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Lesson #1
~Do you like live music?
Do you enjoy watching the bands? Do you like moshing and dancing and having a good time?
Well, prepare to not enjoy those things anywhere near as much as you used to, because every show you put on will mean that you're busy checking on the door, taking care of sound, cleaning up after people, making sure kids don't sneak in, taking care of
band needs, stamping hands, breaking up fights, counting change, and the myriad of other details that'll keep you from enjoying the show as much as you normally would.
Setting up shows takes a lot of work, tons of time, and you're taking a
gamble with your hard earned money.
Are you dissuaded yet? No? Good! On to the next step.
Lesson #2
~Find a Venue.
This is in my opinion THE most important step to putting on shows. You NEED a venue. If you don't have a venue set up you might as well stop before you try anything else.
It doesn't have to be a nice venue, it can be something like the Domino Room, or it can be in
someone's garage. But of course there are different issues to consider with
each. How many people do you think will attend the show? How many band members
are there? (If you're putting on a show for a 10 piece SKA band you probably
don't want to book it inside someone's tiny one car garage... Look around your town, are there any venues currently? Go talk to them. Find out what it'll take to rent that venue. Always get as much information as you can. Find out the base rent, find out if you need a security deposit, find out what time you can set up things inside the venue, find out how late you can have the music playing, find out whether they provide a PA, find out whether they provide lights, see what needs to be cleaned, see if they require security, etc etc etc. Don't be afraid to ask questions, the venue owners will appreciate
it and it'll save you a ton of hassle later on.
If there aren't any venues in your particular town start checking around at the local gathering places. VFW Halls, Eagles Lodges, Grange Halls, Armories, Skate Parks, heck, even some Coffee Shops and Bowling Alleys will let you set up shows. Get a phone book, and start looking.
Always be upfront to a certain degree with these venues. I say "to a certain degree" because you don't want to tell the elderly man who runs the Eagles lodge that you're going to have a hardcore punk rock show. This will make them paranoid. Call it alternative rock, or college rock.
It also helps to look fairly respectable too. Venue owners are often not going
to want to rent to someone who has a mohawk and is wearing a Germs "Suck my
cock, faggot" t-shirt on.
Talk to them about what dates they have open, and write everything down. Pay
attention to the sound, the lights, the stage, and the entrances. Take
this info and move onto step #3.
Lesson #3
~Contact some bands.
I actually think this is the easiest step of all. Most bands are more than
happy to play a show. That's what they do, and what they love. Start out small,
contact some regional bands that you like, email them or if you can find a phone
number give them a call. Ask them if they'd be interested in coming to your town
to play a show, find out if they have a guarantee they expect to be paid. Most
regional bands are willing to play a show for gas money only, but of course the
larger the act the more they'll expect to get paid. If they demand a contract
just thank them for their time and move on to the next band, because at this
point in the game it'll be too much hassle to deal with.
I personally like to have a minimum of 3 bands to play a show, and no more
than 5. (If it's a basement or a garage then I'll usually go with two bands,
just because the longer they play the higher the chance that neighbors will
complain or the cops will show up, this is not good.)
Find out what dates the bands are able to play, and if any of them match up
with the open dates from the venue you then move to step #4.
Lesson #4
~Confirming dates.
Now that you have the dates contact your venue once again and confirm with
them that you can use the building on that particular date. Look over the
contract to make sure there's nothing you missed, and bust out your cash to pay
the security deposit.
Next, contact the bands to confirm that everything is set up with the venue
and that things are ready. Make sure to give the bands detailed instructions on
what time the show will start and when you expect them to be at the show. Also
provide them with excellent directions to the venue and a phone number or email
address they can contact you at.
It'll also be a good idea to check your local
show listings for that date as well. It sucks to find that there's a competing
show the same night, or something within the next couple of days. Little things
like this can kill attendance.
Lesson #5
~Getting your sound and lighting together.
