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How To Book A DIY Show: 101
FINDING A VENUE / STUFF BEFORE THE SHOW
Firstly, you’re going to need a venue. Most VFW /KOC’s / ELKS halls will run you 3-400 dollars for a night, if you know a VFW hall that is cool with doing shows then you’re set, but if you’re calling up new ones and trying to do shows at them, make sure you explain to the owner what goes on (charging at the door, kids moshing, what kind of music it is) I’ve showed up to shows and as soon as the music hit, and kids started dancing the owner walked in and shut it down. MAKE SURE THEY KNOW WHATS GOING DOWN, DON’T DOWN PLAY IT

Some bars will do shows, but sometimes that gets confusing, they won’t let you handle the money, they take bigger cuts of the door and expect people to be drinking a lot, but sometimes if you find a cool bar to do shows and you can get a good deal, go for it

If you don’t have any money for a venue, or the bands you are booking don’t draw enough to cover your costs and still effectively pay them...look into finding a friend with a big basement (or even a big garage)

Make sure you have a PA lined up for the show and make sure it’s lined up a good amount of time in advance, because with no pa, you don’t have a show

Make sure you PROMOTE PROMOTE PROMOTE for your show, and this doesn’t just mean posting on a message board and bulletins, if you have a shows coming up, go to as many shows as you can before it with a stack of fliers so people KNOW about your show, not everyone posts on the internet or has a myspace to read bulletins (shocking right?) If people don’t know about your show, people aren’t going to come, you’re going to lose money and you’re not gonna have anything to give to bands

Also, go to record stores, skate shops and anywhere else there are a lot of people and just drop off a stack so people can see it, most record stores have a bulletin board for shows....Hell, EVEN HOT TOPIC has one for local bands to post up stuff

I have met too many people who have had awesome shows with awesome bands that no one came to and they lost a ton of money because they just didn’t take the time to promote, IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE TIME TO PROMOTE, DON’T DO A SHOW

DON’T MAKE BANDS PAY TO PLAY, SELLING TICKETS SUCKS AND GOES AGAINST ALL DIY ETHICS

AT THE SHOW
Make sure you have the following things....a bank (some personal money used for change because not everyone pays exact change), a cash box, a marker or wrist band (i suggest wrist bands because people are scummy and will mark their own hands to act like they paid), water for the bands, and a solid location by the door that people can’t really get by without paying

DON’T LET YOUR FRIENDS IN FOR FREE AND DON’T GIVE BANDS WHO DON’T DESERVE A GUEST LIST, A GUEST LIST

Look at it this way, you let 10 friends in for free, thats a hundred dollars (assuming your show is 10 bucks) that you don’t have towards the venue or paying the bands... if someone is REALLY strapped for cash, ask them to just help out...i’ve got a couple friends who sometimes just don’t have money, but are always willing to help clean up afterwards or something like that... also, just because someone is "with" a band, doesn’t mean they should be let in for free....merch guys are the exception, but just because a band rolls up and is like "yo this is my friend" doesn’t mean they don’t have to pay, i’ve got friends, and they pay so the bands friends have to pay too

Some bands who are bigger and tour more do get guestlists, and thats fine and cool and all, just don’t let them abuse their power, it’s your show, you can put your foot down and say "okay, you guys can have 5 guests" because some bands seriously want like 10-15 people on the list and if it’s not including in a rider (contract that some bands have when they go through agents of stuff they want for the show) then you don’t have to give it to them, remember, it’s your money on the line

Make sure you have a general idea of what time the sets are going to go on, lets face it, shows rarely start on time, but really try to get it to come close esp if you only have til a certain time for the venue...if a band shows up real late and missed their spot, unless you have extra time, sometimes its just not doable, i’ve had local bands show up 2 hours late to a show expecting to play when they were supposed to open, if they can’t get there on time, it’s not your fault and sometimes it’s not theres, but the show must go on


PAYING BANDS
TOURING BANDS COME FIRST AND SHOULD GET A BIG CHUNK OF THE MONEY

I understand a lot of the time locals are the ones who bring out kids for the show, but at the same time, they get to go home, eat and sleep in their own bed and don’t have to worry about driving 8 hours to the next show..... If you don’t have enough money for a touring band, go to the atm and get some, it happens to all of us, it’s happened to me, i’ve had shows shut down literally minutes before they happened by firemarshalls and shit, 3 touring bands still got paid 80+ dollars each and had money to get to the next show, there is NO EXCUSE NOT TO PAY A TOURING BAND ESP IF YOU DID THE SHOW FOR THEM

Sometimes shows just flop, and you won’t have money and it will have to come out of your own pocket, it blows, but at the same time it’s your responsibility since it’s your show..... if a band is out of state, at a MINIMUM i would say they should get 50 dollars, AT THE VERY LEAST, people don’t realize just how much money goes into those big vans for gas, it’s ridiculous how much gasoline those things guzzle up, ask anyone who has ever been in one

If you have extra money, make sure to take care of the locals, i always take care of bands but sometimes it’s just not doable to pay all the locals and if you’re in a local band you need to understand that

(stolen from somewhere else, has really good points in it)

NOW GO BOOK A FUCKING SHOW