Gigging thing - opinions, please!

[mrph]

(With apologies to diffrentcolours for poaching the title...)

There's been a fair bit of debate about gigs and promoters elsewhere on LJ today - mostly about a specific incident, but with some discussion of what should be expected/provided, good practice and all that sort of thing.

And thinking about it, there are a few musical and promotery types reading this journal. So...

What advice should be in a FAQ/guide for first time gig promoters?

Or, from the other point of view, for new bands who are about to start playing gigs?
Edit: actually, there seems to be a very decent take on the band's checklist here. Which the gigging thing lyrics indirectly reminded me of... :)

Comments

[markeris.livejournal.com]

Stuff that seems common sense but clearly isn`t :-

1) Do not assume that whatever kit is in the venue will match whatever kit the bands need. When it doesn`t it will be YOUR fault. You can swap lists of tech kit with both parties without understanding what it means - you understand what the words OK and NOT OK mean, yes?

2)Do your maths. If your break even point is above 50% capacity, particularly if you are just starting, you have no one to blame but yourself later. In particular do not be trying to weedle out of paying bands due to making a loss in what to the naked eye is a fairly rammed venue.

3)And then assume less than 50% of people will turn up anyway. And that you have enough cash on you to cover everything. If you are caught with your pants down over this, you WILL get yourself pinned into a corner sooner or later if the first expense you cut is the band fee. One assumes it is much easier to pop down the bank and back into the venue to pay them the next morning than it is for you to get mnoney to the bands afterwards for a start.

4) A post on upg and netgoth IS NOT A PUBLICITY CAMPAIGN.