Creating a Band - Part VII, Booking Gigs

The arena is as dark as a moonless night, with lighters and the occasional flash of a camera illuminating a sea of murmuring fans. Suddenly, the building erupts in light and sound, and there you are, blasting through your band's opening song. The sea of fans have turned into a tsunami of cheers, screaming, applauding, and sheer hysteria... this is it. You've reached the big time.

Most (if not all) musicians have shared this dream, and chances are, if you're reading this, you have fantasized about it as well. Live performance stands as the epitome of the music experience, mutually providing the artist and the fan with an open lane of communication where approval and worship are translated before, during, and after every song. For most of us, nothing is as enthralling or as captivating as getting up on that stage and showing the world what we're made of. But before that can happen, the dream concert in question needs to be booked!

Booking gigs for a band can be a challenging ordeal, and each new show your band attempts to book will present its own challenges. But experience is the great moderator here, as it is with most things, and in time you should learn what to expect, what to want, and what to avoid. In this segment of the "Creating a Band" series, we're going to discuss booking, performing in, and being compensated for live performances.

If you've been following this series to the letter, then you would have decided the band's overall goals back in part one. These goals can tell you quite a bit about what sort of shows your band should try to book. We're going to focus this chapter of the series on serious bands who hope to profit from their work, but even if your act is a hobby, you'll hopefully come away from this segment with some valuable insights into booking shows.

The first live show presents the exact idiomatic moment where the music hits the pavement. This will be the first chance your band has to establish its reputation, and if you can leave your first show with a single fan, it should be considered a job well done. Walking on stage for the first time marks the beginning of the band's professional career in music, regardless of whether or not you're actually paid for the performance, and from this point forward, the band should be viewed as a business, and not just a group of friends who make music together.

Make no mistake about it: a serious, goal-oriented band is a business, and it should be treated as such from the word "go." Your group should have three primary goals in booking a gig: earn money, build reputation, and entertain existing fans so that they keep coming back for more. You won't be able to accomplish these three things at every show, but the effort should be applied regardless. Venue owners are running a business as well, and they have their own three primary goals in booking a band to perform in their establishment: earn money, build reputation, and entertain existing fans so that they keep coming back for more. Wait, didn't I just repeat myself? I did! Quite simply, your business and the venue owner's business are essentially the same. You both have the same goals and you're both hoping for the same end results. If the venue gets packed, the audience is happy with the performance, and people leave convinced that they want more of both the band and the venue, then everyone wins. The venue owners will be hoping for this result if they're wise on how to turn a profit, and you should be hoping for this result too!

With all of that out of the way, let's get into booking your first show. The band shouldn't expect to turn a serious profit from your first live performance, and it's perfectly acceptable to do your first few gigs for free, but only if the opportunity for earning money isn't presenting itself. If you want to make money down the road, you need to first make a name for yourself, and your earliest shows can provide you with the chance to establish a simple following. Your goal in these earliest of shows is to marvel an audience and convince some of them to go home and find your band online, so they can visit your next performance.

There are some shows your band should try to avoid if it hopes to build a reputation as a serious act. Don't play at birthday parties, weddings, or other private events unless the opportunity seems genuinely lucrative. Such performances probably won't present you with much of a chance to turn a profit, nor will they usually offer you a shot at bringing in fans. At these events, you're nothing more than the entertainment; an individual or a party of individuals are usually the center of attention, and they often bare a large cross-sampling of age groups, ranging from people who might love your music, to people who'll want to yank power plugs from wall sockets. If the event is going to pay handsomely, and if the audience will largely be comprised of your target audience, then by all means, book the gig. Otherwise, try to avoid these shows. And don't forget that it's hard to sell a band to a serious venue while listing a birthday party as serious experience!

Your first step in booking your first live show is to contact other musicians. Ask them everything you can about the local venues they've played in. Other musicians should have a good idea of what venues to avoid, which venues pay the best and the worst, what amenities each venue has, etc. From the information you gather from these other musicians, you should gain a strong sense of what venues are worth looking into. Also, asking fans of the local music scene about their favorite venues should also provide valuable insights into good and bad venues.

