I enjoy reviewing plugins (which is handy, for this job). But what I really like is when I have genuine cause to use a plugin for one of my own projects. Rather than putting it through its paces on my test blog, I can actually fire it up on a live site and test it in the real world.

Which is exactly what I have done with GigPress. I recently decided that my band really could do with a blog. We have only done one gig, so it is early days, but we have a big summer planned, so we should probably take the time to promote ourselves and get the word out (shameless plug – follow us on Twitter!).

Before getting on with adding content and all that jazz, I thought I’d do some fun stuff first – like find plugins to pimp out the blog. I quickly settled on Social Media Widget for promoting our social media outlets, and YouTube Channel for providing a thumbnail link through to our YouTube page.

I also wanted to find a plugin that could handle our up and coming gig listings. This was a little less straightforward, but I finally settled upon GigPress. I quickly discovered that there is reason why this plugin has a near-perfect rating on the WordPress Plugins Repository and is used by the likes of Dropkick Murphys, Death Cab for Cutie and Queensrÿche.

What Does It Do?

The plugin does just one thing, but does it well. On the back end, it has a database system, allowing you to enter Shows, Artists, Venues, and Tours.

On the front end, it takes all of the information you have entered and presents it in a neat little package – via a shortcode or widget. The shortcode gives you the full package:

Whilst the widget just displays the vital details:

As you can see, GigPress includes subscription links via RSS and iCal, so your groupies never miss a gig.

The settings screen affords you a great deal of control over what is displayed and how. You can even set the plugin to create related posts for each gig. And for those of your who know what you’re doing, the plugin’s PHP and CSS code is extremely well marked up, so that you can make tweaks to suit your taste.

All in all, this is an excellent plugin for any band looking to effectively promote their upcoming gigs. It is also extremely well-supported via the official website.

Download it here.