Advancing turns a signed contract into a working day. It starts a week or two out, runs by email, and ends with both sides holding the same times.
Who does it
The Tour manager advances for the artist, or the artist does it themselves at club level. On the venue side it is the production manager or the promoter's production contact.
What gets settled
- Times: load-in, soundcheck, doors, set times, curfew
- Technical: backline, inputs, monitors, what the venue supplies
- Hospitality: catering, dietary needs, buyout, hotel rooms
- Logistics: parking, bus power, crew numbers, guest list, wifi
- Money: how settlement runs, who pays what, and when
Doing it well
Send one email with everything attached and dated, and ask for the venue's tech spec back. Confirm in writing rather than by phone, so the day sheet can be built straight from the thread. Whatever is not advanced becomes a decision made at 16:00 by whoever happens to be standing there.