Find a venue for your gig. Local theatres, cinemas, schools and function rooms are open to be rented.
If PA system and stage installed; this cuts costs. There are also an increasing number of pubs dedicated to live music, these are generally around 100-300 capacity and should also have sound engineers on their books and an in house PA.
Book the venue
Make sure you book your venue at least a month in advance of the gig, but the more advance it is would be better, so you can promote it better and get everything done before the gig.
Cost of Renting the venue
Get the cost of renting the venue for the night and add it to your budget. (sometimes venues want a cut of the ticket sales instead, don't let them have more than 40% as that's already far too much if you have extra costs)
Seated or standing evening
Decide whether it is to be a seated or standing evening. When it's a standing gig, you can usually have a larger capacity and the public often prefer standing gigs as you can dance.
Organize security
Theatres and venues often have door staff employed, but you may need to pay extra for their services. If this is a very localized gig with few people you may be able to get some of your larger, more confident friends to do security at it.
Set an age limit.
If the venue has a bar, decide whether it will be distributing alcohol or not. If it is, it must be an over-age event. Alcohol
being sold may increase your Insurance costs.
Get insurance.
Public Liability Insurance (PLI) may be included with the venue but always check. Insurance for the night is better than a million pounds of lawsuit.
Also, with each gig you organize, as long as there are no accidents, the cost of your insurance will go down because you have proved you're responsible and there is less risk.
Getting Bands, Extra Staff and Equipment
Choose the bands
Determine which bands will be playing at the event; you will need between three and six acts.
Calculate the costs of getting bands. Some bands may have a fee, but often, unsigned/local bands will play for nothing.
Get a Sound Engineer.
If the venue has one, and has a PA installed, use him. If not, a Sound Engineer may supply a PA and set up the system for a cost. If you are familiar with using a PA and miking amps etc, feel free to organise this yourself, but it is an added hassle.
Line up, Times and Timing
Put the most popular band on last, and the least popular first.
Give each starting band equal stage time; the final two bands should get a little extra time.
Tell the bands they have a set 5 minutes shorter than they actually have. So, if the have a 30 minute set tell them it's 25, to keep everything running smoothly.
Organizing gear requirements, gear sharing and sound check times is tricky.
Constant communication is required, there is no point in 5 bands bringing 5 drum kits, and 5 sets of amps, only for four of them sit outside in vans ready to be stolen. Generally it is the headlining acts job to supply a drum kit, and the other drummers will have to provide what are known as breakables, (snare, cymbals, bass drum pedal)
If each band does use their own kit, the gap between bands will go from 15 minutes to 25 and sound checks will be at least 5 minutes longer.
Allow bands to sell CDs and merchandise if possible during breaks and after the show. Don't charge them for doing this.
Stay within the venue's time restraints.
Generally leave 15 minutes between each band for setting up. It is however a good idea to check this with the sound engineer as some bands may take more time to set up/pack down depending on gear changes etc.
Play music during the breaks. Music styles similar to the band on the nights, but none of their music.
Sound Engineers will do this for you, just tell them before hand so they bring the connection for your MP3 player
Advertising & Publicity
Make posters.
Put the following on the poster
◦ Headlining Band
◦ Band on before them
◦ Band on before them etc.
◦ Opening band
◦ Location
◦ Date
◦ Cost
◦ Any and all websites relating to bands, venue, tickets, you etc.
◦
Put the posters up everywhere, but always ask permission before putting them up. Put them up in music stores, local youth hangouts, internet cafes, schools/colleges(if allowed) and modern clothes shops.
Ring your local newspaper/radio-station/etc. and tell them that the gig is on.
Write a Press Release , and send it to newspapers in your area, and the area of the gig, a few weeks before the gig.
Try to get the newspaper to send a photographer if they have an 'Out& About' section or similar.
Get all the bands to put the gig on their Myspace/Facebook
Calculating Ticket Prices
Add together all your costs so far to get your budget.
Divide this by the number of tickets you have available for sale, not including ones you plan to give away for free.
This is the minimum amount you can charge per ticket to break even. You may like to run your first gig as non profit, to get people in your area interested in local gigs.
If you want to make a profit, add on about 20% to this figure.
Get the venue to print your tickets
If they don't print tickets, sell tickets on the door; there will be no paper and/or forged tickets involved this way. Use a hand stamp on people as they arrive.
Try to avoid assigning seats
On The Night
Make sure you get all the bands there early, as 'no-shows' ruin the night. A good two or three hours before the doors open would be good.
Sound checking
First band should go on about half an hour after the doors open
Set up a Green Room. The Green Room is simply a room backstage with some refreshments
Be seen on the door, and in the crowd, asking people if they're having a good time.
Check in with the Sound Engineer, Door Staff and Bands to make sure everything is running smoothly.
After The Show
Pay the bands and other staff promptly.
Take any criticism and try to improve on what they tell you.