Book the venue. It’s tempting to book the bands first, but if you don’t have a confirmed venue, you have no idea of the date of the show, the maximum capacity or the quality and spec of the sound system. You are more likely to get the bands you want if you can make guarantees, rather than well-intentioned best-endeavors. If possible, provisionally book the venue at least three months in advance, then contact the bands before confirming the venue. This way, if you need to cancel the venue, the owner has time to book another act.
Book a support band. A support band goes on before the main attraction, typically to warm up the crowd. From your point of view, a support band is beneficial because their presence may equate to extra ticket sales, especially if they are popular locally.
Select bands with a similar sound. If you are putting on a show with multiple bands, it’s probable that some fans of one band will filter out of the venue once the band they came to see has finished. This is especially true with smaller shows, where bands rely on friends and family to support them. If you book a jazz trio and a heavy metal band on the same bill, you limit the chances of cross-audience appeal. This increases the chances of people filtering out mid show. If people filter out, the venue owner takes less money over the bar. This is going to reduce your chances of using that venue again.
Put the agreement in writing. You don’t need a long legal agreement, but it’s prudent to keep a record of the agreement you make with the bands playing the show. The best way to do this is by making the preliminary arrangements via email. If you agree to something over the phone or in person, send a follow up email starting with a line similar to, “Further to yesterday’s phone call, this confirms that [NAME OF BAND HERE] will receive a flat fee of $150 for performing at [NAME OF VENUE] on [DATE].” This way, you can more easily avoid and resolve disputes and misunderstandings.
Promote the show on the Internet. Once the show is confirmed, set up a Facebook event page and send the link to the bands, so they can promote the show to their Facebook friends. Use Twitter to promote the show in the run-up to the event. Send an email to your entire mailing list, stating the bands that are playing, the venue, door time and individual stage times. If there are restrictions, such as an early curfew or minimum age limit, include this information.
Arrive at the venue before the bands. When the bands arrive, it’s essential that you’re there to greet them. Once they arrive, show them the venue fire exits, provide a safe place for them to store their equipment and introduce them to other key people, for example the sound engineer.