Re: [Organizers] Bookings etiquette

Chris Page wrote: Great questions Chris, and interesting replies all. And great to see a flurry of activity on the SW Organizers list. (a) As a dance organizer, I can only speak to booking for a monthly dance series. We do it both ways. First in parallel - inviting everyone who's on our list of priority performers for the given booking cycle, asking for dates they're available, and telling them we need a reply by X date and that we'll get back to them to let them know which date will work. Then when many of the spots are full, we go one at a time, until we're booked. (b) As a performer, I can speak to special events. I agree it's really nice to know that people are contacting other bands/callers. It affects how I negotiate and how much I invest in the exchange. In a weird circumstance this year no fewer than five different musicians asked me if I could call w them for the same exact wedding (I couldn't, already busy), and the irony was that I had also had a conversation w the bride-to-be which led me to believe she was ready to hire me if only I'd been available. Yikes! (The dating analogy is a great one, even though in some ways it is indeed 'nothing personal, and just a way of doing business.' I wonder if caterers or tent companies take much offense re. being contacted as part of a slew of possible caterers/tent suppliers...) When I have gotten a call about a gig at the very last minute, I have left messages for a few different musicians at once, hoping someone will get back to me in the final hour. In those cases, I do tell them that I'm calling other people. Mostly I work in series though. Chrissy Fowler Belfast, ME