Unfortunately due to Jackie's busy schedule, and the fact that he just moved away from San Francisco, I was unable to interview him in person. Instead, I emailed him the questions and he wrote me back with some very valuable and useful information. I am extremely greatful for his input and it has led to some major insight into the project. Here is the interview below:
San Francisco State University
Research Study on Local Band Promotions
Interview with Jackie Greene
Successful career musician on the Panel of Experts for the study
www.jackiegreene.com
Q:
1. Can you give a brief breakdown of your musical career? How did it get started and how did you end up where you are today?
A:
I started writing songs and playing out right after high school. I've always been interested in music, ever since I was a kid. In terms of growth - it's always been a series of small steps. Never a giant leap, so to speak. Small battles and victories - from selling out small clubs, then on to theaters, etc. The first time you get radio play is exciting, for example.
Q:
2. Was there a point where you felt you had to do more then write songs and play shows? Did you have to do any forms of self-promotion?
A:
When you start out, everyone in the band is handing out flyers and nailing posters to telephone poles. 10 years ago, Facebook was not as big as it is now. (I don't even remember if it existed or not). Nowadays, young bands can use the internet for that purpose. Self-promotion in this way is all well and good, but I still believe that the best form of promotion is word of mouth. People don't necessarily trust an advertisement on a lamp-post. They need a recommendation from someone they trust. The best way to get word of mouth promotion is to simply play good shows. And play a lot of them.
Q:
3. What were the things that you felt put you beyond playing local shows and moved you into doing concerts at larger venues?
A:
Like I said, it's small steps. I started by playing happy hours in bars. next step was to play the night time shows at the same bars. when those sold out, we moved to bigger places. a promoter or talent buyer will not hire your band if they don't think you can sell the place out. they want to make money too. it's a built-in safety net. there was no specific things that i did, other than keep playing and keep making fans on a grass roots level. truly, the best thing a band or artist can do is play live and try and entertain people. everything else is just a gimmick.
Q:
4. What was the tipping point where you started to notice your career really take off?
A:
for me, there was no tipping point. it's all about small victories. the first time we sold out the fillmore was a big day for me. but since then, there's been several other small victories that add up to the whole.
Q:
5. Are there any suggestions for local bands on what they can do to promote their shows locally?
A:
as far as promotion - i would say utilize the internet to the best of your ability. this doesn't mean spam though. i think there's a point where bands that advertise through facebook and myspace posts become annoying. the last thing you want to do is turn people away. in other words - don't over do it. be tactful. kfog is good about supporting local artists in san francisco. i would definitely try to get involved with the kfog folk. the chronicle entertainment department is a good place to start as well.
if you're a new band and have your shit together - write a press release. assuming you have something newsworthy to talk about - new record, tour, etc. but always remember - no matter what you do promotion wise, you have to back it all up with a killer show!
