SHR5E018P~001 24103258 Case Study

by

Aleks Juljanski 24103258

Case Study – Promoter

In any live music scene, there are many intricacies to putting on an event of any caliber. With over 220,000 people working in the industry (UK Music, 2025) and likely many more budding artists, sound technicians, etc. in the wings, there are roles needed to put on and coordinate these events where everyone in the industry intersects. In the case of one-off events and many tours – whether it be regional or international – the promoter is the main coordinator. This case study will examine how local/regional promoters operate one-off DIY gigs as an individual, with insight from a local Leeds-based promoter, James ‘Private Reg’ Vardy, founder of Leeds promoter and record label, Private Regcords. This examination will help contextualise the need for a promoter in a hypothetical event at the latter end of this essay, fully realised through use of a Budget and Settlement sheet.

Promoters are the main organisers behind a gig and the ones keeping communication with all involved, such as the artists performing, the sound techinicians working the night, and so on, to ensure that the night is successful. This requires deliberate planning and budgeting of the event before it is realised, since the promoter carries the main financial burden of putting a gig on. Every artist on a lineup has to be popular enough within the region to carry a significant pull to the event, or be talented enough to capture the attention of anyone who would be previously unaware to them – this usually being the case for the opener or lower support slots, “the promoter must know what makes a good live act” (Barrow & Newby, 1994). An artist’s popularity at a given time usually factored by the amount of gigs played in recent with high attendance, and any recent releases that an artist is in the process of promoting. Vardy says he discovers the acts he puts on “[v]astly via word of mouth and through people I meet in person” (Appendix 3).

When a lineup is decided (roughly, most of the time), a promoter must then secure an appropriate venue for the event. Intimate, small, seated bars like Casa or Sela in Leeds likely wouldn’t be considered for high-octane lineups with acts that are prone to moshpits during their sets, so deliberate venue choice is essential. In order of priority, Vardy chooses the appropriate venue based on the following factors: “1. Vibe of the space: staff, attitude, decor, cultural significance; 2. Sound setup: curfews, gear etc.; 3. Fee: The more a venue costs, the less it’s possible to pay bands”. Rental agreements are secured through direct communication with the venue, often condensed into a ‘venue pack’, including things like the rental terms themselves, the room spec, and backline specifications.

Ticket sales are then coordinated through use of ticket retailers. For local promoters with a low budget, readily-available systems like Skiddle and Eventbrite, where a third of all tickets sold nationwide are purchased from (Rozbicka et al., 2022), are used. From then on, the main bulk of advertising for the event is then handled by the promoter. In the modern technological landscape, a third of potential audiences are made aware to local events by social media (Rozbicka et al., 2022). Advertisements are directed through paid adspace, or by a strong community focus on spreading word, like how Vardy operates in the Leeds DIY scene, constantly updating the @privateregcords account with local gigs, whether or not they are his own (Private Regcords, 2025). Posters are also common around the Leeds area, which are usually outsourced to artists in the local area if a promoter chooses to spend more money onto an event in return for a more visually appealing method of garnering attention. Many local spaces in the Leeds area, like vintage clothing shops Pop Boutique and Chinese Laundry or venues like Hyde Park Book Club offer up space for promoters to put posters for gigs in the area (Wharf Chambers, n.d.).

Once venue, date, and lineup are fully realised, schedules are then made for the main staff directly involved with the show. Any bands supplying the backline are expected to show first alongside sound technicians, then the following bands arrive to load-in then soundcheck, all according to said schedules. Most promoters, or a hired rep, are present on the night to ensure all things run smoothly, like in regards to box office, and bands adhering to performance times. After the night is over, promoters finally need to ensure that all staff involved and artists playing are paid appropriately (even if the night doesn’t perform as well as expected) to any contracts or terms agreed previously, whether that to be a fixed rate or if some of the artists are paid a percentage rate of the total earnings, usually being the headliner or acts with more draw. The artists performing usually take the largest cut of the total income, making it imperative that the night is properly thought through with all points above in mind.

Case Study – Tour Manager

As Paul Rutter states (2011:72), “the primary role of the tour manager is to control logistical operations ‘on the road’ and to ensure the smooth running of the tour”. A tour manager has to keep constant communication with the artists that they look over, the venues the artist plays, the promoters who hire the venues, and many more. Managing many more moving parts than a promoter, multiple times over, requires a tour manager to be able to be effective problem solvers, especially when such problems are often immediate concerns.

The most essential element of tour managing is the touring itself. “The tour manager will work with the transport and travel people to ensure that everyone reaches the right place at the right time” (Barrow & Newby, 1994:175). The manager will work with the schedules provided to them by venues to ensure they arrive on time for initial load in with all equipment intact and ready to use (Berklee, n.d.). As a result, they will often have to micromanage their artists and organise exact daily routines in order to adhere to time, all in service of ensuring the artists play night after night and have adequate time to stress without worrying about rescheduling if they can’t make it in time. These schedules will also include the provided times for sound checks and intervals to ensure everyone is in the right place at the right time.

