KEYWORDS:
Play Live Locally
“Assume that everyone wants the same thing: a good show for you. Nobody is working against you.” — Anthony Bonet
At this point you have worked hard at your craft. You have trained, rehearsed, and effectively prepared a project that is ready to be performed live in front of an audience. San Francisco has a variety of venues and promoters for you to work with to put on a fantastic show.
The Difference Between the Promoter and the Venue’s Booker
By Jean Spinosa
Some venues have in-house booking meaning all booking and production goes through the venue’s employed booker.
Some venues have both in-house booking and also work with promoters to book and produce certain nights.
Some venues, often bars, have no in-house booking and all events are booked and produced by promoters.
What is a Club Promoter?
By Jean Spinosa
A club promoter is a person who throws a “club night” or “party” at a venue. These are usually consistent; once a week or once a month. The promoter is not an employee of the venue but is the booker and producer for that evening. The venue is essentially in charge of the bar and the promoter is in charge of the event.
The club promoter “promotes” the event by building an audience through many avenues including print, online advertising, and their mailing list. The promoter takes care of the production side of the event which may include the hiring and managing of any or all of the following depending on the event: Door Person, DJ, Stage Manager, Performers, Bands, Go Go Dancers, Poster/Flyer/Print Ad Designer, Flyer Distribution, and Sound Engineer. If needed the promoter will either emcee or hire an emcee depending on the type of event.
The promoter, who has a healthy deal with the venue financially, should “take the door” and the venue “takes the bar” meaning all monies through the door go directly to the promoter so they can pay their overhead. The venue benefits from the promoter bringing an audience in to drink and the promoter benefits by having a space to put on their event. This is a healthy venue/promoter deal. Additionally, if a night becomes extremely successful a club promoter might request to re-negotiate their agreement to additionally take a 10-15% of the bar. Success in this re-negotiation obviously depends on each situation.
It is a common misconception that club promoters make a lot of money. This is often not the case. The promoter’s overhead is generally high in order to properly pay everyone contributing to the event. If you are considering being a promoter; your motivation must be to put on a great event. If your motivation is to “get rich”; you will be sorely disappointed. In time, if your event is successful and long lasting, you will hopefully break even if not turn a small profit.
Booking
Booking With A Promoter: Protocol
By Jean Spinosa
All of the same ground rules mentioned below in “Booking With A Venue” apply to booking with a promoter. However, it is extremely important for you to take note when you book with a promoter, your arrangement is with that promoter not the venue.
Your arrangement with your promoter should be clear in writing(e-mail is sufficient), prior to the event:
- Name who the point person is for your project/band
- Date of Event
- Rate- put it in writing even if you are playing for free
- Hospitality — If applicable
- Schedule- Arrival, Sound Check, and Show Time
- Guest List Arrangement
Be professional and commit only if you are genuinely happy with the arrangement. “Assume that everyone wants the same thing: a good show for you. Nobody is working against you.” Once you have committed to the agreement; honor it. If you book with a promoter for example and agree to one guest list person per band member, you may not ask for more guest list people the week of the show. Again, honor your agreement.
On the night of the show your point person is to collect any agreed money, hospitality, etc. from the promoter, not the venue. It is the point person’s responsibility to distribute any money or drink tickets(if applicable) to their band members. Band members should go to their point person, not the promoter, for money and drink tickets the night of the show.
Booking with a Venue: Protocol
Do not send a demo to a nightclub unless it has been requested. Check a club’s web site for protocol or wait until you speak with someone at the club to get the explicit direction to send a demo. The booker will appreciate this polite gesture.
If you are having a hard time getting through to a booker, be persistent. The most important thing when you leave a message is to leave your name and telephone number — EVERYTHING ELSE IS SECONDARY! Please keep in mind that the sound quality of answering machines and cell phones suck. When you leave your telephone number enunciate.
