“The term DIY gets thrown around a lot, and people need to be educated about what ‘Do It Yourself’ actually is. It is an entrepreneurial spirit that drives an attitude where everything is possible with creativity and a strong work ethic.

There are quite a few tips and methods to establishing and maintaining a successful DIY career that I’ll be laying out in a series of upcoming articles for Riot Fest. We’ll be posting columns on such topics as how to book a show, how to trade for sponsorships, punk band book-keeping, and how to run your own music publishing. In the meantime, read on to learn the points that steer this machine.”

“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.”

Rock, Baseball, Kaboom!: Disco Demolition Photography 1979 Exhibit and Talk

Diane Alexander White Photography

Sulzer Regional Library, Auditorium- 4455 N. Lincoln Avenue Chicago IL 60625

Saturday, July 22, 2:00 p.m.

 

Join us as Diane Alexander White talks through Skype with Detroit Tigers pitcher Milt Wilcox about documentary photos she shot at Disco Demolition on July 12, 1979. During the discussion, Miss Alex White of White Mystery Band will be spinning disco and rock music. On that fateful night radio DJ Steve Dahl invited fans to bring disco records to blow up between innings of a double header between the Detroit Tigers and the White Sox at Comiskey Park. Why did thousands of fans storm the field at Disco Demolition and create a riot that called in the police? What happened afterwards has become an iconic moment in music, baseball and Chicago history. Click Here to view the Facebook Invitation. See you there!

Diane’s Disco Demolition photos will be on view on both floors of the Sulzer Regional Library from July 1 – August 31, 2017. Free admission.

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