The Truth about Booking Shows for Musicians in New York City
Whoever said, “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture” must not have read Jack Kerouac. In On The Road there’s a passage about a tenor saxophonist killing it in some sawdust saloon in San Fransisco. Reading about that energy, about how the crowd is riled up, egging him on to just blow until his head explodes, never fails to get my heart rate up. That kind of scene is the reason I want to play music. That’s how you write about music! It’s the raw connection the audience feels with the performer. Perhaps that’s how you’d dance about architecture, too.
The truth is, musicians have got to love performing their own music this much because everything else surrounding playing a show is a nightmare, and New York City just magnifies the problems. Everything from booking shows to hauling your gear on the subway to tiny stages, this town is not for the faint of heart. Of course, the thing that’ll suck the soul right out of you is booking your own gigs. The truth is, booking your own shows takes thick skin, patience, networking, confidence, and organization.
I’ve lived and played shows in and around four US cities: St. Louis, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Indianapolis, and now New York City. By far, New York is the biggest racket. In fact, smaller markets actually pay more. And to make sure we’re all on the same page, I’m writing about the gigs for musicians and bands that write their own, original music. The cover band, party band, wedding band, big band, etc. is a different gig altogether.
If you’re planning on moving to a city like New York or Los Angeles to “make it” with your band, please read this. I can honestly say everything I love and hate about playing music revolves around booking and performing shows in this town. I may make it sound like there is no hope for any of us, but keep in mind I do this every month, and in the end, it is definitely worth it. Just be prepared going in.
How much does it pay?
This is the first question everyone asks, and actually the reason I’m writing. The truth is, nothing. Getting paid is a bonus. While there are many reasons for this, the big three are:
- Many venues just don’t pay.
- “Promoters.”
- You’ve got to pay the band.
Some venues pay, some don’t.
The supply of bands out weighs the demand, and so clubs can find plenty of free entertainment. I suppose there could someday be a Musician Revolution where we all unify and refuse to participate in this system for free. Enough is enough! But musicians as a group aren’t cut out for that sort of confrontational attitude, and there will always be the younger guys or weekend warriors that don’t care about money willing to play for free. This is kind of unfortunate, but it’s reality.
Of course, there are paying gigs out there, but they are more competitive. All that means is that if you can bring people to your show that will spend money at the bar, you’ll get to play there more. You also must keep in mind that just because it’s a big city doesn’t mean people will automatically be in that bar. In fact, most clubs with live music do not have many regulars. Instead, they rely on the bands to bring in the crowd.
There is also the option of a door charge or cover charge. If you feel like your fans will spend the money just to come in and see you play, then you are on your way to making some money. The only problem with a cover charge is that somebody has to collect it, and if the club is providing that person, they might get paid out of that charge. It’s not uncommon for a club to charge $5 at the door, keep the first 10 paid customers and give you $3 for every customer after that. Personally, I’ve never been a fan of this option. I’ll explain later.
“Promoters” that don’t promote.
In New York, I often see homeless people opening the door for people outside of Dunkin’ Donuts and asking for change. These are people that have no job, so they create their own, without really asking permission. Similarly, there are people who have created the job of scheduling bands to play 45 minute sets at various clubs, do nothing until the night of the show, where they show up and take money from you and your fans.
To summarize, there are some booking companies that use a “Pay-To-Play” scheme to make their money. The deal is you have to sell X number of tickets to your show ahead of time, and the night of the show you have to pay the promoter the total amount for all those tickets before you’re allowed to play. After that, whatever you get paid is at the discretion of this promoter. This would make sense if the promoters were creating flyers or posters, sending out email blasts, or doing anything to create buzz around their events, but they usually don’t do this. Actually, in my experience, they never do this.
This may sound similar to the cover charge explanation above, but it’s not. In the first scenario, part of the cover charge is paying an employee of the venue. In a pay-to-play scenario, your money is going to somebody that has nothing to do with the club, other than setting up these shows.
