So, you’re booking a show. You’ve secured a good night of the week, good bands, a good venue, and all that stuff. How do you ensure that this is the most popping event in town? Often, even when everything looks good on paper, the show will still lack that je ne sais quoi that sets it apart from all the other shows going on in that particular week. For instance, there’s a reason why so many people go to hip little European festivals – they understand how to differentiate. This is a place Americans fall down all the time and something that I hope to explain a little bit about through this article, I’ve been lucky enough to have a lot of show going experiences on both sides of the Atlantic so I feel an obligation to share. When you focus on differentiating factors and what makes your particular show the sort of experience people want to pour all of their expendable income into, you start to win as a band. Finding the differentiating factors is relatively straightforward, but figuring out what makes this experience so special? Well, that’s the hard part. Continue reading →