The Score Magazine - Archive December 2016 issue! | Page 25

Respect each other: Watch the Clock:
It's simple. You respect people and they respect you. It's the
most basic thing expected out of anyone. But somehow, a lot
of promoters, new and old take artists for granted. If you're
one of them, it's time to change your attitude. Nobody wants
to work with someone who cannot respect his subordinates,
let alone any self-respecting musicians. There are also some
artists who can be really difficult to work with because of
their unrealistic demands and high-handedness. So a bit of
courtesy and professionalism while dealing with people you
work with will go a long way! Delays and changes in the schedule are very common at
gigs. Avoid that. Promoters need to give the time slots to the
venue, production team and the artists well in advance. Have
buffer time in case of minor delays. The artists need to show
up on time. There cannot be any excuses here.
Production:
Communicate with each other about the band's
requirements as far as the sound setup is concerned. It will
not always be possible to meet every requirement. At times
when the promoters can't provide the artists with the said
gear, something equivalent instead could be suggested. At
times, one or the other or both the sides will have to reach a
consensus by compromising on some requirements.
Don't ask the artist to pay to play:
This is a very weird concept as it is, but it is even more
absurd when you want bands to pay for local club shows. It's
as if you make the production company pay for the sounds
and lights they provide you with. Why? For 'exposure'.
Because you're exposing their sound and light setup to the
audience. Even if a venue has their 'regular crowd', you're
buying a service here. And you can't make the service
provider pay for providing the service. Where else do you see
this happen, but in the showbiz?
Promotions:
You'll often come across promoters/venues who don't
promote the show as much as they should. It's solely
expected out of the artists to promote the event and get
the crowd. Sometimes, it's vice versa. This is one of the
responsibilities that ought to be shared by both, the artist(s)
and the promoter(s). That's the only way you can have a
wider reach and in turn, have a larger audience at the gig.
Sound-check / Line-check:
Promoters need to make sure that each one of the bands has
ample time to do a proper line check with at least a couple of
bands getting to check their sounds before the show starts.
While as artists, it's your responsibility to do a quick and
tight sound-check. Doing silly things instead of finishing
your sound-check will only frustrate the technicians,
promoters and even the other artists waiting for their turn to
do their sound-check.
Don't leave the venue after your performance:
A lot of performers tend to forget that there are other
performers who were there to watch them perform. Avoid
that. Stay back and watch the other artists perform. At
the very least, it shows that you respect your peers and
support them. It puts you in the good books in your music
community.
Have a written contract and respect the
terms & conditions:
The biggest mistake most promoters and artists do is not
have a written contract. And that's a wrong and a very risky
way to conduct business. Make sure that you have all the
terms & conditions written down and signed by the promoter
and the representative of the band. This is very important,
for when one or the other goes back on his word, you can
always contest that. So make sure to have a contract for the
event and honour it.
The aforementioned are just some things that promoters and artists can do to have a smooth working relationship. With
the passage of time, with experience, you'll realize that there is much more you can do to have a good working relationship
with one another and you'll find a tad bit easier to move forward in the right direction. When the promoters and artists get
along, it has a positive impact on the whole scene. So support each other, stand by each other through thick and thin, be a
little accommodating and you'll realize how important a role you played in the making sure that there's good live music for
everyone. Everyone wins. Then be it you (promoters and artists) and your supporters or your fans.
Remember, none of us is as smart or as strong or as efficient as ALL of us.
The
Score Magazine
www.thescoremagazine.com
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