For your next FridayHow to book live music for a pub in Perth

Picture Friday afternoon. The tables are booked, the roster is done, and the musician has just asked which door to use. You're still finding out who is bringing the speakers. Wondering how to book live music for a pub in Perth without leaving your duty manager to solve the details on Friday? Start with the door and the speakers.

My suggestion is to work through the six steps below before confirming the night. You can use them with an artist you already know, someone you've found online, or a booking service. The aim is a clear agreement that your duty manager can actually run.

1. Describe the Friday you're booking for

Write down the date, suburb, performance area, start and finish times, and what you want the music to do. Be specific about the part of the night that matters.

For example, your brief might say, “Dinner service first, then a livelier final set for the people staying on.” Adapt the example to your room. A seated courtyard needs a different brief from a front bar watching sport or a space cleared for dancing.

If the match itself is the sticking point, our guide to choosing live music for your venue goes into that decision. Here, give the performer enough context to tell you whether the job suits them.

2. Listen for the job you've described

Ask for a live performance clip and an example repertoire. Listen with your brief beside you. Can you hear the sort of opening set you want? Is there material for later in the evening? Ask how they would approach both.

For a band, confirm which lineup the quote covers. For a soloist or duo, ask what the actual setup includes. A profile name alone doesn't tell you what will arrive.

You don't need to prescribe every song. I'd rather put the effort into explaining the room than deliver a spreadsheet of compulsory choruses. Leave space for the musician's judgement, while naming any songs, styles or moments you need handled a particular way.

3. Get the whole booking into the quote

Ask for a written quote against that brief. Have it identify the performance duration, playing times and breaks, equipment supplied, any sound technician, travel or setup charges, and how GST is treated. Ask for the total, then read what it includes. Ask about meals, drinks and other requests from the act, and record what you agree to provide.

Agree payment timing and cancellation terms before accepting. Ask when the quote expires and what each side needs to do to confirm the date. Get written confirmation of the act, date, times and agreed total before announcing the night. If the performer becomes unavailable, ask who will contact you and what happens next. Don't assume a replacement is included unless the agreement says so.

For tax, super and other payment obligations, have your accountant check the actual arrangement. This booking guide doesn't decide who owes what. Keep any unresolved item visibly marked in the brief instead of letting a friendly “all good” stand in for an answer.

Book the performance. Brief the whole night.

4. Walk the route from the car to the microphone

Start where the act will unload. Check the entrance, stairs, parking arrangements and access time. Then stand in the performance space and identify where equipment will go, where power is available, and which routes need to stay clear.

Ask the performer to confirm that the space and equipment plan suit their setup. For a larger act, request a layout sketch and equipment list. Decide who provides speakers, microphones and any other required gear. “There's a speaker somewhere” is an excellent reason to open the cupboard now.

Put soundcheck timing, the person handling sound concerns and your venue's applicable restrictions in the brief. Check the restrictions with the appropriate adviser or authority before confirming a setup you haven't used. For an outdoor performance, agree the weather decision and who makes it.

5. Put one name beside each handover

Name the duty manager who will meet the act and give both sides a contact number. Confirm who has the final running order, who handles music during breaks, and who tells the performer about changes. Give the incoming shift the same version.

Once the booking is confirmed, agree the event wording with the act. Check the performer name, date, start time and location before adding it to your website or social posts. Put someone in charge of correcting those details if the plan changes.

Music Victoria's 2017 venue guide covers performance agreements, sound management and supporting musicians, with example stage layouts and a live show checklist. Those are useful prompts for the work around a performance. Its Victorian regulatory guidance is not a guide to WA law.

6. How to book live music for a pub in Perth: send the brief

Copy this into your next enquiry and replace the brackets. It's a starting point for the conversation, not a contract.

Ask the recipient to answer the blanks and flag anything they can't provide. When the details are agreed, send the finished version to the person running the shift. That is the handover worth keeping.

These six steps are our suggested workflow, informed by Music Victoria's operational guidance. They don't establish a Perth market rate, guarantee a crowd or replace advice on your venue's legal obligations.