Working with venues
What venues need from bands before a show
Venues rarely need more from a band than they ask for; they need it earlier and in a readable form. Here is what a promoter and a production team are waiting for, and when.
One document, sent early
The single most useful thing you can send is one complete rider containing both the technical requirements and the hospitality requirements, early enough to be acted on. Two attachments in two emails, a week apart, is how details get lost.
What the production side needs
A stage plot
So the stage can be built before you arrive: positions, backline, monitors, power.
An input list
So the patch and the channel count can be planned against the console in the room.
Monitor requirements
How many mixes, wedges or in-ears, and who listens to each.
Backline split
What you bring and what they must supply, with acceptable alternatives.
A technical contact
One name and number that will answer on the day.
What the promoter side needs
- Arrival time, vehicle and parking needs, and how many people are travelling
- Dressing room needs and any access constraints
- Catering and dietary requirements, including allergies, stated as separate lines
- Guest list numbers and who arranges passes
- Accommodation details when the deal includes them
What they also appreciate but rarely ask for
- Set length and whether you need a changeover slot
- Whether you travel with your own engineer
- A note on anything unusual: backing tracks, click, pyrotechnics-free confirmation, extra power draw
- Confirmation that your rider is current, not last year's version
When to send it
As soon as the show is confirmed, and again if anything changes. Production planning happens well before the week of the show, and equipment that has to be hired in needs lead time. A rider that arrives the day before is a rider that gets partially ignored.
A share link is easier for a venue than another attachment: they can open it in a browser without an account, and they always see the current version. ArtistRider provides both, so you can send a PDF where a PDF is expected and a link where it is not.
Make it easy to say yes
Mark what is essential and what is preferred. A venue that cannot provide a specific amplifier can still confirm the show if they know which parts are negotiable — and they will tell you earlier, while there is still time to arrange something.