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ivegoneblinkingmad t1_j605qsf wrote

As some others have mentioned, a booking agent is your friend in this area. My cover band is booked with one of the ones mentioned and while we had some success before working with them, we have seen a dramatic rise in gigs since. Keep in mind though, there are a ton of bands doing the same thing you are, and even within booking agents there are a bunch of crossover bands so there's an element of competition even within the agencies.

Before working with an agency we did have success booking with local breweries and other similar venues. You're playing a good range so you should have no problem getting into a brewery. I would highly suggest playing these gigs. They're not necessarily the highest paying but the staff are usually always great and you often get free beer! Some to check out in the city are Full Tilt, Mobtown, Pariah, Union (occasionally has gigs), and Peabody Heights. There are a ton of breweries in the Bal-DC metro though so definitely reach out to those. There are also a handful of bars that book independent bands. Don't Know Tavern and Racers (in the county) come to mind. You might have some luck with some of the bars in Fells Point including Admirals Cup and Waterfront, but those are both the "big" cover band bars so there are a ton of bands seeking them out. Horse you came in on and Cats Eye also host bands in Fells, where Cats Eye is more blues/classic rock so you might fare better there.

I'm sure there's more I'm missing but hopefully that'll give you a good start. Best of luck in booking. It can be frustrating but worth it once you get that gig!

Edit: also, be sure to follow Baltimore Showplace on instagram @ baltshowplace. They post a lot of shows going on in the city and can give you an idea of other venues to check out.

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Lopsided_School5053 OP t1_j606ipd wrote

This is great info! Thank you so much! Any idea what booking agencies charge? do they take a % cut?

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ivegoneblinkingmad t1_j60b820 wrote

This is totally my own experience and I don't want to speak for others who have worked with agents. Just my perspective.

So with our agency, they typically take 10% off the top. I'm not sure what other agencies charge, but its usually 10-15%. Our standard rate is $1000 AFTER they take their cut. That rate changes depending on the venue, our history with the venue, etc. But for the bit they take vs how much work goes into booking gigs and the other business bs, it's so much easier to let someone else do it. Especially if you have other musical outlets that are more originals based (like my bandmates and I have), the cover band becomes more for the love of playing and gigging and not so much about the money. So it's easier to rationalize having an agent.

I know a lot of bands are dismissive of agents and I don't disagree with many of their points, but it's different as a cover band working with an agent vs an original band. We've found it highly worth it.

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Lopsided_School5053 OP t1_j60dwdg wrote

I hope you don't mind me picking your brain some more. What do you mean your rate is $1000 after they take their cut? Do they charge you 1000 per month? per gig? per year? One time payment to join? Or you charge them $1000?

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ivegoneblinkingmad t1_j60p39s wrote

No problem! The agency asks X amount for us to play at Y venue. Y venue and the agency go back and forth and agree to an amount. So far, the amount the venues have offered has equaled to us getting $1000 after we pay out to the agency. This isn’t always the case but that’s how its worked so far. Sometimes we get paid $1000 and then pay out and we all take home a little less.

So after we’re done playing, we get a check for X amount from that venue, then we give our agency the % we’ve agreed upon (10%) and we keep the rest. We get paid per gig. They don’t make money off of us unless we play a gig that they’ve booked us. We could go around them and book the the same venue without them, but that just ruins our relationship with the agency and typically they’ll still expect a % since it’s considered one of “their” venues.

Feel free to DM me if you have any more questions!

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