“There’s Rules To This Ish, I Wrote You A Manual”

I spotted this over at DJ SMP’s site, really good list of articles that teach and/or elaborate on different aspects of DIY culture in hip-hop music.

I suggest everyone who’s reading it to pay some serious attention to #8:How Can I Get More Gigs?

So far on the list, we’ve been overlooking the most important part: live shows. Start with How Can I Get More Gigs? For more to chew on, check out this series on the question “Is Touring Still Necessary?” Basically: yes, but not until you’ve got enough of a fan base to be turning a profit on the road.

This is the lifeblood of the music business right now. Basically, the oldest and most traditional form of entertainment there is, the live show. This dates back to medieval times, I’m sure even cavemen had some sort of live entertainment. If you can’t play live, get out of the business NOW. You will not survive.