included paying attention to how each band member is dressed.

If the band members’ clothing choices are the first step, then the look of their instruments is the logical second step. In the past, we considered how to transform the appearance of a drum kit through a custom bass drum head. But what about something for the guitarists and bassists in the band?

Our Custom Amp Grill Cloth

This is where the Speaker Grill Cloth from Vintage Logos comes into play! A simple product with powerful potential, it transforms a generic guitar or bass cabinet into an eye-catching component of your stage show. What once before was just a black speaker is now a billboard with your band name, your album artwork… whatever you’d like!

Our custom amp grill cloth stands out from the competition for a few reasons. First off, the cloth is printed in full color with photo-realistic quality. Consequently, the design possibilities are basically limitless! You can easily create a design yourself using our free, online designer app. Alternately, you can work with our in-house designers to help create the perfect design you have in your head.

Second, the cloth is optimized for sound quality so that there is no loss of volume or change in tone. As we like to put it, this amp grill cloth is “acoustically transparent.” It is made of high-quality PVC mesh that is also flame retardant.

We have several installation options for the cloth, just dependent on whatever best suits your needs. Here they are:

  • Attached by Velcro to the existing cloth on your cabinet. This is damage-free and is the most popular option amongst our customers.
  • Draped over your cabinet and held in place at the top with your amp head. A great way to hide the whole cabinet.
  • Stapled directly into the cabinet for new cabinet builds.

The possibilities are limitless with these custom amp grill cloths! It may be a simple addition to your on-stage appearance but the effect can be revolutionary. Visit the Vintage Logos webstore to purchase your custom speaker grill cloth now!

One Simple Way to Improve Your Marching Band

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If you were to think of a way to improve the appearance of your marching band, what comes to mind first: practicing better and tighter formations? Selecting new and improved uniforms? Is there even one simple way to improve your marching band?

What about improving the look of your band’s instruments? What if your instruments could create a powerful image that is specific to ONLY your marching band?

Let’s consider bass drum heads, for example. Usually, these are plain and generic, but if what we told you they’re actually a blank canvas – a canvas for you to feature your school’s name and mascot?

Improve Your Marching Band With MarchingHeads

Enter the MarchingHeads from Vintage Logos! These are bass drum heads that are fully customizable, allowing you to revolutionize the look of your marching band. Let’s explain…

First off, MarchingHeads help your band be identified better on the field since the school’s name and mascot is printed on each of the drum heads. This, in turn, helps increase the exposure and publicity of your marching band.

Additionally, MarchingHeads add a competitive edge to your band since they’ll have a unique look that won’t be matched by any other marching band.

These thoughts are reflected by Harold J. Fooster Jr, Assistant Band Director at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. Here’s what he said:

The … drum heads were great. We got a lot of compliments on their look and sound. When we performed at the Honda Battle of the Bands in Atlanta, GA in front of 65,000 fans, the drum heads were the talk of the event. People loved them and asked me about them.


If you’re looking for one simple way to improve the look of your marching band, we think this is it!

Some may wonder, however, are the MarchingHeads worth the cost? Our school has a limited budget and we can only afford to spend money on what really matters? The answer is that custom drum heads are an investment and they improve your marching band.

If funding is tight, consider raising support from parents, band boosters, or local businesses! Remember to tell them about the impact that MarchingHeads will have on your marching band and how it’s one easy way for them to improve their look on the field.

How You Look On Stage

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If there’s one element of performing live that is commonly neglecting, it’s paying attention to how you look on stage. We as musicians are guilty of practicing our instruments for countless hours but then getting on stage with no idea of how we’re presenting ourselves.

Of course, we all know that how you look on stage can mean just as much, if not more, than how well you play your music. This is because people first and foremost SEE your performance, and only secondarily LISTEN to your performance.

This is reflected in a very insightful perspective shared by J B Hildebrand, a photographer who specializes in shooting live band photos. Here’s what he said:

I shot a band a year or so ago that got up on stage and played their latest album, start to finish, flawlessly. They stood in front of their microphones for an hour and change and pumped out sonic gold… I’d tell you who they were… but I can’t remember.

Is this what you want for your own performance – to be musically impeccable but visually unmemorable and forgettable? We sure hope not!

To that end we’re going to give you a few carefully curated tips in helping you to improve the appearance and presence of your live performance. Read on to learn how you can start looking your best on stage!

Develop a band appearance

Let’s start with something obvious: when you perform, you should dress to impress! Of course, we don’t mean you shouldn’t be true to your own sense of style. However, if you’re not putting any effort into picking out the clothes you wear on stage, you’re probably doing something wrong.

The next step is to consider how your band, as a group, looks collectively. If you’re all dressed nice but your styles clash horribly, how are you going to look like a cohesive group? For this reason, it is important to develop a unified look that ensures everyone looks like they belong together.

A cohesive look can be as simple as all-black outfits or as elaborate as full-out costumes developed for each band member. The important point is that you’re taking time to develop your band’s appearance and image. (More on that later in an upcoming post…)

Build connections with each other

Anyone in a band knows that the musical interplay and dynamics between the players can be a huge part of what defines that band. If that is the case, why limit this interplay only to the music? Make it visually evident by incorporating into your performance on-stage!

Tom Jackson, a producer who works with artists on developing their live show, makes the following observation:

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched bands, duos, groups, any number of people onstage, completely ignore (visually) what someone else in their band is doing.

It only takes little steps to start changing this, but these changes can make worlds of difference! Let’s think: what can you do to visually acknowledge and respond to your bandmates on-stage?

Maybe you can get excited and walk over to the lead guitarist when he/she takes their solo? Or, if you’re a sideman, you can scream out the chorus along with the lead singer, even though you’re not even behind a mic?

The point is that, whatever you do, don’t get on-stage and just ignore each other!

Build connections with the audience

In a similar way to the last topic, work to engage the audience with your performance. After all, they are the reason you’re on-stage in the first place!

This can be broken down into simple steps as well. If you break into a huge, singalong chorus, get the audience to join in with you. If you rip into an intense solo guitar, get yourself to the front of the stage and shred their faces off!

A fact that is widely recognized is that audiences reflect the attitude of the artists performing. Consequently, to quote J B Hildebrand again, “Do I look as into the song as I want my audience to be?”

Show your audience how your music should make them feel and they will respond in kind.

Conclusion

In the end, we see that it doesn’t take much to start improving your stage presence little-by-little. We encourage you to keep reading and learning more about this subject and stay tuned for more posts coming here every Wednesday.

Now get out there and rock some stages!

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