Do I need to feed the band and the crew?
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.
