The Art of the Draw
There has been a spirited debate for years about what constitutes a “drawing” act in the entertainment industry. I’ve spent most of my life involved in professional wrestling and music and the similarities are pretty glaring in both respective industries. Allow me to use my 25+ years of experience to break down the various types of “draws” and maybe help YOU understand what YOU draw, and what you can do to draw more.
Draw #1 – The “Supportive Family” Draw
You know that kid who really isn’t that good that always seems to get booked? This is why. You see to a promoter, this guy is a LOCK to sell 20 tickets any time he steps in the ring or on the stage. If you are a smaller venue, having a couple of guys like this on the show can quite literally keep the lights on for the promotion. Sure, he might be absolutely terrible. He might smell. He might not know how to wrestle. But he RELIABLY shows up with 20 friends and family members eager to spend their money to watch him suck. Don’t hate this guy – LOVE this guy because you probably aren’t bringing 20 people to the show yourself. Which might put you as…
Draw #2- The “Whoa, That Guy Ruled” Draw
Call it the “opening band” draw – You’re on the show, but you aren’t who people paid to see. That said – You can GO. Great look, great talent – People who see you perform say, “Hey, if I see that guy on a poster in the future, I might make it a point to check him out.”
This is where 90% of you are. You aren’t a draw… yet. You probably don’t have 20 people you can guilt into coming to watch you. BUT – You are working hard… Maybe. Let’s be honest, most of you would rather stay here and bitch about the kid who you are better than who sells more tickets, or the guys on top who are the ACTUAL draws. You never seem to understand that John Cena or Hulk Hogan may not be the best wrestlers… But they are the best DRAWS. You hate pop music. Did you know pop is short for “popular?” You know what draws? What is POPULAR. So you might be an amazing death metal band or the most technically sound professional wrestler – If you don’t understand what fans want, you’ll never draw. But if you put in the work, push your shows, promote on social media, go above and beyond for your promoters, you eventually become…
Draw #3 – The “Name”
This is the guy/girl who is “responsible for the house” as we used to say in the wrestling business. They are the person people see on the poster and buy a ticket. They are the star. They are the person working on top. They are the headliner.
Here’s how it SHOULD work. That “draw” should cover their booking fee AND make money for the promoter to justify bringing them in. Now, there are some “names” who VASTLY overvalue what type of draw that they are, and there are some promoters who will vastly overpay those names because they are marks and don’t know any better.
So if I’m charging $2,000, putting me on your show should, at a minimum, generate $2000 in additional revenue for the event. That means if the tickets are $20 each, you should sell an extra $100 tickets because I’m there. And I’m there mostly to help the guys in “Draw #2” get a chance to break through to being a legit “top guy” – But that requires exposure. It requires fans to SEE the rest of your show, and it requires talent working underneath that is willing/able to work WITH top talent to get EVERYONE over.
Themselves, their opponents, the promotion. EVERYONE. GETS. OVER.
Top guys understand that role. Unfortunately the bulk of wrestlers never graduate to anything beyond a “get your shit in” understanding of working. Musicians, too. It’s where ego destroys talent. A rising tide helps ALL ships, and if you are spending your time burying the other bands on the show, or the other wrestlers in the locker room, you aren’t putting anyone over. You aren’t helping. And you sure as fuck don’t know how to draw MONEY.
Because while the top guys are supposed to be the draw – Those are the people who understand THE MOST that it takes EVERYONE, from the trainees setting up the ring to the merch girls to the concession workers to the refs to the undercard talent to the opening bands to the social media manager to the ticket taker to the guy who only has one good arm but loves to help and stays after to sweep up just for a free ticket… Just to be a part of it.
So my advice? Either get REALLY good and on TV or get a REALLY supportive family that will come to your shows until you get better.
But ask yourself: If YOU were the “main guy” – If you were the “name” – How would you draw? It’s a tough question, because it requires you to swallow a LOT of your pride and ego and be honest with yourself, and it’s easier to blame others or make excuses, right?
Go where you are needed. Stay where you are valued. Learn from every show. Become the person promoters ASK to book, not the guy sending 50 messages begging for a spot.
There ya go – Step one to your honest “Draw” assessment: Do more promoters ask YOU to work, or are YOU always asking for a spot? Because the guy counting the money knows what you are worth.
Do you?
Spiffy Speaks 