Live performance is glamorous and exciting. But performers often forget that club owners have a different perspective on music than musicians do. For venues, it's business, a very serious business, fraught with risk and considerable competition. The question for you to keep in mind when approaching the booker of a live venue is; why does this club book certain artists, and not others? What is the criteria to get a gig at this venue? The bottom line for club owners is they need to make a living at their profession, and the only way they can do that is to book acts that fill their club.
Artists who wish to get booked should have a list of their accomplishments to present to a booker. The booker needs to see your promotional kit. The promo kit contains a cover letter, a bio, a photo, a selection of press clips, possibly a Fact Sheet, and, of course, a CD (CDR) or tape of your music.
When sending a demo, always be sure to put contact information on the label, and the J-card or cover of the CDR, (as well as every other part of the promo kit). Only three or four of your best songs should be on the demo. The demo for a club can be a live recording, unlike studio-produced recordings sent to radio station specialty shows. If you send a CD, mark three or four songs that are most appropriate for the venue.
Types of Venues
There are many kinds of live venues. Besides clubs, there are:
bars and taverns conventions
coffee houses music conferences showcases
festivals industry showcases
fairs non-profit charity organization shows
concert halls association functions
schools street corners
churches raves
book stores house parties
record stores frat and sorority gigs
shopping malls restaurants
How many more live music venues can you think of?
This is just a partial list; the point is for you to think about all the alternatives you have for playing your music in front of an audience. If you do well at non-traditional venues, the nightclubs may be more inclined to book you - especially when they know people have been coming to your shows in droves.
When dealing with venues, keep in mind that many have a business agenda that may determine whether or not you're qualified to perform at their venue. Each venue is out to achieve its mission or goal…get people to have a good time and drink a lot of refreshments, and/or eat a lot of food, or donate to some worthy cause. Your job is to convince them that your music will help them achieve their goal.
Artists who are just beginning to perform live have a tough time getting their first shows. You can't get a gig unless you've gotten other gigs, and you can't get other gigs until you get that first gig. So be it. Everyone has to start somewhere, and many artists frustrated by this situation have simply rented a space, gotten a permit, rented a sound system, and put on their own show. At least then they can say they have performed live.
Things to Think About
o It's the job of the bookers to be aware of what new acts are causing a stir in their own backyard. It's also their job to listen to the demos that come in the mail by the dozens every week. This brings up the issue of protocol. Yes, there is an etiquette for all areas of music marketing, and the protocol for dealing with bookers is: mail the promo kit, wait a week to ten days, and then call the booker to ask for their response to your kit. Believe it or not, politeness and respect are fairly uncommon virtues in the music business. Make sure not to interrupt meetings. Ask the person if now is a good time for them to talk. If they request a call back, do so at the time requested.
o Artists and bands that think they're ready for prime time may not be. It's a good idea to have at least two or three hours of prepared material that can be performed live. If you have only half-an-hour or an hour of songs, the clubs will not likely be interested in booking you. Different clubs have different needs. Some offer special nights for open mikes, or showcases for unproved acts. Be sure to check the booking policy of each venue.
o It's a good policy to not be too picky about what venues to play. The more resistant venues may become friendlier if your act is out in the local scene and your name is listed on radio station concert calendars and print media calendars. The venue bookers check out their competition. If you're out there playing gigs, the bookers will eventually take notice. That's part of their job.
o Once a venue books you, they add you to their schedule and include you in their press releases, calendars, posters and flyers. This doesn't mean that you should leave the promotion of the concert to the venues. On the contrary, you should notify your fans with a mailing notice, print up your own posters and flyers, and promote your shows in any creative way you can think of.
Performance Contracts
o The music business is very fond of contracts. The record, publishing, merchandising, and management sides of the industry are contract crazy. In the performance arena, there are indeed contracts, but in the beginning they are more of the handshake or verbal variety. When your act gets more established, you can rest assured that the written contract will be around. This doesn't mean that a beginning act shouldn't try to get something in writing.
o The verbal contract between a club and an artist may simply be an agreement that the artist will perform on a certain date, at a certain time, for an agreed upon length of time, with what specific other act, and how much will be paid. Many venues require some kind of written confirmation of a verbal agreement made over the phone. This is to the advantage of the artist anyway.
o Without a doubt, the single most contested area is how the artist will be paid. The act may receive a flat fee, a straight percentage of the door or ticket sales, or a flat fee plus a percentage--where the artist receives a guaranteed fee plus a percentage of the door after the venue (or promoter) reaches a break-even point. Remember, the venue is concerned with making and not losing money, so the break-even point for a show is based on the costs of putting on the performance, which include promotion costs and any "guarantees" that may have been made to the artist for their performance.
Here's the information you'll need to complete a live performance contract:
o Name of Purchaser or Buyer (Name of the Club Promoter):
o Name of Artist :
o Terms of the Deal: The deal you accepted and the amount of money you'll get paid.
Here are the four most common deals you will encounter:
Flat or Guarantee Example: $ 300
Versus Example: $ 300 versus 30% door (which ever is higher)
Plus Example: $ 300 plus 30% door
Points/Split Example: 50/30/20 of Net
o Date of Event:
o Set Length:
o Deposit (if any):
o Who will pay to whom, how much, and when:
o Admission Fee (Ticket Price):
o Capacity of the Venue:
o Act of Nature (Force Majeure):
The force majeure (literally "superior force") clause is applied when there is an unexpected event that causes performance of the contract to become impossible; it releases one or both parties from their rights and obligations.
o Cancellation Fees;
o Recording by Permission Only::
o Promotional Commitment: This, for instance, specifies the minimum amount of money you, the band, expect the club to invest in advertising the show.
o Merchandise: How much the club takes from the gross of merchandise sold.
Booking Agents
You won't need a booking agent to book your local or regional shows. Booking agents (for the most part) are people who make their living off established artist and bands who have a steady stream of income coming in from touring regularly. You may be attractive to an agent's services when your live performance career has grown to the point that the attendance at your shows and the amount of shows you are doing are taking up more time than you can handle. Once you've accumulated a solid list of accomplishments, it's possible that agents will be interested in you and may even seek you out. It's also possible that you will be approaching themIn other words, when you can prove to an agent that you are a money making act, then they be interested in working with you. An agent will (help you) decide which markets to hit on which route, select and book clubs, take offers and negotiate deals. The agent is responsible for you having venues to play at on your tour.
Here are some important points to remember when considering signing a contract with a booking agent.
o Term
The agent often asks for a contract of three or more years; you will want to keep it to one year. Shorter is better for you, because you can split if things don't work out, or squeeze the commission down if things do. If you give more than a year, make sure you have the right to get out after each year if you don't earn minimum levels. Note that there's a very good chance you will never sign any papers at all. This varies with the policy of the agent. 
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