Any rock concert booking knowledge here?

[ckissick]

I'm on the board for our local community theater and would like to host some small rock acts when the stage is free for a weekend. I know there are some musicians here who do gigs; perhaps you will have some advice.

Our theater has 160 seats. How much would a band expect to get paid? What would be the terms? Any other info? Any band recommendations? I've seen some very good bands at small clubs in SF that hold less then 100 people, for $10. They can't be making much.

We're in Half Moon Bay, CA, just south of San Francisco.

[KFC911]

Until the monster shows up....

I used to be on the board of the local blues society....years ago. Be ready fer $ticker $hock if the $15 bucks a beer for my next couple nights will be indicative !

Back then....we'd book an act in a small club on an off night (Sun), for 1/10 of what a 90 second set the day before would run....

Festival gigs....BIG Beer $ corp. checks paid fer a "small, regional, act" headliner.

T-rex

[Icemaster]

FWIW - It depends on the band and their local reputation/draw. I produce some local art/music festivals, mostly the music side - the bands get paid anywhere from 300 to 1800 for a 60-75 minute set. The bigger headliners typically get the better time slots and can bring their own fan base, keep in mind we don't charge admission and get most of the revenue from beverage sales, street is pretty cheap to close down and secure. Filling a theater would be a different model with the house taking a cut from the door and keeping any revenue from drinks etc. Never managed that kind of event so couldn't say what the contract looks like or what terms would be.

Best thing I found was to get a leads on a band you'd like to feature and just straight up ask them what the rate is, they'll tell you. Some bands will work with you, some wont, lot's of variables.

[KFC911]

When we booked in clubs...we'd pay the band, venue kept the beer sales, we kept the door. It was non-profit, but our festival $ let us lose a bit on club events...and we usually did .

[spuggy]

Long time ago (and far away), I knew guys in bands. Apart from the fact that the car in question would probably be a ****box $100 van belonging to a friend/brother or friend of a friends brother, this would be pretty accurate:



Playing for free also couldn't be ruled out...

[Racerbvd]

On a general rule, most local bands start at $100 a man, and it goes up, when a bigger or popular band is passing through your area, sometimes you can get a special deal on them.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Racerbvd

On a general rule, most local bands start at $100 a man, and it goes up, when a bigger or popular band is passing through your area, sometimes you can get a special deal on them.

LOL....where are you booking 'em....on the "stage" behind "The Jug" (nope!) ?

.or inside....SRO !

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by KC911

LOL....where are you booking 'em....on the "stage" behind "The Jug" (nope!) ?

.or inside....SRO !

Lol, sadly entertainers in Jax, in Jax are making less now than in the 70s. And clubs just aren't willing to pay what clubs in other cities are paying, and there are so many garage bands willing to play for beer, it screws the rest of us . Did You say the Jug and yes, they still have a stage (behind the bartender and I

[Gogar]

Since you're talking about a theater that's not an established place for everyday music, I'm gonna assume you're not talking about stuff like "$100 bucks a guy and dinner" local acts kind of stuff. If you are I would write a completely different answer.


If you're talking about bands from all around the country who are stopping in to play, that's great, with some caveats.

One being that - since you are only 30 miles from the city, lots of touring-style acts will have what's called a 'radius clause' in their contracts that will preclude them from playing at your theater if they are playing at a show in the city. Can vary wildly from 30-100 miles, 30-90 days. Not a hard and fast rule, but you'll run into it.

Smaller acts that are a little-more DIY and perhaps even more appropriate for your place will have less issues with that.

Also consider your setup; are you going to have to hire in more speakers and lights for a rock band? Could you get away with using some of the theater's installed sound and lights? Would hosting maybe . . smaller acoustic-ish acts be a better fit and save you some $$ in the setup, and would it just look better?

Is there food and drink available at the theater?

Identify a few acts that you envision having in the theater. Find out where they are playing in the city and what the capacities are and how much the ticket was.


Another good way to get started is to find a friend or business owner or group of people in the neighborhood that are both interested in the theater, music, and your idea and have someone underwrite it. Maybe have a few people underwrite it. Lightening that financial load will allow you to make a few mistakes on your first try.

[rcooled]

Originally Posted by ckissick

...would like to host some small rock acts. Any band recommendations?

If you're interested in booking some local talent, I can recommend a few bands that play around the SF Bay Area, Monterey Bay Area and Central CA.

The Coffis Brothers: Rock & Roll, Blues, Americana. Original tunes and covers. Based in the Santa Cruz area.
The Coffis Brothers

Aja Vu: Steely Dan tribute band based in SF.
https://www.ajavu.com/

Extra Large: Funk, Latin, reggae and classic California rock. Originals and covers. Based in Santa Cruz with a huge local following.
https://www.extra-large.net/

House of Floyd: Pink Floyd tribute band based in SF.
https://www.houseoffloyd.com/

[ckissick]

Thanks, rcooled. I'll check them out. A new Santa Cruz band you might want to look out for is Chasing Ophelia, a Grateful Dead tribute band. They don't have any gigs lined up at the moment. They're pretty good.

https://www.anthonyarya.com/chasingophelia