Introduce your band to Neck of the Woods, email booking@neckofthewoodssf.com. Avoid contacting us through social media or phone and be patient as they receive a high volume of inquiries. In your email, include your band’s name, style, location, duration of being a band, and links to your music. Provide evidence of your web presence such as an official band website, Facebook account, YouTube videos of your shows, bandcamp, or SoundCloud. Include in your email your past experiences such as previous bands your members were in, the kinds of bands you have been paired with, and the venues you have played in San Francisco. What is your expected turnout, fan base demographics, and what your stage show looks like.
As a first-time performer, don’t expect to open for bigger acts or play on weekends. You need to impress us in the shows we book you for initially. We organize locals-only shows on weekdays to ensure you can bring out 25 people and sound like your recording. We have 5-7 nights open per week with three bands per night, so the more flexible you are, the easier it is for us to book you. If you promote your performance well and are easy to work with, we’ll invite you to play frequently and eventually consider you for bigger shows.
What we expect from you:
For Sunday to Wednesday shows, your band must attract a minimum of 25 people. We need 75 paid customers to make the club look lively, so please be realistic about your attendance. Start with our downstairs room which fits 100 and work your way to our upstairs venue, which can fit 350 customers. On Thursdays, we expect your band to draw around 40-50 people, and on Fridays and Saturdays, we aim for sellout numbers, which is also 350 paid.
Booking out-of-town bands can be challenging, especially for those who haven’t played in San Francisco before. Without local draw, it’s tough to secure a spot on Neck of the Woods’ stage unless you have the backing of a label or booking agent. To demonstrate local draw, you can showcase evidence of your fan base built over the years through tours or a promotional push from your management. Alternatively, having a significant online presence with national attention can also help. However, just being willing to flyer around town or do a radio spot is unlikely to be sufficient.
No, it isn’t. The best way to do it is to make friends with San Francisco bands that have some draw. As you make connections in San Francisco you can start getting your records played on local radio stations, place your music in local music stores, play some smaller venues, and eventually the momentum builds. Consider that just as knowing a San Francisco band can help you get shows in this part of the world, knowing you will help them get shows in your part of the world.
We handle most of the booking, but if you have expertise in a specific genre, you can suggest bands or approach them yourself. If your friends are in a strong band, we appreciate it if you can convince them to play on a weekday. Some performers are very selective about who they want on the bill, but being open-minded is better for us. If you want to create a show with your favorite bands, go ahead, but remember that having the same fan base can limit your audience.
Make sure your show is confirmed before assuming you’re booked, as tentative dates can change for a variety of reasons. Our team confirms the full bill, load-in/sound-check/set times, payment, and ticket price before considering a show confirmed. Provide a band bio and link to avoid potential mishaps in listings. Check your listing on our website in multiple places to ensure accuracy. Post on your social media, tag us. Visit our venue before your show.
Day of the show :
Typically, the headliner has priority for loading in and soundchecking, followed by the main support band half an hour later, and the opener half an hour after that. However, this is not concrete and it’s important to confirm with the booker and follow their specific instructions. Exceptions are common.
Designate one responsible person in your band (such as a tour manager, sound engineer, or reliable band member) to be the point of contact. This person should introduce themselves to our sound engineer upon arrival and coordinate tasks like filling out forms and obtaining drink tickets. The sound engineer will direct you to load in and indicate where to set up. The drummer should begin setting up hardware immediately. Be efficient during soundcheck and follow the sound engineer’s instructions, as they are highly skilled and know what sounds best on the floor. If they ask you to turn down on stage, comply with their request.
After load in:
To address any hospitality or payment issues, speak with the bar manager or bartender (who typically arrive an hour after the sound engineer.) Our house manager will provide further assistance and distribute paperwork upon arrival. Hospitality is allocated based on the number of performers and typically includes two drink tickets per performer over 21. Non-alcoholic drinks are usually complimentary for band members. Collect necessary forms, including guest lists and tax forms, from the bar. Review our house rules, which prohibit outside liquor, pyrotechnics, confetti, and stage diving/crowd surfing. We only report income to the IRS if it exceeds $600 in a calendar year. If you lack a band Tax ID, a member’s SSN can be used instead.
Making contact :
Daniel Berliner is the main booker at Neck of the woods. Can be contacted at booking@neckofthewoodssf.com
If you have already booked a show and have questions you can contact your booker or our production manager fav@neckofthewoodssf.com