A booking message lands and the date is open. The easy move is to say yes right away and sort out the details later. The better move is to ask a few questions first. Nobody minds. A promoter who books often expects them, and the answers tell you whether the night will go well long before you get there.
Here are ten worth asking, in the order they usually come up.
The night itself
1. What time do I play, and for how long? A set time is more than a slot on a flyer. Ask for the start and the end, and whether that could move if the room fills early or late.
2. Who plays before me and after me? This tells you what energy you walk into and what you hand over. A warm up set and a peak time set are different jobs, and you want to know which one you have.
3. What kind of room is it, and who comes? Ask what the regular crowd dances to on that night of the week. A great set for the wrong room is still the wrong set.
4. Is there a theme, a dress code or a sound you want? Some nights have one and forget to say so. Better to hear it now than from the door staff.
The gear
5. What is in the booth? Ask for the exact players, mixer and monitors. If you play from USB, check the format the players read. If you bring a controller, ask where it goes and whether there is power and space for it.
6. When can I get in, and is there a sound check? Load in time matters most when you bring gear. If there is no check, ask whether you can plug in during the changeover before yours.
The deal
7. What is the fee, and when and how is it paid? Ask for the number, the method and the timing. Cash at the end of the night, a transfer the next week and an invoice with thirty day terms all feel very different on the Monday after.
8. Is there anything on top? Guest list spots, drinks, a ride home, a hotel for a travel date. None of it is a given, and asking is normal.
9. What happens if the night is cancelled? Venues close, promoters move dates, weather happens. Knowing the answer in advance saves an awkward conversation later.
After the night
10. Can I share it, and can I use the photos? Ask whether they want you to post the flyer, which handles to tag, and whether their photographer's shots are yours to use afterward. Good photos from a real night are the best thing you can add to a press kit.
How to ask without sounding difficult
Put all of it in one friendly message rather than ten separate texts. Thank them for the offer first, then list the questions plainly. Most promoters answer in a few minutes, because they have answered the same things many times before.
Keep the answers somewhere you can find them. A note on your phone works. So does replying to your own booking email with a short summary, which also gives you a record if anything changes.
If an answer worries you, say so early. A clear "that fee does not work for me, could we do this instead" is far easier on everyone than a quiet no two days before the show.
The questions do not make you look new. They make you look like someone who has done this before and plans to do it again.
Keep your open dates and booking details on your press kit at my-epk.com so promoters have half these answers before they even ask.