Booking shows is no small task. It takes a lot of patience and “gentle persistence”. It often turns on relationships and, sadly, money. Remember why bars are in business: to make money. And remember why a bar should want to have anyone perform at all: to bring people in…to make money. So forget the idea that a particular place just loves music and wants to create a space for musicians to perform and prosper, if they wanted to do that they would be a non-profit theater or something. They want to make money and they want you to do it for them.
So how can you use this fact to your advantage? By talking numbers to them. But before you can talk numbers you need to get them interested in you. Here are the steps you need to take to book shows at clubs and theaters:
1) Contact the club and politely ask who does the booking and how they like to be contacted. Make note of this and FOLLOW IT EXACTLY! The quickest way to get ignored is to not follow their directions.
2) Put your CD along with your One Sheet and possibly a cover letter addressed
to the booking person into a padded envelope and mail it to the club, again, addressed to the booking person.
3) Wait at least one week after you mail it.
4) Begin contacting the booking person IN EXACTLY THE WAY THEY LIKE TO BE CONTACTED and ask if they got your submission. If so, had they had a chance to listen to it? And if they listened to it, what did they think? Now if the answer is ‘no’ to any of the above questions, politely ask when they think they’ll be able to get to it. If they say one month, DO NOT BOTHER THEM FOR ONE MONTH. Often at this point they’ll tell you when it’s ok to check back with them, and by all means, DO NOT BOTHER THEM BEFORE. Ok, you get the idea? You’re doing exactly as they say, remaining polite but persistent. And if they tell you when to check back with them, make sure to do it. If you forget they’ll assume you’re not really serious and just let your submission sit.
Keep in mind that it can take months of “gentle persistence” to book one show. Sometimes sooner, sometimes longer. I have worked with booking people who genuinely liked my music and it still took a year to nail down a date that would work, so don’t give up. And in all of that time go ahead and build a relationship with the person. If they mention that they’ll be out of town in a week ask where they are headed. Take an interest in them. Remember, business is built on relationships. The more time you spend with them on the phone or chatting via email the more you will get stuck in their minds. Now, if you perceive that they want to be done with the conversation or they don’t respond to your personal questions, just let it be. Don’t pry or keep them on the phone longer than they seem comfortable with. But you’d be amazed what the right joke or comment at the right time can do for your chances.
The Numbers
So, let’s say that you have had several great conversations with a booking person and they want to book you. I said in the beginning of this chapter that, ultimately, clubs will only book you and continue to book you if you are making them money. Even though the booking person and the owner might love your music, and your drummer might date the manager of the bar, if your numbers aren’t up, they can’t continue to book you. So, talk numbers to them. Don’t lie. Don’t say you can bring in 300 people when you really can only bring in 50 people. But be cautiously optimistic. If you know you can bring in 50 people then use 50 as your low estimate and, say, 100 as your high estimate. Speak in ranges. Saying, “we bring between 50-100 people in, ourselves, on a Thursday night.” And continue, “but if you book us on a Saturday night we could bring in more like 100-150 people.” Again, only say so if it’s true. If you’re numbers are way off of what you say, it could easily cost you future bookings there.
Now the other way to a booking person’s heart is to do their job for them. Putting together a night of music is a time consuming job. I’m not going to say it’s hard, it’s just time consuming and often the people who book music are also the bar managers or the owners or the janitors of clubs, so anything you can do to lighten their load will help you. After a booking person expresses interest in having you perform be sure to ask them, “do you like to put bills together or would you like me to put a bill together?” (a bill is just a night of music). If they tell you that they like to put bills together you just keep up with them and let them throw dates at you. If they like you to put bills together then you have to be prepared to step up to the plate and put a bill together.
Putting Bills Together
Now, putting bills together is a bit riskier than just playing a show. When you put a bill together you are responsible for the whole night at the club. If you fail, the club loses money. Some places won’t take that kind of risk on a new act, but some will. If you are putting the bill together you suddenly have to think like a bar owner. While it would be great to just book all your friends, you need to think about getting bodies in the door. One great way to do this is to ask the booking person if they have any acts that bring in good numbers that you could approach to play on your bill. Now your friends will still show up AND the friends of the act you book. This also exposes you to people who may not have ever heard you, which is always a good thing.
Having said that, if you know a pretty broad network of musicians and fans then go ahead and pitch a whole night to the club. But only do this if you’re fairly certain of the numbers you can do. If you know you can put a bill together of similar acts to you that will draw well, then, by all means, pitch it. Remember, the price for being wrong can be pretty steep and can sometimes even affect your chances with other clubs in town, so be pretty cautious with this approach. Again, say what you can honestly do and let the club decide if they want to take the chance. Honesty will get you much farther.
Hans Erik
Content Marketing Director
Hans@Next2Friends.com
www.Next2Friends.com
