What Booking and Playing over 100 shows taught me
After booking and playing over 100 shows I learned a lot about people, and communication.
I started playing shows in high school. We would book out a hall, hand design posters with the info. Use the infinite poster hack (top secret). Armed with a backpack full of flyers and a borrowed staple gun, its time to get flyer-ing.
One of the biggest struggles or hurdles was learning to be confident these shows would break even. A broke high school kid who was banking on people showing up and being able to pay for the space, the bands, etc. Somehow it always worked out.
When I was in college, it got a bit easier. Still broke, and hoping people showed up. There were times were I could only give the bands gas money, and I'd buy a t-shirt or record.
Some of the best shows I booked took over a year. It came from sending the email. Reaching out to the bands you want to see and ask, "Hey Do you want to play a show in Burlington, VT. We would love to have you. I'll take care of all the booking and bands playing with you. Love the new record."
Then wait. I forgot I even sent some emails, and then BOOM a reply.
GO TIME, make it happen. permalink
Similar thing with planning a tour for myself, send the email, follow up. Get in the car and play anywhere that said yes.
Sometimes that meant playing in a basement in some punk house, playing in The Meatlocker in Montclair, NJ or in a treehouse. Getting to those these places was an adventure.
Touring in December in a 2001 Chevy Cavalier lead to a lot of stories to tell. Chicago and back. The cool part about this tour was I got to see a lot of friends from bands I booked in Burlington. The DIY music scene is great at supporting each other. Getting places to crash was the goal after the show. Generally a couch (or a love seat), sometimes a corner of a punk house, sometimes at a rest area on I-80. Driving from Pittsburgh to Philly in a total blizzard on non-toll roads because (broke college kid), taught me touring probably isn't for me.
The hardest part about this tour was that I was solo. Long drives during the day, playing the show at night, repeat.
Life looks a lot different now. permalink
There are lots to take away from these experiences.
Send the Email!
Never know how it will change your life.
Follow up.
Don't hear anything after a week, follow up with a couple things
Actually show up.
This one would drive me nuts, bands showing up late or not showing up at all. Do the thing you said you'd do. That goes along way to getting another at-bat.
Make friends!
This has been the coolest part even though its been over a decade since my last show, I'm still in touch with a lot of the friends I've made. Bandmates, people I talked to for 15 minutes one night still grace my Today's Birthday list on Facebook.
Go send that email, and make it happen when you get a response. The worst that can happen is they say "No". 95% of the time the NO isn't even personal. Its terrible timing or they don't have the bandwidth. Ask for a referral of a spot thats open, OR just send another email to somebody else.