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Band Guide

7. THE SECRET WORLD OF CLUBS

There as many types of clubs as there are styles of music: supper clubs, catering to the older, Frank Sinatra-loving crowd; youth clubs, where underage high school and college students congregate when they can't get in anywhere else; dance clubs, which blast thumping electronic music well into the night; live-music clubs, your band's most likely outlet; bars, large and small, which often have all-ages nights or rope off a specific area for nondrinkers; and others catering to many different clienteles.

Some live-music clubs serve alcohol; some don't. Some, like the House of Blues, are run by national corporations; others are run by local business-people. Some in your hometown may be so small they can barely fit a dozen or two people. Some may even have ties with church groups or community organizations. Don't exclude any type of club from your list of potential gigs.

Jumping onto the club circuit isn't as easy as merging onto the freeway. You'll have to send demos, follow up with regular-but-not-too-regular phone calls, make personal connections with influential people, and try not to get bamboozled in the process.

Who books the club? How does that person prefer to be approached? Once you identify the booker, manager, owner, or promoter, generally, you shouldn't just "drop in" to say hello and ask for a gig. Your contact is probably busy with other important jobs, like mopping the bathroom or listening to the daunting stack of demo CDs on his or her desk.

So it's time to follow the pitch routine. In short, you'll send a demo recording and press kit through the mail, and then wait a week or two before following up—briefly—by phone. The key is to be persistent without being a pest.

Next, you'll call to make sure that the right person received the package and listened to your demo. When you talk to them, club bookers might say, "Yeah, it's around here somewhere, call back next week." Follow instructions and call back next week. When you call again a week after resending the material, they might say, "I can't find it, send another." Do it without complaint. These people are your band's lifeline, and you don't want to anger them. Or even mildly annoy them.

If they like what they heard or saw on your demo CD or video, an interested club booker will probably want to see you play live, so you may have to participate in an audition. Don't worry, you won't have to memorize any lines or recite Shakespeare to a panel of directors. You'll just bring your key gear—guitars, drums, amps, and a sound system (if the booker tells you the club doesn't have one)—and play your best stuff.

Often, clubs will audition bands on slow evenings, like Sundays, with two or three different acts playing for free. You won't want to get in the habit of giving free gigs, but as you're essentially a nobody on the club circuit, it's probably your only option at this point.

An audition is like doing a truncated show, and you should treat it as such. Do some scouting in advance. Is there an adequate PA system in the club? Will it be available on audition night? Where can you plug in? How big is the stage, and can all the band members fit with their respective gear? How much time will you have to set up and play? (Don't worry, the people hosting the audition probably won't surprise you by pulling the plug early or letting you go on extra long.)

Plan to perform your best (or best-rehearsed) songs. And remember, you're auditioning for a job, so be presentable. If it's a fancy supper-club type of place, wear a tuxedo, or at least a suit. It's acceptable to wear T-shirts and jeans if it's that kind of joint, but make sure that you and your clothes are clean. (Nobody wants to smell the band from the front row.) And leave the ironic "This Club Stinks!" caps at home.

Depending on the club's management, you might find out whether you got the gig within a few days or a few weeks or months after the audition. Some club owners are amazingly efficient, and when they audition bands for a certain upcoming night, that's the night the winning band can expect to perform. Other bookers may be less decisive, and could sit on your name for weeks until another band's singer catches cold and needs an emergency replacement. Either way, be ready—don't berate the club booker if you don't hear back within a few days of your audition; and if you get the gig, even if it's that night, be ready to clear your schedules.

The Major Players

Once you walk through the door of a club, whether it's for an audition, rehearsal, or gig, everybody is important. Bring your own door-stopper so the ID-checking bouncer doesn't have to hold open the door for every patron. Tip waitresses and bartenders. It goes without saying that you should be courteous and professional toward the people who are considering you. You want everybody in the club to think you're the best band they've ever heard and, equally important to landing a future gig, the easiest one to work with.

Owner

You probably won't see much of the owner during your audition, unless the club is so small the owner has to do the band-booking himself. Generally, the club manager conducts most of the day-to-day business, while the owner makes appearances just to make sure things are running smoothly. If you do encounter the owner, treat him or her with respect—this person could become your boss, even if just for one night. Don't complain to him about the stinky toilets, crappy sound system, or flat beer.

That's not to say you should allow the boss to take advantage of you, either. You're the entertainment, not the help, and should firmly but politely protest if somebody asks you to sweep up before the show.

Booker

The booker, unlike the owner or manager, is your direct contact person. He or she will review your demo and determine whether you're worth auditioning in the first place. The booker will arrange the details of the audition and decide whether you pass or fail. If you get the gig, the booker will hammer out the details—where you set up, whether you should bring your own sound system, what time sound check takes place, and how long you'll be playing.

Club bookers, to make a sweeping generalization, tend to have similar personalities. They're often hyperactive, kinetic music fans whose primary concerns are packing the rooms with fans. (And usually, selling drinks.) Learn to deal with this personality type. Rather than wasting time with sweet talk, take actions—like going onstage exactly when you agree to go on—that make his or her job easier.

Finance

When money enters the picture, your band automatically changes—it becomes, by definition, professional. It also means that you have to deal with new problems. When money is involved, relationships and responsibilities have a way of shifting.

Playing music in exchange for payment doesn't have to be a negative process. If the band agrees on its expected fee, and the "money guy" (or maybe someday, booking agent) does his or her best to negotiate with the club, everybody should be happy in the end. (Unless somebody drinks too much "on-the-house" beer at the gig, but that's a different story.)

You may not get paid at first, even when you start to inch onto the club circuit. Remember: Auditions don't pay at all. And the first time you play a particular gig, depending on a club's policy, you may have to deal with a "pay to play" or free-night-on-a-stage situation. At this point in your career, it's almost certainly worth the exposure.

At some point, though, you'll probably land a paid gig. Some clubs have rigid pay scales, and it'll be difficult for you to negotiate. Others may have "wiggle room," so ask for another £50 or £100 depending on your negotiating confidence.

Be flexible during the negotiations. Landing the gig and getting the exposure may be at least as valuable as the extra £50 or £100 you wanted to receive. It's not that you should never walk away. But you don't have a lot of leverage at this early stage in your band's career.

Beyond the actual gig payment, you may have to hammer out some other details with the club booker. Will you get paid by cash or check? (You'd prefer cash, obviously.) If you sell T-shirts and CDs during the show—or the club sells merchandise for you—does the club take a percentage? When will you get paid? Clubs usually have standard procedures for these issues, but be sure to answer these questions in advance so nobody springs a surprise later.