Managing general stress and morale throughout a tour is also a key role of the tour manager so as to ensure high-level performance every night and to avoid inter-band turmoil, especially on longer stints on the road. Alongside mental health, tour managers also ensure physical health is looked after, ensuring every member of the band and staff has the appropriate catering off-stage and riders whilst on. (Rutter, 2011:72-73)

In the case of a smaller tour manager, they may need to act as a readily available technician in case any equipment may be faulty, especially when on stage, whereas larger operations will have roadies working with the tour manager and band who would also be scheduled by the tour manager themselves, alongside any sound technician who may be accompanying for the entire tour.

Whilst on the road, the tour manager also schedules press appeareances to coincide with the dates they may be playing, especially when part of festival circuits, what would be typically assumed of a typical talent manager, the two roles usually being assumed by the same person in smaller-scale operations (Barrow & Newby, 1994:175).

Once the artists have completed their individual performances, it is also often the tour manager’s responsibility to collect box office takeaways and distribute it evenly between the band members and any accompanying staff, requiring accounting and organisational trade (Rutter, 2011:72)

Role Comparison

With my analysis of both roles in mind, I have realised a hypothetical gig through means of a Budget Sheet (Appendix 1) and Settlement Sheet (Appendix 2). Throughout the planning of the event and the entirety of the night, I will be assuming the role of Promoter.

The showcase I have created is a high-energy rock showcase with a co-headline between the two bands ‘Imaginary Husband’ and ‘Misting’ in the Hyde Park Book Club Basement, at a 150 capacity. The reason behind a co-headline due to both band’s incentive towards making a community driven night showcasing the different sounds of the Leeds DIY scene and their peers. I’ve chosen a large space with ample room for movement from the audience. As a promoter, I’ve gathered the headliners, booked the venue, and produce advertising material. I have left the responsibility of finding appropiate supports to the two headliners, with the aim of each choosing a support that fits their varying sound which I will then curate myself. As only of the supports will be playing this otherwise one-off show as a part of a larger tour that I am not directly a part of, I will not assume the role of Tour Manager for this occasion as they will already have one working to ensure their tour appearances run smoothly.

The price of booking the Book Club Basement currently sits at £175 excluding VAT. With both factors and small PRS fees in mind, I have budgeted £223 to cover these expenses. The Basement hiring agreement includes a sound engineer for the event in the £175, alongside full access to their sound desk and backline, minus amplifiers and instruments leaving the final booking budget the same. (HPBC, n.d.)

For a showcase of this size featuring out-of-town supports, I have set the advance ticket price at £12 through online retailers alone. 20 tickets are placed on hold with intention of giving 4 guest list spots to each band, leaving 2 slots for a photographer, Matt Auger, that I know personally and has offered to photograph the event for free, and another friend to cover doors/box office if neither myself or a member of Misting can at any given time. This leaves 130 tickets on offer at advance, with the intended price for any tickets sold at doors at a higher rate of £15.

After deliberation from the headliners, Imaginary Husband’s genre-appropriate support of choice is Jawharp, an experimental 4-piece guitar band, in line with IH’s style. As a larger act coming from London frequently featured in southern music press and discussion, they have been given a fixed guarantee of £150. A further £110 of budget has been set aside to cover their hotel after the gig. Misting’s support act of choice is Space Cadet Bloom, a 4-piece shoegaze band from the North-East, in line with Misting’s style. As an emerging act with less draw in Leeds, they have been given a lower fixed guarantee of £100. A contingency budget of £50 has been set aside for both bands and their travel costs.

For Imaginary Husband and Misting, they have been given a 75% percentage deal of the final income after all previous costs has been removed, split two ways after a £200 guarantee to both bands.

I have budgeted £20 towards artwork from local artist Hope Spalding, with £25 further towards printed poster that has been handed to IH and Misting to display around Leeds. Another £25 has been budgeted towards targeted local ad campaigns for the event.

£38 has been put towards simple amenities for the night: £24 towards a rider of beer cans and water bottles, and £12 set aside for towels. This final budget has brought the total costs to £1,139. For the event to break even, a projected 70% of tickets must be sold at just the £12 advance price, with the price on doors being extra leverage towards making a profit. If all 130 tickets are sold all at the advance price, the event is projected to make a gross of £1,560. The remaining £421 will be split 70%/30% between the headliners/promoter, the 70% being split two ways between both headliners.

Final Payout:
based on advance tickets selling out

Opener 1 (Space Cadet Bloom) – £100 fixed
Opener 2 (Jawharp) – £100 fixed
Headliners (Imaginary Husband + Misting) – £347.35 each
Promoter – £176.30

If 21.5% of tickets (23) were sold at the £15 box office price, there will instead be £490 remaining to split at the same rate.

Final Payout:
based on price-tiered tickets selling out

Opener 1 (Space Cadet Bloom) – £100 fixed
Opener 2 (Jawharp) – £100 fixed
Headliners (Imaginary Husband + Misting) – £371.50 each
Promoter – £197

Appendix 1 – Show Budget

IH Misting Budget SheetDownload

Appendix 2 – Settlement Sheet

IH Misting Settlement SheetDownload

Appendix 3 – Q+A with James ‘Private Reg’ Vardy

Private Reg Q&ADownload

Bibliography

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