| |
So, you want to put on a show, eh? That's a nice idea. A
great way to get exposure for your band and a good way to get a good gig.
But it takes a bit of organization in order to pull it off. You gotta plan
almost everything in advance and be ready for the unexpected. All-ages
shows are great, but for the most part they're very disorganized and they
usually have lousy sound. With some planning, a little hard work and some
arm-twisting, you can pull it off and maybe even make money at it. Here
are a some tips on how to set one up.
The first thing you have to do is have someone in command. All-ages shows
tend to be group efforts and too many punks can spoil the mohawk. There
has to be one person to make the decisions and to ensure that everything
has been taken care of. Is that you? Good, then take command. Don't be
wishy washy about the details. In a nice sort of way, let everyone know
that it's your show. Delegate responsibilities, yeah, but keep on top of
things just in case someone doesn't hold up their end. If someone isn't
doing the job they're supposed to do, such as book the PA by a certain
time, then take that job away from them and do it yourself. Be nice, but
be firm. Make sure everyone knows their duties beforehand, so if you do
take over their job because they aren't doing it, they won't be surprised.
They might be pissed off, but they couldn't do their job and the show's
the important thing here. Keep on top of things and keep in touch with the
people helping you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE HALL
Once in command (don't be like Patton though), the first thing you have to
do is book the hall. You've probably been to similar all-ages shows
before, so which halls did you like? Try to get one with a stage; it gives
a more professional feel to the show and it will keep any moshers from
banging into your equipment. Go for a hall that has room for 100-200, but
not too big. Book the hall at least six weeks in advance. Phone around to
all the community type halls in your city and get quotes. Be up front with
them about your all-ages show. If they don't want you, try someone else.
Someone will rent you a hall especially if you act professionally. Try to
get a hall near major bus/subway/train routes. Most kids don't have a car
so if they can use the transit system to get to your show, then great.
Also look at a hall near one or two high schools. If it's in walking
distance, more kids will show up.
Once you've found your hall, you'll probably have to pay a holding charge
or damage deposit. This is usually equal to the rent and SHOULD BE
REFUNDABLE. When you book the hall and give them a holding fee, get a
receipt and leasing terms. If they won't give that to you, find another
hall. Don't let anyone push you around and/or convince you that they can
be trusted. This is a business situation and if anybody's offended that
you asked for a receipt or for leasing terms, too bad. Get it anyway.
The average cost for a hall in my city (Edmonton, Canada) is about $300
plus $300 refundable damage deposit. Check around for prices in your city.
Instead of booking a community hall, try one of the local clubs. Sometimes
they may do an all-ages show. Just ask. The worst they can say is no. Also
look for theatres and performing arts centre. There's a place in Edmonton
that you can book for $450 a night and that includes a PA and soundman,
ticket takers at the front door. That's a good price and they'll even run
a concession during the show and for some extra bucks print some tickets
and move back a few front seats to allow for a mosh pit. Look around for
places like that.
When you book your hall, you'll probably set a key pick up time. Give
yourself at least six hours before the doors open. When you pick up the
key, you'll probably do a run-through of the place with the landlord. Make
note of any previous damage, etc. and write it down. Also note these
things with the landlord. They should also have a list of clean-up duties
that you'll need to do before you close the hall after the show. These
should be basic duties such as sweep the floor, put the chairs away, dump
out the garbage and ashtrays. You should not be responsible for cleaning
the walls, cleaning the toilets and/or anything heavy duty. Make sure that
list is in writing and set out in some sort of leasing agreement. Once
you've done a quick check of the hall and read the contract, sign the
agreement and take the key. Now the hall is yours. Do another check for
yourself, making note of outlets for the sound board, onstage amps etc.
