Contracts take time. A deal memo puts the agreed terms in writing the same week, so both sides can plan while the paperwork catches up.
What it holds
- Artist, promoter and venue, with legal names and addresses
- Date, doors, set time and set length
- Fee, deal structure and currency
- Deposit amount and due date
- Payment method, and how the balance is paid on the day
- Rider status, and anything agreed as an exception
How binding is it
Treat it as binding. Once both sides have accepted a memo by email, European promoters and agents work to it, and disputes are usually settled against the memo rather than against a contract nobody signed. The full Contract adds cancellation, liability and force majeure language, not new commercial terms.
Reading one
Check the fee, the deposit date and the set time first. Those three cause most of the arguments.