In case you were wondering how things come together on a night done well…

By: Will Bryant

The anticipation and excitement, the electricity in the air, the total emersion and escape – nothing compares to seeing a band live. Concerts allow fans to see their favorite artists perform and be exposes them to other artists’ talents. A show can bring joy to groups and draw strangers together, yet very few realize the behind-the-scenes efforts involved to put a good show together.

The first, and arguably most important, step in planning a concert is determining a venue for the show. This should be done at least two months ahead of time. How many people are anticipated? What venues are available? Where are the venues located in proximity to the anticipated audience? Friday and Saturday nights are the most sought after and carry the most expectation. It is a good idea for organizers to err on the side of a smaller venue to ensure a more intimate feeling. Booking the venue can be a tedious process that requires persistence and is often a case of hits and misses. A best practice is to secure interest from a few venues with multiple available dates. This flexibility comes in handy when contacting artists about their availability for performing.

The next step is to secure the musicians. Performers are often the most difficult variable to nail down. Though many artists have managers, most are still very “do-it-yourself” minded and book their own shows. I prefer to work directly with bands as managers have sticking points (i.e., questions about percentages of doors, guarantees, etc). That being said, anticipate slow response times and hesitation about committing to a date when working with artists. I have encountered situations where a band has committed to a lineup only to cancel a week before the show.

The first band to contact should be the biggest audience draw – the headliner. Have a few bands in mind and give them a proposed lineup or bill. It may take a few days of contacting bands to find a headliner due to scheduling conflicts or disinterest. Some artists may inquire about compensation, so organizers should be prepared to give a ballpark figure (generally a percentage of ticket sales after expenses). Once a headliner is secured, reach out to other artists to support the lineup. The supporting acts should complement the headliner and pique the interest of patrons. There is no hard fast rule that a heavy metal band would not work with an experimental jazz trio, but be sure there is some sort of crossover interest. Ticket holders want to feel like they are getting their money’s worth.

Once a lineup is established, reconnect with the venue to book the night and finalize logistics for the evening. How much are tickets? How long is the venue available? Is there a backline of instruments for the bands to use? Does the venue charge a flat fee or do they take a percentage of the ticket sales? Are there additional costs such as sound engineers or promotion fees? Who is responsible for ticket sales? Does the venue take responsibility for checking IDs? It is better to have a clear understanding of these questions well beforehand or the evening could end in arguments and possibly fracture a relationship with a venue or artist.

With the bands and venue sorted, it is time to promote the show, generally about two weeks before the event. I often work with a team to design a poster and distribute it in the area of the show. The poster image is also used to promote online via Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. It is a good idea to get bands involved with promotion efforts. Send them the poster and encourage them to blast a note to their mailing list. It is a delicate balance between informing music fans about the shows and inundating them with spam.

One week before the show, ratchet up the promotion and establish a full breakdown of the night’s revenue after venue expenses (their cut). An example of a typical breakdown may be 10 percent to the opening (or first) band, 15 percent to the second act, 25 percent to the third act, 30 percent to the headlining band, 20 percent to the promoter. This scale slides based on the promoter’s efforts and expenses (posters etc.) and how many bands are on the bill.

There are a number of small tasks left to complete a few days before the show. Contact bands to establish guest lists (their limited number of individuals allowed into the venue at no charge), load-in times (when bands bring their gear to the venue) and sound check times (when bands will set up their gear and test sound levels). Smaller venues may require the organizer to provide a door person to handle ticket sales. If this is the case, the organizer will need to provide change for the doorperson (smaller bills) and a way for the doorperson to track paid patrons (a hand stamp is most common).

The night of the show, the organizer should arrive during sound check to meet with all bands to confirm set times and answer any last minute questions. Also confirm set times with the sound engineer as they are responsible for running the timetable of the show. It is also a good idea to make introductions with the venue’s staff (security, bartenders, etc.) as their knowledge may be helpful in the course of the evening. Make sure the door person is set with the guest list and change. Once all the components are finalized, the organizer can take a breather and watch the show, only stepping in if there is an issue.

The end of the evening is the most difficult for the show organizer. The door person and the organizer sit down together and sort out the finances. Each band will receive an envelope of their cash along with a handshake and hearty thanks for participating in the show. Return any borrowed supplies (a cashbox, mic stand, etc.) to the venue. After all bands have left, the organizer should do a spot check for any gear bands may have left behind (artists are eternally grateful for assistance in this area). The day after, send bands and the venue a quick note thanking them for putting on the show and reiterate your desire to work together again.

Putting together a concert is not the most difficult task in the world, but it does take some effort to pull off a successful evening. Each night is a gamble but is often a rewarding experience as music fans celebrate the gala that is a live show.