3 Ways To Book Your First Gig in the Singapore Cover Music Scene

Looking to grow a new stream of income? Interested in embarking on a career in music? Or maybe several of your friends or family members have complimented you on your musical talents and you’re thinking of developing those talents?

If you’re someone who enjoys singing or performing popular tunes and want to give a go doing live covers in the Singapore music scene, this post will share some tried and tested ways to help you secure your first paid gig.

What are cover gigs?

In Singapore, numerous bars and restaurants, like The Blackbird or Wheeler’s Estate, feature live music throughout the week. These usually happen in the evenings and can range from a solo act to a full six-piece band. A typical gig consists of three 45 minute sets, separated by 15-30 min breaks, with the musician(s) performing covers of popular tunes familiar to the patrons.

The most common acts are two to three-piece bands, with at least one singer and one accompanist (guitar or keyboard). Therefore, if you are a singer or can play one accompanying instrument, you will probably be able to book a gig quicker as you will be in higher demand.

Different food and beverage (F&B) establishments also adopt different dining and lifestyle concepts which appeal to different customers. Hence, the repertoire expected of the performing band will be different. Cover musicians commonly refer to different repertoire requirements by language (e.g. English, Mando) or loosely by genre (e.g. Top 40s, classics, rock).

How to secure your first cover gig?

My recommendation when first starting out is to network with musicians who are active in the scene that you are interested in. This is a much easier way of getting your foot in the door than approaching F&B establishments directly as establishments are less likely to take a chance on inexperienced musicians.

Once you start interacting with people in the scene, you will start understanding what they need from you (e.g. videos, biographies, photos) in order to book your first gig.

Assuming that you can sing or play an instrument decently, here are three proven ways you can approach securing your first gig.

(Disclaimer - these tips are based on my own experience in the local cover scene and their effectiveness will differ based on your interests, skill set and experience.)

Tip 1: Reach out to agents

The first tip can be executed from the comfort of your home. Simply search for live music providers for events and weddings in Singapore on Google, then reach out to them with your repertoire and videos of you performing.

Although these agents specialise in events, they may also be involved in supplying musicians to gigs at F&B establishments, or themselves perform regularly. If an agent believes in your ability, they may be willing to find opportunities for you.

At the very least, even if they feel you are not ready to be on their roster, you could ask them for tips on how to be better prepared and work from there. Agents are more experienced working with clients and F&B establishments directly to supply live music so they will be more specific as to what will help you get your foot in the door.

A couple of my first few regular gigs were secured through agents.

Tip 2: Get invited to the Telegram subs group

Once you get to know someone in the scene, ask them to invite you to the Telegram Subs Group.

Musicians who do regular* gigs will need someone to substitute (or “sub”) them once in a while. This happens when they fall sick, just want to take a break, or have better paying engagements, amongst other reasons. When that happens, they will either find a sub themselves or get their bandmate to find one that they feel comfortable working with.

(Local musicians use “regular” to refer to gig engagements that recur at regular intervals, typically weekly, for example every Wednesday).

If they are unable to find a suitable sub, they may post details of the gig in the Telegram Subs Group and invite members of the group to reach out if they are available, suitable and interested in doing the gig. This is a great place for you to find your first gig as people who post can be quite desperate to find a sub. 

I met one of the musicians I work with regularly till this day via this group.

Tip 3: Take part in a competition, open mics and open auditions

Participating in competitions, open auditions and open mics will get your name and videos into the hands of people specifically looking for new blood. Not to mention, these will give you an opportunity to network, practise your craft and film your performance.

One of the first guitarists I worked with was doing sound for a competition I was taking part in.

Summary

Essentially, each of these tips provides a different entry point to make connections with persons active in the scene. Once you’ve secured your first gig, it’ll be much easier to secure the next. Maintain a good work attitude, keep working on your craft and repertoire and soon you may have more gig offers than you can handle! Good luck!