Pros & Cons of Playing No-Cover Shows
Given the unmatched popularity of a recent post we published, ”AN OPEN LETTER TO VENUES THAT EXPLOIT THEIR MUSICIANS“, I thought it would be worth posting some observations from playing in venues that don’t charge cover. This blog may be more applicable to singer/songwriters and bands that play to “listening audiences” in theaters, galleries, and intimate [...]
The Best Way to Book a Tour
Booking is hard. Here are some valuable tips on how to hopefully make things a bit less stressful. If you have other tips, post them in the comments section. 1. Start with the Weekend Where do you want to spend your weekend? Book your Friday and Saturday gigs first? Its likely that these will be [...]
How To Negotiate With A Venue that Says They Can’t Pay You
Its a topic we return to time and time again on this blog. Payment. And by the way, we really loved hearing your comments in “Do You Really Expect To Get Paid” a few months ago! My approach to payment is continually changing on a case-by-case basis…depending on whether an event is a benefit concert, [...]
How Much Do I Charge A Friend?
Today’s “Ask Grassrootsy” Question comes from Lydia, a book publicist in Houston, TX. Its a pretty universal question that can be applied to any trade. How much do you charge someone when they’re a friend, or a friendly acquaintance? Here are some thoughts. Feel free to offer yours in the comments section. THE QUESTION: I [...]
Are There Some Shows I Shouldn’t Be Playing?
Is every show really worth it? If you’ve been playing out for some time, maybe you’re starting to ask yourself this question. So how do you answer? I think the answer will be different for every artist, depending on your ultimate goals and a plethora of other things that factor into the equation. Here are [...]
Where Has All The Funding Gone?
Funding is fading! At least that’s what it feels like. Funding for the arts has always paled in comparison to funding for other things; but I’ve noticed even more of a decline in the last year. I especially can’t believe how many “sorry our budget is much smaller this year” conversations I’ve had in the [...]
How Do You Know if a Show Will Be Worth It?
So you’ve been asked to do a few shows but you don’t which ones you should take. I think we’ve all run into this. DON’T take every gig because some really aren’t worth it and who has time to waste. Choose wisely. Weigh you options and base your show on how it will further you in [...]
Jumping the Gun – Booking for the Spring and Summer
It’s the end of February…the perfect time to begin booking for the Spring. February has always been a busy month for me as this is the time I start planning my April shows. And April has always been the busiest performance month for me b/c bookers are finally taking advantage of the good weather and trying [...]
Cutting Costs Without Cutting Corners #1
Let me preface this post by saying…If you have any better or additional suggestions, please comment below. Who doesn’t need ideas on saving $$$? Recording Finding cheap recording rates is a very difficult thing. Studios can charge anywhere from $25 to $100 an hour (or even more). When you’re looking to record a project, make [...]
