getting an agent. whens the right time?

[rhythmtech]

Speaking from experience, I would echo what Ant said, basically, from what I've found over the past 5 years is, if you're not getting bookings every weekend off your own back, you won't get bookings every weekend just because you join an agency. I don't think it's jealousy that is making people here say what they say, just the pure reality of the situation.. And just because you do a release on a big label doesn't neccesarily mean it will be a big seller.. More important is very good music and consistancy, that is better promotion than either being on an agency or banging out 500 e-mails or mix cds..

thtas the thing though.. i am getting bookings 3 weekends of 4 most of the time..

anyway, it was just a question..

[crime]

thtas the thing though.. i am getting bookings 3 weekends of 4 most of the time..

anyway, it was just a question..

Ok, but you're saying this is just in Ireland, if you want to branch out into playing overseas, I don't think getting an agent is really going to do that for you, you need to have the interest there in the first place i.e. booking offers from overseas..

As Ant said, booking agents primarily arrange bookings you are already getting, to save you the trouble of having to haggle over fee & conditions etc, and whilst there could be the chance you might get a gig if you are on an agency and one of the other artists is unavailable, you would have to really be putting all your other work through the agency..

I think the real important thing if you are going to get an agent is to find someone you know and trust to do bookings for you, and I really cannot stress enough how important this is. If you are dealing with people you don't really know so well, who might be working for a "big" agency you can end up feeling like you could do a better job yourself..

I've been exclusive to 2 different agencies over the past 5 years, both of which I left because of things happening that I didn't like, and then had other people doing my bookings since, but for the past year have dealt with everything myself, because I havn't felt I could really trust the people I was working with. I've finally found a booker I think I can trust but I'm still waiting to see how that's going to pan out.. to be honest, the whole booking agency thing is a bit of a minefield, and countless times it's ended up being more stress for me because I was working with the wrong people..

So above all else I think it's important to work with people who you can really trust, who understand your music, and the kind of gigs that are suitable for you if you are looking to go with an agency otherwise it really can end up being more trouble than it's worth. ;)