The blunt answer is: you can't.
Although the standard protection for larger events and concerts, known as the AFM Performance Agreement, offers detailed terms and rigorous legal protection, it's not something that gets used for small, local events. Odds are, if you're reading this you don't even have a booking agent -- if you ask a club owner for a contract they will probably laugh at you.
For a great breakdown of the AFM Performance Agreement, check out Music Biz Advice, which is a horribly designed but still useful resource.
Further Reading
There is absolutely no better book on the subject of doing a tour than this one. Martin Atkins has the experience, the intelligence, but most importantly, the HONESTY to give you straight advice about how things really work. I've read way, way too many books by lawyers who have only worked with successful clients and frankly have no fucking clue how things operate outside their expense account rock star fantasy land. Atkins is the polar opposite: down-to-earth, very human, and an entrepreneur who works from the ground up. Although Atkins comes from metal/industrial music, I would still recommend this as the single best music business book a DIY hip hop artist could want. At least until Slug, Wyclef Jean and RZA write a book together with Wendy Day.
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1 comments:
Nah.
There's a whole other world of Jedi Mind Tricks you could get into here. I think that the "realism" you're spitting here is just "defeatism" -- we both know there's ways to fuck with someone's head and get money out of their pocket.
1. Help them out with promotion. Put in work helping them put up posters, make your own posters, be visible in promoting the gig.
2. Buy shots at the bar. Duh.
3. Seriously, buy shots at the bar in front of whoever owns the place. They'll probably tip you an extra $100 because they're drunk, mindless on cocaine, and eager to be cool.
4. Build a mythical local image. Go balls to the wall every time you have a show and then don't do shows for awhile. Make it clear that you're a fucking lunatic and it's worth paying money to see you.
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