Pre-Live Popularity

[Theseus]

Having a hard time gaining popularity in pre-live hard game. I get no pop bonus from playing 60-90 bar gigs and very little for 300-700 venues. I usually start game by busking and get popularity upto .80 but from there I can't get much higher.

Because I cant gain popularity I cant hire a manager need at least 1.5 - 2 popularity.

So am I missing something or any advice?

[Bohemian Rap City]

I am playing same and it does take a while, but I focus gigs in my area and by the time I get to the point where my weekends are filled 3 weeks in advance, I am able to get a low-level manager.

[Oobie]

It's a work in progress on the balance. I got to almost 3 POP by winning a series of 'Battle of the Bands', and those seemed very easy to win. So it's off for now but I'm sure it will get adjusted.

[Bohemian Rap City]

Well, I know NOBODY really wants to hear this, but I try to avoid looking at numbers like that, I just shop managers occasionally until I find one that will sign my band. I suppose it is a way of role-playing it.

[Theseus]

So winning battles helps, but on hard I find it difficult to win now. Total scores of 247 and still not winning. Is it confirmed playing small gigs can boost your pop? BRC I just want to hire starter manager, but cant get to enough pop to hire one, even after 1 year.

[Bohemian Rap City]

If you are 12 months in, there is something wrong. Four things I expect to do before hiring a manager are;

1) Be able to consistently write songs above 50 quality.

2) Be able to consistently keep my weekends scheduled with gigs.

3) Have consistent merchandise sales that I can make a decent living.

4) Be offered gigs by other bands I have played with.

I expect all of these to be met within 12-18 months. I do not concern myself with winning Battle of the Band competitions. I consider making a living as a musician as my only goal. Twice I have waited until an Agent contacted me before looking for a manager.

[Tolerance]

Thanks for asking the question and thanks for the answers. I have been struggling on hard as well...I just thought of it as much more realistic and went along with it and didn't hire a manager for a few years.

[Ralyen]

with the last couple of builds (in pre-live) you will only gain popularity if you also have a SONG that gains popularity...and that's pretty flippin' rare when playing a pub...

[Bohemian Rap City]

My current game (Pre-Live Beta) is Hard level, Swedish Vocalist with Stage Presence. Her backing band is all local hires (Bass, Drums, Guitar and Backing Vocalist. The current date is May 20 of 2006 (almost 6 months into game). We hired a manager about 2 weeks ago who was level 1 (currently he is level 3) and are making enough to pay our way (barely). We have no recorded songs as yet, and only selling band shirts at gigs. Our songs are all in the 30-40 quality range. We have no hits, 4 of them are making fractional popularity (the best is 0.3 pop). We were only playing gigs in a 4 city area around Stockholm when we hired the manager. He is starting to get us some gigs that pay above $100.

About every third gig we have a tech issue that hurts the bottom line, but we cant afford road crew yet. I am confident we will have a studio contract within the next 12 months.

[Eeyore Donkey Donk]

My band is constantly griping about no manager at popularity 1.88 already :) We are nowhere near ready for that. We're still a lawnmowing, busking, tee shirt selling, equipment repairing business at this point. We get low paying gigs and battles, one a 2nd one, lost the rest, and friends call us for empty slots on weekends to play with them. Interestingly there is one band that is at every battle with us and we're quite friendly with them .. my RP sense inclination is that they are our rival band, and it would be fun if we had some sort of trackable career trajectory to see how they do, and how cool would it be able to do something like swap drummers or something similar at some point?

[Bohemian Rap City]

I would not necessarily agree. Once I find myself able to book three weekends in advance I start looking for a manager to do it for me.

He usually adds a couple of other gigs on weekdays every month at first. as well as increasing the quality and pay from the gigs.

[Eeyore Donkey Donk]

I've been holding out until we no longer can book battles as a mark of getting to the next level to rate having a manager. I'm booked out right now five weeks and getting warm up gigs at clubs for the first time, have 15 songs above 20 quality, so perhaps it might be time to see about a manager.

[Bohemian Rap City]

I would at least try and see if one will sign you. My level one manager is gaining a level each month.

[Eeyore Donkey Donk]

Found a level one manager and hired him with my popularity of 2.38 at the 28th of March. I was booked through the 6th of May, but he did call me two days later and booked me a 6 slot gig at a theater, so onward and upward.

[katzowy90]

Since there is now option to set headline/support tour I recommended to tour as a support with popular bands when you writing songs for next album. You cen get some pop points too depend on venues size and co-band popularity