Next, contact the venues you've selected. You want to keep your communication with the venue's management short, sweet, and to the point. Tell them the name of your band, who you are personally, how to contact you, and offer to send in a demo for them to listen to. Make sure you take down the name of the person you spoke with, and present yourself in a professional, courteous manner. Don't tell them that this is your first show, don't go into a long-winded explanation of what your band sounds like, and don't attempt to brag about how awesome your songs are. Only answer the questions they ask of you... everything else will speak for itself. Keep in mind that whoever you're talking to is probably extremely busy, and doesn't have time for listening to your own interpretation of a future "Behind the Music" special. Also, don't ask questions not directly related to the delivery of the demo. Save those questions for later.

If the venue likes what they hear on the demo, they'll probably contact you within a week or two. If they haven't contacted you after two business weeks have passed, feel free to give them a call and ask if they've had a chance to listen to the demo, but that's it. If they don't return your call after that period of time, don't waste your time or their time with a third call. And don't automatically assume that they disliked your demo, either. They may have loved it, but they could be fully booked, or they aren't sure if your group is ready for their stage yet. Remember, the venue is out to make money, build on their reputation, and bring in repeat-customers, the same as your band. If they don't think your act is ready to help them achieve those goals, then perhaps you should look into other venues.

If you contact as many venues as you can, there's a good chance that you'll end up getting a call-back. In this instance, the venue's management will probably ask you a few questions about the group. Answer them honestly and to the best of your ability, without dragging out your answers to infinity and beyond. If they offer you a show, then feel free to ask if the band will be paid and what other acts you'd be performing with, if applicable. But remember, no one has heard of your band yet, and if they offer you a show but aren't willing to pay, you can at least come away from that performance with some fans, provided the show goes smoothly! Also, it's important to ask what time the band should arrive for sound check and setup. Also, ask if the venue has a PA (Public Address) system, because some venues might require you to bring your own, and if you don't own one, you'd be looking at spending more money to acquire one (though your band won't need one for smaller venues).

If you find yourself struggling with finding a venue for the band's early shows, try signing up for "open mic" nights, which are often held in coffee shops and bars. You most likely will not be paid for these performances (though some places will allow you to set out a tip jar), but these serve as a decent avenue for at least establishing some early stage experience, and you might end up turning a few people into fans as well. Also, talk to other musicians and see if they can get you in on their own bills. Sometimes an opening act will drop out from a show, and a headlining act might need a supporting group to lead them into their own performance. Putting it out there that your band is willing to play live might lead to opportunities from other musicians as frequently as it might from venues.

With the show booked, spend as much time as you can advertising that the show is happening. The more people you can convince to show up, the more money you'll earn and the more opportunity the band will have to make fans. spend some time searching the Internet for community forums, online bulletin boards, etc., because you might find online resources where you can advertise the show for free. Also, don't forget about updating your band's website and various social networking pages with the show's details. Collaborate with other bands performing on the same bill to see if anyone is doing fliers, and if the duty falls into the lap of your own band, make sure all of the bands are FAIRLY represented on any and all fliers you produce. Your band doesn't deserve special attention simply because you're making the fliers, and you'll want to draw attention to the headlining acts anyway, because people are more likely to know who they are. Hang up the fliers anywhere and everywhere that you're legally allowed to do so: on bulletin boards in establishments or throughout the community, on college campuses, at the venue where you're playing, amongst your friends, and even try handing them out to perfect strangers walking down the street. You want to try and attract as many people as you want to the show. just keep in mind that if you annoy people, they aren't going to make the effort to come. If someone says they don't want a flier, don't pester them, and don't waste money by forcing it on them either, because it's just going to end up in the garbage later.

Now we come to the fun part: the show itself. The venue's management probably told you to show up at a specific time for sound-checks and setup, but try to arrive between 10 and 30 minutes early. This will give you a chance to scope out the venue, and set up your equipment with a less stringent pace. When you're done setting up your equipment, venues with house sound engineers, who operate the PA system, will have you perform a sound check. During the sound check, the engineer will ask each member of the group to play individually for a few moments while they find the appropriate levels, and then they'll ask the group to play as a whole. If the venue provides stage monitors, make sure you listen carefully to their volume and report if they're too quiet or too loud, because not being able to hear your band-mates during the performance can and will lead to catastrophe.

With the sound checks out of the way, all that's left to do is wait for the show to start. This will provide your band with a great opportunity to mingle with potential new fans, chit-chat with the venue's staff, and spend some time talking with your band-mates to make sure everyone's nerves are cool. And here's an important aspect of live performances that some bands ignore: always watch the other acts! If bands are opening for you, watch their show. If you're opening for other bands, stay until the last song from the last band is done. It's an immense sign of respect for a band to help fill out an audience and to support and encourage the acts they're sharing a stage with, and not doing so might come across as an insult to the other performing acts. You wouldn't want your group to miss out on an opportunity because another band thinks that your group is pompous or rude.

