The Venue Hierarchy of Responsibilities

Music venues hold obligations to multiple parties - the people they sell tickets to, the bands and their staff they hire to play, the communities they serve, and, of course, the owners that bankroll the whole thing. It's difficult to serve all parties, but it must be done. And sometimes, it's helpful to look at those responsibilities along a spectrum. This is the one person's ranking in a cascading order.

1. Create the right environment so that everyone arrives, attends, and returns home safely.

Nothing supersedes the solemn duty that venues have to protect the bands and fans throughout the entire time they are adjacent to or in the facility. This involves having the right staff and having those staff trained appropriately.

For example, every member of the staff should have naloxone (aka Narcan) and know how to use it. Even if it's the most mundane band - you never know when someone is going to try to amp up their experience and fall victim to an OD or fake fentanyl or whatever future drug-related complications there may be.

There should be adequate staff to monitor the crowd for any worrisome activity (sexual assault, fights, outrageous drug use)

Exits should be plentiful, well lit and clearly identified.

2. Be a good community member

Venues do not exist in a vacuum. They are often right in the middle of a community, filled with people who may never step foot inside one concert. Venues have a duty to keep noise outside to a minimal, due their best to avoid any conflicts between concertgoers and residents, and, ideally, find ways to give back, especially if they are highly profitable.

3. Treat your employees right

A venue should treat everyone right, but all roads begin with the staff entrusted with the band's, crew's, and fan's safety. Pay your staff a livable wage, have reasonable flexibility for when they need to call in sick, and generally be good stewards of their careers. Keep them, like the above, safe from harm. If something happens between a fan and the staff member, trust that your employee probably tried to diffuse the situation and was not the aggressor. Of course, do your due diligence to make sure that's the case.

4. Treat the band and touring staff right, too

They are your guests and, one might say, the sole reason why anyone is paying to be in your facility. Do your best to be a welcome venue. Put some effort into your green room. Work with the band on their specific requests. Take constructive criticism seriously so whatever issues you may have had don't repeat with the next band.

5. Put on a rocking show

Give your people what they need to create the best possible show that the band you've booked can provide. Upgrade equipment if necessary. Give the front-of-house engineer what he or she needs to make the show as magical as possible.

6. Be fair on pricing

As I've said elsewhere, venues should make drinkable water free and ubiquitous. The venue obviously will mark up alcohol and food sales - it's a big revenue driver for them, especially if they keep ticket prices low. But keep things within reason.

Also, be fair on the merchandise cut you take. Some people think you shouldn't take any - we'll explore that in a different piece, but definitely don't gouge the bands you book to play, especially considering merchandise is a big part of how they make money.

7. Make money on an individual show

Yes, yes. A venue needs to make money on individual shows and, indeed, all shows to be ongoing concerns. But the reason why I put this last is that it should spring naturally from all that precedes it. If your venue keeps people safe, treats its employees and the touring crew and band well, puts on a good show and doesn't gouge everyone on pricing, then logic dictates that profit should follow.

Any disagreements? What did I miss? Let me know.