Show Advance Checklist
The comprehensive checklist for advancing a show 3–4 weeks out — confirming every operational, technical, and logistical detail between promoter, venue, and artist team before show day.
Overview
Advancing a show is the process of confirming every detail of the event between the promoter, the venue, and the artist's touring team — typically starting 3 to 4 weeks before the date. It's not glamorous work, but it's where most show-day problems either get caught or get created. A thorough advance means fewer surprises at load-in.
The advance covers three domains: technical (does the venue have what the artist's rider requires?), logistical (when does everything happen, who is responsible for what?), and financial (how will settlement work, who has the box office numbers?). Each domain has its own set of contacts — the tour manager handles technical and logistics, the business manager or agent handles financial terms.
Communication during the advance should be documented. Verbal confirmations get forgotten. Email threads and a single shared checklist give everyone a reference point when something is disputed at load-in. If the tour manager claims they told you the headliner needs a full backline and you have no record of it, you're absorbing that cost.
How to Use
Send the initial advance inquiry to the tour manager 3 to 4 weeks out — not the agent. By this stage, the agent's job is largely done. The TM is the operational point of contact who will be at the venue on show day.
Go through the checklist item by item and confirm each one in writing. If an item requires a venue response — like whether the green room has a working refrigerator — loop in the venue contact directly and cc the TM. Don't relay information between parties if you can avoid it. Put the people who need to agree in the same email thread.
Flag any rider items the venue can't fulfill. If the technical rider calls for a specific console and the venue doesn't have it, find out whether the artist is bringing their own, whether a substitute is acceptable, or whether you need to rent. Discovering a mismatch at load-in costs money and creates friction with the artist's crew.
Template Fields
Each field below appears on the template. Fill in every applicable field — incomplete settlements and offers create problems downstream.
Artist Confirmation & Contact Info
Tour manager name, cell number, and email. Management contact for escalations. Do not advance an entire show over email alone — get the TM's cell.
Technical Rider Review
Confirm the technical rider has been reviewed against the venue's production spec. Note any items the venue cannot fulfill and document the agreed resolution for each.
Hospitality Rider Review
Confirm all hospitality requirements against what the venue and promoter can deliver. Flag substitutions and get written confirmation they're acceptable before show day.
Stage Plot & Input List
Confirm the current stage plot and input list have been received and shared with the venue's production team. Stage plots change between legs — always request the current version.
Load-in Time & Parking
Confirmed load-in time for artist and crew, loading dock access, and parking for tour vehicles. Coordinate this directly with venue operations — the talent buyer often doesn't control the loading dock schedule.
Backline Requirements
Confirm what backline (drums, amplifiers, keyboards) the artist is bringing vs. requiring locally. If local backline is needed, confirm who is sourcing it and at whose cost.
Merch Agreement
Confirm the merch deal: hard merch percentage (industry standard 20–25%), flat fee if applicable, who staffs the merch table, and whether the venue takes credit card fees off the top.
Guest List Process
Confirm the guest list cap, submission deadline, format (names or +1s?), and who approves additions day-of. An uncontrolled guest list eats into your comp count and complicates settlement.
Credential / Pass Requirements
Types and quantities of passes needed: laminates, wristbands, AAA (all access), photo passes. Who controls photo pit access? Is there a photo restriction (first 3 songs only, etc.)?
Catering Details
Day-of catering schedule: crew meals (pre-show and post-show timing), dietary restrictions from rider, delivery location. Catering problems are a direct line to artist mood problems.
Green Room Setup
Confirm green room access, setup per rider (furniture, temperature, specific provisions), and who controls access. If the rider is specific, walk the room before load-in.
Sound Check Time
Confirmed sound check start and end time. Buffer before doors. Who is the venue FOH contact the TM should reach during the day?
Door Time / Show Time / Curfew
Final confirmed event timeline. Hard venue curfew is the number that matters most — going over costs money and can jeopardize your venue relationship.
Settlement Contact & Process
Who will conduct settlement on the artist side? TM, business manager, or agent? Confirm the expected timing and location for settlement.
Marketing Assets Received
Confirm receipt of artist-approved photos, bio, and any required show-specific assets. Note any approval requirements before assets go live.
Ticket Scaling Confirmed
Final ticket price tiers, presale codes, and comp allocation confirmed with ticketing platform. Ensure the build matches what was agreed in the offer.
Day-of-Show Contact Numbers
A single reference list of every critical number: TM, venue GM, production manager, box office, promoter rep on site. Print this. Phones die.
Advance 3 to 4 weeks out, not the week of. Tour managers are managing multiple advancing dates simultaneously. Getting on their radar early means you get answers while there's still time to fix problems. Showing up in their inbox 5 days out signals disorganization.
Get the tour manager's cell number. Email is fine for documentation, but cell-to-cell is how actual problems get solved on show day. If you only have an email and the TM's phone dies at load-in, you're on your own.
Confirm every rider item against what the venue can actually deliver before advancing it to the TM. Don't pass along a commitment from the venue that you haven't verified. If the venue says they "should" be able to do something, that's a no until it's confirmed in writing.
Document every deviation from the rider. If a rider item can't be fulfilled and the TM agrees to a substitute, get that in writing. "We talked about it" becomes "I never agreed to that" at settlement when there's money at stake.
The template is the format. The data is the edge.
Callboard.fm generates the market intelligence that fills these templates with confidence — demand signals, guarantee benchmarks, and risk flags.
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