Guides

Rehearsals and gigs your band shows up to.

You pick a rehearsal date, three people reply, one says “can’t make it”, and you start over. Someone books a gig, forgets to check if the drummer’s free, and now there’s a problem. Planning is where bands quietly lose their momentum. Here’s how to keep it moving.

Ask who’s free before you commit, not after

The classic mistake is picking the date first and hoping. Then the messages trickle in, half the band is out, and you’re back to square one. Flip it around: put a few options out, ask everyone “can you make it?”, and only then lock the date that works. Two minutes of asking saves a week of back and forth.

Rehearsals: make them a rhythm, not a negotiation

The bands that actually rehearse don’t re-argue the time every week. They have a standing slot: Tuesday, 8pm, done. A fixed rhythm beats a fresh negotiation every single time, because nobody has to decide anything. Keep a weekly slot for the regular work, and only put options out for the one-offs. When someone can’t make it, at least everyone knows in advance instead of finding out at the door.

Gigs: check availability before you say yes

A booker offers you a Saturday. It’s tempting to say yes on the spot. Don’t, until you know the band can actually be there. One quick “everyone free the 21st?” before you confirm saves the nightmare of pulling out of a booked show. Once it’s confirmed, plan the day itself while it’s fresh: get-in time, soundcheck, when you play, and who’s driving who.

The real killer: everyone on a different calendar

Most band planning falls apart for one dumb reason: the plan lives in four places at once. A WhatsApp thread, someone’s notes, three personal calendars, a screenshot of the day sheet. Nothing is in sync, so nobody trusts any of it. The fix isn’t more messages, it’s one place the whole band looks at.

Or let Kurtt hold the calendar

This is the part Kurtt is built for. One shared calendar the whole act sees. No date yet? Put in the options and Kurtt asks everyone “can you make it?”, so you see who’s in before you commit. Rehearsals can repeat on their own. And every show gets a travel plan and a call sheet, on everyone’s phone. See what Kurtt does, or what it costs.