Questions to ask promoters

You have been rehearsing for weeks and feel ready to show the world what you've achieved. You email dozens of promoters/venues and finally receive a reply. You've been offered a slot! But ask some important questions before you accept it. 

Every promoter runs events differently. Therefore it is important to ask a few things, so you know what to expect. 
When you are happy with the arrangements, accep the slots. If you don't agree and still accept it, it will cause unnecessary stress for you, your band and the promoter/venue. 



PAYMENT - This is an important thing to know. Will you be paid a fee, a percentage of the door takings or will your travel expenses be covered? 
It doesn't hurt to ask if there will be a rider. When you are on tour or are playing in a different city, it is good to know if you will get some food/drinks which you can consider in you budget.

LOAD-IN/SOUNDCHECK/BACKLINE - Is the promoter/venue providing a backline and/or a drum kit? If not, does one of the booked bands have to provide a drum kit? If yes, which band? Make sure that you clarify this well in advance and not the night before the gig. 
Find out if you will have a full soundcheck or just a line check. Ask for your soundcheck time. 

AUDIENCE - Some promoters will expect you to bring a certain amount of fans. If you are an out of town band it is likely that you won't bring a lot of people. Make sure you are honest about this. If it doesn't work for you, just decline the gig offer. 

PROMOTION - Ask what kind of promotion the promoter/venue have in place (newsletters, flyers, social media, etc.). 
You have to promote the gig as well. It is not nice to play to an empty room. 
Gig promotion should happen on the promoter/venue side and the band side. Talk about it to make sure everyone has the same understanding and knows what to do and what is expected. 

GUEST LIST/CHEAP LIST - Some promoters will give you a few complimentary tickets or cheap tickets. Discuss before the gig day if your friend can see the show for free or a lot cheaper.

MERCHANDISE - Find out if you can sell some merch on the night. Is there a merch table available? Do you need to share it with other bands? Is the venue keeping a percentage of the sales? 
Merchandise is an income stream that is very often underestimated by bands. Use the excitement after your performance to sell some of you merch.