When it's time for your band to take the stage, well, there isn't much advice I can really give you. Experience will teach you everything there is to know about performing in front of an audience. Just remember that there's an old saying in show business that lives on today: "the show must go on." No matter what happens, the band must complete the performance. When I was in the third grade, I played violin in an elementary school recital, and our music teacher said something that resonates with me each and every time I go out on stage: if the building collapses around you, and everyone in the audience fleas, the show must go on... the entertainers must stay on stage and perform their act to the very end. Unless the venue owners ask you to leave the stage, that place must be your home, and nothing should stop you from performing. If a member of the band makes a mistake, play through it. If the audience reacts poorly, finish the song and jump into the next one. But don't stop playing until you're supposed to, or asked to.

When the show is done, the band should start cleaning up the equipment, while the member of the group who booked the show should approach the venue's management for compensation, if applicable. Ask politely for your pay, and make sure you ask what the attendance was as well, because you don't want to be ripped off and paid inadequately.

Here's where I should mention a few helpful hints for avoiding getting ripped off by a venue's management. First and foremost, there should be a contractual agreement between the venue owner and the act performing the show. If the venue owner refuses to sign a contract, then it's usually a tell-tale sign that the venue would have ripped you off regardless, and that you shouldn't bother playing for them. Make sure you have everyone in the band, as well as any friends who come along to see the show, count the number of people who arrive for the gig, because some venues will attempt to fudge the attendance numbers so they can pocket some of the money for themselves. Another thing to keep in mind is the "free drinks for performers" offer that many venues provide. What they usually mean by this is that the band can drink free all night... but it's coming out of your pay. Don't allow anyone in the band to drink until the group has been paid, and if they absolutely must have something to drink, make them pay for it out of their own pocket.

If you encounter a problem with getting fairly compensated for the band's work, there are a few things you can do. First, send an invoice to the venue on the next business day (if the show was on a Friday, mail it out on Monday). The invoice should clearly state how much the band is owed, the date of the performance, the service provided, contact information, etc. If they haven't contacted the band within two weeks, call the venue, ask for a manager or the venue's owner, and remind them that the band still hasn't been fairly paid. If they continue to dodge (or if they get rude with you), inform them that you'll be contacting the Better Business Bureau if payment is not received in a timely fashion. If they haven't paid a week after that, contact the BBB and file a report against the establishment. They won't charge you for the service, and they'll attempt to broker a peaceful solution to the problem. The venue owner will most likely pay to avoid their BBB rating from dropping. Keep in mind that by this point, there's absolutely no chance you'll ever be invited back to that venue in the future, but if they aren't fairly paying you, why would you want to play there again anyway?

If anyone who saw the live show was impressed enough to look up the band later, they'll probably do so within three days of the performance, so make sure everyone in the band is persistently checking your online sites and email inboxes to make sure you aren't missing anything of importance. Early fans are the most important ones, because they tend to tell their friends and family about your act, and if you can convince them to attend your early shows, you'll be walking into venues with an established audience, and venue owners love to see that. The best way to get booked as a headlining act is to bring loyal fans to every one of your shows!

Again, I should point out that not being paid for your first few shows is perfectly acceptable (and should probably be expected). But you should only do between three and five shows for free, excluding charitable events of course, unless your band is failing to establish a following. If this is happening, it's time for your band to evaluate your music, your appearance, and other qualities. Ask people what they think of your music, particularly strangers, who have no need to lie to you. Ask them for constructive criticism and find out if there's anything your band is doing wrong. Sometimes, a few minor problems (or one or two huge ones) might culminate and prevent the band from earning fans. Other times, it's simply bad luck. But no problem is too serious to not be fixable, so repair whatever problems your band faces and keep working at it. In time, you'll see your fan base grow, and with it, so will the group's worth. Try your best to judge the fair and honest value of your band's performances, and in time, you'll start earning pay for your hard work.

Coming up Next: In part eight of the "Creating a Band" series, we'll discuss the assembly of a press kit, which can help your band book even bigger, more lucrative gigs, and can take the group's exposure to all new heights!