Name: G2
URL: http://www.g2.fm

This site was created by a group of musicians who felt frustrated with the process in which bands are traditionally booked. If anything, G2 makes everything clear from the word go – the artists and the managers of venues know what they are getting at all times.

That is possible because the site lets everybody have a profile in which everything is clearly set down. If you are a performer, you let everybody know which kind of music you can play, and you do that in the most representative fashion you could imagine – you upload a video of your band in action. In that way, managers of venues get to listen and see you as you rock out.

On the other hand, if you have a club you can not only browse through the pages of artists but actually create a calendar showcasing which slots you have to fill. Interested bands can approach you in a bid to get the gig.

I recall one of the first chapters of “Chalkhills & Children” in which Andy Partridge described how hard it was for Tongue (one of his early bands) to actually play live. When talking with promoters over the phone, they used to hang up on him when he described their music as “free-form, experimental jazz”. We read that now and it is amusing, but for someone who is just getting started it is a true motivation killer. A system like G2 puts everybody in a position where only the ones who are truly qualified to get a gig will get in touch with the promoter, avoiding any awkward or embarrassing situation.