Biggest Band Mistakes at College Gigs

In our previous article (Getting Booked on a College Campus) we gave you the know-how to get booked on a college campus. This time, we’re giving you the details on how to avoid getting on a booking agent’s bad side and ending up banned from a campus venue. If any other entertainment committee is like mine (at CSULB), then they have their very own “Black List” of bands they will never book again. This is a business like all others, and even musicians are expected to act like it. Below, I’ve listed some of the greatest mistakes that have landed bands on “Black Lists” across the country.

Student Phobia. A majority of college booking agents are students. If you don’t like it, don’t bother performing on college campuses. You have to be willing to work with students who may only have a few years of experience, most likely less.

egardless of experience or age, do not condescend or speak down to student booking agents. If a student tells you that he or she books the bands, don’t avoid them by asking to speak to someone else. You might be surprised just how intelligent and professional that student can be despite length of experience.

The best attitude you can have is one that is flexible. Work with booking agents so they can learn to better help you. After all, chances are, that student is going to decide whether or not you get the show.

Not arriving on time. Seems easy, but apparently it’s not. If you’re given an arrival time, abide by it. The “traffic” excuse is no excuse at all. Traffic is everywhere. Plan ahead for traffic and other complications. My university asks bands to arrive two hours early. So when one band arrived two hours late because of traffic, we told them they were in breach of contract by not arriving on time. After all, we had staff members who were able to get to work on time by using the same freeways.

If you suspect you’ll arrive late (it better be a good excuse), call the college and inform them of your situation. When we expect bands to arrive two hours before show time, we definitely start to worry when an hour has passed, you’re MIA, and no one has called to let us know you even remember having a show that day.

Diva Behavior… guys, you’re guilty of it too! If you or any of your band-mates is a diva, it’s time to have a reality check about what this type of behavior can do to your music career. College booking agents, and others, avoid these types like the bubonic plague. Why should we work with a difficult diva when we can avoid the drama by booking a band that’s actually going to be nice to people?

A college booking agent will be more inclined to book you again if they know you’re not going to be an egotistical narcissist. There’s a long list of big-name bands that have fallen from grace due to diva members. Underground bands are no exception.

Hostility. There is NO EXCUSE for pushy, demanding, angry or disrespectful behavior. This just makes you look hostile and no one will want to work with you. Never lose your temper with a booking agent, even if the problem is their fault. If something goes terribly wrong, stay calm and work towards a solution.

Not too long ago, a band that played at my college received a paycheck for a lower amount than on the contract. They were patient with us and at no point were hostile. We discovered it was a computer error, apologized, and worked fast to send them a check for the rest of the amount. We booked them again.

On another occasion, a band’s manager became very upset with me after not receiving his paycheck on the day he expected. He didn’t turn in the contract before a deadline and it was only going to take another day or two to process. He completely disregarded our policies and demanded that I “fetch” his paycheck right away. He got the paycheck and a spot on our college’s Black List for acting more like a bully than a band manager.

Disorderly Behavior. This shouldn’t even have to be addressed, and yet it happens. Acting like a trouble-maker is a definite way to repel colleges from you and it’s just plain disrespectful. I’ve seen and heard my fair share. Everything from showing up high, showing up drunk, harassing students, arguing with staff and damaging school property. This kind of behavior not only reflects poorly on you, but the entertainment committee that hired you – a good reason to never hire you again.
Being unprepared. While mistakes happen, nothing is more embarrassing than forgetting something really essential to playing the show. I haven’t blacklisted all bands who commit this mistake, but I can’t help thinking twice about booking them again. Being unprepared can lead to delays, unplayable songs and a number of other complications.

A tip from one of my musician friends: set up in your driveway as if you’re going to perform right there, then pack up everything, leaving nothing behind.

Not following directions. Some bands do not like being told what to do. But when you’re a guest on a college campus, you have to follow the rules laid out for you. Those rules are set forth for a reason.

At my college, we have a dock for unloading equipment but parking is not allowed since it’s used for other campus needs. When a band failed to move their cars to a designated parking area after we repeatedly told them to move, they all got tickets from campus police. And no, we did not pay the tickets.

Playing too loud. This may seem out of place since it probably won’t get you blacklisted or ruin your relationship with a college, but it’s not exactly the best thing to do during your performance. You want spectators to enjoy your music, not to look around for a pair of earplugs.

Many colleges have noise ordinances restricting how loud music can get for the sake of spectators and classes taking place during the show. Blasting your music way louder than is necessary will cause annoyance and it’s not great for the audience’s ears.

If you think you can get away with this type of behavior, take a word from Paul Spella of the University of New Mexico, “We don’t have to have you play here. There are plenty of other bands who want to play here.” His attitude is shared by many college booking agents who want nothing more than a good show and a positive experience for both you and the college.

We booking agents hire you because we love music and we are excited about the possibility of hearing you live. We picked you out of hundreds, maybe thousands of inquiries to come to campus. Always be gracious to the college that hosts you and build a relationship for future performances. Don’t let a mistake minimize your market.

Look out for the third part of this series, where we’ll explore the next level of marketing yourself to colleges at NACA (The National Association for Campus Activities), one of the largest groups in the country devoted to selling entertainers to college campuses.

Contributors to this article include: Paul Spella, University of New Mexico, NM - Student Union, Concerts John Rios, Montana State University, MT - Concerts Director Nathan Kogut, Colorado State University, CO - A.S.A.P. Concerts