Nurture your network
By being upfront, honest and business-like with the promoter, you are not only trying to get shows for your band, but you are also creating a network, without even trying. Value and nurture that network once you have started to build it up. Many bands are only too keen to drop a smaller talent buyer or promoter once something bigger and better comes along. Imagine that you are the promoter who has been working with a band, and who has booked them into his venue a number of times. How would you feel if, after taking a chance and booking a band into a venue, they turned around and said, “Sorry, Mr. Promoter, you’re too small for us now; we want something better”? Would you be inclined to book them again? Or would you think, “Well, best of luck. There are plenty of bands around here who do want a show in my bar. Just don’t come grovelling to me when you can’t get your big out-of-town shows.” I know that’s what plenty of promoters go through, and it just goes to show how short-sighted some musicians can be. Build those relationships—don’t knock them down.
Help the promoters to help you
Achieving your live performance goals does not stop once you have booked a show with a promoter or talent buyer. The more you do to help organize and promote the show, the smoother it will go, the more ticket-buying people will show up and the more likely you are to get booked again. Remember, many promoters book for a number of venues or leave to join a national promoter—so you want your relationship to start off well and get better. Help the promoters to help you.
Sign the contract
You should be sent a contract once you have agreed to a show date with the promoter/talent buyer. Check that it contains the agreed-upon details of your show, then sign it and return it immediately. An immediate return of the signed contract 1) signals the promoter you are serious about the show and 2) means the promoter does not have to chase you for the signed copy, thus saving her at least one job. You should also send your most up-to-date input list and stage plan along with the contact—again, so the promoter and her technical team know exactly what they are dealing with when you arrive on the day of the show.
Get the show details
The contract should stipulate the ticket price, show times and entry restrictions. Make sure you ask the promoter for this information if it does not. You should also make sure you know about all the public transport links or driving instructions to the venue, the other bands on the bill for that evening, any other cover charge your fans may face and basically any information that makes it easier for your fans to make a decision when they are enquiring about the show. You should then post this information in the “concerts” or “gigs” section of your website and tweet any peculiarities. (“Our show at Joe’s Bar is an early one. Onstage at 8 p.m. sharp!”)
Organize “kit share”
It will really help you, the house sound crew and the other bands on the bill if you can share back line—at least the drum kit and bass amp. Do not, however, assume everyone will want to share and do not leave it until you arrive at the venue to arrange this. It is rude to assume you can use another band’s gear without arranging it beforehand, and everyone needs to be clear what gear is being used, and by whom. You should therefore get the contact details of the other bands on the bill (if you don’t know them) from the promoter when you initially book the show, and then contact them to arrange kit share.
If you are the headliner you may suggest everyone is welcome to use your kit; they just have to use their own snare drum, kick drum pedal and cymbals—the “breakables.” Make sure all the other band members are aware of the offer and, if accepted, communicate who is using what to the house audio team well in advance of the show—they will appreciate not having to mike up two or three sets of different back line. Sharing gear also makes changeover (the time between one band finishing and another starting) a lot less, which means everyone can start a bit later and play a bit longer.
Follow the promoter
Follow the venue or promoter on Twitter and retweet any relevant show announcements. Do the same with Instagram and Facebook, if applicable. Use their hashtag or @name when referring to a particular show; it will help them to know you are publicizing the event and then to retweet you.
Put it on the calendar
Obviously you have a “Concerts” or “Gigs” section on your website (as above) and you should update all your bookings with the relevant information regularly. Use BandsInTown and Songkick to make sure your dates are pushed out to all your social media and website assets. You should also create a social media calendar to remind you when to retweet or post information about each show. Ideally you want to be tweeting or posting once a week, every week, until two weeks before the actual show date. (Don’t start tweeting the day before the show—that’s not enough time for people to decide whether to buy a ticket or not, so they probably won’t.) Then, if the show has not sold out with a couple of weeks to go, you might want to up the tweeting frequency slightly, just to make sure your followers know you are playing. Make a calendar to help remind you. This can be as simple as a paper-based diary or an Excel spreadsheet—just as long as there is consistent posting.
No free tickets
It is tempting to invite friends and family with the promise of free tickets in order to swell audience numbers at your gigs. However, you really don’t want to do this, especially in the early stages of your live career. Every sold ticket counts—especially as you are trying to help the promoters to help you. A guest list place is not money in the promoter’s cash till, and they won’t thank you for reducing their income.
And finally…
Make sure you have fun! Yes, you need to captivate your audience, and compel them to come to your next show, but you don’t have to put on a cheesy performance to entertain an audience—just be sincere and have a good time.
About the Author...
Andy Reynolds is a concert tour manager, live audio engineer, lecturer on live music management and author of The Tour Book – How to Get Your Music on the Road. You can find out more about him at livemusicbusiness.com.
