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FROM:
Do It Booking
P.O. Box 711966
Salt Lake City, UT 84171
doitbk@aol.com
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Getting It Together!
Pre-tour stuff you should have ready before you pick up the phone.
You need to save up as much money as possible for all the expenses that
you will incur prior to the tour. Things like phone bills, postage,
press kits, posters, vehicle maintenance, food, etc. This should be done
as a group.
You need a phone -- a good one with voice mail or an answering machine.
Put a promotional kit together (a bio, cd/cassette, posters, band photo,
press clippings), and have enough of them on hand so that you'll be able
to mail people stuff as they request and/or as you confirm dates.
Figure out what merchandise you are going to take with you (shirts,
sweatshirts, punky pins, stickers, patches, etc.).
Work out reliable transportation for the tour.
Buy a good road atlas. Become familiar with the states and distances.
Try to route a tour that is doable for you.
Pull resources of numbers together from other bands, record stores,
other promoters, Maximum's Rock&Roll's Book Your Fuckin' Life,
Musician Magazine's Guide to Touring and Promotion, on-line promoters
from the Internet, Pollstar, Performance Magazine, etc.
Organize a tentative routing along with day, date, contact, phone number
so that when you call potential promoters, you'll know roughly what date
your band hopes to play there.
Allot at least three months before the first date of your tour. You need
to allow time for people to get your packages, listen to them, decide if
they like you, play phone tag, etc.
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Book It!
Now you're ready to do some phone calling.
If your band members communicate really well with one another, then you
could possibly split up the booking chores, getting together frequently
to update each other. But in general, it works out best if one person is
in charge of booking. Pick someone in your group that is very organized,
social, responsible, and deals well with spending alot of time on the
phone!
When you call the promoter, introduce yourself and your band, and tell
them what your band is up to and that you'd like to play x place on x
date. More than likely, he/she will ask if you have any music to send.
Of course, you will, because you'll have your stuff ready to mail.
Follow up on the package with a phone call. Make sure that they received
the package and ask whether they have had a chance to listen to it. If
they liked it, hopefully they'll book you. If not, thank them for their
time. If you're stuck for leads in that market, ask them if they could
point you to other resources.
People in this business keep strange schedules. Its a good idea to ask
people what hours they are available so that you can organize your calls
to make the most of your time.
Be accessible to people, promoters, clubs. Be sure to always return
phone calls in a timely manner --preferably within 24 hours.
You may need to call people every other day, and some people every day
to get a response. Booking shows requires persistence, but be careful
not to bug people to insanity. If you're not getting a response from
somebody, move on to another resource.
Don't put all your eggs in one basket by only calling one person, and
waiting for him/her to return your call. Call at least two other people
about setting up a show.
Learn as much as you can from the people you talk to. Ask them about
their scene, good local bands, etc. Listen and get information!
Be open to possibilities. There are lots of places to play besides
traditional clubs. You can line up great shows at places like
warehouses, parties, houses, garages, backyards, universities, record
stores, parks, collectives, etc., etc., etc.
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$$$Money$$$
What to ask for.
If you're an unknown with no label, no nothing, you can't really expect
to get the guarantee that you get in your hometown or other markets
where you already do well. Beggars can't be chosers. You'll probably
have to settle for a percentage of the door receipts. Try to get at
least enough of a guarantee to cover gas. Also try to get a free meal,
water on stage, and some soda or juice. And remember that it takes the
promoter time and money to put on shows, especially for really small
touring bands. So be appreciative of whatever it is they are willing to
do for you.
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Confirming Shows
What info to get.
Keep track of all of your confirmed dates. The best thing to do is to
put a tour folder together with your show dates, info about each venue
(address and phone numbers), info about each promoter (address and phone
numbers), the type of show (punky, club, warehouse, 21+, etc.), the
terms you agreed on (percentage deal, guarantee, etc.), important times
(load in, check in, doors, show, stage) and any extra info (deals on
food, water, whatever).
Send a simple agreement sheet to each promoter that details all of this
info, and thanks them for setting up your show.
Be sure to get directions to the venues before you leave. It sucks to
have to track down people when you are on the road.
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Contracts and Riders
Legal protocol and all that crap.
Whether or not you get a formal contract depends on who you're dealing
with and what you feel comfortable with. I don't suggest a full blown
out contract for really small touring bands. Perhaps an agreement sheet
detailing show information -- date, venue, promoter, type of show,
terms, times, and a few reasonable requests like meals, water, soda. If
it's a collective, warehouse, punky show, people generally take offense
to contracts, and prefer to deal on word. If it's a promoter or a club,
a contract or agreement sheet would be appropriate.
Reconfirm your shows before you leave. You need to make sure that
everything is in order before you go on your adventure.
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