Rants // On Booking Shows in 2024

Words: Sean Padilla

I make music under the name “The Cocker Spaniels” & book tours under the name “Happy Nomad Booking.” I love my children; I like Prince & Guided by Voices; & I hate all forms of bigotry. I’m Black

---

I don’t think many people outside of the world of booking have any idea just how quickly the options for non-corporate live music are shrinking. Every month since May, I’ve had to cancel, postpone or reroute a tour because at least one venue the artist was scheduled to play abruptly closed.

So many small venues are either closing, discontinuing live music, jacking up their break-even points, or adopting pay-to-play structures to beat the crush of capitalism. Then, there are the venues that turn out to be ethically unsuitable because their owners are predators or just plain assholes.

When times get harder, people get meaner. More bands and artists are moving *away from* the ethic of collective responsibility that helps DIY-level bands get to whatever “the next level” is in the first place. They’re starting to mimic the worst traits of the gatekeepers they wish to impress.

I also must add the role that climate change is playing in all of this. Hurricane Helene has rendered touring through Appalachia impossible for *at least* the rest of the year. I have to completely rebook a tour that was scheduled to begin this month. None of the roads are functional right now!

There’s an artist on my roster who’s trying to organize a winter residency in Tampa Bay. GUESS WHERE HURRICANE MILTON IS HEADING RIGHT NOW?