If memory serves, this is another tip from Les Barker, although others who have been interviewed for the book had similar ideas. It is quite common in the entertainment business to have an opening act, a warm-up act. The warm-up is a lesser name who, hopefully, gets the audience clapping enough that it’s easy for the main act to walk out on stage and do their thing to an audience already in the applause mode. For the warm-up act, it gives exposure. Many famous people started out as openers. Steve Martin used to open for some big-name acts. Being an opening act for someone more famous is one way to use other people’s audiences.

Another way is if there is an open mike before a main act, or even an opening act, in a smaller venue.

Seek out places to perform where the people might be there for other reasons. It is easier than attracting your own audience, and if you do well, they’ll become your audience.