The volume of calls on the booking line of any given club is typically enormous. If you’ve already left a message, don’t leave another. Be persistent, but realize that there are a million reasons why you may not have heard back — yes, including bookers being scatter-brained at times. Most bookers are not malicious, they’re just swamped with telephone messages. Mostly, you can take it on faith that you will hear from them if they have a show for you. They cannot call EVERYONE just to say “we don’t have any openings right now”.
The system is imperfect, and it can be very frustrating trying to get shows in the town that San Francisco has become, but most venues are working at the practical limits of what we are capable. Eventually, through a combination of patience, persistence and building your reputation around town, you and the venue will hook up, so please don’t lose hope.
Show Confirmation
Many times when you call for a show, the bookers will give you a tentative date saying something like: “why don’t we shoot for the 3rd — you ask the other people involved and I’ll make sure the date is clear and we’ll talk again to confirm it.” That is NOT a confirmed show.
A million different things can happen on both sides of that conversation. The drummer is out of town, you forgot you have a show too close to that date, you’re offered a different show that fits in better with your plans.
Venues will not consider a show confirmed until they have discussed the full bill (opener, support and headliner), load-in/sound-check/set times; what each band can expect to be paid, what the ticket price will be.
It’s often happened that bands have sent mailings or done posters for shows that were not confirmed. Phone messages aren’t reliable. – Please make sure you have actually spoken with one of the venue’s bookers to confirm your show.
If you are unsure as to whether you are confirmed or not-ask; “Are we confirmed?” for said date. Don’t be afraid to be blunt and detailed. When you confirm a show make sure you know the following things:
- the date of your show
- ticket price
- load-in time
- sound check time
- what your payment is
- what the bar telephone number is in case of emergency
- how to get to the Venue
When the venue confirms a show with you also need to tell them how many people are in your band, roughly what the stage plot is (typically “guitar, bass, drums with two vocal mikes up front”) and any special arrangements you will need for your set (ie. “we’re sharing a drum kit with the opening band” or “we need a direct box for our Electric Latrinophone”).
DIY
If nobody will book you, book yourself. Throw a warehouse party. Make some noise. Most clubs can only accommodate roughly 90 acts per month. Since everyone in the world has a band that means roughly 5,999,999 bands don’t play a San Francisco club each month.
Where else can you play? Check our venue directory for other clubs and phone numbers — but try to keep in mind that there are alternatives to playing in "established"venues. Bob Dylan built his reputation at cafe’s, Crash Worship at warehouse parties and raves, Ani DiFranco playing every little corner of this fair land out of the a beat up VW bug… and so on.
It isn’t easy, we know. But that is the very essence of why some things are special. If there weren’t some effort involved, then it wouldn’t mean anything.
Once Booked: A Notice to Bands Promoting Their Show
Again, while we encourage you to promote your own shows, we advise that you only post flyers and posters legally, according to San Francisco guidelines (see link below). Many venues will have you sign a waiver acknowledging that you have read and understood flyering and postering guidelines and that you release the venue from responsibility for any and all fines incurred by your actions or those of anyone illegally posting on your behalf. The city has a generous policy for bands that wish to advertise their shows. Make sure you pay special attention to the details of size limit and acceptable locations for flyers. Remember to use other forms of advertising if you can: postcard mailers, e-mail mass mailings, posting at the venue, posting at record stores and other neighborhood establishments (with their permission, of course), radio station interviews and promotions, advertising in weekly newspapers. If you are going to post flyers on city streets, make sure you visit the following web address: www.sfgov.org/sfdpw/signs/signage_code.pdf
The Ground Rules to Playing A Nightclub
Generally clubs, in most parts of town have no foot traffic to speak of. Nobody comes to the club except to see the bands. You should feel ready to play whichever club you are targeting — essentially this means that if you played a Monday night at the club, you would feel very confident that an appropriate number of people would come to see your band. Ask the booker what your target number should be. If you feel you can meet that requirement, great. But, if you don’t feel that’s the case, that’s okay. It doesn’t mean you aren’t talented. It just means that you should wait a bit before playing certain clubs. You shouldn’t be in a big hurry to play to nobody and that’s what happens if you play before you’re ready.
