Release

A hold ends in one of three ways: it is confirmed, it expires, or it is released. A promoter releases when the night won’t work: the budget doesn’t add up, the venue is gone, another artist got the slot. The artist side releases when the artist takes another show that night or can no longer make the date.

Releasing early is good practice. The next promoter on the hold rank moves up and gets weeks to plan instead of days.

Example

A collective in Zurich has the first hold on Saturday 13 February, until 20 January. On 8 January the venue moves their party to the Friday. The collective releases the Saturday by email that afternoon. The second hold, a club in Milan, becomes the first and confirms a week later. The collective asks for a new hold on Friday 12 February, where nobody is ahead of them.

What to watch for

• Release in writing. One line by email is enough: artist, date, “we release”. A release said only on the phone is hard to prove a week later.
• A release is not a cancellation. Releasing a hold costs nothing. Once the show is confirmed, pulling out is a cancellation, and the cancellation terms apply.
• Expired means gone. If a hold runs out without an answer, plan as if it was released. Some agencies wait a few days before the next hold moves up, but you can’t count on it.
• A released night can come back. If the other show falls through, ask again. You start as a new hold, behind whoever is in line by then.