Check out the front door situation and determine where you'll set up the
table to sell tickets. If there are chair and tables to set out, do so
know. Keep most of the floor open and just have chairs and tables along
the walls. Distribute ashtrays and garbage cans liberally throughout the
hall. When the show is finished and the bands have loaded out, clean up
the all according to the stipulations of the lease agreement. Check the
entire hall including the bathrooms for any damage or messes. Have your
friends help you. Once everything is clean, do one last check of the hall
and then shut off the lights and lock the door. Drop off the key as
arranged and you should pick up your refundable damage deposit at a later
date. If you've done your job, you should get all your money back. If they
deduct money from you, find out why. Stand up for yourself if you feel the
deduction is unwarranted. If there is damage, you'll have to accept the
loss.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Bands
This is probably the easiest thing of all. You know lots of band and they
need a show. Pick the bands you like or can work with and ask them to be
part of your show. Most bands will do it for free and you should not (at
first) offer them money, unless you make a profit. Then split the money
between the bands or buy pizza at the end of the show. Offer the bands a
chance to sell their crap at the show so they can make some money. If you
want to get a bigger local band to draw a bigger crowd, ask them to be
part of the show. If they want money, tell them you're some local guy
putting on a show and are looking for their support. They may be happy
with selling stuff at the show, but they still may ask for some money.
What you guarantee them will depend on your relationship with them and how
many people you think they can draw. This one is up to your own judgement.
But you should have no problem getting enough good bands to perform for
free.
Pick bands that fit together but don't sound the same. Don't have five
surf punk bands in the show because then people will get sick of it. Mix
up the styles a little bit but don't deviate too much. If you play in a
band, book bands that fit with you.
Once you have all the bands booked, work out a line up. You know these
bands and you know what level they are so use your judgement to set the
lineup. And just because it's your show, it doesn't mean your band is the
headliner, unless you are the best band in town or in this group. If
there's a better or more well-known band on the bill, they should
headline.
Make sure all the bands show up at the hall on the day of the show about
two to three hours before doors open. This gives them time to load in
their gear and maybe do a quick soundcheck (if you want). One thing you
don't want is bands loading in while the show is going on. This looks
really unprofessional and takes away from what is happening onstage. Once
the bands load in and/or do a soundcheck, they can leave and come back
about 1/2 hour before their performance. Give them an estimated time of
when you'll think they'll be on. Most bands will come at the start of the
show to see the other bands. Make sure you set off some space in the hall
for gear storage.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GEAR
You will need a PA and it should be a good one. Do you have one? If so,
great. If not, then check with the other bands to see what they have.
Maybe together you can make up a PA but you're better off renting. Maybe
someone you know at a music store can give you a good price. Maybe the guy
that recorded your demo can help out. Think about who you know and see if
they can help you. It's time to network here. Prices for PA's vary
depending on the size. I'm not a sound expert so determine the size of
your hall, ask around to the music places and get quotes. One trick is to
give them the size of your hall, hear what they suggest and then pick the
next smaller PA. With the PA, you will need mikes, stands, monitors, a
soundboard, etc. What kind and how many mikes do you have? Do you have
some monitors for rehearsal? How bout the other bands? Check it out.
Also check with the other bands to see if they will use somebody else's
gear. Will your drummer let all the other drummers use his kit and will
they use his kit? Try to convince them to because it will save a lot on
turnover time. Once a kit is miked and checked, it's set for the night.
Maybe your bass player or guitarist will let others use their amp? This
too will save on turnover time. Don't hesitate to ask.
If the stage has lousy lighting, you may want to get some. All you need is
two or three good stage lights on each side of the stage and cords. Forget
about a light board or an automatic runner; all you need is lights and
some stands. Again, like the PA and other gear, check around and compare
prices.
YOU WILL NEED A SOUNDMAN. Ask around and get friend to do it for you. Your
friend MUST HAVE experience in this. The sound is the most important part
of the show. If it sucks, people will know. Also check ads in bargain
papers, in music stores, etc. for a soundman. They may have their own gear
and could provide a low-cost alternative to music rental. Unless you are
the best soundman available, you should not do sound for the show, you've
got too many other things to worry about. If you are the best soundman,
have a partner work with you to set up the show.
Set up the PA right after you get the key to the hall. You have to make
sure everything is set and you have enough cords, mikes, etc. Set the
soundboard off to the side and put a couple of tables around it to protect
it. If you've decided to use the same drum kit for the same show, get it
miked and soundchecked ASAP. When the first band on the bill shows up, get
them set up and do a sound check. Check the monitors at this time. Your
soundman should be able to check the other bands during the changeover. If
you want to sound check all the bands, then start with the headliner and
work your way backward through the bill. That way the last band checked is
the first band up and they can leave their gear onstage.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SECURITY/VOLUNTEERS
Most of the all-ages show I've been to don't need a lot of security.
