Anyone familiar with 'GigMasters' booking service?

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 10 Jun 2010 12:00 pm

I got the e-mail too. However, I also maintain an e-mail address for the Florida Steel Guitar Club and it didn't get the e-mail. The club e-mail has been used for purchases on-line and it is on the club web site.

Joe Savage · Post by **Joe Savage** » 10 Jun 2010 12:12 pm

I got the email also.

Bob Tuttle · Post by **Bob Tuttle** » 10 Jun 2010 12:42 pm

Me too.

Paul Sutherland · Post by **Paul Sutherland** » 10 Jun 2010 5:10 pm

The band I used to work with used Gigmasters somewhat regularly. It seemed that we mainly booked private events, such as parties and weddings, through them. They usually paid a little bit better than the local bars. At least the side-men were paid slightly better, so I expect the gross was also better than than clubs. It's a legit organization as far as I could tell.

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 10 Jun 2010 6:35 pm

I got hooked up from them with a gig in Nashville for tips where a guy that used to know a brother of Allison Krauss came in and got drunk the year before...

Ha ha... I know....

Actually I DIDN'T GET ONE.

I'm thinking some friend or relative of some real important steel player might have black balled me...

Oh well..

Maybe they know I've got enough gigs this summer..

EJL

Ron Randall · Post by **Ron Randall** » 10 Jun 2010 7:23 pm

I did not get anything.

FWIW

David Coplin · Post by **David Coplin** » 10 Jun 2010 8:22 pm

I got it too ! Yesterday.

Dave

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 10 Jun 2010 9:30 pm

Well I finally got mine..

GigMasters wrote:

Hey Eric.

After reading some of your posts on the Forum, and sending a couple reps out to your critter club gigs and hearing how you tune... You don't even KNOW Lloyd Green, and if you did, he wouldn't like you either.

We wouldn't book you at a Dog Fight, if you agreed to play for kibbles in the Tip Dish.

If you are gonna wait by your mailbox for a letter from us, you better bring some sunscreen, some rain gear, snow boots and save some sunscreen for next year.

Actually our scouts are going to be close to Tootsies during the Country Fanfare, and the tip jar band we pick will get to open for Charlie Daniels on the Keith Urban Network. they have a BIG tip jar.

Have a nice life.

If your phone doesn't ring....

It's us.

J@rk off.

Sincerely.

TG PF RD DG DB RM LB TG HJ BS RA BH, and all the staff at GigMasters....

So I guess I did get one..

EJL

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 10 Jun 2010 10:54 pm

Jim,
I got the email from gigmasters last week. I generally don't bother with internet networking for gigs stuff so I ignored it. I am interested in how it works out for you if you try it. I know some guys getting a fair amount of recording work through other sites that I also ignored. Might be worth a shot.
Your Beats Walkin band might do well by contacting corporate event planers around Philly. Most standard booking agents focus on touring acts so you might run into a dead end with them. You might find a hidden market for your music through swing dance organizations. Its a weird scene but there are some very lucrative summer festival and cruise boat gigs to be had. There is much more work available than meets the eye out there,

Les Green · Post by **Les Green** » 11 Jun 2010 7:19 am

One here also. It's now in trash can.........

Chuck Hall · Post by **Chuck Hall** » 11 Jun 2010 7:27 am

I got it too. Does it come with fever and chills? Gee, I hope I don't get the runs.....

I just erase and or unsubscribe.

Dick Wood · Post by **Dick Wood** » 11 Jun 2010 9:35 am

Ok, I'll admit it,I got one too.

Ransom Beers · Post by **Ransom Beers** » 11 Jun 2010 11:00 am

I didn't get one too,but then again nobody sends me anything I can use or not use.Nobody luhs me,think I'll just eat some worms!!!

Miguel e Smith · Post by **Miguel e Smith** » 11 Jun 2010 11:22 am

Jim thought it might be a good idea for me to post something about Gigmasters since T and I have been using that service for awhile (I had to look it up but we've been members for about 8-years). Although GM refers to themselves (I'm paraphrasing) as an online booking agency, my experience is that they are an online referral service. I joined originally with a very basic membership for a year and then kinda forgot about it. Almost a year later I happened to find the paperwork and looked at the site again. We'd not received any inquiries during that year, but...I decided to add some info (I hadn't put much on it initially), update the bio, put some new pictures, short video, songlist, etc... We started getting inquiries fairly steady after I put a little effort into it. Over the years, we've done over 25 gigs thru them (paid for the membership fees many times over).
This is not a magic pill for getting gigs and as I mentioned to Jim, the number of inquiries and secured gigs have dropped since the economy had taken the dive. However, we still get inquiries, I still bid and we occassionally secure a few. Still enough to justify the fees (and the booking fee is 5% which you can default to the client if you wish). We've belonged to several other online referral services over the last 8-years, but nothing has been as successful as Gigmasters for us personally. I'd say it's worth checking out (they do have 3-month memberships at different levels of costs).

