Booking @ MilkBoy
Okay Guys and Gals, here’s the deal:
MilkBoy books singer/songwriters, Americana, Roots Rock, Folk, Pop bands, A Cappella and spoken word. Drums are a-ok if you can play in a small room. If not, try bundle sticks. We would not book the Rollins Band but I would book Henry’s book tour. Make sense? MilkBoy does not book Metal, Thrash, Hardcore, or Loud Rock. Sorry, it’s just not a good fit. Please direct your efforts to North Star, The Fire or the M Room. Those are great clubs that can handle half-stacks. If you’re a metal band looking to do a special, acoustic show for your fans, contact us. It sounds like a cool idea.
Contacting MilkBoy: We only accept email booking requests – booking@milkboycoffee.com. All calls and walk-ins will be directed to our booking email. There is a time that snail mail is appropriate: When you are sending promotional material for a show already booked. We want your posters! YES, we hang them up in the venue!
Emailing: We get 30 or 40 emails every day from artists seeking a booking, and depending on whether I’m in a ‘new bookings’ cycle or an ‘advancing the shows I’ve got’ cycle, it can take weeks or months to get a response. Want a quicker response? Follow this format for the subject line: Name of artist, Month(s) or date to book i.e. “John Doe, Jan – Feb, or Feb 15″ It’s so simple but you’re making my job easier and I appreciate that.
(DO NOT SEND ATTACHMENTS UNLESS YOU HAVE NO EXTERNAL LINKS TO YOUR WEBSITE/MYSPACE/MUSIC. ATTACHMENTS CLOGS UP OUR SYSTEM AND YOU WILL NOT BE BOOKED SINCE YOU HAVE NOT EVEN READ THE BOOKING POLICY!)
Your e-mail should include information like: the last three shows you played, where they were and how many people YOUR BAND drew. You should also give me an estimate of the turnout you’d anticipate in Ardmore. If you’re waiting to hear form me, send a follow up that is un-emotional, even when I’m taking too long (in your opinion) to respond.
“Dear booker, I’m just following up on this email I sent a few weeks ago (enclosed below). We’re are still looking for June ___ through ___. Thanks a LOT!”
That type of email shows me that you’re a pro, and if I don’t know you already, I can trust that there will be decent level of professionalism at your show.
About the Space: Milkboy Coffee has a capacity of 80-150 depending on room arrangements. We house a PA system comprised of 2 speakers, 2 subwoofers, and 2 monitors. Stage lighting is controlled by a no-frills-dimmer. Our stage is trapezoidal in shape and stretches a length of 15ft back/12ft front and a width of 8ft. It’s large enough to house a full rock ‘n’ roll outfit (guitar, keyboard, bass, and drum kit). Though we have had larger bands on stage before, we suggest cutting out elaborate string/brass sections. All shows come with a live-sound engineer and house-manager who runs door and pay-out. Their presence is included in the expense that we take out at the end of the night. Speaking of expenses and payment….
Payout to you: MilkBoy is an all-ages coffeehouse – not an alcohol bar – so our economics are different than a traditional bar venue. I know a lot of you play bars (I certainly did) so it bears explaining. We look at throwing a show in a more communal way: it’s like this – you have a musical talent and we have a venue, and we are getting together to throw a show. We’ll front all the expenses for the sound guy, lighting, door personnel, advertising, on-line ticket sales and other operational costs; you arrange for the musicians, rehearsals, and to put on an entertaining show. At the end of the night, we’ll take the expenses off the top of the door receipts and then split the rest 70/30 (that’s 70% to you). Obviously, It behooves your wallet to have as many people there as possible. In order to maximize turnout, we have a few suggestions below…
Promotions and Marketing: We are not you and do not know your friends and fans! As most venues will tell you, your own promotional efforts will ultimately determine the success of a show. Having said that, MilkBoy will assist in promotional efforts as best we can with our WebCalendar, Twitter, Facebook, and Weekly E-Mail Blasts. We can also forward you our press contacts if you have prepared your own press release. Posters (I want 6)/Handbills (your discretion) provided by you, should be sent to MilkBoy Coffee. We DO hang them up and everyone who comes into our shop DOES see them. Our address is listed on our Venue page.
Recording Your Show: Want a recording of your show? We now offer a complete ProTools session and mixed CD of your performance. If you supply the Hard Drive, we’ll hit record on our rig!
Additional mixing is available from $35/hr at the world-renowned MilkBoy The Studio – http://www.milkboythestudio.com
Ask about pricing/options when you e-mail us!
Thanks a ton and see you at the show!