You'll need at least two people at the front door to take and sell tickets
and to stamp hands. You might also need on other person, preferably a
male, to check on stamps and to maybe, search some bags. Use your friends,
that's what's they're there for. You may need one or two male security
guys at the front of the stage. For the most part, they just have to stand
there, but they might have to stop people from climbing onstage. Do not
allow stage diving. I know it can be fun and adds to the excitement of the
show, but if someone gets hurts, you're responsible. If you plan to do
shows on a regular basis and book out of town bands to attract bigger and
bigger crowds, consider getting insurance. But with the shows I do, mostly
local independent bands, I've had no problems and I can usually convince
somebody from the bands to help out.
If you are expecting a big rowdy crowd, consider hiring someone. In
Edmonton, the local Rugby Association provides this service. They're so
popular that they provide security for all the big shows in town as well
as the little ones. They're really nice and don't have that security guard
attitude. Again, check around.
You will also need someone to run a concession. Most halls have a bar area
and having a concession is a good way to make a few extra bucks. Buy cans
of pop (Coke, Sprite and Orange are fine) in bulk from a warehouse store.
It usually works out to 30 cents a can (here in Canada) and you can charge
a dollar per can at the concession. Do the same thing with chips. Make
sure you have $25 at the door and $10 at the concession to make change.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TICKETS
Depending on the hall size, print out about 200 or so tickets. Go to a
ticket printer or do it yourself using yours or someone else's printer.
Have the name of the show, the hall address, the door opening and start
times, and the price on the ticket. That's it. Local independent record
stores and skateboard shops will probably sell tickets for you in advance.
Charge two prices, one in advance and one at the door. For a basic
all-ages show with mostly local bands it's $5 in advance/$6 at the door
(at least up here). Whatever is the going rate where you live should be
the price you charge. Make sure you charge enough to break even, but not
too much to scare people away. Watch your costs on everything.
You can give each band one comp ticket per band member to a maximum of
five. One thing you shouldn't do, and I learned this the hard way, is to
rely on the other bands to sell tickets for you. For my first all ages
show, I gave each band 20 tickets to sell to their friends and family.
Most of the bands sold a few and gave me the money and the leftover
tickets. One band, however, gave away most of their tickets or had some
friend hanging outside of the hall, selling tickets to those coming in and
pocketing the money for themselves. That was such a cheap, low-down dirty
thing to do that I vowed never to book that band again and am telling
other promoters or bands to blackball them. I put my money into the show
and I was trying to help move the scene along and build support for local
bands. And here these assholes were scalping tickets, basically stealing
from me and the other bands. So if you hear of a band called 50 Cents from
Leduc, don't book them or go to their shows. They even tried to steal some
flats of pop from the concession. Total assholes.
That incident taught me to keep track off all the tickets and have only
myself and someone I trusted to sell them (outside of the business that
already have tickets).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PROMOTION
You should have all the bands booked a month before your show. Once all
bands are booked and the lineup set, do your posters. You can do them on
your own using a computer or someone else's computer. Maybe you know
someone with some graphic design experience and they owe you a favour. Use
them. Print one poster, no smaller that 8X10 and copy about 250 (depending
on the size of your city). Check for copy prices or got to someplace like
Kinkos and do it yourself. Stick with black and white cause it's cheaper.
Also print off about 100 or so handbills to distribute. One thing you
should try to get is a couple of sponsors. Maybe one of the skateboard
shops or records stores will do it. Ask if they'll pay for the copying of
your posters, you'll put them down as sponsor on the poster. The local
independent or campus radio station and/or music newspaper probably have
some sort of sponsorship program so contact them. Getting a couple of
sponsors will help keep costs down and add more promotion punch to your
show. But don't have too many sponsors and don't have competing stores
acting as sponsors. If a skateboard shop agrees to sponsor the show, try
not to have another skateboard shop as another sponsor, unless they don't
mind. Ask them about it first.
One month before the show, poster the shit out the city. Do it legally.
Use about 100 posters or so, no more than 150. Put posters in all the
usual locations especially in the stores selling tickets. Get the bands to
help.
