When I first started booking shows as a solo singer-songwriter, I noticed that the pay scale varied widely based upon location and venue type. Not surprising, and not that troubling back then. I didn’t want to miss an opportunity or turn anything down. I wanted every show I could land! I needed to get in front of the house and the audience alike and prove something, more to myself than anyone else.
But, there came a time when I started weeding out options. I needed to establish some criteria by which to determine the venues I’d play and the ones I’d pass. Maybe you're at that point.
Your first instinct might be to ask which venue pays the most? That’s a pretty savvy way to look at it. If you’re going to go out, lug your equipment, and spill your heart in front of a room full of people, it might as well pay!
You wouldn’t be wrong to think that. You’re not wrong. Let me propose, however, that there are reasons to play a venue even if they pay little to nothing, and reasons to refuse some venues that pay well!
Cashy money.
First off, cash is still king -the one thing they haven’t figured out how to embed with a surveillance system! A venue that pays in cash is more profitable than a venue that pays the same, but requires a W-9 (Wait, I’m supposed to claim it all no matter what, right? Yes. Yes, that’s true. My mistake.). And, there are some venues I’ve played in which the cash tips outperform the house pay (make sure you claim those cash tips too…)!
In the latter case, the crowd is energetic and involved and they let you know with their dollars. Those shows are some of the most exhilarating! That’s a good enough incentive to play all by itself (I’ll get to that next)! It is great to work out a strong hourly rate or guarantee, but it is even better to have the crowd vote you into their hearts and show you with their cash.
A good crowd.
A good crowd is a like-minded crowd. They show up beyond the tips. A good crowd will also buy your merch, both to support you and remember the evening.
They are the crowd that is likely to talk you up to others. That works for you in at least a couple of ways. There’s a good chance some of those enthused folks will talk to the promoter or the venue owner. If they don’t say something directly, it's likely word will get back to them that you are someone they should hire again. Beyond that, the next time around, those people will bring friends. In between time, they’ll talk to their friends about you.
This is what you really want, because it is the best, albeit slow and hard to quantify, process of building community around your music. Playing to engaged, supportive crowds will lead to better shows, more shows, and other opportunities. Do the math. Even if the upfront pay is not entirely favorable, invest for the long haul. Play the good crowds. That’s where you’ll grow and ultimately see returns all around.
The day people and the night people.
Maybe it’s just me, but some venues are dry, boring, lifeless. Who knows who’s to blame! I can usually gauge a place best at the end of the night, after the show is over, the customers have left, and I’m sitting at the bar enjoying a hard earned drink. I can tell by the way the wait staff, the bartenders, and the bar-backs interact, by the way the manager motivates everyone and by the way they respond. If I feel like I’m part of a team, just for the evening, part of a well oiled, good-timing group of people, that makes me want to come back.
Usually, I think the patronage of a place has a lot to do with the atmosphere set by the staff. There are some exceptions, I suppose. If the staff wants to be there, if they are having a good time, it will attract the kinds of people who make for an enjoyable nightlife.
When I play a place, I try to consider myself part of the team for that evening. I’ve got my own goals and ends in sight, but I know the venue hired me because they have hopes as well. There’s a pretty good overlap in there and I try to appeal to that in any way I can without compromising myself. We’re all part of a symbiotic nightlife. Like Ray Wylie said, “It’s the night people’s job to take the day people’s money.” We’re on the same team.
I want to feel like I’m on that team with other people who understand the mission. I don’t want to be tied to day-people masquerading as night people, or people who don’t know what kind of people they are. It is more enjoyable to be on the same page with a venue than it is to play for some owner who can’t wait to snort his earnings, or a corporatized sell-out machine that couldn’t care less about the music (give a listen to the song Gravitational Forces by Robert Earl Keen). While you’re looking for the good crowds, keep a look out for the good venues too. They’re likely to overlap!
It pays in beer.
Money is just a medium of exchange. It’s not money you want, it’s what you can buy with money (eh, sometimes)! So, don’t overlook the venues who cut out the middleman (and the tax burden of said middle man) and give you what you want in place. The most practical things I’ve been comped are beer, food, and lodging. Not only should you consider the cash value of these things, you should also be prepared to negotiate with them in view. If a place is offering a lower rate than you’d like, ask if they’ll throw in food and drinks. Play to the strength of the establishment. If you are playing a hotel, rooms come cheap to them, and sometimes go empty. Consider what they have to give that is of low cost to them, but high value to you.
