(Warning: contains references to blue-grass and rock music) Johannes introduced me to his friends, Lyttelton band The Eastern. That’s OK, nobody else has heard of them either, and that's the point of this post. A while ago The Eastern opened in Auckland for Steve Earle, and more recently for Old Crow Medicine Show. Old Crow who? Heather and I bought tickets anyway, probably the only people in the audience who didn’t know anything about the main act. But then they came out and played. I was hooked after the first few bars Ketch looked wry, ironic and after your girlfriend. Willie wore a Neil Young T-shirt and a beard. He looked like every second guy in the 70s, and sang and played like a demon. Morgan broke his upright bass. I suspect he was holding back after that. I’d never heard of them, but on the night their tribe knew all the words. Nothing I can find online comes near the power of their live performance, although I really like this excellent Katrina tribute. It's completely unsurprising that I liked them Here's why. Dave Rawlings produced their first record. Don’t know Dave? He’s Gillian Welch’s partner in life and music. You must know her - she wrote the best ever tribute to Elvis. OCMS, Gillian and Dave recorded a version of The Weight, one of The Band’s best tracks. You know them, the guys who recorded with Bob Dylan at The Big Pink. What's the point?

1. I love everything behind all those links.
2. If you like some of them, but don't know others, chances are good that they're worth checking out.
3. The chances are less good if you're an Eminem or Black Eyed Peas fan ... although I'm a fan too.
4. If The Eastern want to make it, somehow they have to find a way to plug into the network of people who already love them but don't know it yet.
5. The best thing a fan can do is shout out to the like-minded.

This viral process is a bit like what happens on your iPod – how a "Genius" selection brings up something you've never heard before, but you're glad you did (how do they do that?) The real problem is not discovering your tribe, it's your tribe discovering you How might you go about it, as a photographer? Your tribe doesn't need to be huge, and you don't need to be world famous. Publishing your work on a blog is an excellent idea (easy and free), and encouraging your clients and prospects to visit it. Haning a presence on Twitter, Facebook etc. You'd better choose your poison or your day will disappear ... although your time might generate more cash than the time you spend on photographer forums?? When your bride and groom show their album around they're shouting out to their tribe and building yours. Having slideshows of all your albums (as we do here) is another great silent endorsement. And as Team PJ say, it takes just a minute of your time. Finding ways to support and cross-link with your local vendors (dressmakers, florists, wedding planners, venues etc), and your community, spreads the net wider. And you haven't spent a cent. Cheers, Ian PS A few more hat tips: Seth Godin (the Tribes guru), Martin Scorsese's other music movie, The Last Waltz (two clips above) and New Zealand photography's master of networking, Simon Woolf. PPS All the links are free on Youtube, but I buy my music. OK, The Eastern gave me a CD.