The advancing checklist: what to confirm before show day

Advancing a show means confirming every practical detail with the promoter or venue before show day: times, production, hospitality, travel, guestlist, merch and how the artist gets paid. A good advance turns the contract into a day sheet everyone can follow, so the band arrives knowing exactly where to go, when to load in, and what to expect.

Most show-day problems (a missed load-in slot, no parking for the van, a promoter expecting a longer set) come from something nobody confirmed in advance. This checklist covers what to ask, when to ask it, and how to share it.

Key takeaways

• Start the advance about two to three weeks before the show, and reconfirm the key details a couple of days before.
• Get one named contact for the day, with a mobile number, plus the production contact.
• Confirm times, production, hospitality, guestlist, merch and settlement in writing.
• Turn the answers into a day sheet and share it with everyone travelling.
• Keep advancing notes with the booking, so the next show at that venue starts with what you already know.

What is advancing?

Advancing is the process of contacting the promoter, venue or production manager before a show to agree the operational details that aren't in the headline contract. The contract says the artist will play on a given date for a given fee. The advance says when they load in, what equipment the venue provides, where they park, what they eat and how the money is settled.

Depending on the artist's level, the advance is done by the tour manager, the production manager, the manager, the agent, or the artist themselves. On smaller tours, it's often the agent or the artist. Whoever does it should be one person per show, so the promoter isn't getting conflicting questions.

When to advance

For a tour, stagger these so you're not advancing every show in the same week.

The advancing checklist

Use this as a template for your advance email or form. Not every point applies to every show.

Contacts

• Promoter's name and mobile number
• Day-of-show contact (often a venue manager or promoter rep)
• Production or technical contact
• Sound engineer (house or touring)
• Who will handle settlement on the night

Venue and access

• Venue address and postcode for load-in (sometimes different from the public entrance)
• Load-in access: stairs, lift, distance from vehicle to stage
• Parking for the van or car, including any permit or cost, and overnight parking if needed
• Nearby loading restrictions or time windows
• Step-free access for anyone in the party who needs it

Times

• Access time (when the building is open to you)
• Load-in time
• Soundcheck times for each act, in order
• Doors time
• Set times and set lengths for every act
• Changeover times
• Curfew (when the music must stop) and any noise limits
• Venue closing time and load-out window

Agree the set length clearly. A promoter expecting 60 minutes and an artist planning 40 is a common, avoidable argument.

Production and tech

• Stage dimensions and any restrictions (low ceiling, pillars)
• PA and monitor system details
• Number of monitor mixes available
• Mixing desk at front of house and in monitors
• Backline provided (drum kit, amps), and its condition
• Shared backline between acts, and who's providing it
• Lighting: house rig or operator, and whether they'll take cues
• Power on stage and any special requirements
• Artist's stage plot and input list sent and acknowledged
• Any restrictions on haze, pyro or confetti

Send the artist's stage plot and input list with the first advance email, and ask the venue to confirm they've seen it.

Hospitality

• Dressing room: size, location, whether it's shared, lockable
• Rider items provided, or a buyout instead
• Hot meal or food buyout, and when
• Drinks, including soft drinks and water on stage
• Towels
• Wi-Fi details
• Shower access, if needed

Accommodation and travel

• Hotel booked by whom (promoter or artist), with address and check-in details
• Number of rooms and type
• Parking at the hotel
• Ground transport for fly-in shows: airport pickup, venue transfers
• Flights or train times confirmed and shared

Keep travel details with the booking so the whole party sees the same information. In Backline, each booking can hold advancing notes and travel details, so the day sheet is built from what you've already confirmed rather than retyped from a dozen emails.

Guestlist

• Number of guestlist places for the artist
• Deadline to submit names
• How to submit them (email, form, shared list)
• Whether plus-ones are included
• Any photo or press passes, and who approves them

Guestlist management covers the promoter side of this.

Merch

• Is there a merch commission, and what percentage?
• Is it charged on gross or net (after card fees or VAT)?
• Who sells: artist's team or venue staff?
• Where is the merch table, and is there power and lighting?
• Can the artist bring a card reader, or must they use the venue's?

Merch commission surprises are a common settlement-night dispute. Confirm it in writing. For selling tips, see the merch table: sell more and capture fan details.

Tickets and audience

• Current ticket count and capacity
• Age restrictions
• Support acts confirmed, and their contact details
• Any accessibility arrangements for audience members
• Security and how the artist gets from the stage to the dressing room

Settlement and payment

• Deal type confirmed (flat fee, versus deal, door split)
• Deposit received and balance amount due
• How the balance is paid: transfer before the show, on the night, or after
• Who settles on the night, and when
• Which costs (if any) are deducted before a percentage is calculated, and what evidence will be provided
• Any withholding tax for overseas artists, confirmed in advance

If there's a percentage element, ask for a settlement sheet showing ticket counts and costs. For how this flows into the artist's payout, see invoicing as a booking agent and artist statements explained.

Building the day sheet

The day sheet is the one-page summary of the advance that goes to everyone travelling. Keep it to one screen on a phone if you can:

• Date, city, venue, address and load-in address
• Day contact and production contact, with numbers
• All times, from access to curfew
• Parking and hotel details
• Hospitality summary
• Guestlist deadline
• Settlement contact and terms
• Travel to the next city

Send it a couple of days before the show and pin it in your group chat. Update it if anything changes, and say clearly what changed.

A sample advance email

Keep the first email friendly and organised. Something like:

Hi [name], I'm advancing [artist] at [venue] on [date]. Attached are our stage plot, input list and hospitality requirements. Could you confirm the following by [date]: day-of-show contact and number, load-in address and parking, access/load-in/soundcheck/doors/set times and curfew, backline provided, guestlist allocation and deadline, merch commission and who sells, hotel details, and settlement arrangements on the night. Thanks, [your name and number]

Then track the answers in one place as they come in.

Common advancing mistakes

• Advancing too late. Venues and promoters are busy. Two days before is too late to sort out parking for a splitter van in a city centre.
• Assuming the contract covers it. Contracts rarely say where to park.
• Multiple people advancing the same show. It confuses the promoter and creates mismatched answers.
• Not writing it down. A phone call is fine, but follow up with an email confirming what was agreed.
• Not sharing the day sheet. Every person travelling should have it, including the driver and crew.

Frequently asked questions

What does advancing a show mean?

Advancing a show means confirming the practical details with the promoter or venue before show day, such as times, production, hospitality, travel, guestlist, merch and settlement. It turns the booking contract into a clear plan for the day, usually shared as a day sheet.

Who is responsible for advancing a show?

It depends on the artist's level. Tour managers and production managers usually advance larger shows, while for smaller tours it's often the agent, the manager or the artist. The key is that one named person advances each show.

How far in advance should you advance a show?

As a rough guide, start two to three weeks before the show and reconfirm the main details two or three days before. For festivals and larger productions, technical advancing often starts earlier.

What is a day sheet?

A day sheet is a one-page summary of a show day, listing contacts, addresses, times from access to curfew, parking, hotel, hospitality and settlement details. It's shared with everyone travelling so the whole team has the same information.

What should I confirm about merch when advancing?

Confirm whether the venue charges a merch commission, the percentage, whether it's on gross or net sales, who sells, where the table goes and how payments are taken. Get it in writing to avoid disputes at settlement.