Clarity: Promoters vs. Fans
Posted by Justin Boland on Mar 28, 2012 | 0 Comments
Real simple: If you need to charge your opening acts money, you’re not a promoter. You’re a fan.
“Fake it until you make it” does not apply to promoting events. You need to put up real money from the start or you will not “make it” in any sense.
That overhead is why promoters almost always start from a position of success in another line of business: clothing lines, head shops, cocaine franchises, or worse; marketing types who crossed over to work for The Good Guys.
If you can’t afford to book someone like Ras Kass or Apathy, that just means you’re not ready to launch your business as a promoter. No Biggie.
Trying to fill the gap by selling off opening slots won’t change that. You need to make a name for yourself by delivering an exceptional show that delivers for the crowd and makes easy money for the venue. Most of the cats lining up to open for GZA have no motherfucking business opening for GZA. You know it, he knows it, the crowd knows it, and as for that opening act, they know they killed it and this is their year. Word.
Real promoters create dope events and hire dope artists. The middle ground here is the $0.00 guarantee. New local artists are always cool with playing for a pizza and a few beers. Aside from that, business is about breaking bread.
Real promoters take responsibility for the entire event. I’ve known a few legendary promoters who are functional alcoholics, so I won’t rule out substance abuse — do what works for you. No matter what that is, though: you’ve gotta do work.
Real promoters make money. Crazy, right? Fans spend money — which is dope when you’re bringing an underground artist through for a house party. It’s less cool when you’re making excuses about “turnout” to drunk rappers at 2 am.
Peace to the professionals. Someday, in some beautiful sci-fi future, the music business will be full of them.
Until then, here’s a beer for all the fans playing pretend this weekend.