My band wants to start playing shows. Problem? We have no idea how to or know anything at all about the music business. We don't have a manager nor do we know where or how to get one, but we have some stuff recorded. Can anyone offer any advice? Almost all of the local bands I have seen have played in churches, and that's what I'm talkin' about, these small local show. Any advice?

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churches? metal? ehhh...

if you've got a DECENT demo, send it in to club where they program metal, send it to magazine's, labels, anywhere that'll help you... if you're any good they'll get in touch. If you have local places where you can gig, just ask if they need a band for a saturdayevening. At the start, you don't need a manager, don't worry. if you do well you might get on a label and they'll arrange shit for ya.

So it's basically just asking around and word-of-mouth shit? Oh damn, that's easier than I thought it would be, though I'm willing to bet it's still gonna be hard as shit.

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depends on your area, some guys are lucky to have a lot of cool clubs and shit. we where lucky too, holland isn't so big so we can play all over the country

around here people have hookups with local venues... get on the bills of some decent shows coming through your area.. like a 10-15 minute set before a touring band... make friends with other local bands in your scene. help each other out.
pretty much manage yourself.
make flyers, lots of them, give them out at jr high and high schools.... college campuses... headshops, bars, tatoo parlors, peircing studios, cd stores, clubs, venues....
like say a huge show goes down, with like a thousand people turnout... make a stack of flyers(like four flyers out of one peice of paper) and before or after the show(preferably after, otherwise they'll be all over the floor instead of in there pockets).... such good exposure.

if you're cool guys and good musicians shit will probably handle itself and you'll kinda learn as you go along.

don't expect to make money all the time though...after awhile when shit picks up you might be able to land some paying gigs, but you gotta advertise and let venues know first hand that you can make them money.... if they know you'll bring in the cash they'll probably have no problem giving you a small cut.

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Never really thought about getting money for playing. I just like playing for people, it's fun and fills me with this weird kind of energy. Of course, my band's only played for friends (6 at the most) and alone I have played for random people at guitar center who think it's awesome I can play a pentatonic scale. lol

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asking money is the way to go, it shows you're serious about music and shit, we never play a gig for free and thats the way it should be.

Unfortunatly me and and my new band (not metal) play for free... for the moment that is. We are planning to build a sort of tour by writing to podia. And a lot of people ask us, thats easy too.

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Well, I was told that you should avoid playing for free. That someone else's opinion. He said the reason behind it was that other gigging bands are trying to make some money. If a club owner had a choice between paying a band and not paying a band, he may go for the free one. Gigging bands would start losing out on some money, not because of talent, but because of money.

What do I know though. If the gigging bands start to get nervous because of a free band playing, isn't that being a little unprofessional. If you're getting paid, shouldn't you be better than a 'free' band?

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Personally i think you'll have no choice but to start playing shows for free at least for a little while. I mean, who the hell wants to pay to see a band that's playing their first couple of gigs?

My band's not ready for shows yet, maybe in half a year, but i'm not gonna be looking for money until our band gets a little known and liked around here.

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I'de say for your first show, ask a small fee. it's no problem if you play at decent places, hell for my band's first shows a bunch of years ago we got about 100 bucks in total, free drinks and money for the travel. That's not bad for a first gig.

It depends where you play too, but asking for a small fee never hurts, even if you want to play for free, ask for food drinks and money for the travel so it doesn't set you back, because it shouldn't, you're also playing for them instead of only for yourself.