SLMC

ticious · Joined: 03 Sep 2007 Posts: 2120 Location: Chicago

One of the decisions a new venue owner will need to make is the format of the shows they want to present. There are a variety of formats among shows, and there is considerable variation in how they're presented. A number of factors will go into deciding what format is right for your venue:

• What kind of show you personally enjoy.
• Your purpose for having shows (fund raiser, promo for another business or personal enjoyment).
• The audience your venue is targetting and their preferences.
• The venue's budget and staffing.
• How much time and work you want to put into the venue.

Most live musicians consider a booking or 'set' to be a one hour performance, though some will occasionally do two hour sets and a few consider a two hour set to be their norm. Be sure to be specific about the length of the set when booking. DJs very often perform a normal two hour set. Again, be sure to be specific at booking time.

Most venues do not schedule a gap between performers. There are a couple reasons for this. Firstly, not very many venues have an emcee to take the mic between sets (if this is an option for you, it may be great to schedule a few minute's break between acts). This means the venue will need to either go to a radio between acts or have dead air. With the next show only a quick tp away, dead air, even for only a few minutes, will mean audience turnover. Secondly, most musicians and DJs require very litte (often no) set up other than attaching an object (which they can do whilst the departing performer is playing their last song), picking up the stream and tp'ing to the stage.

Some common formats are:

Showcase - each performer introduces themselves, describes what they do and performs one to three songs
Often, the guests at a Showcase are venue owners and Showcases are often closed to the general public (attendance is often by invitation only). Musicians playing a Showcase generally don't expect to be either paid or tipped as a Showcase is essentially a group audition.

Open mic - short sets, 15 to 30 minutes per musician
These are usually open to the public and to all appearances are a 'normal' show, except that the sets are short. Musicians usually expect to be tipped by the audience but usually will not ask for a fee. Musicians usually agree to play at an open mic for exposure to new fans and potential employers (venue owners). In most cases (though not all), open mics are "open" to any performer who wishes to play, there is no audition expected or required on either side. Some open mics may limit performers to a specific genre (such as Jazz, pop rock, etc.) and some may require an audition or stream check before scheduling a performer in their line up.

Standard Live - two to three one hour sets
Most live shows come under this heading. The musician will expect to be tipped by the audience and may also request a base fee from the venue in addition to their tips. There may be specific negotiations such as tip splitting, an increasing fee scale based on draw, etc. These negotiations must in ALL cases be clearly stated and agreed at the time the gig is booked. Depending on the reputation of the venue and the needs of the artist, some musicians will play for "tips only". This means they will not charge a fee, but generally will expect promotion by the venue and exposure to new fans and potential employers (gigs at other venues) in return.

Standard DJ - one to three hours, one to two hour sets
Everything said about a Standard Live show applies to a Standard DJ show except that, where a Live Show normally consists of one hour sets (though some musicians routinely do two hour sets), it's quite common for a DJ to do a two hour set.

Extended - four to eight hours, possibly consisting of a mix of one and two hour sets
Like a standard live show, but longer.

Marathon - eight to forty eight hours, consisting of a mix of one and two hour sets
A marathon will usually include a mix of live performers and DJs where standard shows and extended shows usually include only one or the other. Most marathons are fund raisers or some other sort of special event.

Naturally, which ever format you choose to follow, you'll want to tailor it to your needs and resources. One of the ways you can make your venue 'stand out from the crowd' is by developing a different and creative format.
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Joy is in the ears that hear
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