I’m an amateur photographer and someone came up to me at this show the other night and said I wasn’t allowed to have a camera in the club. I figured it would be okay to take pictures since it was a small show. Someone from the club and someone who looked like they were with the band said it needed to be in my car. I paid for my ticket so why can’t I take pictures?
-Jessica. Buffalo, NY
If you are not an accredited press photographer the public relations company will not let you shoot their clients at the request of management. This has nothing to do with your skills or love for the band. It is just easier to control that way. You’ve seen on entertainment shows and gossip websites how bad certain people look with unauthorized photos. This is why they have these rules. Your cell phone, even if it’s a crappy picture is the best bet as these days because it’s so hard to oversee. If this is your life goal a good idea is to contact the pr company and they may help you set it up. Don’t do this with the tour manager on the day of show because he doesn’t have the authority to do photo opportunities past fan photos.
I’ve touched on this subject before but want to go into more detail…
Headline bands do not let other people use their equipment. Period. These are usually very, very expensive pieces made specifically for that artist. As much as they perhaps feel for you and would like to be able to loan you
something their techs want you to use this considerably less and would probably kill you. Your best chance is to maybe get a set of strings or an extra outlet. But using the headliner bands equipment is never going to
happen. Well, unless you are in a bar opening for a former 80’s hair metal band. Your best bet is to have the promoter provide it for you or haul your own gear in there. But make sure you check with the headliners
production manager and stage manager before moving any of your equipment onto the stage area.
My band recently played a hall and I had an old dude come up to me and say I wasn’t allowed to plug anything in. He said he was with a union and no one in my band could do it. What the heck?
-Nick. Morgantown, WV
That is because he was with I.A.T.S.E. (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees). If this was an IATSE hall do what they say. Don’t ask questions, this was not a joke. This is the most powerful union in the entertainment world and you don’t want to mess with them. If it’s not a union hall you can mess with people all you want. If you anger these guys they cam make your show an utter nightmare.
Lately I’ve been working in a bar and the part time at the civic center as a security guard. I want to know how I get to tour with bands as a security guy. I’m very big and although I have a small criminal past (years ago) I am very loyal and great in a fight. How do I hook up with some of these guys to work?
-Jack. Dallas, TX.
Hey buddy. First most the “security officers” that work as body guards with major acts have military, police, or Special Forces backgrounds. They are recruited by major companies such as Halliburton and are very well trained for all types of situations with any level of celebrity. The bar bouncer mentality is not permitted in the current climate of the concert industry. Acting like a tough guy is just asking for trouble (and a lawsuit). Not to mention a criminal background will cause everyone a headache when crossing over borders.
Most security directors can conduct briefings with the local police department, fire department, and venue staff. They are aware of legalities regarding pyrotechnics, how far the venue and hotel are from one another, and how to take separate routes if needed. You don’t learn this while removing a Budweiser from drunken patrons or throwing out a kid who crowd surfed one to many times.
I work for a local transportation company who does ground transportation and we do a lot of bands to and from our local airports. Since I’m also a musician I like to talk to these people about the business and what they do. Some of them seem real quiet or just rude and act like they don’t want to talk to me on the ride. Is everyone in the business this rude?
-Cam. Long Island City, NY
What you need to do is be quiet. We are either trying to sleep, on our phone and computer working, or in a walking coma. This car ride may be the only quiet time we have all day. Not to be rude but your job is to get us from point A to point B. We appreciate the ride and all but please be quiet. Let me do my job and you do yours. Hopefully one day your band will succeed and you’ll have your own driver and realize all of this.
Once again as opposed to answering a question I’m going to speak about something that happens every day in our office. Sometime between 7:30am and midnight people call wanting to book Miley Cyrus, Justin Timberlake, Garth Brooks, Kanye West…. You get the idea. When you get off of work go home, watch some television, and relax. You are not a concert promoter. If you’re not willing to loose hundreds of thousands of dollars doing this then all you’re doing is being a curiosity seeker. The people who call us should have the following things in order.
The act you are looking for.
Date of the event.
