So, what simple but practical steps can you take to make all of this a little easier on yourself?  Firstly you should take lots of notes and make lists of tasks.  Dull?  Yes.  Necessary?  Definitely!  It’s easy to forget something small that turns out to be devastating and a simple check list puts an end to that.  The individual tasks when booking gigs, for instance, are pretty much the same wherever you’re playing.  When you’re got your booking there’s the question of travel to and from the gig.  Do you need to publicise it yourself or is there a promoter that will do that?  Have you contacted the local press to inform them about it?  Are you responsible for equipment?  Are you going to be out of pocket if you play?  If yes, will it be worth it anyway?  These questions and others can be asked about every aspect of your career and if you can get yourself into the right frame of mind will become easy to manage.

While it is unlikely that you will need to do anything too complicated it’s a very good idea to keep a record of band related incomings and outgoings.  While each band member is probably going to be responsible for the cost of their own instruments / strings / drumsticks etc what happens if you need to hire, buy or repair a van?  How much will recording your next EP cost?  What if you get a letter from the tax office (shudder!)?  You need to find cash for these things and if you don’t have a large disposable income or a person behind the scenes funding your band you’ll need to save for them.  Worse still, in urgent cases, you might need a loan which you then need to pay back.  Who is responsible for that?  What happens if someone leaves the band?  These thing need to be discussed and an agreement made between you before it becomes necessary to do any of them. 

Bands can be stressful with massive egos clashing on a daily basis.  The relationship between members can be fraught enough without adding money to the equation.  Better to get it all out of the way early and know where you stand.

There is no doubt that management is a skill and that it is an essential part of bands and artists achieving their full potential but it is definitely something that, if need be, you can do yourself.  Plus, if you eventually decide, for whatever reason, to give up your dreams of fame and fortune you could well have equipped yourself with the skills you need to help someone else achieve theirs.  The music industry is a beautiful and terrible thing at the same time but we all love it.  If we didn’t, none of us would be doing what we’re doing.