It’s strange to me that there is a common perception local bands have in that they feel the need to play shows as often as possible. This isn’t a good strategy for any local band and shouldn’t really be done on a local level.
Think back to when your band first started playing shows. This was a time when you thought you needed to play just about any venue you could get into, which is understandable. Who was your fan base? Your friends and family were the ones who came to your first shows, which again, is very understandable. Maybe you’ve just started to play shows and you are experiencing this now. You have to start somewhere and no one should discredit your music for that. If it’s your goal to play for friends and family and your band is more of a weekend outing type of gig, then keep doing it and make sure to have fun playing! However, there are many bands who want to build a more diverse fan base and gain more exposure for themselves. They really want their music to reach every corner of the world. If that is your goal, stop taking every gig you can get.
Why?
If you are a local band there are many good reasons to avoid this. Let’s start by talking about the industry and business basics. Bookers want to book you because you’ll bring a crowd to their venue. They get paid when the club does well which means your band needs to bring a crowd. Tip: It’s always good to bring a thirsty crowd that buys lots of drinks from the bar. Venues love this 
Many bookers won’t even think about giving you a gig if you have another show booked 2-3 weeks before or after the show you are trying to schedule with them. If they land on your website and see that you have another show scheduled that month, they will likely not give you a call back. Simple as that. Ever contacted a booker about doing a show and didn’t hear back? You might have thought they hated your music and you took it personally. Most likely, that was not the case AT ALL. The first thing they thought was “How many people will this band bring through the doors of my venue?” If you had another show on your calendar that month, they might have overlooked you because they were worried about your fans attending 2 of your shows in such a short period of time. That booker was thinking realistically about the ability to promote 2 or more shows in one month.
Promotion Is Hard
Promotion is hard. Even for successful bands. Sometimes you think you’ve used every single outlet and reached every person but no one shows up to your gig. It happens. It happens to successful national acts who are touring too. Promotion is hard and time consuming but I can assure you that going all out to promote one show as opposed doing a mediocre job of promoting 3 or 4 shows will always pay off more in the long run. Even though you might be playing at a small venue, make that one show a big deal. Print flyers, hit up bloggers, do press releases, send invites, do whatever it takes. Be loud about it. Make one show matter more than 3-4 other gigs that you could book that month. Play shows to perform not just to fill up your band’s calendar. People will notice.
The Type Of Venue You Play Matters
This isn’t a size matters situation. I’ve seen many bands play unforgettable shows at tiny hole-in-the-wall venues. The size of the venue isn’t the issue here. It’s the type of venue that’s asking you to play.
Ask yourself a few questions. What type of listeners usually go to shows at that specific venue? Do they like your genre of music? Also, what is the staff at the venue like? Are they easy to get along with? These are valid questions to ask.
If you’re in a smooth jazz band, don’t play at a metal venue. I see bands take gigs like this all of the time. They play a show just to play a show. Put your energy elsewhere if your sound doesn’t match the venue or fit within the lineup. If your noisy punk band plays at a punk venue for 10 screaming kids, that’s better than playing on a bill in front of 1,000 people who came to hear young country bands. Those 10 kids will tell more people about the set you played than all 1,000 of the other people. Think about the bill and if your band isn’t a good fit, don’t take the gig.
Also, the staff at the venue matters. What happens when your band draws 100 people and every member of the bar staff is a raging asshole to your fans? Those people who came to see you might relate that experience with watching your band play. Luckily, this doesn’t happen often, but it does happen so if you get bad vibes from a certain venue, it might not be worth playing. Do a little research before contacting the venue about a gig.
Wrapping up
So what does all this mean? Basically, don’t discredit your music or your band just because you’re playing small venues. Those small shows matter so treat them like they are your biggest gigs ever. When you have a show, throw a party. Go all out. Do something different than every other local band in your city. Don’t just fill your calendar with gigs and race to see which band gets the most. Who cares? Play good music and treat your shows like a once-in-awhile opportunity to see your band. Make your fans want to come see your next gig. Don’t let them think “Oh well. I’ll just go see them some other day this month. They will play again soon.” You’ll turn more heads doing this than playing as many gigs as you possibly can.
