please visit our booking page at www.redroomportland.com

you can even email us there! its your one stop booking page!

rock!

rr

EPISODE 1: "why are calendars so tough to read, these days?"

band: "hey there, wondering if our band can get a date in april"
club: "sure, what dates are you available/looking for?"
band: "anytime is cool.  we're super flexible and have a huge draw."
club: "here are some dates... hit me back with whatever one looks good."
band: "rad! we'll take __ and promote the hell out of it!"

flash forward to 2 days before the agreed date.

band: "hey there, our drummer was looking at the wrong month on the calendar and has to work, so we're going to have to bail on that saturday night show that you don't have a backup for because we waited too long to pull our heads out of our asses.  any chance we can get another weekend show?"
club:  "awesome!  since you canceled last minute our club is left without a full bill on a weekend, meaning smaller turnout, meaning less revenue, which is what we need to pay the rent and stay open.  i will be sure to consider you for an upcoming bill, since you have been so reliable and professional in our past dealings.  can't wait!"


EPISODE 2: "we would have had more people, but..."

band: "hey there, can we have ___ to book a bill for our cd release?  We haven't played since ___ so, we will have a ton of people come out."
club: "sure, as long as you, or any of the bands you want to play, don't plan on setting anything up too close to that date, we can give you that weekend slot, otherwise, i would prefer to book an off-night."
band: "naw, it's cool. we're not playing anywhere because we're saving up everything for the release.  it's gonna be killer!"

flash to payout time, after the show.

band: "man, i was sure we would have a ton of people tonight.  we had a lot of people come out to the show last night."
club: "when we agreed on this date you, said that you, or any of the other bands weren't going to play too close to this date.  that is why we gave you a weekend bill."
band: "totally, we weren't going to do shows but then ____ from ____ called me and wanted to know if we were down to play.  since we have never played there before, i didn't want to pass up the chance."
club: "well, that would explain the horrible turnout."
band: "so, is there any chance we could get paid a little more?  we were expecting to make a few more bucks, even though we were advised that our payment was in direct percentage of the money the club made for the evening?  i mean, c'mon,  we made more last night at the other club."
club: "good, maybe you can hit them up for a little more cash for tonight, then."

EPISODE 3: "So it seems that we have dropped off the face of the earth."

band: "...Cool, so we are confirmed for __ and we have is listed on our website, got a decent write-up in the weekly paper. Awesome."

Cut to night of show

Club: "W.T.F., the band doesn't email or call, has the show listed on their page, gets a decent write-up and end up not showing up, at all.  Definitely professionalism at it's best!"

EPISODE 4: "I know I agreed to your terms, but..."

Band: "I know I said I read the booking blog and agree to your terms but I was wondering if I can use my drink ticket for a 12 part mix drink and possibly get a few more bucks?"

Club: "Unfortunatly, we can't just change the rules because you want us to.  That is why we ask you to read all of the rules before booking a show, so we are all on the same page and we don't have to go through this."

Band: "Since I drove all the way from ____, I think I should get paid a bit more money, even though I only had 2 people here.  I'm not going to stay for the other bands, either,  so can you tell everybody to close out their tabs, so I can get paid for their open tabs and get going?"

Club: "No, we aren't going to ask everybody to close out their tabs and possibly leave, because you decided you don't want to stay.  Which club has done that for you in the past?

Band: "Well, none of them, but for some reason, I think that I am being completely reasonable and deserve special treatment."

Club: "Oh, I see...hmmm, NO!"

EPISODE 5: "About The Last Minute Guarantee..."

One Day Before The Scheduled Show

Band: " I know you have never heard of our band, are from out of town and have no way to prove to you that we can get any people out, but we decided that since gas prices are high (even though they are still about the same as when we booked the show and agreed to your payout terms) we are going to need a $_____ guarantee for a no cover, free show.

Club: "Well, you have read and agreed to our terms, which state that we don't offer guarantees to anybody, but we do give a solid percentage of the evening sales; so, if you can guarantee that we will make $____ in sales, i can guarantee that you will make $____;otherwise, we would be completely foolish to agree to this.

Band: "We have opened for _______ and have won the _____ Battle of the Bands 6 years in a row.  We can't promise you any type of draw but we think we are worth this."

Club: "Well, again, you agreed to play, based on our terms that we have posted, so, emailing the night before saying that you aren't going to play unless we pay you this amount is completely unprofessional and a great way to get on the shit list of any club.  Hopefully, you will have a shred of professional integrity and honor your agreement since you are clearly in the wrong."

Flash to the night of the show when the band doesn't show up.  Classy.

Since a lot of information can get lost or misunderstood when communicating via email or through more than one person, I encourage all bands that will be playing Red Room to read this to possibly answer any questions and/or eliminate any confusion to determine if Red Room is where you want to play.  As you read the following  list you may think "Man, what a bunch of assholes!" and,  while you may be correct in that assumption, please keep in mind that all of these "guidelines" have been written because of past instances that could have been avoided if communication and common sense had played a bigger role.  So, on with the list:

*****RESTRICTIONS*****

AGE RESTRICTIONS:
*All band members and guests must be at least 21 years of age and have a CURRENT, VALID ID ready to show.  (This is a bar, after all and no, your 16 year old drummer can't wait in the kitchen until you play!)
We don't care what other venues do.  This is our policy and it is in place because that is what works best for us.

We are very strict on this rule and do not have any compassion for any performers thinking that they can work around this.
If you claim you are 21+ upon initial booking and show up without a current, valid ID, you will not play.  You will also not play if you have an ID that says you are of age, but has expired.  An expired ID is NOT A VALID ID; so, take a few hours (if that) and get it updated.

    Playing in clubs and booking shows, you tend to appreciate it when a venue gives you ANY information regarding common practices and guidelines; especially when it is pretty rare when you would get a straight answer on when to load in, let alone payment method, comps, sound equipment and set lengths.  With this being said, i have absolutely no compassion or grace with bands that are told numerous times throughout booking a show to PLEASE check out our booking blog listed on the main page before confirming. 
    I don't mention this because i am looking to get a high number on my 'blogs viewed' page.  The reason we created that link is to ensure that all bands and the club are on the same page and there isn't any confusion, or disappointment, on the show date. 
    I chose the word "disappointment" that being  the only word to describe the look on one bands face when they had to cut their set short because they decided to show up when they felt like it,  instead of the time they were asked to- as to not hold up the show; or, possibly canceling another show because nobody in any of the bands on the bill were 21, even though we specifically state that we will not book anybody under 21.
    It has been a constant grippe from every musician, including myself, that the clubs "screw" you and are inconsistant; yet, when a club comes around that lays out the ground rules in plain text for the world to see, it becomes a hassle for the musicians to break out of the cycle that they are used to.  I understand, i get it, but to that i have to now ask everybody to suck it up and start acting professional.  It is completely hipocritical to complain about the flaky un-professionalism of the booking and venues in this town and then expect special treatment for yourselves when you can't seem to get with the program.
Our main goal is to treat all performers with the respect they deserve and do whaever it takes to make our shows hassle free.  This includes providing as much information as possible and reasonable accessability  for any questions you may have.
    Everybody's time is valueable and in order for this to work smoothly, we ask that you do your part and take an extra two minutes to look at the booking blog to ensure we are all on the same page.
thanks,

Red Room Booking