Let’s assume that after following the brilliant instructions from Step 1, you’ve found a place that will let you have a show.
Now you need to actually set it up.
Booking touring bands can either be the easiest part or the most difficult—it just depends on how you go about it. If it’s your first show, it’s probably better to start off small, which means one band. One touring band will be plenty of work on its own. You don’t need to dive in head first on a 4-band tour package with contracts and guarantees that you probably can’t afford. The smaller the better and once you've got an idea of how things go, you can start moving on to bigger and better shows.
With the Internet (Myspace especially), any 5 guys with vague knowledge of how to play an instrument are able to cobble together 18 minutes for a set. They also think that since they have this 4-originals plus a cover song set, they need to go on tour. They
don’t need to and you don’t need to book them.
You don’t need to go after big name bands, but don’t start with a band that no one has ever heard of either. Those mid-level road warrior bands that tour 10 months a year are a good place to start. They usually have something tangible to support (a full length, a new EP, etc.) and know how touring works. They’re going to make your life (and your first show) a lot easier.
One downside to booking shows is that once you’ve started doing them, it creates a snowball effect. Every single band that’s been together for 5 months (like the one mentioned earlier) is going to get in touch with you about setting up a show. In a small scene (like Salt Lake) be aware of how many shows can be supported. Sure, you’d like to help out every band, but doing 3 to 4 shows a week is going to take a toll on everyone and you especially. The more small shows you do, the less people are going to come. As much as they may love hardcore shows, a lot of people either can’t afford or simply don’t want to see one 4 days a week.
Start browsing sites of good bands and see if they have an open date. Usually a good place for a Salt Lake show will fall between Southern California or Las Vegas and Denver or Boise. Some bands are willing to drive through the night for a show on an off day and some aren’t. It never hurts to ask. Send them a message (a good rule to follow is to put exactly what you’re asking in the subject headline, i.e. “Salt Lake show on 3/10?”) to see if they might be interested. If they have a tour booked already, they may be down for another show to avoid the money they’ll lose/spend on a day off. They may want to spend an extra day in the warm weather, but it never hurts to try.
If you can avoid dealing with booking agents, do so. If you have to, you have to, but bands have to pay the agency a portion of the money they make off a show booked through them. If they book it themselves, they keep everything. That’s always a little bit extra incentive. Booking agents also really like contracts, which for DIY shows are never a great idea.
A lot of DIY bands will be happy with whatever you give them, but to put them at ease, just be up front with them. The best way I’ve found is to break it all down piece by piece. Once they’ve agreed to play and set a date, just give them a list of expenses.
The venue costs X amount of dollars.
I’m charging X amount of dollars for the show.
I’ll pay the venue first, and whatever is left over after I’ve paid for expenses like water and fliers, you guys get.
Even easier, “80/20 split in your favor after expenses, which total X amount of dollars.”
Bands like that kind of thing. They like to get an idea as to whether or not the show will be worth traveling to.
Once you have a touring band, you can add a few locals to the show. One headliner and two local openers give the touring band a great spot right in the middle. Four bands is the perfect amount for a show (especially on a weeknight) so try to not overdo it. You don’t have to be a jerk, but have some common sense when it comes to shows. Don’t say yes to every band that wants to play because you'll end up with 8 bands on a show that no one is going to stick around for.
Next up is promotion, preparation and all the other fun/stressful stuff that comes along with booking shows.
Now that every cell phone's a video camera -- and every hardcore kid a "videographer" -- live footage abounds. You can click back to my epicly terrible iPhone footage for proof.
Remember last week when we wrote about 108 breaking up?
Last week, someone updated the Refused website and sent the internet into a frenzy. People began speculating that based on the simple "coming soon" message on the front (and only) page, Refused would be reforming.
The word on the street is that Leeway frontman Eddie Sutton will be jumping back on stage with a new band -- probably literally... I saw the guy at a fest in Germany leaping around this gigantic, rock-star stage like a little league baseball player while, come to think of it, dressed very much like a little league baseball player.
Everyone's favorite maya-inspired, down-tuned, apocalypse-heralding, California hardcore act, Xibalba, will be gracing our fine state on April 4th. You'll find 'em at Mojo's in Ogden alongside The Wrath, Collapse, Outlet and XDelegateX.
Constants is an indie-rock band from the Boston area, a group which we normally wouldn't cover (though they are pretty good, I'll admit), but singer/guitarist Will Benoit is trying something relatively impressive.
You’ve sent dozens of e-mails, printed and distributed hundreds of fliers and posted relentlessly on the Internet. Now it’s finally time to see if all your hard work paid off. There’s no reason that it shouldn’t (barring a natural disaster or something to that effect) and by all accounts the night will go off without a hitch.
Once everything is ready and people start lining up outside (or milling around the front door waiting for you to open it) have someone ready to take the money. Make sure you bring enough change to handle all the people that stopped and took a twenty out of the ATM on the way. Change is the one thing that’s overlooked a lot of times, so make sure you have enough. If you can, have someone standing by the door all night. That makes it easier for you to roam around and make sure things are running smoothly on the floor. 
Bands tend to be a little more understanding of money woes. If you promised them a certain amount, but came up just short after paying the venue they’ll probably be okay, especially if a lot of people bought merch. Ideally, the show will have brought in enough money to pay the venue and the band what they were promised, you were able to pay for the sound equipment and maybe even end up a few bucks extra.
This is, admittedly, the easiest step of booking shows. All you have to do is spread the word.
If the venue doesn’t have sound equipment, you may have to rent some. Performance Audio or somewhere similar usually has everything you need for a reasonable price. You’ll have to pick it up, set up and return it, but it’s better than trying to find a professional sound guy to bring his own equipment. That usually costs three or four times as much. Securing sound is really the second hardest thing to do after finding a place to let you set everything up.
Let’s assume that after following the brilliant instructions from Step 1, you’ve found a place that will let you have a show. 
Start browsing sites of good bands and see if they have an open date. Usually a good place for a Salt Lake show will fall between Southern California or Las Vegas and Denver or Boise. Some bands are willing to drive through the night for a show on an off day and some aren’t. It never hurts to ask. Send them a message (a good rule to follow is to put exactly what you’re asking in the subject headline, i.e. “Salt Lake show on 3/10?”) to see if they might be interested. If they have a tour booked already, they may be down for another show to avoid the money they’ll lose/spend on a day off. They may want to spend an extra day in the warm weather, but it never hurts to try.
Bands like that kind of thing. They like to get an idea as to whether or not the show will be worth traveling to. 