I suppose these third party promoters remove the headache of dealing with bands for club owners and managers. But since they’re able to make money off the pay-to-play deal, they do ZERO promoting themselves. Frankly, this whole scenario boggles my mind. I have never and will never participate in this sort of scam. The only attempted justification I’ve ever seen is that “if every band brings in their X number of people, then you will be playing to all of their fans as well!” In reality, the other bands and their fans will shuffle in and out during your set and not give a damn about your music.
Your drummer needs to do his laundry.
Unless your band acts as an equally balanced, well oiled machine and splits the $0 evenly, chances are you need to pay the people performing with you.
If you’re in my band, any given gig will pay at least $50, and considering the caliber of players I’m fortunate enough to have on stage with me, they’re probably getting ripped off. If you’re me, all I can guarantee is -$100 or ($100) or $100 depending on how you do your accounting. I break even or make enough money to forget I got paid about half the time, but I always pay my band. I think Duke Ellington once said the best way to keep a band together is to pay them. It’s worked so far for me.
My guys are aware that I’m paying them out of my pocket most of the time, but they also realize I’m committed to any opportunity that would bring them more money. Once my music begins to get more footing, which it will, these guys will always be my first call and will always get paid as much as I can afford.
Similarly, I’m a sideman from time to time and get paid something. I see things from both sides of the coin, and it’s all part of building good, professional relationships. Just pay your band. You’ll get yours if you stick with it.
So why do it?
Let’s face it, playing live is what being a musician is all about. This is how to connect with people. Find your fans. And you never know who might be in the audience, so each performance is an opportunity for bigger and better things. If you do things right and focus on making good music and playing well executed, engaging shows, the rest will happen. A great live performance in undeniable, and if you can get people excited about your music, you’ll find doors opening for you. You just can’t let everything else get you down.
I view gigs as a form of advertisement. I’m ok paying for that advertisement by not making any money. That’s why I avoid adding a cover charge. Why give somebody an excuse to not walk through the door? Contrary to popular belief, I’m actually making decent money SELLING music. Part of this is because of playing live shows. I don’t talk much between songs, but when I do, I’m either introducing the band or telling the audience that I have music for sale. Sure, it feels a little weird telling everybody who I am, but how else are they going to know? Your gigs are the perfect opportunity to tell people about your CD.
Make your life easier.
You know what they say about New York City–if you can make it here, you’ll make it anywhere. Well, they don’t make it easy on you, that’s for sure. Here are some tips making this less painful:
Organize your contacts. I keep a spreadsheet with venues I’ve contacted, as well as an organized set of folders in my email inbox. This way I can quickly figure out who I’ve contacted, who has written back, and when it all happened. Also try to meet these folks in person. It always helps to put a name to a face.
Write professional emails. Starting with the subject line, clearly state who you are, and even name their venue. For example, I’d write something like “Booking Cameron Mizell / Jazz-Funk / Blue Note”. I shouldn’t need to explain why. The rest of your email should be to the point, use correct spelling and grammar, and hold a polite, professional tone. I recommend you spend some time writing an easily customized form email, so all the important stuff is consistent in every email you send out. Just be sure to put the contacts name and venue in the email so it doesn’t look too generic.
Follow up. Stay in contact with these people. If you’ve just played a show, write the booking agent in the days following just to say thanks, it was fun, let’s do it again. If you are still trying to book your first show but haven’t heard back from anybody, write again a couple weeks later. Forward your previous email with another note just explaining that you’re following up. Emails get lost, it’s nothing personal, so be politely persistent.
Never burn people. My rant on promoters that don’t promote is the only problem I really have with the whole booking game, and I never work with those people, so I could care less if they decide to black list me. Frankly, it’s their loss. However, everyone I DO work with is great. From the people who book the gig to the sound people, managers, bartenders, etc. As I learned working at venues, it’s very important to treat the staff with kindness. Thank them from the stage, at the end of your set.
Put yourself in their shoes. Let’s face it, this is the best thing to do in all areas of your life, but it’s especially helpful when you’re trying to book a gig. Imagine how many people like you are trying to get their band a gig? Imagine how many of them are terrible. Are you one of them? Would you want to get the emails you’re writing? Think about these things before you make your first impression, and it’ll make a difference to many of the bookers, talent buyers, managers, and owners.
Good luck!
