Nightwood Diary #2: Tour Booking Blues

Dear Indyish,

I am trying to book shows for Nightwood’s upcoming tour and today I hit a road block. This is the first time in a long time that I am working with an unknown act without any press clippings… that is my own band. Sure we are trying as much as possible to have our ducks in a row but ultimately this project is 100% DIY from the ground up. With the help of a few friends, we recorded, we filmed a video, we planned our own CD promotion and we are doing our own booking. I am emotionally tied to this group so I am trying to make this one of my best promotional efforts with very little time and money. Not an easy feat. I come home from work, turn on the computer and work on the band. Search the internet for new booking locations, email them and then my wife who is helping out makes follow-up calls during the day. I have been working 3 months in advance but it just doesn’t seem like enough. We are now 2-months in and I only have 2 dates confirmed and 4 nearly-confirmed… but in times like these it’s good to have friends to remind you “dude, this is DIY booking, it’s normal”. I called my old Biffy Perdu bandmate and he reminded me that our 2003 Canadian tour was half-booked 1-month in and that the holes were finally plugged 2-weeks in. CRAZY! It sounds disorganized but in the past I had the luxury of working with bands that had greater press clippings and after all, I was not emotionally attached as a band member and was just helping out since I was a label and not their booking agent. I booked the odd show but I didn’t have to worry about the whole thing. The few times that I did book entire tours, I had my longtime business partner Alex making calls on the other line with other venues. Now it’s me, the internet, and my wonderfully supporting wife who is doing more than I expected. Anyhow… thanks Andrew for the phone conversation. It’s good to know that this mess is somewhat normal at this stage of the game.

After 4 years of not having booked a band, here is what I learned again:
- Start booking 3-4 months in advance (I wish I had started a month earlier especially since I have a day-job and can only do this in evenings).
- Don’t email or call people more than once every week or week and a half. They are not necessarily avoiding you – the bookers you are trying to reach are busy and might already be working on trying to find you a spot.
- Write your quick pitch and tour marketing highlights in the email itself. Your EPK (Electronic Press Kit) or Myspace page might have all the info but that’s only good if they bother clicking on your link.
- Offer every booker the chance to receive a physical CD… it seems old-school but some like it that way (so have your CD and bio ready).
- Confirm every detail by email (or better yet, if you have a guarantee ask for a signed contract) – otherwise, your show is not confirmed. I remember showing up in North Bay on the Biffy Perdu tour to find out that we were double-booked, luckily he at least gave us $50 to go away.
- Finally, remind yourself that this is fun! You’re playing in a band for a reason.

Okay, take care and good luck,
Eric of Nightwood

Nightwood is releasing their first recording Big City EP, on Grenadine Records this May. Check out their myspace page for updates and stuff.