The next big thing is securing a PA system. Ask your friends, if you're lucky
one of them will have a basic set up, or they'll know someone who does and
you'll be able to use if free. Otherwise check out your local music stores, odds
are you'll stumble upon one that will rent you a system. You should be able to
get a decent set up for under $100. For most small shows you should be ok with a
basic soundboard, a couple of amps, and a couple of speakers. If you're able to
snag a monitor or two it's gravy. (Monitors are the speakers that are on the
stage floor and point towards the band, so they can hear themselves play.) Don't
forget microphones and mic stands as well, try to figure this out ahead of time
based on the bands preferences. Nothing sucks more than having a band show up
needing 4 mics when you only have 2. If you don't know anything about setting up
sound equipment (like me) ask around and try to get a friend to do it for you,
they'll be able to give you tips and tricks that'll make things run
smoother.
Be wary of contacting professional sound people, they're generally used to
running sound at larger shows and while they do a good job and have nice gear
you'll wind up paying for it. Professional sound set ups can run from 300-1000
bucks. Wait until you're in the big time and setting up shows for bands that've
been on MTV before you hire these sort of guys.
Lighting isn't as important as the sound, so it's not really a big concern.
Pay attention to how the venue is set up. If they've got lights already set up
you won't have to worry about it, but most places you'll want to add some sort
of lighting for atmosphere. Basic lighting for this type of show is easy to do,
and you'd be amazed at how much a simple strand of white Christmas lights will
improve the feel of a room. You can cover any standard lights with colored
plastic wrap available cheaply from any crafts store to make things stand out a
little more as well.
Lesson #6
~Start thinking about costs/times/help/etc.
Now you've got the bands, you've got the venue, you've got the PA system. You
just need to figure out how much to charge. Add up all of your costs and then
try to guess how many people will show up. Take your total costs and divide them
by the minimum number of people you think will show up. This is how much you
should charge for the entry to the show. Try to keep it low, the lower the
price, the more people will show up. I like to keep things at $5. If you can go
lower, then by all means do so.
You'll also want to think about what time you want the show to start. Is it a
school night? A weekend? What time is the curfew in your town? How late can you
play loud music at the venue? I usually figure an hour per band, with set up and
tear down included in that allotment. If you want to start the music at 7, put
6:30 on your fliers, that way kids have enough time to get into the venue and
they won't miss any of the music.
You can't run everything yourself, so you'll want to get some people to help
out with things. You'll need a sound guy, someone to run the door, and maybe an
extra person to run around and take over incase one of the others needs to use
the restroom or take care of something. You might want to have a larger friend
act as your security, but make sure they're a very patient calm person who won't
start problems, only stop them. We've all had to deal with asshole security guys
at shows, and you don't want that happening. If your venue has a lot of
entrances you might want to post one person to watch each door. You should also
get a couple of people to help with the next step-promoting the show.
It's also a good idea to bring a box of random things to the show. My
essentials are a cashbox, a stamp to mark peoples hands (with ink!), a sharpie
to mark things (and to mark hands if you don't have a stamp), a regular pen,
some duct tape (because you need duct tape all the time, even at weddings and
funerals), a power strip or two (to plug in the sound gear and lights), an
extension cord or two, paper towels, and some sort of multi-tool (like a
leatherman). It's also handy to bring a cd player that you can run to the PA
system so you can have music playing while the bands set up.
Lesson #7
~Promoting the show.
You want people to attend the show, and the only way they'll do this is if
you promote it. Fliers are essential for any show and they should be out on the
streets at least two weeks before the show if not a little longer. I like to do
poster sized (8.5 x 14 or 11x17) fliers that I can easily shrink down to make
handbills (the small fliers you hand out to people) as well. You'll want the
flier to be able to get peoples attention, make it yourself, or see if you've
got an artistic friend who wants to make it for you. The age old (ok, 20 years)
punk rock art of photocopy collage is an easy way out when making gig fliers.
The most important thing to remember is to include ALL of the information about
the show. The bands, the date, the time, the cost, the venue, the venue address,
the age limit, etc etc. It's also handy to include a phone number or other
contact info for yourself.
Once you've got the fliers made head to your local record stores and ask if
you can put up a poster in their window or on their door. If they refuse they're
probably bastards and you should never shop there ever again. Don't forget to
leave a large pile of handbills for people to pick up as well. It's also a good
idea to drop posters or handbills off at your local coffeehouse, hipster
clothing stores, and any other place you think people might pick up a flier. Be
sure to check back every so often to see if you need to drop off more fliers.
