my response

[Jeremy David]

On 3/9/06, Matt Condon <arcane93 at comcast.net> wrote:
> Jeremy David wrote:
> > But then I still wonder, if you're a band, and you're playing in a
> > venue small enough that you don't need a professional promoter to deal
> > with the venue owner (Such as Club Cafe, Garfield Artworks, 31st St
> > Pub, etc.), and you're going to be selling most of the tickets
> > yourself anyway, and doing most of the advertising yourself, what do
> > you need a promoter at all for? Why not just do the whole thing
> > yourself?
>
> I would certainly think that would be your option if you want to do
> that.  On the other hand, the promoter still has quite a number of
> tasks.  The promoter arranges the venue, along with the sound system and
> sound person if the venue doesn't already have one.  He or she takes on
> the financial risk of any guarantees involved for the venue and the
> headlining acts.  He or she also takes care of advertising -- putting up
> fliers, placing ads in local publications, posting the show on the
> internet, etc.  I'm sure there are other tasks as well.  Really, selling
> tickets is only a very small part of the promoter's job.

If you're working with a hard-working professional promoter at a
mid-sized to large venue, then this can be the case. But often on the
level of local performance that we're talking about, with certain
promoters, you end up doing it all yourself anyway, and yet paying the
promoter for his "services." Chris is right. Most spooky-type bands
tend to do it this way. Nobody else does. Local indie rock kids
actually make money on their little shows, and don't deal with the
hastle of shitty promoters.

> I would hope that as a band member with an upcoming show, you'd be
> talking the show up to your friends and acquaintances regardless.
> Having tickets to sell isn't really that much more work, and just gives
> you that much more leverage to get people to show up.

Well personally, I actually make it a point *not* to do that. I don't
want to bug all my friends every time I have a show and nag them into
showing up so that I have an audience. If the audience is just there
because they feel some friendly obligation to be there, they probably
won't make that good of an audience anyway. I want people to show up
because they actually like the music. I don't want to be known to my
friends as the guy who nags all his friends to please show up at his
rock and roll show all the time. I don't want my friends to feel
obligated.


> Matt
>
> _______________________________________________
> pgh-goth-list mailing list
> pgh-goth-list at listless.org
> http://www.listless.org/mailman/listinfo/pgh-goth-list
>