Booking

By Jem

So, why aren’t bands making money? Why are venues closing? What is the strange phenomenon that seems to be sweeping the local music universe and plaguing it with the inability to flourish as it once did? I could probably focus on a million issues, but there seem to be just a few that stand out that I want to go over with everyone and hopefully encourage some people to stop the cycle and stop giving up on their scene and correct things within themselves.

First of all, let’s point out that you are a part of the scene. If you think your scene sucks then maybe you should look at yourself. It’s a crappy way to put it maybe, but you can’t say your family is dysfunctional and not look at yourself to try to find out if you are the cause of the problem. Just consider it. No one likes to be wrong or told that what they are doing is wrong, but usually because they know there is some grain of truth to it.

Day after day I have conversations with bands that seem entirely self-confident as to why other bands don’t have a crowd and wonder endlessly what happened to their crowd. Most of the time I see that band repeating the same patterns they are complaining about. Everyone has a solution it seems, but no one is using it.

What should you look at? What are the things that you need? The tools you are responsible for as a band to bring to venues or to yourselves or your tour? It may seem silly, but read through these points and see if you might be actually doing these things. Not if you believe that I’m right or wrong, but if you maybe aren’t practicing what you preach. Really think about it and get to the heart of the matter.

POINT ONE: THIS IS A BUSINESS OF FAVORS!
Anyone who says otherwise isn’t going to be around too long. They may be able to get by on their good looks and even their good music for a short period of time, but they will either become disrespected to the point that people will stop doing business with them or the industry will swallow them up and they’ll find themselves owing an unnecessary amount of money to an industry that is crippled, falling apart and leaning on the uneducated in this industry to owe them money to stay alive. The sad part is that many of these bands are falling for it because they have done no one else any favors and in turn remained uneducated in the way things are taking place today and concentrating on the way things were 20-30 years ago.

Favors aren’t even as significant as they might seem, they come naturally in this industry. If a venue allows you to play, even if there is a business transaction at some point of the night, it is a favor that they picked you. If a band is willing to play my venue, I consider it a favor. Without them coming in I wouldn’t have a leg to stand on with the club. This should create a mutual respect between bands and venues and allow for them to help each other out in other areas of business when it’s needed. Forging these relationships is necessary.

The next favor can come with meeting with the bands at your shows. Is someone on your show from out of town? Are you the out of town band? Meet these people. Find out if they can help you out with a show in the future whether you are going to their town or vice versa. Even less obvious can be forging relationships with bands in your own town that you may want to align yourselves with for some future shows. Do they have similar fans? Don’t worry as much about the size of them as if you can utilize that crowd to help build a bigger crowd for both of you. Don’t be the petty band that says, well, we already draw more than you, so we don’t need you. You never know what else you can gain in term of fans, favors, other relationships with other bands, the list goes on.

Once you close your eyes to the opportunity to learn from anyone, no matter where you might learn the lesson, then you’ll stop growing too and not only as a band.

POINT TWO: STOP OVERPLAYING YOUR MARKET!
This one has left me at a point recently where all I want to do is say, “DUMBASS!” every five minutes to pretty much every band I’m encountering this week alone. Just in this past week I have seen four bands hurt their draws because they’re playing the next night in the same market, or even the next week in the same market and even because they’re playing the same month in the same market.

HERE IS YOUR STANDARD TO LIVE BY! MAKE IT YOUR BIBLE!

Baby bands – two year old bands: Every 4-6 weeks within an hour radius of your claimed hometown city
Two year old bands and up: If your band is doing well with this format, then by all means, please cut back to 6-8 weeks. You will have more beneficial shows. I know that this is hard for bands that are doing well because you get asked to play more shows. This is a sign that you are doing well, not a sign to over saturate yourselves and give people too many options of where to go and how often to go. You still need to be particular about how you book yourselves. Don’t lose sight because you are growing in demand.

Imagine your favorite band ever. If they played in your hometown every night, would you go every night? Even if you might want to this isn’t always possible. You have work, you have lives, you have families, whatever your excuse of the day is, and it’s just going to make it less important when they play because you can go whenever you want. It’s no longer a commodity. If they come to your town and you know they won’t be back for a year, you make arrangements, you get a day off at work, you find a sitter, and you will do nearly anything to make it there because the opportunity doesn’t come around very often. I know you’re not maybe at the same level as the band you have in your head, but it is the very exact same formula for you too!

If you are looking to play out more, then look at your two hour radius, maybe your four hour radius. What are the cities around you that might not be too hard to get to? Who are the bands there that are doing well that you might want to try to contact and trade with? I know gas is a son of a bitch right now, but I promise, if you are a good and professional band that doesn’t over saturate your market you’ll be making more in your hometown to cover such expenses if they aren’t made in the next town.

If you are a two year old band or up and you are still not drawing anyone to your shows than you are either not promoting right or maybe it’s time to look and see if your band really is all that good. If your crowd is becoming smaller and smaller every show and you are doing everything you think is right, then maybe something you’re doing isn’t right. It might be you or your music or your attitude or your demands or another band member who just isn’t cutting it.
If all you want to do is play at your friends bar to your friends in your hometown, well, then please, go play in your basement, get a keg and invite your friends over. There are bands that are serious about making this a career and need the clubs to help them build their business.

POINT THREE: STOP BEING UNPROFESSIONAL DOUCHE BAGS!
If your van breaks down in Pennsylvania and you were on your way to Cincinnati, don’t call or inform someone at the time that you’re supposed to be there. You obviously know that it would take at least 4-8 hours to get there. If you leave at 8:00 pm you obviously know you’re not going to make it. Call the very minute that you know that you aren’t going to be able to make it. And really, in all honesty… most of the time it would just be nice if you let us know at all! If you are a no call no show, you are usually immediately cut from ever being able to play a venue again. You have more of a chance of playing the venue again and maybe getting less shit talked about you if you would just give someone a heads up… PREFERABLY THE PERSON YOU BOOKED THE SHOW WITH! If you booked the show with the venue, inform the venue, not some band that was on the bill so you can avoid what you think might be some horrific confrontation that probably wouldn’t be that bad anyway.

I HATE BLACK LISTING GOOD BANDS! I HATE IT! Maybe I’m not like most venue buyers you’ve met in your lifetime, but I actually do care if the show goes well FOR EVERYONE! If you are a good band and claim to be a professional band, then present yourself as such. I need good bands! All the time! Not once a week, not once every Friday and Saturday, but every single night! It is the only way that you are going to have good shows and it is the only way that I’m going to stay a venue available to touring bands and the great bands in her hometown.



Overall point being that we need to keep it together by working together. That includes me, that includes you and it includes your fans because that is the only way a scene is a scene and a good one at that. I refuse to let those of you who have forgotten their ways by giving up, closing our doors and being bitter. This article is based on what I have learned from you, now, go out there and practice what you preach.