Re: Booking Agents -- minimal harp content

["Bob Maglinte" <bbqbob917@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

- ----- Original Message ----- 
From: <mlpratt@xxxxxxx>
To: <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 11:35 AM
Subject: Booking Agents -- minimal harp content


>
> My band is contemplating a booking agent.  I'm curious about anyone's
> experience with a booking agent.  What should I expect in terms of
performance,
> effort, rates?  We are making a distinction here between a booking agent,
a
> publicist and a manager.  My notion is that a booking agent should do the
> legwork contacting venues to get us on the bill.  A publicist is more into
> publicizing our existence, writing releases, contacting radio stations or
> magazines, just getting our name out there in a consistent fashion.  A
manager
> should do all these things and probably more.  We are only interested (at
this
> time) in a booking agent.  Harp content: There, I used the word harp.
Replies
> are welcome on or off list.
>
> Best Regards to All,
>
> Larry Boy Pratt

Hi Larry,
Booking agents can both a blessing and a curse. If your band is getting
anything below $500 per night, (based on having a 4 or 5 piece band), for
most agents, it's not worth the bother for them because of their own
expenses involved, which also includes the constant phone tag that's
involved, and most agents are going to be taking on an average of 10-15% off
the top, and for GB/Wedding/Function bands, it's as high as 20%. A real good
agent will not only book the gigs, but his job is to also find out all
relevant details, send out contracts representing you, and also follow up on
EVERYTHING, and let's say if the gig was booked 3 months in advance, he
calls to reconfirm a month prior to the gig, 2 weeks prior to the gig, and
24 hours prior to the gig, because there are a number of sleazeball club
owner/managers who will change formats and/or double book among other
things. In some clubs, they won't bother with dealing with agents at all. If
you sign an exclusive deal with any agent, should you terminate the contract
prior to the end of the contract between you and the agent, 99% of the time,
any room he has booked for you cannot be booked by anyone else for 18 months
after the orgiginal date booked, and if you do, you still will owe him a
percentage of the gig. Even if he has told you that he's confirmed
everything, NEVER blindly trust them REGARDLESS of reputation, as I've
encountered some really lazy s.o.b.'s sitting on their rear end  taking your
money and lying thru thier teeth. and use the SAME example as I said before,
because not only those problems are possible, you could be booked in a room
that no longer exists, and that's one of the last things you need,
especially if you have to make a drive of 2-3 hours or more. With some gigs,
if it is far enough, ideally there should be lodging provided for, or rooms
setup, and if the band has to pay for them, it should be included in the
booking price, ideally.

Unless you are at a point that you are a big enough draw that by the mere
advertisement of your name, you can easily draw 200 or more a night and are
already gigging at least 8-15 nights per month (that's when agents, who are
obviously in the business to make money, should actually begin to be calling
you), I do NOT advise signing an exclusive contract with ANY agent,
regardless of reputation, and make this very clear to them that you will be
doing some of your own, as well as other agents, no reputable one will ever
have a problem with that, and also be sure to tell them that within a 6
month period they can get you no less than 10 nights per month with more
money after their cut, then you will start talking about an exclusive. It's
plenty of legwork on your own, but if you're not at the stage I mentioned,
NEVER sign exclusives, and do as much on your own. You really have to kind
of interview them, andf make sure they know what you're playing because more
than a few would put you in a room that would be absolutely the wrong venue
for you, giving you grief and ruining your reputation for quite some time.
Agents can and do help, but it is best to be educated about them as much as
possibnle.

If you need to discuss this further, contact me off list.

Sincerely,
Barbeque Bob Maglinte
Boston, MA