A word of advice, check and see what the laws are for putting up fliers on
poles around your town. In my particular town it happens to be illegal, but you
can get away with it as long as you don't go too crazy. If a police officer or
someone else in charge does catch you putting up fliers and asks that you stop,
stop. Be nice, be respectful. The last thing you want is your town to be mad at
you. Also be aware that sometimes the law will go directly to the venue and
complain and even fine them for putting up fliers on telephone poles and
stoplights. A local bar in my town has gone so far as to drive around tearing
down posters that the band put up, simply because the police were threatening
them with fines.
Since it's a punk rock show you'll need to be aware that the largest segment
of your audience will be teenagers. Get some kids at the high schools to hand
out fliers for you. Again, make sure the school doesn't have a problem, or if it
does have a problem try to get your helpers to be smart about handing out
fliers. The last thing you want is some kid to get in trouble for you.
Since this is the 21st century you should also alert any local music websites
as well, and get them to post the info on their concert listings.
Finally, send a press release to your local "alterna-paper". Every
town has some sort of alternative paper, usually a weekly rag that lists
upcoming art events, concerts and that sort of thing. Use them, that's what
they're there for.
Lesson #8
~The day of the show.
Go to a store and buy a case of cheap bottled water for the bands. Don't
forget to bring your box of goodies (from #6). Make sure you have plenty of
change for the door. Nothing is more unprofessional than not having change for
people.
You should be able to access the venue to set things up at least two hours
before you schedule the doors to open. Use this time to set up the sound
equipment, and any lights you may have brought with you. You'll also want to set
up your table at the door where your ticket person will be set up. If you have
access to them it's also a good idea to provide a table or two for the bands to
set up their merchandise on. Once the sound is ready, the lights are set up, and
the bands have arrived it's time to open the doors and hope that your promotion
pays off with tons of people showing up to rock out.
During the show you'll want to wander around and check on things inside and
outside the venue. Randomly check bathrooms to ensure that no one is dead on the
toilet or having sex in a urinal. Walk through the parking lot to keep people
from tagging the side of the building. Check backdoors to see that no one is
sneaking in. Make sure that things are running smoothly, but try to have a good
time and enjoy the music as much as you can. The key is to keep things under
control, but still have fun.
If you happen to be using someone's house, basement, or garage, be prepared
for the police to show up or the neighbors to complain. It's just a simple fact
of life, house shows get shut down. If kids are drinking, keep them inside, or
try to make sure they're not drinking on the property. Always keep calm and be
polite when dealing with the police, if you treat them nicely they'll hopefully
return the favor. Sucking up your punk rock rebel pride is much better than
having to pay a $500 noise citation.
Lesson #9
~Post-show fun.
So the bands rocked, the kids had fun, nothing burned down, things went
really well? Lets hope!
After the show is over you get to count the money and pay the bands.
Hopefully enough people showed up for you to break even on your costs (don't
forget everything: venue rental, sound rental, fliers costs, etc, etc), and if
you're lucky you got enough people in the door to give the bands a little extra
for playing and to put a little bit in your pocket to put towards the next show.
Then you get to deal with the best part of the night!!! CLEANING!
You always want to leave the venue looking exactly like you found it, if not
a little bit cleaner. This is just respect to the owners, and it helps grease
the wheels if you wish to use it again. See if you can get a couple of your
helpers to pitch in with the sweeping and mopping. (A word of advice, try not to
use any venue that has a wood floor or a linoleum floor that'll scuff up easily.
These are the biggest pains in the ass to clean up and can take hours to
properly clean. Spending an hour scrubbing boot marks off a grange hall floor is
NOT a fun way to spend your time after a show.) Be prepared to clean up some
pretty gross stuff. Do a check of the outside of the building and the parking
lots. You don't want the owners to find a big stash of beer cans hidden in the
plants the next morning.
Then you get to decide, did you like it? Was it worth the time, money, and
effort involved? Do you feel cool now?
So that's about it. It's not that hard to
do. Really.
Keep in mind that the above
hints are mainly pertaining to punk/indie/hardcore/emo style shows. Nothing
major. You can apply the basic rules to just about any style of music, just keep
in mind the changes that will go along with each style. If you have any
questions please feel free to email me.
