Organising a Gig
Organising a gig is a really fun way to support live music and bring community together but starting out can be daunting. Here are a few quick tips to help you plan and put on a great gig!
Think about the ‘Why’
First, ask yourself why do you want to hold a gig: to bring a certain band to your city? To create an opportunity for yourself or your friends to play a show? To fundraise for a cause you care about?
Keep your ‘why’ in mind as you plan your gig. It’ll shape the direction of your event and make the questions below easier to answer.
Who is Playing?
Make a list of musicians you want to ask to play at your gig. This could include your friends, yourself(!), local bands or acts that you love or someone you’ve been listening to but are yet to see live. If you’re stumped for who to ask, you could find some new musicians online, chat to your friends for suggestions or do a call out on social media.
When you’ve decided who you want to ask, look up their social media pages to find out the best way to contact them. Sometimes this is directly, other times it is through their manager or booking agent.
When approaching musicians, be polite and keep it concise. Let them know why you’re organising this gig, when and where it will be, if you’ll be paying them an artist fee, and who else will be performing.
It’s okay if you don’t get your first picks—musicians are busy! Keep asking around until you have enough performers locked in. A three act line up is a good aim.
Finding a venue
A gig can happen almost anywhere! It’s just about finding the right venue that will suit your event. Don’t get stuck on bars and pubs. Gigs can also happen at cafes, bookshops, community centres and more.
Ask yourself questions to help you pick your venue: Do you want the gig to be all ages? Will it be an afternoon or evening show? Is it important that the venue is accessible by public transport?
When reaching out to venues, pitch them your concept – tell them which other musicians will be playing, how many people you think will be coming along and your preferred dates. Remember, it is good to be flexible.
When talking to the venue find out if there is any fee for holding your gig there. Some venues charge a fee that will also include providing a staff member to help you with sound and set up on the night.
Getting the Word Out
Once your venue and musicians are locked in, it’s time to let people know about your gig! Promotion is essential to making sure people turn up to your event.
Create an event listing
An easy first step is to create an online event listing, ideally on social media. Check with the venue first to see whether they’d prefer to promote the event themselves.
When promoting your gig make sure to include the following information in your event listing:
- Who is playing (include short bios and links for each band)
- Where it is happening
- When it will be happening
- If the event is for all ages or over 18
- If the event is ticketed and, if so, how much they cost?
- Where people can get tickets from—online, at the door or both?
Spread the word
Where you’ll promote will depend on what kind of gig you’re organising. It’s always a good idea to share your event on local music guides. We’ve listed a few for you to try below.
If it’s a niche genre of music, you might need to get more specific. Is there a local radio station or program on community radio that plays this type of music? Send them an e-mail and let them know about your event.
When contacting people about your gig, make sure to include all the details and a link to your event listing. Remember to ask the bands and venue to help you promote the gig through their networks too!
Sounding Good
So you have a cracking line up, date locked in with a venue, and the word is starting to spread about your show - what’s going to happen on the day?
Before the show, you’ll need to make a running order, and check in with the venue about backline and soundcheck.
Make a plan
The running order of your gig breaks down the time and order that the event will go in: When’s the sound check? When do doors open? When is does each act go on?
The term ‘set time’ describes how long each band has to play, and might be different for different musicians or acts. When putting together the running order and set times, aim for 15 minutes between each band so they have time to change over and set up.
Get clear on your backline
'Backline' is the term used to describe the gear that will be used on stage, including the drum kits and amps. Most musicians will bring their own instruments—and drummers will likely bring their own snare, kick pedal and even cymbals—but check in with all your artists (or their managers) before the show so everyone is on the same page.
Communicate!
It is essential to communicate clearly with the bands and the venue. Make sure everyone is clear on who is doing what, what time people should arrive and when things are happening.
Manage your Risk
Whenever you are organising an event, it is important to manage your risk to ensure people stay safe. Check to see if you need to get event insurance or to get any special licences. Put together a risk management plan, identifying things that could go wrong and how you can reduce the chance of that happening. Depending on the size and location of your gig, you might also like to get in touch with the local police to let them know that this event is happening.
After the Show
Congratulations, you’ve run your first gig! If you are paying artist fees, make sure you’ve paid your musicians (or check the venue has paid the bands), and thank everyone for being involved. Sending a short and sweet message to the artists and venues after your event is always a good move.
Local Suggestions for Online Gig Guides
Other Resources
- LISTEN has a fantastic database of Australian women and gender non-conforming musicians, DJs and sound/audio engineers.
- Triple J Unearthed is great way to find new music and easy to search via geographical location.