In the second of two parts of Wavelength's D.I.Y guide to booking a show, Ryan McLaren asksadvice of local concert promoters Dan Burke and Eric Warner on what still has to be done after the bands and the venue are booked.

Step 4: The Promotion
Sure, you could just skip this step and just tell your friends about the show, but then the venue won't sell any beer, and you'll be blacklisted from ever putting on a show there ever again, not to mention pissing off the bands in the process. Posters are a good idea. You can draw one up yourself or you can have it professionally done, but a fancy poster will cost you, and how much depends on how many you want.

Get the show posted in listings like the ones in Wavelength, Now, and eye. Send out notices to the press (you can usually find fax and email addresses on their respective websites, or give them a call and they'll give them to you), because you never know if someone might write a few words about one of the bands. Post on all the message boards you can find, and don't forget to get the word out to college radio stations and newspapers. Remember to promote where people who'll like your band will look. Don't go postering Yorkville for a punk show.

Hard work will usually pay off, but not always. "You can have a ton of press and no one shows up or you could have zero press and it's sold out," says Eric Warner. "That's the only thing to this day which confuses me about Toronto. It's very hit or miss." Plus you have to keep in mind that if there's something else going on the same night, like another concert, or exam finals, or a Cirque du Soleil, that could hurt you.

Step 5: The Details
All-ages shows are a little bit trickier. "I try to put on (all-ages shows) when I can," says Dan Burke. "But it's hard." For all-ages shows, you have to rent the venue because the venue won't be making any money off of drinks. Prices range, but you're looking at about $500, and that should include security.

If you're dealing with a cross-border band, you're going to have more work. You have to get the paperwork to get them into the country, and you run the risk that they might get caught at the border the day before the show. It's rare, but it happens.

Foreign bands require a work permit, for a solo-artist or duo it's $250, anything more than that is $450. That's why, if a band is crossing the pond or the border, it's better to book a tour than a single show, because that cost doesn't increase with additional performances. Immigration exempt venues, like Rockit and the Opera House, will save you a wack of cash if you're bringing bands in from the States or overseas because they don't require work permits. That's something to keep in mind.

The last thing at this point will be working out set times. You don't want set lengths or times to get confused, because bands will get pissed if the band before them drags on forever and ends up driving the crowd away.

The last thing to keep in mind is attitude. Even a good show sometimes isn't good enough. The bar might complain that they didn't sell enough beer, or a band might complain that they didn't get as much money as they wanted, but that's part and parcel of being a booker. Just do your best. Warner and Burke both stressed that everything works out better if you're respectful and courteous, otherwise you might end up burning bridges. If you give a band or a venue a good show, it'll be easier to book with them next time.

"Things do go wrong, it's not necessarily your fault, it's not necessarily anyone's fault, sometimes they're acts of God," says Warner. "Shit happens. If everything was perfect, how much sense would everything really make?" But when it goes well, it can be very gratifying.

"I'm really into what I believe are valid socio-economic accomplishments," says Burke. "I'm doing this because it's fun, but I'm also doing it because I can make a living at it and I'm doing something where I feel I can make a contribution."

BY RYAN MCLAREN