Show advancing: the checklist for confirming everything with the venue

Advancing means agreeing all the details of the show with the venue in advance: the schedule, the tech, the guest list and the money. Once these are settled, the day of the show runs without nasty surprises.

This guide is a checklist of what to confirm and when – the same list works for a small club gig and an overseas tour alike.

Advancing gets the band and the venue on the same page about how the day will run. In practice it's an email or call a couple of weeks before the show, going through what the venue provides, what the band brings and how the day unfolds.

Advancing pulls together what the separate guides cover: you send the technical rider and the stage plot and input list, and on top of those you agree the schedule, the guest list and the payment. It's the whole show day, prepared in one go.

Rule of thumb: start about 3–4 weeks before the show – that gives both sides time to settle the details. For a small, familiar club gig, 1–2 weeks is often enough. Confirm the final schedule and the day-of contact's number again about a week out.

For an overseas show with a carnet, work permits, visas or freighted gear, advancing starts months ahead. For festivals, follow the festival's own advance deadline – it's usually much earlier than your own set.

Advancing left too late comes back to bite you on the day: the tech isn't ready, there's no parking spot, or the guest list never arrived. If the venue doesn't reply within a week, call – silence doesn't mean everything is fine.

Go through these for every show:

• Contacts. Who is the day-of contact and what's their phone number? Who is mixing (FOH engineer)? Who do you settle up with at the end of the night?
• Schedule. Load-in time and location, soundcheck time and length, doors, your set time and set length, and the curfew (the hard stop) – ask whether it's a hard curfew and whether overtime costs a penalty.
• Support acts and changeovers. Are there openers, what's the running order, and how long is the changeover? With an opener, soundchecks usually run in reverse order – headliner first, first opener last – so the show can start quickly.
• Tech. What does the venue provide (PA, backline) and what do you bring? Make sure your technical rider and stage plot and input list are current, and send them.
• Load-in and parking. Where does the gear go in, is there help unloading, and where do you park?
• Backstage and hospitality. Is there a dressing room, and what's in the food and drink deal? Water on stage? Do you have the backstage WiFi network and password?
• Age limit and alcohol. Is the show all-ages or 18+? In a licensed venue an age limit can narrow the crowd – it affects your promotion and where the merch stand goes.
• Guest list. How many spots, how and when to submit the list, and to whom?
• Money. What's the agreed fee (guarantee or door split), and how and when are you paid? Does the venue take a cut of merch (what %), who sells, and where is the stand? If you want cash, say so in advance – the venue needs to have it ready. Ask for a written copy of the settlement.
• Accommodation and a runner. If lodging is part of the deal, confirm the address and booking. Is a runner budgeted (a local helper for pickups and errands), and who do you call if the door is locked?

Once you've agreed all this, pull it into a single day sheet: one page with the show day's schedule, addresses, contacts and the key details. Share it with the whole band and crew, so everyone knows the plan without having to ask.

Advancing is a simple way to guarantee a smooth show day: agree the schedule, tech, guest list and money with the venue about two weeks ahead, send the rider and stage plot, and gather it all into a day sheet. Always do it in writing, so what's agreed is there in black and white.

In KIERTUE, advancing happens right inside the show: the band and the venue work through the same checklist and messages together, and the rider and stage plot travel along.