Prepare To Attend

Advice on what you can do before an international showcase event.

BACK TO EXPORT GUIDANCE

PERFORMING

Showcase festivals can feature thousands of artists performing across many venues, with sound and tech crews working non-stop. You could find yourself playing on unfamiliar gear, in front of an transient and talkative crowd (although that doesn’t mean they’re not paying attention to you). It’s a challenging environment – but with the right preparation, you can put yourself in the best position to achieve your goals.

Practice for Catastrophe

Martin Atkins’ books Band:Smart and Tour:Smart emphasise the importance of preparing for unexpected challenges, which is crucial in the showcase environment. It’s unlikely you’ll get a soundcheck, and there’ll be short changeover times between performances.

Rather than always practising for everything to go right, you should also practice for everything to go wrong. Create challenging rehearsal environments to practice problem-solving – for example, if an amplifier blows or the microphone cuts out. Know how to keep the show going if catastrophe strikes.

Rehearsal Tips

Prepare a set that reflects your best music and rehearse it until it becomes muscle memory. Your first song will often act as a soundcheck, and your last song might get cut, so avoid placing your focus track in these positions. Train to change guitar strings or snare skins while engaging the audience. Rehearse setting up and packing down quickly. There is no such thing as too much rehearsal.

Be Prepared Pack

  • Spare strings clearly marked
  • Spare snare skin for drummer
  • Spare kettle cords with power adaptors
  • Fuses for amps
  • Spare batteries for pedals
  • Step-up or step-down transformers
  • Ensure laptops are loaded with backups ready

Your Live Setup

Keep your setup simple but representative of your true sound. Avoid performing solo or acoustic if it doesn’t reflect how your music typically sounds. Consider whether in-ear monitors are really necessary in the showcase environment; they can complicate setup without a dedicated sound person, and may mean less time on stage if you can’t set up quick enough.

Create A One-Sheet

There’s a good chance that the sound tech at your showcase has never heard your music before. Make it easy by creating a one-sheet document for them which contains:

  • Band name
  • Members’ name and instruments
  • Song titles with clear and simple mix notes
  • Specific preferences (e.g., reverb levels)

When You’re On Stage

Clearly state your name after each song to ensure the audience remembers you. Since audiences at showcase festivals come and go, you want to make sure nobody misses your name. Engage with the audience but prioritise playing as many songs as possible, so think before about what you want to say on stage and what you want to communicate. Be prepared to handle issues calmly without complaining on stage (which you’ll be able to do because you’ve practiced for catastrophe). And never, ever play over time!

Additional Advice

  • Every song is new to the audience. Instead of saying “this is a new one” provide context, such as mentioning it’s from your second album or popular among fans at home.
  • While we don’t often recommend it, a well-known cover can resonate with the audience, especially if it’s been successful on social media or radio.
  • If you’re playing multiple showcases at the one festival, play the same set each time to allow repeat attendees to become familiar with your music.
  • Consider your stage presence and appearance, as photos taken during performances can impact your image.
  • Your manager is not your tour manager or your roadie. Their role is to network for you and do business, not to carry your gear or help you load on and off stage.

NETWORKING

Building international networks is a vital part of any export strategy. Before you travel to an international event, it’s important to have a base at home first, with a network and community nationally. You can make connections by:

  • Connecting with local state music bodies
  • Building relationships with people who feed into your international story
  • Using national industry events such as BIGSOUND, EMC and SXSW Sydney to build upon your Australian networks

When you’re ready to attend a showcase festival, identify the sectors and the people you want to meet. When you register as a delegate for these festivals, oftentimes there’ll be a online networking portal which will allow you to view who else is attending and connect with them. These portals can vary in quality and functionality, so you may need to do further research through Google or LinkedIn to find their contacts.

Thoroughly research and be informed on the key people you are wanting to, or planning to, meet with. Once you’ve identified who you’d like to connect with, consider the following:

  • Why do you want to work with them?
  • Why should they want to work with you?
  • Do you have a direct contact? 
  • Can you be introduced to them by a mutual connection? 

If you’re an artist manger, whenever possible, we advise that you go to an international event before your band showcases there. We call it “go before you show”. Get a head start on understanding how an event operates, keeping in mind that no two showcasing events are the same.

Finesse your elevator pitch. We know that Australians can feel uncomfortable selling themselves. However, you want to make people excited to work with you, and feel as though they’re missing out on lucrative opportunities if they don’t. It’s not necessarily about saying “I’m the best!”; it’s about clearly and concisely articulating your achievements so far.