If you’re playing for a large venue or establishment and these things were not negotiated beforehand, don’t be afraid to belly up to the bar or table after the fact. I’ve gotten all these things outside of a contract. I’m not saying you should be trying to work the system. I’m just pointing out that in a larger organizations there is often a disconnect between what goes on in an office somewhere and what happens on the floor. The people you communicate with and play for might not be, might not even know, the people with whom you set up the show or event. Those people onsite have certain leverage. If you are kind and professional, they’ll often want to bring you into the fold and treat you to whatever is in their power to offer.
It’s all good in the end.
There’s no way to know going in. You can ask other musicians or the venue, but the only way to know is to play a few times and see what pans out. Let’s call it prospecting. Just like the grizzly, old dudes hunkered over a pan with their feet in the cold, cold stream, you’re gonna have to suffer a little discomfort and uncertainty to determine the benefit of playing a particular venue. Remember, everyone has off nights. You, the venue, the crowd. You can’t really tell after a time or two. If you’re gut feel is that a place is dead or played out, skip it. If you’re uncertain, give a place a few chances before you make your final decision. At the very least, making repeat appearances at a difficult venue will challenge you to work harder on your live show and presence.
Playing music is a long game. You are developing something. The places you play are part of that. Choose them carefully. Choose them based upon their merits and shared values. You never know when the combination of your music and their hospitality will create the place people want to be.
Just getting started?
If you’re just starting out, my advice is to be a shrewd negotiator, but take what you can get. If you’re hungry for opportunities and you can afford to break even or take a loss, play! Play ‘em all! Every time you play you have the opportunity to hone your craft, gauge crowd response, practice your songs, your delivery, and build your confidence.
Now, go forth and book some shows. I use Indie on the Move. Let me know how it works out for you.
But, there came a time when I started weeding out options. I needed to establish some criteria by which to determine the venues I’d play and the ones I’d pass. Maybe you're at that point.
Your first instinct might be to ask which venue pays the most? That’s a pretty savvy way to look at it. If you’re going to go out, lug your equipment, and spill your heart in front of a room full of people, it might as well pay!
You wouldn’t be wrong to think that. You’re not wrong. Let me propose, however, that there are reasons to play a venue even if they pay little to nothing, and reasons to refuse some venues that pay well!
Cashy money.
First off, cash is still king -the one thing they haven’t figured out how to embed with a surveillance system! A venue that pays in cash is more profitable than a venue that pays the same, but requires a W-9 (Wait, I’m supposed to claim it all no matter what, right? Yes. Yes, that’s true. My mistake.). And, there are some venues I’ve played in which the cash tips outperform the house pay (make sure you claim those cash tips too…)!
In the latter case, the crowd is energetic and involved and they let you know with their dollars. Those shows are some of the most exhilarating! That’s a good enough incentive to play all by itself (I’ll get to that next)! It is great to work out a strong hourly rate or guarantee, but it is even better to have the crowd vote you into their hearts and show you with their cash.
A good crowd.
A good crowd is a like-minded crowd. They show up beyond the tips. A good crowd will also buy your merch, both to support you and remember the evening.
They are the crowd that is likely to talk you up to others. That works for you in at least a couple of ways. There’s a good chance some of those enthused folks will talk to the promoter or the venue owner. If they don’t say something directly, it's likely word will get back to them that you are someone they should hire again. Beyond that, the next time around, those people will bring friends. In between time, they’ll talk to their friends about you.
This is what you really want, because it is the best, albeit slow and hard to quantify, process of building community around your music. Playing to engaged, supportive crowds will lead to better shows, more shows, and other opportunities. Do the math. Even if the upfront pay is not entirely favorable, invest for the long haul. Play the good crowds. That’s where you’ll grow and ultimately see returns all around.
The day people and the night people.