About the author
Great, great post! And timely. My band has really started playing in New York City in earnest the last few months, with more shows on the way, and you definitely hit the nail on the head.
Bringing your own crowd is key, as we’ve predictably really only been invited back to the places where we made a good showing. That’s the nature of the business. And the most we’ve been paid in New York City thus far has been a $6 profit. That’ll buy you a bag of chips and an iced tea.
But I really think your best tips are “Follow Up” and “Never Burn People.” And they fit in any city. It’s amazing when, even if you don’t bring in as many people as the club would like, they’ll have you back if you were really nice to them.
Good stuff Cameron!
11/3/2008
Man, I can’t say enough about that jazz club scene in On the Road. My only hope as an artist is to, just once, be able to create something as perfect and beautiful as that one chapter. I was a Kerouac fanatic for most of my college days and when music school was getting us down my friend and I used to dust off On the Road and read that chapter out loud.
This last spring I saw the Kerouac exhibit at the NY Public Library. They had a replica of the scroll – very interesting.
11/3/2008
In the DC metro area things are similarly structured. For an original rock band, the show opportunities basically come through “promoters,” direct contact with the venues, or national/regional “battle of the bands” competitions. All of which involve selling massive amounts of tickets and whoring out your friends for virtually no profit. We’ve gotten a few “play for free” opportunities at charity events when we don’t have to draw but it almost always amounts to them just wanting to use our PA for free and then we play a 30 minute set to a small, disinterested audience. We can get paid up $400 if we’re willing to demean ourselves for 3 hours and play “Sweet Home Alabama” in front of a bar crowd who couldn’t give two shits about original music.
The best gig we ever got was when we were given the chance to open for Armor for Sleep at American University. We got paid and had a few hundred college kids instantly interested in our music. Sales were huge for that night, though interest has waned despite our best efforts to keep those fans engaged. Still, it’s been one of our best shows to date. Those are the real opportunities to get our music out that we’re looking for these days.
11/5/2008
If your not getting paid much and perform in front of small crowds, why wouldn’t most startup bands just record their sets and promote like crazy on the internet. Sell your CD online and go for it. Maybe that is not the solution but it seems like it is time to find a solution using the available technology.
11/22/2008
This article couldn’t be less helpful. You spend the majority of it convincing us that we shouldn’t expect to get paid. Ok, yeah, no shit. The question most musicians want to know is, HOW DO I GET THE GIG? The only answer you provide is, send emails…and make sure they are professional sounding. Great. That advice doesn’t help anyone. Emailing doesn’t work. It doesn’t get anyone’s attention. You should have spent the majority of this article explaining what exactly we can do to get a venue’s attention. You mention a face to face confrontation helps…ok is that it? What if the guy in charge doesn’t want to see you? Or what if they just say: send me an email!
I really think that no one knows the best way to get gigs in a big city. The only solution is to know someone who can help you out in some way, some contact on the inside. Period. There is nothing else to be said. so stop acting like you have something more helpful to say because you are just deceiving us all.
4/12/2009
No one can give you a guaranteed road map to getting a gig – someone is going to need to be into your music (or convinced that others are into it enough to buy tickets to see you). Then you’re still up against the bookings calendar and any number of other factors that are specific to the venue you’re targeting. What this article does is tell you the best way to approach venues, the best way to follow up and what to realistically expect to be paid for a show. If you send an unprofessional email filled with demands that no venue or promoter is going to meet, then you’re not going to get booked. If you aren’t professional when you follow up or you take to your soap box because someone hasn’t gotten back to you fast enough, you’re not going to get booked. This may sound obvious to some people, but if you spent a week booking gigs, you’d learn very quickly that this info is most definitely NOT understood across the board.
Sure, it’s true that booking shows, like lots of things in the music industry, comes down to who you know. To become someone who knows the right people, you’ve got to get out there and try to develop these relationships. This article tells you how to build bridges with the people who are in a position to help you without rubbing them the wrong way. After all, they have a lot of people demanding their attention. It’s extremely helpful information and an honest, realistic assessment of the world of show booking. That world may be a frustrating one, but this article tells the truth about it. There aren’t easy answers, and it doesn’t try to sell you one. I for one find that refreshing.
