Tuesday Morning Interviews (3/13)

Phil, DC - Male, Black, 30s
Phil is an employee at Middle C Music in DC and a musician. Phil told me that the majority of people who visit his store are not interested in performing live; only 15% do live shows. He said that this is more because of their target demographic though - kids in band/orchestra. When he would get gigs, he would usually do so via word of mouth. He never really sought them out because he was more interested in playing for himself. This surprised me, as I assumed that every musician wanted to play live. Phil estimated that 50% of musicians are uninterested in performing.
Key Takeaway: Not everyone wants to perform.

Roger, DC - Male, White, 50s
Roger is a musician who plays in a classic country band that performs in the DC metropolitan area. Everyone in the band works full-time jobs and one band member concentrates on finding gigs. He said that that member often complains about the amount of time it takes to find these gigs. He usually contacts bar owners directly w/ info. They spend a lot of time getting gigs, but only play 2 per month. They have had problems with venues not being clear about expectations until after the fact ("you get a percentage of ticket sales, but only after reaching a certain threshold") or being in a bad location. His band plays because they enjoy it, but of course don't mind making a little extra cash. Roger had some reservations about our service: Would it be expensive? Could a bad rating ruin a band? He said they might pay for this service, but would need to examine it first. He also suggested we implement a management piece to the service.
Key Takeaway: Will the rating system frighten bands?

Cody, DC - Male, Mixed Race, 20s
Cody plays in an alternative hip-hop group in DC. They have been together for 3 years. They have been very fortunate in that gigs came to them relatively easy at first and, a year ago, they were able to get a monthly residency position at a bar in DC - The Tropicalia. They of course had bad experiences getting gigs, though; once they found themselves playing in a shopping center because the booking agent didn't tell them everything. "The real problem was a lack of communication." They have had shows cancelled last minute, as well. Cody's band is a little more established than our target demographic, but despite this he said that they would absolutely utilize our services. He said that venues would need to participate, though; he wouldn't be drawn to it unless he saw venues that he was interested in playing at on the site. He balked at the idea of paying, saying that there are many bands out there that get taking advantage of and that the service should instead be "Freemium", in which people can try for free, pay for more. He also suggested that we implement a "Tour Builder" feature.
Key Takeaway: Get venues on board.