News From Britt Hill – March 2020

Years ago, I wrote a column addressing our booking process. With so many new people in our community, we continue to hear questions about how we book our season or “Why can’t Britt book this artist or that artist?” It seems appropriate to reprise the earlier column.

Logically, since Britt is now announcing the Seasons in February, March and April, patrons might assume that it makes sense to break it up evenly in thirds. However, there is nothing logical or predictable about the music business. Let me begin here with Booking 101.

Mike Sturgill, Britt’s Director of Programming for over twenty years, is essentially Britt’s booking agent. His job is to facilitate live performances—in the broadest sense. This entails securing and arranging performances, negotiating deals, understanding and agreeing to proper technical set-ups for shows, and in many cases also securing hospitality (hotels, dinners) and travel logistics.

Starting in late September, right after the Britt Season’s final curtain, Mike is looking for the next year’s I-5 corridor opportunities. Who is booking Seattle, Portland, Bend, and Redding? The artist’s management determines an artist’s schedule for the coming year, dedicating certain timeframes in specific regions.

During the course of his tenure at Britt, Mike has established relationships with the big dogs, such as Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and William Morris Agency (WMA). Mike contacts their managers and agents about potential performances and this communication often leads to offers, which Mike and I negotiate until a deal is closed. During this period, an “option” is held on a date or dates and a timeslot is put on hold for that artist. Frequently, Britt will have 1st, 2nd and 3rd holds with three different artists on the same date; hoping to confirm just one. In a typical year, Britt will make 120 offers to land just 30 shows.

Negotiations can get complicated. For instance, under a door-split arrangement, the band’s payment is directly tied to the event’s attendance. Under a guaranteed performance fee, Britt is on the hook regardless of concert turnout. Not surprisingly, most of Britt’s bookings are guarantees. Technical requirements for the show with a document called a “technical rider” are also part of the negotiations and can include anything from an extra set of drums to special lighting. Some of these requirements can get expensive and even kill a deal.

Mike’s job is to make the best possible offer that makes sense for Britt. The agent’s job is to get the best possible offer that makes sense for the artist. Because of the many moving parts to these deals, Britt frequently is navigating the art of the deal right up to the announcement date. The very nature of this process makes it impossible for Britt to pre-determine which shows will be announced each month with any real accuracy.

The music business is not scientific. It is an art form from start to finish. Moreover, art is hard to predict, and that makes it exciting for all of us. We hope you enjoy the unpredictability of our next three announcements!