Get Gig-Ready: What London Venue Managers Want from Funk, Soul, and Disco Artists

There’s no denying that London’s Funk, Soul, and Disco scene is rife with competition, so how can you make sure your act stands out from the crowd? You’ll want to make a lasting impression to be consistently booked at the best Disco clubs and live Soul music venues in London.

Whether you’re a solo Funk music performer in London or part of a live Soul music group, here’s what Funk and Soul music venues are really looking for, and how you can make sure your profile stands out above the rest.

1) A professional-looking and complete profile

If your goal is to sell out at popular Funk live music venues, you’ll need a comprehensive artist profile to help venues discover you. This is something you can do with GigPig — our platform is free for artists, and always will be! Don’t forget to take a look at all of the artist benefits that we offer at GigPig. 

Your artist profile should demonstrate your expertise and showcase you as a dedicated, gig-ready performer who can pull out all the stops on stage. Consider the following:

• A short and punchy, yet impactful bio that highlights your performance style and key musical influences. 
  ‍
• Use your bio to relay what makes your live set unique — why should venues choose you over the rest?
  

• High-quality videos and audio clips that do your Funk, Soul, or Disco skills justice.
  
  
• A transparent and realistic minimum fee that reflects your passion, experience, and professionalism.
  
  
• Availability and location coverage so venues can easily find and book you with confidence.

Need more tips on setting up your artist profile, booking your first gig, or determining your fees? Take a look at our handy and informative FAQ page. We also have a blog dedicated to helping you build the perfect profile to maximise your bookings.

2) A setlist that's guaranteed to get the party started

The one thing all Funk, Soul, and Disco venue managers have in common? They want their acts to lift the room. Your job is to get the audience on their feet at the Soul music bars of London.

With this in mind, make sure that your repertoire reflects your musical variety.  Whether it’s crowd pleasers, classics, or Disco mash-ups, try tailoring your set to the type of venue you're targeting.

Funk, Soul, and Disco are varied music genres, so you could find that some Soul venues in London want smooth background sets, whereas some will be expecting on-your-feet dancefloor fillers.

Ultimately, the more adaptable you can be to venues, the better.

3) Professional communication and reliability

Remember, you’re more than just a performer — you’re a professional with a job to do. Behind the scenes (and in between your groovy performances), you need to show that you are responsible, punctual, communicative, and transparent with your clients.

You can do this by:

• Responding quickly to venue enquiries.
• Re-confirming and checking final details before your show (arrival times, equipment needs, dress codes, set times, etc.)
• Showing up early to ensure you have enough preparation time.

At GigPig, we like to make your communications with venues as streamlined as possible, which is why we have in-app messaging capabilities and simple booking tools for you to take advantage of. That way, you’ll never miss a performance opportunity again.

4) Gig history

Venue managers hire musicians who are reliable and flexible. You can showcase your reliability and dedication by adding a gig history to your profile. This will show venues that you’re experienced, and more than capable of performing for an audience.

Try to mention as many different performance types as possible, from open mic nights to private functions and club appearances. Show off your variety, and it’s sure to pay off in return.

5) A perfected stage presence

Obviously, perfected stage presence comes with time and experience, but all performers have to start somewhere. 

If you can read the room, engage a crowd, and adapt your performance to your audience, you’ll be more likely to get return bookings. Performers who can create and maintain a specific vibe tailored to a venue are like gold dust to venue managers, so make sure you fit the bill.

Get gig ready with GigPig's live music marketplace

At GigPig, our goal is to connect music artists with the best local venues and bookers — for free. GigPig will never change the artist, so they can focus on doing what they love. 

We want to empower artists and build a welcoming live entertainment community. With this in mind, you can expect a wealth of artist benefits when you sign up to our app and build a profile. 

With over 10,000 artists on our platform, it’s never been more important to stand out. Get your next booking in no time with GigPig today. Got any questions or queries? Contact our friendly team, and we’ll be more than happy to help.