I'm going through a bit of a musical quiet patch at the moment band-wise and stuff, and something that kinda crossed my mind was maybe organising some gigs as a "promoter" of sorts.

Having played numerous gigs for a couple of years, I like to think I have a decent idea of what's involved with running a gig, as well as a view of how I think the "terms and conditions" for all parties involved should be. I think the ideas I have work reasonably well on paper, and now I'm planning to kinda put them into action, if nothing else, as a kinda response to how many badly-run gigs I've both played at and attended as an audience member.

Has anyone ever tried this before? I've been involved with various occurrences of my band booking a gig and getting others along as support acts and stuff, but never attempting it as a stand-alone promoter. If anyone has any useful tips/silly wee bits of advice etc., I'd love to hear them.

hu$tla

I used to do that a few years ago but I wouldn't know what to tell you, because nothing we did was easy, well-organised and happened with no problems. I would do it in a club with a bar (you wouldn't have to worry about it), and security (most of our so called "festivals" would end when the police arrived because drunk people tend to punch each other). I think most small clubs would be interested, after all, you'd be bringing people in.
Make some flyers and try to promote as much as you can, never too soon, never too close to the date (both are bad), internet, radio, posters, anything you can think of, usually just 30% of the people you think that would go actually show up.
Then worry about equipment, it has to be good, it has to be reliable, it has to be there on time. And the bands have to be serious and help promote and be there on time as well for soundcheck.
In the end, you never know how it's gonna go... and thats the fun.

__________________
No tongue, my lipstick!

booooo...

fuckit, I'm giving up on my plan.

a recent joke of a law has been pretty much passed where promoters in scotland need public liability insurance to put on a gig. Suits the money-makinm big guys, but it appears they forgot where all the raw talent actually comes from. Basically, now, if I want a gig in Glasgow, I gotta rip off Franz Ferdinand and bring along 9334 teenage girls barely old enough to drink.

Cynical cunt? yes.

use the 13th note. it's 40 (or 60 quid) booking but if they make 120 (or 140 again i forget which) quid on the bar booking is free. for that you get a usually good sound engineer and the pa. all backline has to be brought yourself but apart from that you promote and run the night yourself, deciding ticket prices, who plays etc. we've never failed to make the money on the bar and even with ticket prices at 3 quid tend to make between 90 and 200 quid to split between bands. depends how many people show up though.

although, promoters at your level (i'm assuming this will be small and local) tend to just be ripping bands off and taking money from them that they could easily pocket themselves. depends what you're offering though i suppose.