Between the conglomeration of venues in every city, the
takeover of ticket sales by just a few corporations (Ticketmaster, LiveNation,
etc.) and overall decline in concert attendance, it would seem that live music
scenes across the country are ready to die on the operating table. But for
those in the know, there is another scene on the rise. If you’re one of the
many whose awareness concerts is limited to Google searches and Facebook
notifications, you probably don’t know there could be something thriving as
near as the basement next door. If that hasn’t tipped you off already, I am
talking about the rise of house-shows. But before you give your own home an
ironic/off-beat name and open your doors to every local gutter punk, hipster
and college students with who knows how to find an address, there are some
serious risks to consider.
If your residential venue becomes too popular, you could
invite organizations like the ASCAP or BMI to collect licensing fees. Not to
mention the risk of drawing attention from the police department, fire marshal,
and zoning officials who are not nearly as hip as you are.
The good news is that there are a few ways to protect your
self from these possible consequences. One is to make sure the attendance list
is invite only. Of course people you don’t know will find out one way or
another, but you can minimize the threat by keeping the address off the
Internet and asking the bands not to publish it on their website. Do not put up
flyers and as safe a place as college radio might seem…it isn’t. Also, don’t
call the price of admission a cover charge or ticket price, call it a donation.
You may lose control over the projected ‘revenue’, but it’s a lot less damaging
from a legal perspective. Besides, you may rake in more by guilt tripping people than you would playing business-man (or woman). To become even better prepared to make your own
personal (if miniscule) dent is Ticketmaster’s profits, click the link below:
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