What goes into the planning of the showcases?
We weigh everything from making sure there is full backline for the artists, making sure production knows what to expect of any given showcase, that all the bands have been correctly communicated with and know what's what, that our fest crew managers are all on the same page with Programming… to simply ensuring the venue-hold is still intact and they have their license! It takes a lot to produce a festival the size of NXNE and there are many players involved to make sure doing upwards to 200+ shows a night for a handful of nights all runs the way it should.
How do you choose where each artist performs?
I’m really lucky to be working with a great programming team at NXNE - we've all been doing this for years and it's our job to have an understanding of what works where and why. This is based on assessing an artist or band and knowing what will make sense for them in the festival setting. This can mean an under-play or an ambitious hall gig - but there's always a reason to do both. It's more of an art than a science.
How long does the process take?
We begin putting the showcase pieces together months ahead of time for something that suits a particular venue. We start with an anchor on the night, and then we begin building around this. Sometimes this can be really organic and come together really fast, other times it takes a bit more in terms of finding the right support.
What are the must-haves for band heading to NXNE?
Come armed with your music. Whether that's a download card or your new 7", even a biz card with a simple URL to your site… anything to get people engaged with what you're doing. People like getting free stuff, but be careful not to spam everyone you meet, be selective.
How can artists make the most of the event?
If possible - get to the festival early to enjoy the buzz of the whole week. Get out there and meet people and develop relationships. It's what this is all about. It's a party for an entire week and this business, like any other, is all about relationships; cultivating them, building on them and working with them. NXNE is a great opportunity to do all this whether it's with other bands or with people in the industry. Many times we’ve seen bands end up touring together after having met at the festival. The environment is all about this. It's built this way to make that kind of thing happen.
There you have it. So, be sure to get your gear in order and get ready to network. And if you haven’t yet, remember to submit to NXNE 2011 here now!
