Booking a Last Minute Gig

It is two weeks out from a show you booked locally with an awesome out of town band and the venue cancels. This is a situation that would leave most bands without a show for that date. If your band is not content with that, there are options.

Things to consider:
Unless the show is in the same city (neighborhood in big cities) the turn out is going to be smaller. For this reason change the forecast of turnout when pitching to a venue.


Change all your marketing, if fliers are distributed go change them or update all Internet advertisements.  Send out a message to all invitees to make sure they know about the change.


One band is easier to book than two, consider splitting the slot or in exchange for getting the out of town band a show, your band can step in on a song or two.

Now, some tips and tricks to getting the show and what not to do. First step in this process is to ask friends bands if they have a show and if there is room for your band. More than likely there isn't but ask them if there are any shows they were offered that they had to turn down for that night.

If that doesn't work, check to see if there are openings at the normal venues you play at. I say check first because it is better to go in saying "I see no one is booked for..." than you just asking if you can perform.  Impress the venues booking agent with the fact that you researched the date first. Same goes with new venues, it may be last minute but there is no excuse for you to go in clueless.

Don't be afraid to ask establishments that normally don't have bands play.  Some bars get requests to play from cover bands and greedy bands only so the owners don't think they can afford to have a band in.   On the topic of money, don't expect to get a paycheck for a last minute gig if your draw is under a 100 people.  In fact I would suggest you add that as incentive to be booked.  Instead negotiate to get a percentage of beer sales, or work on tips.

Check Craigslist, there are plenty of people looking for bands that don't normally book them so they scramble for ways to find quality bands.  Post on Craigslist, offer to play any type of show, be it a graduation party or arena.

Recently I was asked to help a local band book a show less than two weeks out due to a cancellation.  They wanted help trying to get in at a trendy art bar a half hour away.  First thing I did was check to see if they had an opening and if they normally have bands playing on a Saturday (the day the band was looking to book).  What I found was that the bars website and Facebook were not maintained. Nothing was listed in the events. Normally I would call for a last minute booking, but when given opportunities like this, an in person discussion is helpful. In the business world it is all about filling a need and making money.  This company is failing at marketing by not updating their Internet presence.  Being in a band, at least one member knows how to update Social Media sites, so take that in with you to talk with a manager.  Offer in exchange for booking us last minute, you'll get them up to date on their event listings, or create a graphic for them, tweak their website, etc. The barter system is alive and well, sometimes just the gesture will impress the manager and he'll do what he can to book you. That was the outcome in this case, the band was booked, I offered my talents for a month, and in the end I've helped myself to another paying client for marketing services.  If a member of your band can perform a service for a venue than you have a potential monthly gig and a great connection.

My final suggestion would be to create your own venue.  That's right I said make your own venue, I don't mean start a business.  Rent a banquet hall and go from there.  Depending on your audience it is possible to get a hall under a hundred bucks. Some even come with a bar and bartender. Charge a small cover, basically find your breakeven point. If the hall costs you $100 and you expect to draw 5o people, your break even point is going to be a $2 cover charge. I've striked deals before with halls to get a percentage of bar sales, and charged a $5 cover for roughly 4 bands.  Get enough people in the hall and you could find yourself making more money than most venues will pay you.

Just remember to book in a location that your fans exist in or an establishment with a built in crowd.  Just getting a gig does nothing if you are playing to an empty room. Don't count on the out of town band to bring anyone, even if they are huge compared to you doesn't mean anyone locally knows about them. Finally promote ten times harder for last minute gigs. If it is out of town, get there early and hand out fliers and personally invite people you see on the streets to come watch the show. Last minute shows are never easy, if it is worth it to you to book last minute then don't slack on promoting.

When Not to Play

Recently I attended a festival that is completely free for the public.  They bring in bands from all over the state and usually one who is nationally known. This year a big radio sponsor was not involved, they were the ones who brought the big talent so to speak. As I ventured around the festival I noticed a few other things lacking from previous years, and thats when the rumors started popping up about the corrupt festival director who was double dipping and knew she was resigning so she sabotaged the whole festival. Guess what, rumors can be complete lies, in this case they were true so listen to what your fellow bands have to say about a venue, promoter or festival.  They are going to give you some of the best advice, but make sure to ask questions, don't just let your friends vent, they could be venting about an issue they actually caused.

Tip #1:
Never pay to play.  This goes for buying tickets up front and getting reimbursed. Pay for gas, and equipment just never pay a promotor to play a show.  Many nation wide promotions companies make deals with big venues to book their small concert halls during slow days. They charge bands to play or charge them for tickets up front then give them a dollar per ten dollar ticket they sell. You do the math on that, after gas, drinks, food, etc., are you making money or did you just pay to play to a room full of only your fans because the other band couldn't sell any tickets.

Tip #2:
Going back to my intro, some venues and festivals get a reputation for being shady or corrupt or just doing a horrible marketing job.  If last years festival had a bad turn out for a national act, we are talking number one song on the radio and only a hundred people half of who don't know the band standing there and watching. Do you want to play if the same people are doing the marketing for it? What if they offer you a slot at 11am when your band caters to a drinking audience that is still at work at 11am on a Friday.  If you can justify playing to a small audience who statistically will have no interest in your music, go for it, otherwise negotiate with the event coordinator to find a more fitting spot for you.

Tip #3:
Last minute gigs can be great opportunities but if your band is at the level of requiring a paycheck for every gig ask questions first. I always say, take every gig you are offered as long as it is legit but make sure you aren't going to hurt your reputation with a new venue by taking the gig.  Some venues have built in crowds some don't, if the venue expects you to bring a crowd it could be hard for you to rally your fans at the last minute to attend.  Some venue owners only look at the sales numbers and not the situation you were put in.  Be up front a voice any potential concerns you have with attendance, be proactive and book a follow up gig with them for doing them a favor.  That way you can make sure to have an opportunity to show them what you can really do with time on your side.

Be wise with every gig you book, ask questions. There are tons of middle men out there trying to make a dollar off bands. The more you know the less likely you are to work hard for nothing or be put in awkward situations.