Mike

Jim Cohen · Post by **Jim Cohen** » 11 Jun 2010 12:17 pm

Thanks for sharing your experience with us Mike.

LJ Eiffert · Post by **LJ Eiffert** » 11 Jun 2010 1:03 pm

Okay! I know am gonna get blamed for this one too!But,I didn't get one.Murderer/Criminal/Brutal and sometimes,YOU'RE.Leo J.Eiffert,Jr. & Pigeons all over the World friendly.

Watch your head.

Joe Alterio · Post by **Joe Alterio** » 11 Jun 2010 2:31 pm

LOL!!!

Eric West wrote:Well I finally got mine..

GigMasters wrote:

Hey Eric.

After reading some of your posts on the Forum, and sending a couple reps out to your critter club gigs and hearing how you tune... You don't even KNOW Lloyd Green, and if you did, he wouldn't like you either.

We wouldn't book you at a Dog Fight, if you agreed to play for kibbles in the Tip Dish.

If you are gonna wait by your mailbox for a letter from us, you better bring some sunscreen, some rain gear, snow boots and save some sunscreen for next year.

Actually our scouts are going to be close to Tootsies during the Country Fanfare, and the tip jar band we pick will get to open for Charlie Daniels on the Keith Urban Network. they have a BIG tip jar.

Have a nice life.

If your phone doesn't ring....

It's us.

J@rk off.

Sincerely.

TG PF RD DG DB RM LB TG HJ BS RA BH, and all the staff at GigMasters....

So I guess I did get one..

EJL

Don Drummer · Post by **Don Drummer** » 11 Jun 2010 4:04 pm

Jim, have you tried the "Fairs and Festivals" events. They are membership affairs and usually have some connection to state arts and culture organisations. The auditions are attended by buyers and festival commitees. It has helped the band I've worked with the last 5 or 6 years. Don D

Larry Bressington · Post by **Larry Bressington** » 11 Jun 2010 4:27 pm

Eric West wrote:Well I finally got mine..

GigMasters wrote:

Hey Eric.

After reading some of your posts on the Forum, and sending a couple reps out to your critter club gigs and hearing how you tune... You don't even KNOW Lloyd Green, and if you did, he wouldn't like you either.

We wouldn't book you at a Dog Fight, if you agreed to play for kibbles in the Tip Dish.

If you are gonna wait by your mailbox for a letter from us, you better bring some sunscreen, some rain gear, snow boots and save some sunscreen for next year.

Actually our scouts are going to be close to Tootsies during the Country Fanfare, and the tip jar band we pick will get to open for Charlie Daniels on the Keith Urban Network. they have a BIG tip jar.

Have a nice life.

If your phone doesn't ring....

It's us.

J@rk off.

Sincerely.

TG PF RD DG DB RM LB TG HJ BS RA BH, and all the staff at GigMasters....

So I guess I did get one..

EJL

Eric, did u piss somebody off because you won't play for tips? They must be hurting for work if they have to go through the forum and read threads .
I bet you'll miss that gig!

Colm Chomicky · Post by **Colm Chomicky** » 11 Jun 2010 4:32 pm

I got the unsolicited email today, didn't even read it, got it a couple of weeks ago too and did not bother reading. The concept seems counterintuitive. Just how can a bunch of gigmasters who sit in cubicles mass mailing and mass marketing do a better job than you pounding the pavement, making phone calls, networking, whatever. Like are we supposed to believe they have some kind of magic bullet? You, your band, and the other bands you know who work that local market ought to know that market better than some get-rich quick corporate slime buckets.

Eric West · Post by **Eric West** » 11 Jun 2010 5:02 pm

Larry I was just 'aving them on.. as 'rch would say...

I'm wondering if they were monitoring some salacious XRated website and got all the common members..

EJL

Don Drummer · Post by **Don Drummer** » 11 Jun 2010 5:06 pm

Colm, sounds like a "Send us your press kit and a nominal up front fee" and will get back to you as soon as something comes up.

Don D

L. A. Wunder · Post by **L. A. Wunder** » 11 Jun 2010 8:13 pm

I've received it twice, and deleted it both times.

Christopher Woitach · Post by **Christopher Woitach** » 11 Jun 2010 9:18 pm

I've been using Gigmasters for a couple years - I find it brings in enough occasional work to be very worthwhile. I signed up for the 500 mile radius, and bid high, usually. I get mostly jazz background solo work, about half in Portland and half in Seattle. It's been good for me, although I've heard it doesn't work for everyone. Hope this helps.

Jim - you play great, by the way!

PS - I'm playing tomorrow on Gigmasters referral - $200 for about an hour..

Peter Nylund · Post by **Peter Nylund** » 12 Jun 2010 1:29 am

Well, I did not get the email. For some reason I think they are aware of my musical skills!

The Steel Guitar Forum

Anyone familiar with 'GigMasters' booking service?

gigs

Jim, my experience with Gigmasters