Alex White joins Phillip Stark on The Phillip Stark Show! White Mystery share their musical journey on this episode of The DIY Dirt. Phillip Stark interviews White Mystery on how they have been able to “Do-It-Yourself” as musicians for 10 years! Join the journey and tune in to The Phillip Stark Show. Check out Phillip Stark here!
So far Riot Fest Magazine’s content has included listicles about festival acts and their side projects, updates on the Lake Michigan Bat Creature, and a DIY advice column by Alex White of White Mystery, which takes a practical and battle-tested look at punk praxis. Read the whole article here.
“One of the most important lessons for DIY musicians is how to properly book a show. This article walks you through the process from an initial pitch email to a booker, all the way to your follow up. I developed this ‘cycle’ through experience, having booked almost 1000 performances worldwide for the band I play guitar in with my brother, White Mystery. To see a comprehensive listing of those concerts and venues, click here, and type Command F to search the database.
When you operate in a volume of shows, it helps to have a standardized approach, which I am glad to share with you. Either sit back on your laurels and hope a booking agent strikes a deal with your band, or read on for the best practices to book your own shows.”
“Anyone with news can write a press release. As a DIY band, your job is to communicate upcoming tours, releases, and music videos to journalists who have the power to amplify your message to an even larger audience. While a hired publicist can be a pipeline to a valuable network of public relations, many bands are on a shoestring budget or want to develop their own voice.
For many years, people have asked who manages White Mystery press because of the volume of articles written about the band. The reality is that I do it myself, under my own name, in addition to playing guitar and booking all the shows, by having a system.
This Sonicbids article informs you what not to do, though it seems more constructive in WHY DIY? to actually show you how to organize your band’s press release correctly.”
A concert “advance” in the music industry is basically an email check-in between the booker and the band close to the show date. Sometimes the booker sends an advance to you, and in the case of White Mystery, we advance with the club about two weeks before the show. This is your opportunity to make sure everything is on track, provide your Stage Plot, and confirm your hospitality.
Start the advance email with a three-liner: (more…)
