The Office.
I couldn’t do my job for Susan if I did not believe that her music and words should be heard by as many people as possible. It’s a lot of fun, but it’s also ridiculous hours, unhealthy road life, and a lot of pressure. On any given day on the road I am responsible for things like leaving on time to get to sound check on time to make sure all the equipment gets unloaded and loaded and that the venue paid us the right amount. Before all that gets to fruition, as the booking agent, I am usually staring down the barrel of being responsible for figuring out where to go, when to go, how many gigs will be there, whether those gigs will pay for themselves plus profit, what we can ask for in newer markets versus established markets. It’s a fun puzzle but it can also make you crazy. I never turn my brain off. My ears are always open, my mind always running through some mental Rolodex of venues and radii and mileage.
This is not to scare you away from booking or anything of the sort…it’s actually pretty fun. A thrill of the hunt job if there ever was one. But I couldn’t “sell” like I do if I didn’t think it was a given that Susan needed to be in front of people doing what she does wonderfully. If I felt a smidge of ever calling in a favor from a venue, or that I pulled something over on them by getting booked, it would all be over. There’s no way you can put that much of yourself on the line and not believe in what you’re doing.
This applies to you booking yourself, but especially if you are going to go the apprentice route and work with another touring artist. Like them first. Being useful will follow naturally.
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