So, there’s been a lot of stuff going on the past few months and it’s stuff that I don’t have any direct personal experience with. So a lot of it has been made up on the fly using best judgment.
For instance, booking a show at a decent sized venue with a well known name behind it. It took the following things for that to happen:
A band with a story.
A contact.
Another two bands to make a complete bill.
Research.
Persistence.
I think it took 6 weeks before I got an answer. Research suggested that the hold we had on the date could be challenged, so that’s what happened.
Also, created a complete bill and brought that to the venue.
One of my friends reminded me that I was now a show producer. Ok, I guess so.
The venue offered a 50/50 door split, which I was told seemed high, but from our perspective hedged the bet for renting the room.
I had to offer the other bands an even split to get my band to headline.. which I guess I didn’t have to do. Whoever own the show, or the distribution channel, calls the shots. It’s the same in any business.
Learning.
In order to make a splash, the band really wanted to sell out. So rather than waiting for the ticket fairy to come buy tickets online, the band started selling them by hand. All of them.
With 4 days left, the show sold out.
We went down to the venue and picked up tickets 100 at a time.
Band members paid management and then went off and sold tickets.
In the end, we paid both bands their guarantee and donated all the rest of the money to a cause the band is supporting, all proceeds from a sold out show.
All of the above was the first time the band had done any of this. Lots of fear and trepidation because it’s all unknown.
It was overcome, not because of any kind of great faith, but because of action. Action was taken, over and over and over. Faith without works, however, is dead.
The funny thing is that fear of the unknown can be so paralyzing…
What’s the solution to this? All of the a j em was overcome with ACTION! Get busy!! Do the work! Nothing ventured nothing gained!!
Just a Dude 