WEB EXCLUSIVE: IT'S CALLED THE MUSIC BUSINESS WITH CHRISTIAN MCKNIGHT

Everyone wants to grow up and become a rock star, even people with no talent. When studio trickery, Auto-Tune and deals with the devil don’t get you to the big stage, there is a solution: Run a stage of your own. A million people want to play shows, but someone has to set them up, too. If you possess a heaping spoonful of determination, sound knowledge of your local scene, own a calculator and have a good sense of organization, you could be well on your way to being a local promoter.

At the almost infantile age of 16, I was sadly the character described in this column’s first few sentences. Tragic, I know. Even though I tried my best to be a rock star, I soon realized my place was behind the scenes, booking local all-ages shows. After years and years of trying, failing and trying, I have amassed a pretty good understanding of the sometimes-difficult task of being a local promoter. Here are some tips that may help you if you think booking local shows is something you’re ready to immerse yourself in.

DONT BE DISCOURAGED BY "NO"

The first thing you will need to do is find a spot. There’s no sense in asking a band to play unless you have a place to put them. A lot of people think asking bands first is the key, but in fact it’s the opposite. There are a million eager bands out there, but not a million eager club/bar/VFW Hall owners to let a bunch of kids run rampant in their establishments. It might take a few months of phone calls and cold visits to different places, but eventually you’ll find somewhere.



TOTAL TRANSPARENCY


Make sure there are absolutely no surprises with the venue and everything, and I mean everything, is discussed ahead of time. You don’t want to find out the venue’s insurance won’t cover you when someone breaks their nose. Anything can happen, and you need to protect yourself when it does. Make sure it’s clear how much you’re paying the venue; if you need to insure the show; who is paying the band; if they supply food, water, drinks, etc.; who is responsible for promoting the show and every other detail you know your parents would want you to ask.

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ASK AROUND

Like any newcomer to any field, it’s easy to get taken advantage of. Have a chat with someone else who does shows, or someone who knows about anything you don’t know. No one expects you to know if you’re getting ripped off-until you’re actually getting ripped off. But you can avoid that by asking someone who knows. This is also important because all promoters tend to be a little territorial. You don’t want to step on anyone’s toes right away (even though eventually it may be inevitable). Make sure you’re on the same page with all of the other local promoters (if they’re willing).

DON’T SHOOT FOR THE STARS

I get it-you want to do a show for My Chemical Romance. Who wouldn’t? You think booking agents don’t get a million phone calls a day from little guys like you, who want to book their platinum-selling band? If you stick around and do it for 10-plus years, maybe you can get to that level, but start small. There are so many good local bands to start with; thanks to the internet, you can find them in a heartbeat. You should also have a pretty good grasp on your local scene and which bands kids are talking about. Befriend those folks (if they’re not out of your league already), and do their shows. Remember, if you have a good space and run organized, well-attended shows, bands will come to you. Heck, if your shows are terrible, run horribly and the spot sucked, bands will still come to you, but hopefully you take some pride in what you do. The bands will respect you more for it.

GET THE WORD OUT

Back in the prehistoric 1990s, we didn’t have social networking sites and not everyone was a Photoshop wiz. We used these ancient devices called "fliers." Although still used today, it’s way easier to promote the crap out of your shows online. I still think making fliers and being on the streets is just as vital, but getting the word out somehow is key. Make sure your show is equally covered on the internet and locally (in record stores, coffee shops, tattoo shops, etc.). Make sure the band are doing their part to bring people as well. Check their respective pages to make sure all the correct info is up!

I know all this is a lot to take in, and it’s far from an exact science, but it’s a good place to start. At one point, every big band was a local band, and someone did their shows. While you might never be the rock star you envisioned in your bathroom mirror, you might be the person who helps dozens of others get there.


"The best way to become a booking agent is to find a band you love and believe in and start working with them exclusively. It’s about quality, not quantity. You will need a regular job of some sort to support yourself, since the band will be making hardly any money in the beginning, if any, and 10 percent of nothing is… um, nothing. In the beginning, it’s all about helping the band get a following locally and slowly expanding that circle… Find local promoters that do small DIY shows and build a grassroots network of promoters who believe in the band as well. The thing to remember the most is you gotta love what you’re doing and the people you’re working with, because in the beginning your income from being an agent will barely cover your cell phone bill."

ANDREW ELLIS

Paradigm Agency

"If you are booking shows, there is a way to get bands at a much lower cost than you might expect. It’s not easy to duplicate, but it works. Our venue, Cafe Metropolis, is located in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. It’s way down on the list of "must-visit" areas for a touring band, but it does give us some distinct advantages that a big-city venue would not have. We are roughly an equal distance from New York City and Philadelphia (about 80 miles). Any band on a big-scale tour are going to try and hit both those cities. That’s where we come in… The problem for a touring band is they need to play every night while minimizing travel time (booking agents call this "routing"). So we might not snag a touring band on a prime night, but they still need a gig on Sunday or Monday. And booking agents are more likely to be flexible and open to negotiate a smaller deal on a weeknight."

KEVIN DOUGHERTY

Café Metropolis

"The biggest variable for DIY shows is the ticket price. You’ll need to price your tickets based on how many bodies you can cram into a venue, consider how much the booked bands’ guarantees may be, how much the venue costs, bar deposit and any other expenses you might have. Plus, you don’t want to price your show so high that no one will want to go. Most local bands are going to do handshake/verbal deals called a ‘door deal,’ where the band(s) will get an agreed-upon percentage of tickets sold. Another variable that can sometimes make or break a show is the actual date and time. When is your show? A weekend? Then you can open doors earlier. Do you have to follow a local curfew? Are the bands you booked targeting teens or 21 and up? Is it summer and school’s out? Consider all those variables relative to your area and schedule accordingly."

VINCE EDWARDS

Metal Blade Records

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