BrainWash

GIG GUIDE

WELCOME

Thanks for your interest in performing at BrainWash. Since 1989, BrainWash has provided a venue for up-and-coming acts to gain exposure to the local community.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

• A sample of your music. If you have a web site or an mp3 site, send us a link. If you end up on our schedule, the link to your site will be posted on our web calendar for others to see. That way, if someone hasn’t heard of you, they can see how fabulous you sound and are more likely to come out for your gig.

• How popular are you? It’s one thing to have a great sound — but will people come out to hear it? If you live outside San Francisco, will people travel to The City to see you? We won’t go into detail about how expensive it is to run a place like BrainWash (rent, PG&E, payroll, etc) but because it is we look for acts that will draw crowds. It’s important to us that you have either a good following or lots of supportive friends.

• ALL MUSICIANS MUST BE AT LEAST 21 YEARS OF AGE.

HOW WE BOOK

• We try to book multiple acts on any given night. It’s good for you — you get exposed to those who come out for the other performers and vice-versa. It’s good for us because it’s more likely to be busy. The weekend time slots (bands only) are 8, 9 and 10pm. Weeknight slots (solo/acoustic only) are 7 and 8pm. There are two ways we fill a night:

1. We book all the slots on a first come, first choice basis.
2. We give you the whole night and you bring along performers you wish to share the evening with. This can work well because you probably have a lot of fans/friends who know each other and can turn the night into a party. If you decide to take the night, we need to get the names and links of all the performers you bring so that they too can get promoted on our web site.

• The event calendar at brainwash.com is always up-to-date. You can check it ahead of time to see what openings work best for you. When requesting a gig, please list your desired dates and time slots in the order of preference. We’ll do our best to accommodate you. When communicating by email, always include prior text with your replies.

PROMOTING YOUR GIG

• The two weekly papers most widely read are the San Francisco Bay Guardian and the SF Weekly.
• There are many radio stations here. The one that will probably post your listing is KUSF. For a complete list of stations, go here.

• You can send us a few flyers about two weeks prior to your show and we’ll hang them. Our mailing address is 1126 Folsom Street, San Francisco 94103.

• To help you attract the widest audience, BrainWash does not charge a cover and has no age requirement. We depend on you to promote your act aggressively using flyers, e-mails, post cards, telephones and any other means available to communicate with your fans.

PLAYING AT BRAINWASH

• BRAINWASH IS A SMALL PLACE AND WE HAVE NEIGHBORS CLOSE BY. IT’S IMPORTANT THAT THE VOLUME OF MUSIC YOU PLAY IS NOT TOO HIGH. IF YOU’RE TOO LOUD, A BRAINWASH STAFF MEMBER WILL ASK YOU TO TURN IT DOWN. FAILURE TO COMPLY WILL LEAD TO BEING UNPLUGGED – LITERALLY.

• Since we don’t charge a cover, we can only compensate you with BrainWash goods and services. While you’re here, you can eat and drink (within reason) and even do your laundry at our expense. These privileges are limited to performers only. Although you’re getting free stuff, PLEASE BE CONSIDERATE OF BRAINWASH STAFF AND REMEMBER THAT THEY ACCEPT TIPS – EVEN FROM MUSICIANS.

• Load-in time is up to you and depends on how long it takes you to set up. We try to allow at least 15 minutes between acts. You can always find a corner in the laundromat to stack your stuff. NEVER LEAVE YOUR EQUIPMENT UNATTENDED.

WHERE TO STAY IF YOU NEED IT

• The Ramada In Downtown is clean, reasonable, has parking and is half a block from BrainWash.

AUDIO & VIDEO EQUIPMENT

The following is an inventory of on-premise equipment at your disposal. Please note that you are responsible for what you use. You’re also welcome to bring your own equipment. WE CAN’T GUARANTEE THAT THERE WILL BE MICROPHONES AND MICROPHONE CORDS AVAILABLE. THEREFORE, WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU PROVIDE YOUR OWN.

Audio Equipment On-Premise

2 Audio Technica ST90 dynamic mics

1 Audio Technica Pro3 dynamic vocal mic

1 Fender 150 watt 4-channel mixer with 4ins + 4outs

1 JBL P.A. speaker

1 P.A. System with 4 JBL speakers running thru a Rane mixer

Video Equipment On-Premise

1 2000 lumen video projector

1 4’ X 6’ pull-down screen

1 VCR

1 DVD

Please contact us by e-mail if you have any other questions. WHEN COMMUNICATING BY E-MAIL, ALWAYS INCLUDE PRIOR TEXT IN YOUR REPLIES.

HOME CALENDAR