#178 - 6 Tips for Organising a Headline Show
You don’t have to be a promoter - You heard us. As an artist, you’re well within your rights to organise your own show. In fact, when you are the creative and administrative lead, you can have a much greater level of creative control. Plus, pro tip: Why not collaborate with friends or fellow musicians to spread the organisational load.
Start off small - We all know that a smaller room that’s full has an infinitely better atmosphere than a large, empty room. Plus, nothing screams success more than a sold out headline show. So, when you’re starting off, keep things small and intimate - if fans don’t manage to get tickets to your first gig, they’ll make sure not to miss out on the second.
Curatorial control - Expanding on the greater creative control point, when you organise your own show, it’s up to you which artist supports you on the night. It pays to be strategic here - perhaps there’s an artist you really love, who’s sound meshes with your own, but who’s tapped into a slightly different side of the scene. By joining forces and appearing together on a lineup, you’ll expand into each other's fan bases.
Audience is key - Obviously all your lovely, supportive friends will be there, and they’ll be bringing the best vibe! But other than this, you’ll want to consider inviting your industry connections - this includes people from other artist’s, to A&Rs, to promoters, to labels. Showcasing your talent to key players in the industry is a sure fire way to take your career to the next level.
Prepare merch - Sadly, ticket sales alone aren’t always enough to guarantee breaking even. Having a simple selection of merch available for fans to purchase at the gig is a great way to earn a few extra pennies. And, if you’ve organised the show yourself, you can avoid the issue of promoters taking a huge cut of the profits. Plus, when fans wear your t-shirt or add your sticker to their laptop, they’ll spread the word for you!
Fair ticket split - If you do decide to approach a promoter to help move things along (rather than them approaching you first), before confirming anything, you have the power to agree on a fair ticket split. This will ensure you can keep the financial risks associated with event organisation to the bare minimum, hopefully leaving you with some money in the bank to invest in furthering your career.