Seven to five days before the show, poster the shit out of the city again.
The same week, drop by the various high schools near the hall and hand out
your handbills. If you're at another show, hand out your handbills. If
you're playing at a club or somewhere else, announce your show and hand
out handbills. Make people know the show is happening. Contact local
newspapers, magazines, radio stations and other media, and tell them about
the show. (see story on media relations). Try to talk to reporters and get
a preview story written. Go to the local campus or independent radio
station and ask them to interview you on-air a day or so before the show.
They'll help out. Get your show put on the coming soon listings or
whatever listings there are in your city newspapers or magazines. The more
you promote, the more people will come out to see you.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MISCELLANEOUS
There's a shitload of tiny little details when putting on a show. Try to
put the show on a Saturday during the school year to give you plenty of
time to set up and a night out for the kids. During summer Thursday or
Friday's are good too. Saturday's are still the best. Try to start the
show at 6 or 7 depending of the crowd. Don't run later than 11 cause kids
have to be home by a certain time and many catch the bus. End the show at
10 or 10:30 if you can. Make sure you have sheets of paper and pens for a
mailing list. Tell the crowd that you have mailing list so you can tell
them about the next show. A good trick is to get all the names on the
mailing list and send them a card announcing the next show. On the card
say that if they bring the card and a friend who pays full price, they
will get in for 1/2 price. It's a good way to build a following and to get
more people to your shows. It's also a good way to announce CD releases
and other developments for your band.
Have two or three tables for bands to sell their stuff. Have an ink stamp
(waterproof like at the clubs) to stamp hands. When you print your
tickets, stamp the back of them before selling them to prevent
photocopying. Put the following signs near the front door:
MOSH IF YOU WANT BUT NO STAGE DIVING PLEASE
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SEARCH BAGS FOR ALCOHOL AND DRUGS
NO DRUGS OR BOOZE ALLOWED
WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INJURY CAUSED AT THIS SHOW
ENJOY THE SHOW BUT TREAT THIS FACILITY WITH RESPECT
THANKS FOR COMING
You might even want to contact the local police precinct and let them know
what you're doing. Here in Edmonton, the cops are pretty nice and even
walk beats. If you tell the neighbourhood cops what's happening, they'll
drop in just to see what's going on. Here, they're really nice about it
and they hang out for a few songs and yuk it up with the bands and kids. I
even give em a pop or two. It's good PR for them and it's nice to have
their presence around even for a few minutes just in case some idiots want
to start a couple of fights. If the cops know you're there, and something
does happen, then they'll be there to help you, not to come down on you. I
don't know what the cops are like in your town so it depends on that.
Get yourself some earplugs, you'll need them. Get earplugs for any of your
volunteers cause it can get really loud and your ears will ring for days.
If you're running the show, keep roaming through the hall to make sure
everything is running smoothly. Be prepared to takeover at the concession,
at the door or whatever. Sorry, but putting on your own show doesn't give
you the licence to mosh and forget everything else. Have fun but remember
you're responsible for what's happening so stay on top. Check the
bathrooms every 1/2 hour or so. Walk outside to check on things (remember
that band scalping tickets? This is how I caught them.) Have the front
door people make a check for everyone that shows up. Have two lists: those
with tickets and those at the door.
Anything else I can't remember but the most important is to have fun and
make sure everything runs smoothly. If people see that you put on a good
show, with quick changeovers and good music, they'll come to your next
show, and the next one and the next one.
One final important thing is to thank everybody who helped. If you can do
it once just before the show starts and sometime near the end. Make the
announcement yourself from the front centre mike. Tell the people who you
are (the organizer of the show or whatever), thank them for coming, tell
them about the mailing list, make them aware of the stuff the bands have
for sale, ask them not to stage dive, thank the bands for coming, thank
everybody who help out and name names. Enjoy the show.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wayne Arthurson is an award-winning writer with 10
years experience in journalism, public relations, media relations and
communications. His first novel, OBIT, a political satire, was published
in 1996. Wayne is the full-time drummer for SMAK an Edmonton-based punk
rock band, the part-time drummer for The Numbers , an Edmonton-based mod
band and is a founding partner of Ashtray Records. SMAK's first CD, King
Size, will be released this spring.
|
|
