There are alot of musicians out there from the very good to the not so very good. It’s a wild west and de-regulated, there is degree or governing body to ensure professional standards but simply individuals working with individuals. It’s beautiful but it can be challenging for the uninitiated.
When booking a musician, if you are concerned you may be working with an amateur here are some questions to ask:
- Do you have enough material to get through the booking without repeats?
- What will happen if you are sick on the day, who is your backup?
- What will you wear on the day?
- What do you normally eat/drink at gigs?
- What kind of music are you going to play?
- Can you send me the setlist?
- How many gigs like this have you done before?
- What’s your sound gear like?
- Have you checked in with the venue to make sure you know the setup?
- Can you send me some reviews from past events?
There are many of course but these could start a good dialogue about the quality and capacity of the artist you are booking and confirm or surprise your intuitions about them.
As always a good agent is highly recommended to simplify this whole process.