There seems to be a lack of motivation in lightly populated areas for the music world. It’s hard being in a band, or being a show promoter when living in a small town. All the focus is placed on the bigger venues in the bigger cities, where money plays a big role in everyone’s enjoyment. Let’s not forget what music is all about. It will never be too late to start making a difference in the music scene for your town. Here are a few steps to booking a successful show.
#1. Go to a nearby banquet hall, or recreational center and talk to someone in charge of rentals to see what kind of rules they have for bookings. Some places won’t allow loud music due to ordinances, and also may not want kids moshing or carrying on. Try to find the cheapest place to rent, but keep in mind what will be most suitable for the bands and crowd. It is best to book a date a month in advance to ensure plenty of time to prepare for your show.
#2. Once the venue is picked out and a date set, figure out what local bands would be best to have on the bill. Keep in mind which bands will draw the most people and which ones aren’t as popular. The best bet is to place the more popular bands at the end of the show to ensure that there will be a crowd of people throughout the whole event. It may also help to try and get a more known band from out of the area to headline the show. The event will have a better turn out, including people from surrounding towns and cities. Also, when booking bands, find out which band owns a PA system. It’s not hard to get your hands on a PA system; most bands have one for practices, and are usually willing to use it for shows. If for some reason none of the bands own a PA, pretty much any local music store should have one that can be rented for a decent price.
#3. After the line-up is completed, the next step would be to promote the show. Some people like to come up with a fancy name for their event, but it’s not necessary. Main focus points for promoting a show would be internet exposure, flyers, and word of mouth. Most bands have a myspace page these days, and will probably post the show in their event schedule. When making flyers, try not to get too fancy but also try not to be too boring. People need to notice the flyer, but also not get confused by it as well. Make it clear as to where the show is going to be held, who is playing the show, the cost of the event, what time it starts, and maybe add some small graphics around the flyer. Be sure to tell all friends and family about the show and spread the word to everyone.
#4. When the promotion process is taken care of, figure out other ways to make money at the event. Most people usually set up a little stand, selling water bottles and snacks. It’s an easy way to pick up an extra fifty dollars. It is also a good way to get family involved, if a mother or father doesn’t mind baking cupcakes or cookies to be sold.
#5. Last, but not least. Make a list of all the expenses for the show and figure out how many spectators it will take to break even for the night. Try to keep the expenses at no more than two hundred dollars. If too much money is put into the show, there will be no profit at the end of the night, and possibly money lost. Up until the date of the show, continue to promote as much as possible and everything should turn out wonderfully.
Reference:
- Matt Barron’s promotional myspace page for booking shows.www.myspace.com/mattbarronpromo
