Introducing the bands
Ireland’s ambitious booking agency AMA has come up with a novel way of bringing rising stars such as The Pale, Solar Taxi and Dirty Epics to music lovers around the country.
Colm O Hare, 25 Oct 2012
“We offered discounted rates on the artists’ fees to cover their expenses once they provided a PA system. Most of the venues are actually putting on these gigs for free. The idea is that we build on each success. We might end up growing from 50 to 100 people. It has worked well so far. There is a good chance that 10 or 15 of these acts will become the new contemporary Irish bands of the future. I have faith in the artists who work with us. I know they can all deliver live. They have great songs. If they can try and get some traction live they’re well on their way.”
Bandstand, sister company to the AMA Music Agency, provides advice with creative designs, management selection, promotion, live bookings and artist development. At this year’s Music Show, Bandstand launched a Facebook music app for labels and artists that provides promotional and commercial opportunities.
On the subject of promotion, artists and labels can showcase videos, provide gig news, photos and music samples while also enabling fans and consumers to purchase music, merchandising
and tickets.
Downing resumes: “Every time someone downloads a track you can tell how many people like an act, which provides us with an insight. We can go to labels and publishers with quantifiable figures
and say ‘Hey, this is a brilliant Irish band that’s
also popular’.”
For a group like Solar Taxi, who have just released debut album, Broken Brother’s Secret Bells, the tie-in with AMA has been vital in attracting a wider audience.
“It’s a serious help for us,” enthuses the band’s glamorously sexy frontwoman, Aisling Browne. “Mark is very organised and everything is down on paper – which makes things so much easier. He knows the venues and whether we’d be suited or not. It’s really difficult to do alone – we’ve done it in the past and it’s hard work. But we’ve been in every corner of the country thanks to AMA.”
The way it should be...
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