Life happens – you’re due at a gig, but your car/van dies, your flight gets canceled, or as just happened to my friends’ band, the border agents won’t allow you into Canada!
Last-minute disasters suck for everyone involved, but especially if it’s an out of town gig so you are missing a chance to connect with new fans.
What can you do to salvage some good will from this situation? Look for creative ways to reach out to the audience you are missing, e.g.:
– if the show is going on without you, reach out to the local band and/or venue to brainstorm a way to still “make an appearance”:
- If you have Ustream or another streaming video app on your smartphone can they bring a laptop to the club and stream a short live broadcast from you at the airport or wherever you are stuck?
- If not live, can you record a video and upload to YouTube or email to them to play?
- If it can’t happen at the actual show, will the local band send a link to you video later to their fans?
- Could the band or club download some of your recorded music and play it between sets?
- Ask the local band to put out a sign-up sheet (to forward to you after the show) and announce that any audience member who gives their email address will be sent a free mp3 from your band.
– If your non-appearance means the show is canceled, how can you still reach out to the lost audience:
- If the venue/booker pre-sold tickets on the web, ask if they will use their purchaser email list to forward a link to download a free mp3 as an apology.
- If you do not have access to a specific email list, is there a local alternative paper/website/blog where you can post an apology and limited-time download link?
Be memorable so that when you are able to return you will be the band that delivered lemonade from a lemon attack!