Guide
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How To Get Started
If you’ve ever been part of a gig that ran late, where soundcheck took twice as long, or where no one knew who was meant to be on stage next, you’ve seen what happens when logistics fall apart.
Good logistics don’t just make a show smoother; they make or break it. Behind every packed, seamless gig is a plan that covers the boring stuff, gear, timings, payments, and communication, so that the exciting stuff (the music, the energy, the connection) can take center stage.
This guide is written for those looking to put on their first gig or show, or wanting to improve their current setup. So for all those first-time event organisers, grassroots venues, and DIY artists putting on their own shows this ones for you.
We have taken our 15 years of experience in logistics from pub gigs to festivals and put it together in one guide. You’ll learn how to handle the practical side of gigs: booking, advancing, communication, and problem-solving, with none of the jargon or guesswork.
By the end, you’ll know exactly how to plan, what to prepare, and how to run your first gig like a pro, especially if like most people you are on a tight budget and have very few people in your team.
Before you rush to book a room or announce your lineup, decide what kind of event you’re running.
Are you hosting:
for local acts or your own band?
where you’re aiming to make a profit?
to promote a release or build momentum?
Then ask yourself: what does success look like?
Is it financial (breaking even or making profit)?
Promotional (getting your name out there)?
Or experiential (learning the ropes and connecting with people)?
Your goal shapes every decision after this, from how you price tickets to how you measure success the next day.
Even at small scale, gigs are a team sport. You’ll need people to handle:
If trying to juggle artist comms, door sales, and soundcheck yourself? You’ll run yourself into the ground, and miss the fun of the night. Even a small, trusted team of two or three can turn chaos into a smooth operation.
We have many horror stories of when we have been the one person trying to wear too many hats and it never ends well, you can pull it off once or twice but to try and scale past that never works.
Every gig is a balance of risk and reward and your budget keeps that balance.
Typical costs include:
Hidden costs that often catch first-timers:
Tip: Always budget 10–15% more than you think you’ll need. It covers the unexpected and protects you from last-minute surprises.
Finding and Booking a Venue
Your venue sets the tone. Choose one that fits your capacity, sound, and scene.
Ask yourself:
Venue contract checklist:
(flat fee, bar split, ticket split).
even friendly venues should have a paper trail.
If you’re booking a lineup, set expectations early. Include:
Confirm everything via email, not just DMs. Written confirmation saves you from confusion later.
If you’re performing, treat yourself like a client: advance your own details, test your set-up, and keep to schedule.
No gig goes well without the right tech.
Ask the venue what’s included:
Then confirm what each artist brings: amps, instruments, cables, and any extras.
If there’s no in-house sound tech, hire one. They’ll save you time, stress, and potentially the night. A good tech can often anticipate and fix issues before they become disasters.
What Is Advancing (and Why It Matters)?
“Advancing” means confirming all event details with your artists, venue, and crew before gig day so everyone arrives prepared.
A good advance email includes:
Load-in, soundcheck, doors, set times, curfew
Address, parking, access, contact numbers
Who to ask for sound, what’s provided
Fee, method, and who to speak to on the night
Drinks, meal, or rider details
This simple communication step prevents almost every common gig-day crisis.
A stage plot is a diagram showing where each band member stands and what gear they use (e.g., drums centre, guitar left, three vocal mics).
A tech rider lists what you need technically, including:
The clearer you are, the happier your sound tech will be. It lets them prep before you even arrive. You can send across a Technical Rider and Stage Plot ahead of time and make the show setup 100 times smoother.
If you would like to find out more check out our artist rider guide and stage plot guides here. Both include a free template that you can use.
Once your lineup and venue are set, it’s time to sell tickets.
Choose a ticketing platform that fits your crowd:
Then plan your promo timeline, you want to give yourself as much time as possible, especially if you have a lot of tickets to sell. Something like:
Promotion is a marathon, not a sprint, consistency beats one big post. Top tip, make sure to get all the bands and venue to agree to help promote the show to their audiences.
Load-in and Soundcheck
Running order and timing are everything.
Plan:
Print or share a digital schedule so everyone knows when and where to be.
If someone runs late, adjust calmly, don’t panic. Communicate with all bands so everyone knows what’s happening.
Feed your artists and crew, even basic hospitality goes a long way.
Have a small hospitality budget for drinks, food, or snacks. If money’s tight, and you have bands traveling in for the gig, even highlighting to them what food options are available near by goes a long way.
When it comes to payment:
Professionalism builds trust, it gets you invited back and gets everyone to want to work with you again.
Planning is key but what makes a pro event organiser is being able to handle when something goes wrong. Because often something will go wrong, that’s part of the job.
Be ready for:
Your gig-day toolkit should include: gaffer tape, multi-tool, spare cables, extension leads, phone charger, Sharpies, running order, and earplugs.
Settlements and Follow-Ups
Once the crowd leaves, the admin begins.
Settle payments with artists and crew the same night if possible. Double-check ticket sales, bar takings (if applicable), and expenses to calculate your profit or loss.
Then, thank everyone on the night and follow up by sending out thank-you messages. Artists, staff, sound techs, everyone involved. A quick “thanks for a great night” email builds lasting relationships.
Every gig teaches you something. Take 10 minutes to debrief:
We have all had those gigs where we finished and one part stood out where we said, we are never doing that again!
Even a short reflection helps you level up fast and turns each gig into a smoother one.
The first gig is always the hardest. But once you understand the moving parts, the process becomes repeatable and a lot more enjoyable.
Organisation doesn’t kill creativity; it protects it. When your logistics are solid, you and your artists can focus on putting on a great show.
To help, we’ve created free downloadable templates for your stage plot and tech rider ready to customise and share.
We have also built our platform Stage Portal to streamline and manage all of these parts, we built it to solve the headaches we experienced and now you can use it to prevent yours. It is built for the grassroots sector so even for your first gig it can help you avoid many of the pit falls that got us when we were starting out.
Try Stage Portal free for 30 days and spend less time buried in logistics, more time doing what you love: putting on amazing shows.
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