When you play a club for the first time, you are making a statement about your band. Venues, for their part, are looking to see a lot of different things about your band:
- What does your music sound like live?
- What size crowd do you draw?
- What kinds of people come to your shows?
- What other bands are you friends with or do you go well with?
- How easy are you to work with?
- How loud do you play?
Work with the booker to put together a good bill. When you put together your first show at a particular club, you’re trying to get a good vibe going in the club: a party atmosphere. The most important thing is to create the conditions that are most likely to bring out your friends and fans and make them feel at home.
You should establish a rapport with other bands and musicians. This will serve you well. Figure out whom you should be sharing bills with and make a contact with that artist. If you can’t find shows at clubs, play warehouse parties, festivals, what have you. You should build a wee bit of name recognition before you start charging admission to your shows.
How do you do that? Play the smaller clubs, parties, be creative, and start a mailing list. Target your audience, figure out who is likely to like what you do and concentrate on those types of events. Are you an artsy band? Then do that art opening. Are you political? Then take your acoustic guitars to that protest march.
When you start getting shows, play the room. Meaning: don’t play at 150 decibels at a very small capacity venue. If your artistic integrity demands that you play at that volume, then don’t play the small capacity venue. You are not doing anyone any favours by blowing out their eardrums while keeping your integrity intact.
Make sure you go see other bands. If you like their work, introduce yourself. Give them a demo of your music. Make that connection. Often times your first fans will be other musicians.
Preparation Before Your Show
Once you’ve booked a show at any venue, make sure you visit the club before your show. You may think of special requirements or get some great ideas about your presentation. Most venues are well equipped to make your show there a special event.
Pick up the calendar and check your listing, check for your listing on the web. Make sure your band name is spelled correctly. As we all know, band names can be quite oblique and that’s all well and good, but you shouldn’t expect the whole world (specifically harried club bookers) to know instinctively how to spell your band name. For example if your band is called “The Isle of Ewes” it’s not really cricket to call up the week of the show all upset because you saw and ad where it appeared as “The I Love Yous.” Bookers not mind readers, and as a general assumption… No, they haven’t heard of you. So make sure spell out your band name, even if it seems obvious to you.
Guidelines
Here are some, hopefully, useful guidelines that apply to almost every show. There are exceptions to these rules so please make sure you’ve checked with the bookers about your specific show.
Most clubs have 3 bands on the bill for any given night. For most shows the Headliner loads-in and sound-checks first. The support band follows suit a half hour later and the opener a half hour after that.
You should pick one person in the band (or a road manager, or agent… etc.) to be the point person for the band. There will be forms to fill out, drink tickets to be got, guests to accommodate… etc. It’s easier if there is a designated person for each band.
When you get to the club, the first thing your point person should do is find the sound engineer. That person is the stage manager for the evening. Introduce yourself to him/her.
Please be as flexible as you can. Realize that unexpected things come up all the time so you may need to sound check at a different time than you expected. Or you may need to switch your set time. When problems arise with the logistics of the show, it’s best to be patient and as flexible as possible — you want to try to preserve a good vibe to the night. Work with the sound person to come to a suitable compromise if these situations arise. Assume that everyone wants the same thing: a good show for you. Nobody is working against you.
Hospitality
Your point person needs to know what to expect with regards to hospitality. All the details of your hospitality will have been worked out with the bookers at the time the show was booked. Here are some important points to remember —
If you have a contract, you should know your hospitality rider. If not, there will have been a verbal agreement with the booker.
Is there a dressing room? Where is the dressing room? If you need to use it, then you need to make that arrangement in advance with the booker.
