Sponsors for your Band?

[silenced]

Anybody tried to get a sponsorship for their band? Beer company, vendor, retailer, local business, anything? Anything work? Anything not work?

Share some advice for those without the "inside track"...

[dagosto]

My current band is sorta being sponsored by a clothing store called "Untitled"

I don't know anything about it I had nothing to do with it and have no advice besides get a lead singer with a very outgoing personality.

[Professor Riffs]

I was in a stupid party band called "Drinking Is Fundamental", and we were sponsored by Budweiser. I'm not sure who in our outfit set it up, but it was pretty sweet. We got all these stupid keychains and other bull***t Bud merch to give away, and we got to put "sponsored by Budweiser" and their logo on fliers. Pretty handy stuff for a cover band.

[GearJunkie]

My band in highschool was sponsored by Line 6 for about a month. They were doing a "young musicians in rock" ad campaign and took shots of us with all this Line 6 equipment. They gave the whole band $300 and everyone got a Pod. About 2 months later I called up asking if i could get some sort of discount from them on some new gear and they told me that they wouldn't help me and that the campaign they did was stupid.

[Bellringer]

I used to be in a band that had a deal with a company called Split that made skate/surf clothes. They would send us boxes of cool pants, shorts, shirts, baseball caps, etc. We were just expected to wear them on tour and in photo shoots. It was a pretty sweet deal. Funny how the system works. I read a quote from Flea that said "When I couldn't afford decent gear no one would even cut me a break on the price. Now that I can afford any gear I want, I have everybody throwing free stuff at me."
It is a sick irony.
Funny thing. An old roommate of mine who teched for many, many different bands (from Local H and Poi Dog to 3 doors down and Smashmouth) was a great talker and put together a black book of phone numbers of companies that created anything.
When he wasn't on tour, he would call different reps and tell them a popular band he was working with was wondering what was new in their sunglass line, guitar strings, clothes, etc. We would get packages Fed Ex'd to us filled with $200 sunglasses, cool clothes, Cases of guitar and bass strings. You name it. The hook up is a wonderful thing.

[EvanExempt]

Once, my old band played a show in ST. Louis and after our set this guy with a clipboard asked us if we wanted to be sponsored by Doc Martens. Sounded like some Trendy skatepunk bull$hiz... We said "no". Too cool for you

[Nubus]

when i was in gooloo we got a free guitar from washburn - they wanted us to play it but we never did so the rep came to a show. we'd brought the guitar, promising to play it, but it mysteriously "vanished"
I never found out if the guitarist pawned it or the rep stole it back or what

[40 oz]

Whats the point in being spopnsored by Budwieser if you can't get free beer when you play out?

[Professor Riffs]

Originally Posted by 40 oz

Whats the point in being spopnsored by Budwieser if you can't get free beer when you play out?

No worries, my man.......the free beer was definitely there!

[smopo24]

my friend got a deal with boss; it took forever, and many calls. he got a few pedals and other swag from it. i hear that whole "used to pay for stuff that i now get for free," deal from a bunch of celebs; but i guessed these companies offer products that aren't meant for the great unwashed........