By Arina Smith
For years you have dreamed of becoming the guy or gal responsible for bringing people together for a huge night of music and fun. Does that seem like a hoop dream? It really isn’t. Putting together a memorable concert is not exactly easy, but with the proper planning and know-how, it is very doable. Here are a handful of tips for anyone who has been dreaming of putting on an unforgettable – and safe! – rock show.
Know Your Music :
Hang around with music promoters and party planners enough and you will inevitably hear them talk about the ‘vibe’ or ‘personality’ of the night. You want to make sure you’re matching like-with-like when organizing your concert’s lineup. A punk band might pair well with a metal headliner, but you probably do not want a folk musician serenading the crowd with their acoustic guitar beforehand. This might seem obvious, but many shows make the mistake of booking incongruous lineups, either because the organizer has booked their friends’ acts or just the first bands to express interest. Of course, certain shows are more eccentric than others, but, in general, you’re going to want your show to have a strong musical through-line.
Forget The Agent, Contact Musicians Directly :
The key to any successful concert is, obviously, great music. It is probably safe to say that for your first few concerts you will not be booking Maroon 5 or the Rolling Stones. You need to be a little more modest in your expectations. Thanks to Soundcloud, YouTube, Spotify, and a host of other digital music services, bands are marketing themselves more than ever before. Do not be afraid to reach out to them directly! Most bands are looking to play live shows as much as possible.
Do Not Skimp On Security
Safety is the backbone of any good event, not just concerts. This point cannot be underlined too strongly. There are too many horror stories of concerts gone awry, such as Altamont and the Great North tragedy, in which concertgoers and a band member were killed by a rapidly spreading fire. These days, even the biggest metalheads need to know that they are going to be safe in the event of an emergency. If your show is going to take place at a bar, ensure that they have a strong security staff. If they do not, consider hiring your own. Perhaps your show is going to take place at a concert hall or recreation center. In this case, utilizing plastic ID cards is a great option, especially if you are planning to throw similar events in the future. The benefits of using ID card printers include keeping certain areas off-limits and knowing whos-who on the staff. If you’re getting involved with an event as big as a music festival, ID cards might even be an option for concertgoers!
Just Ask!
It never hurts to ask bands or venues if you can book them, no matter how popular they are. Many popular bars have slow nights of the week they are looking to fill up. Lots of bands, even those with good draws, are itching to play a casual, off-the-cuff show. See a band you love going on tour? Hit them up on Twitter! The worst response you can get is a ‘no.’ Do anything you can to make your evening as memorable as possible.
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