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• Reputation: 48 Q&A: 1 0 0 29 1 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Expert: 1 topic Music Panel Follow Following 0 Jake London

  1 0 Bookers have a lot of days to fill. So if someone else steps up and does some work filling some of them, that can help lighten the load a bit, and allow them to be more effective on the other nights they have to fill. I know I helped organize a monthly songwriter night at the Sunset Tavern for 5 years. I'm sure one of the attractions of it for the owner/booker was that it was 1 less night a month he had to handle. But I benefited too. I got to play every month in a great venue. I got to know a lot more great musicians, and a lot more people got to know more about me as a performer and about my music. People still ask me about that night five years after we stopped doing it (got too busy in the rest of my life). So maybe the booker likes your thing (and/or likes you personally), but doesn't feel he or she knows the landscape of bands that fit with you as well as you do. So it's better for everyone if you put a good bill together. Or maybe they like you and your music, but the reality is that your band does not draw well enough for them to put energy and resources into putting bills together for you at this point in time (but this could change if your thing grows more). Or maybe they've come to find that when the bands put a bill together, they are more inclined to work harder to promote it and get people out to the show. All that being said, if you have local bookers at reasonably good clubs, who will answer your e-mails and phone calls, and are open to you putting bills together and making a show happen at their club, you may not be all the way to where you'd ideally like to be, but you have definitely established some legitimacy with these people. A lot of bands are not yet so fortunate. Jake London answered in Music Panel over 2 years ago | Report 2 comments by Joel and Jake London… 0 0 That makes sense. Even if it's still kind of frustrating, I understand. On top of the issue previously stated, it'd be nice if other bands were as into networking as I'm trying to be to get this going. Joel commented over 2 years ago | Report 0 0 Try to have patience and persevere. These things take time, but if you keep working at it, little by little stuff will open up. I think this blog post by Seth Godin is a great summary of this stuff: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2006/05/barry_bonds.html Jake London commented over 2 years ago | Report Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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• Reputation: 26 Q&A: 1 0 0 8 2 0 Classifieds: 0 0 what's this? Expert: 1 topic Music Panel Follow Following 0

  0 0 Yeah, that happens but..... Never let a booker/promoter get in the way of your shows and career as a musician. There are going to be times when they don't do anything and the house still gets their 35% cut. As artists and business people, we must continue to find ways to make the shows happen, and make some $ in the process. Occasionally, doing the work that is someone else's job is necessary to advance your own career, but if you feel taken advantage of, then perhaps there are other clubs/bookers/promoters (and bands!) willing to work with you in a way that makes for a good show and better business. The best shows offer something unique, and it doesn't matter wether you've booked your Mom's backyard, or the Paramount theater! Just make it kick ass! P.S. Please invite me to your backyard BBQ rock and roll fest this Summer! Vincent Gates answered in Music Panel over 2 years ago | Report Comment on this answer Enter your comment or ask a new question New comments are not being accepted at this time.

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