Most clubs assign hospitality based on the number of people in the band. (That means people who perform on stage) Don’t show up the day of the show and ask for drink tickets for sound people, light people, video people, merch people, etc… If you need hospitality to include these people, then you need to make that request with the Bookers in advance of the show.
Before clubs can pay the band, they often need a representative of the band to fill out a couple of forms.
Typically, first of these is the Guest List. One common arrangement is that each performing band member is allowed one to two guests. Band members include performing members of the band only. Road crew usually belong on your Guest List. Clubs are sometimes known to make allowances in this regard — always ask in advance.
The other of the two forms is the W-9 form. This form doesn’t peg you for an IRS audit or set you up for surveillance by the FBI. Simply stated, it is legal proof that the club paid someone the proceeds from the door. That’s why they need a person’s name, mailing address, social security number and signature. The IRS will never see these forms unless the club gets audited and then it only shows that someone exists who received some sum of money. Clubs will appreciate your cooperation with these forms.
Once You Have Played: The Next Step
Once you’ve played for the first time at a club, the next step is to do it again under slightly different circumstances. If your first show was on a Monday perhaps now try a later day of the week with a different band or two. On rare occasions there may be a national act that needs an opener and you may fit on such a bill, but it doesn’t hurt to take matters into your own hands and plan in advance for a future show at the venue.
It’s important to use some strategy when you plan a show. Try to maximize the impact of each show — try to make them special.
The first and most obvious way of doing that is by not playing too much. A good rule of thumb is as follows:
IF YOU AGREE TO PLAY A SHOW AT ANY GIVEN CLUB: YOU SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY OTHER LOCAL SHOWS AT LEAST 2 WEEKS PRIOR TO THE SHOW AND 1 WEEK AFTER.
Specifically this means 2 weekends before and 1 weekend after. Too often one sees bands announce to an empty room:
“um…this is our last song… come see us at the Stork this Friday.”
First off, why announce such a thing when the only people there are employees of the club? Secondly and most importantly, could the fact of having another gig in just a few days have something to do with the fact that no-one came?
Another way to make a show special is to make it a party. Is it a CD release? Is it someone’s birthday? Is it someone’s last show with the band? Is it Otis Redding’s birthday? Did you get some press? Did you win a Grammy? People will come out on a Monday if there is a compelling reason.
Out of Town Bands
Many San Francisco venues are not good places to build your draw if you are an unknown out-of-town band. If the venue doesn’t have any foot traffic at all — the only people who come to the club are people coming to see the bands.
The important thing when you’re on tour is to play to new people. That is an objective that is not achieved if you play to an empty club. Bookers do their best to put together bills that make sense and it is very difficult to put a band that nobody has heard of, with no draw on a bill that would be better served with a local band.
In most cases it is wasteful to send packages without contacting the bookers first. Additionally, it is almost always a waste of money to send packages overnight. The volume of mail that venues receive means that it takes them a few days to get to packages in the best of circumstances.
Most venues are usually booked 8 weeks in advance. It doesn’t hurt to check for openings on short notice but they only happen rarely.
So is it impossible for a baby band from out-of-town to play in San Francisco?
No it isn’t. The best way to do it is to make friends with San Francisco bands that have some draw. We encourage you to identify yourself with a scene – whether it’s Brit Pop or Heavy Metal – it’s a good way of people who’ve never heard of you to know a something of what you sound like.
As you make connections in San Francisco you can start getting your records played on local radio stations, place your music in local music stores and eventually the momentum starts moving towards you. Consider that just as knowing a San Francisco band can help you get shows in this part of the world, knowing you will help them get shows in your part of the world.
If you plan to come up to the area, get one of our free weekly papers (SF Weekly, SF Bay Guardian, East Bay Express, Zero) and check out who’s playing where.
Outdoor Events
By Jean Spinosa
Outdoor events are a great opportunity to play to a larger audience. San Francisco has many street fairs and outdoor events to accommodate all genres of music. Each has its own booking policy therefore it is best to check with each for application protocol.