As many of you send me messages about your bands looking for gigs and opening slots. I finally have taken the time to write something up in response to the messages I receive.

I was sent this (edited down to remove the band and other fluff) but here is the general question posed in many different formats to me on a daily basis:

Im sure you get asked this all the time do you ever have any open spots for local bands cause my band has played lots of local shows but i know you book some amazing shows with some of my favourite bands and i was wondering how to make you think about considering our band,

you check us out or give me some tips on getting booked thanks for your time and reading this!



So I thought while I was taking the time to write this elaborate response perhaps it may be a good idea to post it here, to share some insight with you all, and to give a bit more detail than 'bill is full' or 'local support not permitted'

So below is my response. I hope you like it.




Have you ever heard of Payola?

I usually offer two choices.

1) A Freshly make cheesecake, Blueberry preferred. Made from scratch, not store bought. I can tell the difference.

2) Tequila ~1 Bottle of Don Julio, 1942. No substitutions excepted whatsoever.




OK, now seriously, I dont have any methods to how I choose. If I like a band, I will book them. The hard thing is getting me to listen. If it sounds like crap (poor quality) off the start, I wont waste my time.

I don't like being continually badgered by bands. Some bands think emailing and messaging me (myspace/facebook) 3 times a week will get me to pay attention, it does not. Spamming my websites with your band persistently is extremely annoying. Usually when a group tries too hard getting in my face, I just ignore them. It is more so a turn off having my mailboxes fill up with 'spam'

I book and promote concerts, I don't 'book bands' (as in run a club, or just do local stuff for shits and giggles)

75% + of the stuff I book comes pre-packed with implicit orders that local talent is not to be added to the bill. So when you see these 4 and 5 band concerts I am doing, please stop asking, I don't have the room to add your band.

So, when you look at it, maybe 15 events a year I can add local talent to. Some are only one act, some are all the openers. From these 15 shows, the style can be any one of over half a dozen different types of metal. So realistically there may only be 3 shows a year your band could open for that I can add a band to. And from those 3 shows, I field numerous solicitations daily and weekly, so then I need to make a choice from all these acts for these coveted slots.

I need to consider, Are you recorded? Do you have merch? Are you oversaturated in the city or do you keep a low yet modest performance profile. Will your appearance help stimulate any interest in this gig, or does it even matter if the opener needs to stimulate interest? What type of gigging experience does this band have? (Once a very inexperienced band who I gave a slot to was booed off the stage) I take all that into consideration before making my decision

And then I need to go back to my original thoughts. Cheesecake and Tequila.

Hope you found that informative