Maximize Your Opening Act Slot
Maximize Your Opening Act Slot with these 7 tips.
Summer time is touring time for most of the major recording artists. That means it may be the perfect time to be an opener for a well known act.
If you’ve landed an opening act slot for either a single date or are lucky enough to be the support act for an entire tour, then here are 7 tips to help you maximize your opening act slot. These 7 tips will help you sell more CDs, endear yourself to the main act and their crew and win over a new audience. Make a great impression on the venue’s booking people and land a gig of your own in the future.
7 Tips To Maximize Your Opening Act Slot
- Meet their road manager, band and crew, thank them for the opportunity and give them each a CD.
- Ask the main act’s road manager, how much time they want you to play and then play only for that amount of time. Leave the audience wanting more, not begging you to get off the stage. This demonstrates courtesy to the main act and their audience. Before you finish your set, thank the band, the venue and the audience for allowing you to share this time with them. Say something nice about the main act.
- Make sure you know who is doing your sound. If it is the house sound crew, meet them and work with them. If it is the main act’s sound crew, work with them and thank them. If it is your own sound crew, but, you’re using their sound reinforcement equipment, be respectful.
- Make sure you can sell CDs or other merchandise and sell them at the same price the main act is selling their merchandise. Sometimes openers don’t get paid much, but they are able to keep most, if not 100% of the merchandise sales. Make sure your contract states any percentages due to the venue so you account for that in your sales price.
- Meet the venue staff and give the house manager or stage manager and the booker CDs. Make sure you know who is paying you, the band or the venue. Meet with that person in advance of the show to set a time when you’ll get paid later.
- If you get a sound check, and sometimes this is a big “IF,” make sure you use only your allotted time and don’t go over. If you don’t like the final sound, but your time has run out, make that work for you and go have dinner.
- Stay to see the main act’s show. Don’t leave before they finish unless they know you have another gig. Make your apologies before you play. Thank the band, their crew and the venue’s crew before you pack up and leave for the night. This might seem like a small, common sense thing to do, but, you would be surprised how many artists forget this last thing. It is the one thing that leaves your lasting impression. Make it your priority so you leave a good one.
Be That Opening Act
Being an opening act is a lot of responsibility. It can open new doors, build new audiences and create some great new friends if you handle yourself well during the process. Be the act they want to have on their next tour and recommend you to their manager and agent. Be the act that the venue would like to book again. Be the act that the main act’s audience would buy a ticket to see when you play in town again. Follow these 7 tips to maximize your opening act slot and you just might be that act.
How have you maximized your opening act slot in the past?
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I can’t wait to hear about your success.
Thanks to Carol Ehrlich for this week’s Biz Booster Graphic Image, “Maximize Your Opening Act Slot.”
Now, Thanks to the Band Curfew from the UK for providing the Biz Booster theme Music, Future Dance. Check them out at www.curfew.co.uk
And for more career boosting tips, articles, books, resources, tele-seminars and online courses, visit me at Performingbiz.com