Maybe it’s just me, but some venues are dry, boring, lifeless. Who knows who’s to blame! I can usually gauge a place best at the end of the night, after the show is over, the customers have left, and I’m sitting at the bar enjoying a hard earned drink. I can tell by the way the wait staff, the bartenders, and the bar-backs interact, by the way the manager motivates everyone and by the way they respond. If I feel like I’m part of a team, just for the evening, part of a well oiled, good-timing group of people, that makes me want to come back.
Usually, I think the patronage of a place has a lot to do with the atmosphere set by the staff. There are some exceptions, I suppose. If the staff wants to be there, if they are having a good time, it will attract the kinds of people who make for an enjoyable nightlife.
When I play a place, I try to consider myself part of the team for that evening. I’ve got my own goals and ends in sight, but I know the venue hired me because they have hopes as well. There’s a pretty good overlap in there and I try to appeal to that in any way I can without compromising myself. We’re all part of a symbiotic nightlife. Like Ray Wylie said, “It’s the night people’s job to take the day people’s money.” We’re on the same team.
I want to feel like I’m on that team with other people who understand the mission. I don’t want to be tied to day-people masquerading as night people, or people who don’t know what kind of people they are. It is more enjoyable to be on the same page with a venue than it is to play for some owner who can’t wait to snort his earnings, or a corporatized sell-out machine that couldn’t care less about the music (give a listen to the song Gravitational Forces by Robert Earl Keen). While you’re looking for the good crowds, keep a look out for the good venues too. They’re likely to overlap!
It pays in beer.
Money is just a medium of exchange. It’s not money you want, it’s what you can buy with money (eh, sometimes)! So, don’t overlook the venues who cut out the middleman (and the tax burden of said middle man) and give you what you want in place. The most practical things I’ve been comped are beer, food, and lodging. Not only should you consider the cash value of these things, you should also be prepared to negotiate with them in view. If a place is offering a lower rate than you’d like, ask if they’ll throw in food and drinks. Play to the strength of the establishment. If you are playing a hotel, rooms come cheap to them, and sometimes go empty. Consider what they have to give that is of low cost to them, but high value to you.
If you’re playing for a large venue or establishment and these things were not negotiated beforehand, don’t be afraid to belly up to the bar or table after the fact. I’ve gotten all these things outside of a contract. I’m not saying you should be trying to work the system. I’m just pointing out that in a larger organizations there is often a disconnect between what goes on in an office somewhere and what happens on the floor. The people you communicate with and play for might not be, might not even know, the people with whom you set up the show or event. Those people onsite have certain leverage. If you are kind and professional, they’ll often want to bring you into the fold and treat you to whatever is in their power to offer.
It’s all good in the end.
There’s no way to know going in. You can ask other musicians or the venue, but the only way to know is to play a few times and see what pans out. Let’s call it prospecting. Just like the grizzly, old dudes hunkered over a pan with their feet in the cold, cold stream, you’re gonna have to suffer a little discomfort and uncertainty to determine the benefit of playing a particular venue. Remember, everyone has off nights. You, the venue, the crowd. You can’t really tell after a time or two. If you’re gut feel is that a place is dead or played out, skip it. If you’re uncertain, give a place a few chances before you make your final decision. At the very least, making repeat appearances at a difficult venue will challenge you to work harder on your live show and presence.
Playing music is a long game. You are developing something. The places you play are part of that. Choose them carefully. Choose them based upon their merits and shared values. You never know when the combination of your music and their hospitality will create the place people want to be.
Just getting started?
If you’re just starting out, my advice is to be a shrewd negotiator, but take what you can get. If you’re hungry for opportunities and you can afford to break even or take a loss, play! Play ‘em all! Every time you play you have the opportunity to hone your craft, gauge crowd response, practice your songs, your delivery, and build your confidence.
Now, go forth and book some shows. I use Indie on the Move. Let me know how it works out for you.
Why listen to me? I do all my own booking and promotion. I’ve supplemented my income by thousands of dollars a year (and growing), mostly from live performances and tips. I still work harder on music and creative endeavors than any other aspect of music “business” -I still do more of what I love. Oh, and I’ve got a wife, four kids, other work and hobbies to attend to. You can do it. I promise. Feel free to message me if you find yourself in despair -no sob-storytellers alright, just hard-working musical barbarians with real questions or hang-ups.
Dustin Drennen
Dustin Drennen
