Las Vegas Bands Are Big Business
The Killers at Sams Town (Michael Spencer)
The dream of many bands is to get a gig in Las Vegas. But according to Steve Kaplan at Las Vegas Talent, “if they are not well known, they first need to become a cover band.”
Kaplan also mentioned that little known bands that come from out of town should not come here expecting fame and fortune. “There is a myth that hotels will give a band free accommodations and free food, but those were the good-old-days of Las Vegas and rent is not cheap in the desert oasis.”
There are so many bands in Las Vegas now that there are not enough venues to perform in, and booking agents aren’t looking to book out of town bands since they have no draw. Kaplan said, “it’s the typical problem of being a big fish in a little pond. The bands think because they are known in their hometowns that they will draw a big crowd; they won’t.”
Many of the casinos, which are almost the only venues that pay bands anymore, have a set list of bands they rotate. This makes for even fewer opportunities to play and is certain to be frustrating to most of the new bands who never get a chance to ply their trade.
So how do bands get a foot in the door and catch the attention of a Las Vegas talent agent? There are several paths to, if not fame and fortune, at least making a living as a Las Vegas band. Most agents suggest that if a band really wants to try to make it, they should try one of two paths; tribute bands and lounge acts.
Tribute bands tend to do well, but most venues will only book one act at a time since they don’t want to dilute the turnout. The best bet for bands is to rehearse and put together a great demo reel and get the gig before moving to Las Vegas.
The second, and according to Kaplan, best way is to become a cover band doing lounge acts. The casinos use the cover bands to lure guests into staying in the casino longer and hopefully spending more money. Guests love the music and don’t mind the break from gambling.
Off-strip casinos, which cater to locals, are tougher to get booked at because they need bands with a strong local following. This is because the locals casinos don’t generally rely on tourists staying at their hotels for their main customer base. Casinos on the “strip” can be a little more adventurous because a significant portion of their traffic is from out of town. Kaplan advises bands that may not want to do covers to, “remember that lounge acts aren’t just for sell-outs, a band can make some good money and keep up their chops while working on that original masterpiece.”
For more information about Las Vegas bands please visit http://www.lvtalent.com/las-vegas-bands.html