Venue where it will be held (which has been cleared already with the facility).
Who is paying for all the additional costs besides and above the bands fee.
Do you have the money to send a 50% deposit?
Who will be signing the legal papers.
Will there be other acts on the show.
If it’s an outside event who will be providing power and staging
And most important of all, what is you’re realistic budget for talent? Bryan Adams will not be playing your wedding for $20,000 no matter how big of a fan you are.
I’m a promoter in a smaller market but have been moving up to do larger shows. How much do I really need to do for the band and their crew? I mean I’m paying them and they still want me to feed everybody. What are they doing with the money I’m giving them?
-AJ. Salt Lake City, Utah
Larger acts on tour spend the entire day in your building or venue. This is after riding on buses all night long. They are looking forward to breakfast before putting up truckloads of equipment and lighting that will make your show a success. They don’t usually leave until after 2am so it’s their home for the day. And when you see things such as “bus stock” on the rider it means the food and beverages that gets the act from your city to the next. Then it’s the next promoter’s problem. Trying to cut costs on feeding them makes you look like an amateur. You’re not in this by yourself and no ones trying to take advantage of you. You wouldn’t expect to be on a flight for 6 hours without someone feeding you so you cannot expect someone to be doing your show for over half a day and not provide them with meals.
This next post doesn’t come from a question but it’s something I want to address for people who read my blog. When you or your acts are working in a corporate atmosphere you are not the only person in the world and neither is your artist. As part of a complete program you are needed to act in a more communal environment with various people who you don’t normally deal with on your tour. You need to be able to be nice to the florist, party planner, ushers, waiters, bus boys, and everyone else who has to share your part of real estate in that world. Being able to have a conduit at the venue is a great, great help and planning with them will make this so much easier. A good rapport between all members of the team is an important part of making a show a success. Whether you may think people aren’t important because of what they do, find out and make them a part of your planning. With the decline of the concert business corporate events are an important revenue stream. The quicker you learn how to work in this field the quicker you’ll make the money that’s readily available.
My band was just involved for opening a big show at a corporate date in NYC. The bands crew and what I was told was a production manager for the headliner, who’s name I won’t mention (but she’s an old rock chick) were very nice but wouldn’t cooperate with our advanced needs. They didn’t let us use their dressing room, eat the catering, or use any of their equipment. Their sounds people had separate boards and we are able to use one but I felt a little slighted as we were co-entertainers on the event.
-Scott. New London, CT.
On all shows, especially corporate events, there is an extremely intense timeline. Usually the headline act doesn’t have the latitude to be able to help you get what you need. The headliner has even less time then normal and everyone is scrambling. You are the last thought on their mind. As far as addressing the other issues no one uses the headliners room but them. This goes for any show. This isn’t summer camp. Also equipment? Its “not mi casa es su casa” when you are talking about real bands. Every band member has certain equipment specialized just for them along with a tech who works with that specific musician. As far as being onstage for a sound check, don’t worry, no ones there to see you. You sir are background music. Hate to sound so harsh but your band got $1,500 and my band got $300,000. My duty is to my artist and my clients, not to make you feel better. Sorry. If you’re not able to adjust to these things you should think about not taking these types of engagements and sticking to wedding gigs.
I’m in a blues band that plays regionally. We have our own label and manage sell a fair amount of records. We see all types of small bands being on huge stages with lots of people in the crowd who aren’t very talented. We have been doing this twenty years and we are still driving around a van playing in bars for 40 and 50 people a night. We are a great blues band but can’t make ends meet on music alone. What should we do?
-Robby. New Orleans, LA
You’ve committed yourself to this genre of music. Sadly with the emergence of rap and other nonsense has lessened the need and want for blues music. This is an absolute national treasure that is disappearing due to apathy of young people to not associate with anything that doesn’t have bling and flashy cars. This is along with the failure of schools to teach any type of music history just makes things tougher. The majority of blues fans are middle aged, middle class, and live in towns where those blues bars you play are located. That’s the way it is and it’s your direction. Thanks for keeping the blues alive.
