Gigs and booking
Getting gigs, contracts, riders, weddings, corporates and day-of-show.
Asking the band 'are you free on the 14th?' without 40 messages
A system for checking band availability: one message, one deadline, one-tap answers, a dep plan, and a clear confirmation moment so requests turn into gigs.
6 min read · 8 Sept 2026
Corporate events: how to become the band companies call again
What corporate clients and agencies expect from a band: briefing questions, volume control, background versus party sets, invoices, dress code and rebooking.
7 min read · 8 Sept 2026
Deposits and cancellation policies that protect the band
Deposit percentages that work, a sliding cancellation scale, force majeure and rescheduling rules, and a ready-to-adapt policy text for weddings and corporates.
7 min read · 8 Sept 2026
Festival applications: how to get on the bill
When festivals book, what an application must contain, realistic fees by slot, the logistics to agree before signing, and how to follow up without pestering.
6 min read · 8 Sept 2026
From request to confirmed gig: the steps in between
The eight steps between a client's first message and the show: request, availability, quote, contract, deposit, confirmation, advance, day-of, with timings.
7 min read · 8 Sept 2026
Gig travel logistics: vans, hotels, timing, borders
Timing buffers that hold up in practice, driver rules, parking and hotel decisions, crossing borders with instruments, and a per-diem system for touring bands.
7 min read · 8 Sept 2026
How to get more gigs: a working outreach system
A repeatable booking system for bands: a 100-row target list, a pitch email that gets replies, a follow-up cadence and weekly numbers that predict next season.
7 min read · 8 Sept 2026
Private party gigs: pricing, expectations, and keeping the room
How to price birthday and anniversary parties, manage noise and alcohol, handle timing and requests, and leave a private party with the host wanting you back.
7 min read · 8 Sept 2026
Soundcheck etiquette and how to make the engineer your friend
The order a soundcheck should run in, what to say when asking for monitors, timing rules, and the habits that make sound engineers work harder for your band.
6 min read · 8 Sept 2026
The complete guide to playing weddings
The wedding day timeline from the band's seat, the first dance, requests, what couples and planners ask, what to charge and what to put in writing.
7 min read · 8 Sept 2026
The day-of-show checklist
A printable day-of-show checklist for bands: advance, load-in, contacts, set times, food, payment and load-out, from the night before to the drive home.
7 min read · 8 Sept 2026
The gig contract: 12 clauses every band needs
The twelve clauses a band's booking contract must have, from date and fee to overtime, weather, PA and payment terms, with example wording you can adapt.
7 min read · 8 Sept 2026
Working with agencies and wedding planners
What agencies and wedding planners need from a band, how commission and exclusivity work, the response times they expect, and the materials to have ready.
6 min read · 8 Sept 2026
Writing a tech rider and stage plot that engineers love
What goes in a band's tech rider: input list, monitor needs, power, backline and stage plot, on one page that a sound engineer can read in two minutes.
7 min read · 8 Sept 2026