4/12/2009
Person – this is a well written article by an experienced musician that gigs regularly in New York City. It sounds like you haven’t had as much luck, and my best advice to you would be to pay more attention to the information that you find from musicians like Cameron. Including this article.
If you’d like some advice specifically on finding gigs, please try these articles:
5 Ways to Find Musician Jobs
Top 10 Gigs You May Not Have Thought Of
How to Get a Job As a Pianist
Find Gigs on Craigslist Using Search & RSS Feeds
How To Find Gigs With Google Alerts
Getting Started As a Musician
The Next Level – Getting Started As a Musician, Part 2
How To Get a Cruise Ship Musician Job
Musician Jobs
If those don’t interest you, try these articles:
Booking a Gig: Basics
Swap a Gig
Lastly, if your emails to booking agents or contractors have any hint of the attitude you just showed in your anonymous comment, its likely that you will continue to have trouble booking gigs.
4/12/2009
When I was out actively playing music professionally, my band went out and played for free for about 2 months locally. We basically played at all the jam session or open session nights letting the host band take a break for about 15-30 minutes depending on how long they let us play. The host bands love this since they still get paid the same and can relax for a few songs while my band showed different owners what we could do. Like I said this is playing for free but really helps you with a reputation and we sold as little as 1 cd or sometimes 20 cd’s in one night using this tactic.
Consider these play times as live auditions for a club owner and remember to keep a copy of your contracts or business cards handy the nights you play.
We ended up with some really nice repeating gigs that ended up making us decent money. Now I have a real job in the daytime but I play out on an average of 3 nights a week adding about 5-10k a year depending on venue and cd sales.
5/11/2009
Solo Musicians:
I am a solely devoted to fingerstyle & classical SOLO guitar playing.
I decided to make money as a musician so i became a soloist. I fully intend to play in nice restaurants, bars as well as for weddings.
I live in harrisburg, pa (small city) and have been told a typical gig will $ 200.00 at the bare min– a wedding $ 300.00
My advice to all guitarists would be to lose your band and go solo! guitar players are a dime a dozen–it’s no wonder “bands” starve.
I intend on making a nice living in harrisburg, philadelphia, baltimore as a solo player.
i paid my dues learning some pretty tuff stuf. my payday is around the corner.
my best,
jim-jim
11/9/2009
Recently I decided to “go solo”, but in a unique way. Finding it hard to form a band I decided to invest my money in a rig that allows me to combine live processed harmonies with backing tracks so that I can sing and play rythmn and solo guitar and sound like a full band. The only problem is it takes at least 15 minutes to set up my rig and another 15 minutes to break it down. Most venues in NYC seem to allow for only 30 to 45 minutes for a set. When I explained my set-up/break down time issue to a “booker” I was told that that I would get no more than the time allowed. Which means if I spend 30 minutes setting up and breaking down I’ll get how much? 15 or 20 minutes of actual performing time!
6/2/2010
Hi Cameron –
Just wanted to say a sincere ‘thanks’ for taking the time to share your tips with other musicians. There’s a lot of great advice contained in this post, and I can certainly vouch for the efficacy of sending professional and polite emails, always being courteous, and taking care of the musicians in your band. I managed to go from college graduation to being a full-time musician (making a comfortable living) in just a couple years by doing my best to follow the rules you’ve outlined above. And yes, it seems as though the gigs in smaller cities help to financially cover those you play for free in places like Chicago, LA and NYC. When I do a tour I just make sure that I have enough paying gigs in the not-quite-so-large cities to offset the expenses of those few where I’m just playing for the door, a percentage, merch, etc.
Keep up the great work and writing!
8/11/2010
Cameron,
Oh how true this is! As a musician in the New York scene you have to strike a delicate balance with promoters. You also have to be clear to yourself what you expect from a venue. I have 3 requirements when approaching a venue or dealing with bookers.
1. Is the venue known and designed to have live music (good sound, an allotted space, run listings)
2. Do they have a website and will they link to yours?
3. Is there potential for walk in crowd or overlapping bands? (you want to grow, not bring the same 20 fans to all your shows)
thanks again!
Devlin
8/13/2010
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