Santo Pullella (Talent Buyer for Third & Lindsley) – TRICKS OF THE TRADE

For this first feature, we teamed up with talent buyer, Santo Pullella. You can find out more about Santo and advice he has for people interested in the industry (his “Trick of the Trade”), after the break.

Santo Pullella (Talent Buyer for Third & Lindsley) – TRICKS OF THE TRADE

For this first feature, we teamed up with talent buyer, Santo Pullella. You can find out more about Santo and advice he has for people interested in the industry (his “Trick of the Trade”), after the break.

Name: Santo Pullella
Booking Resume:
Current – Talent Buyer / Third & Lindsley (Nashville, TN)
Previous – Talent Buyer: Capitol Theatre ’09 – ’10 (Davenport, IA); River Roots Live Music Festival ’05 – ’08 (Davenport, IA) Redstone Room ’06 – ’09 (Davenport, IA); Bent River Brewing Co. ’04 – ’06 (Moline, IL); Rozz Tox ’11 – ’14 (Rock Island, IL)

What positions have you held in the music industry (i.e. Tour Manager, Front of House, etc.)?
Current – Talent Buyer / Third & Lindsley (Nashville, TN); Artist Manager / The Whistles And The Bells
Previous – I’ve only been a Talent Buyer / Promoter or an Artist Manager.
Your first gig in the music industry:
Who did you work for?
My first professional gig as talent buyer / general manager for the Redstone Room in Davenport, IA.
How did you get the gig?
I was artist manager for a fast-growing regional band called SEEKER and talent buyer for BENT RIVER BREWING COMPANY and Lon Bozarth, then-president of the River Music Experience, recruited me when they were primed to open the 225 – 300 capacity Redstone Room, which is a proper live music club as opposed to the brewery which was open for all lunch/dinner hours and the food/beverage side was obviously the product focused on.

What was (is your continued) motivation for wanting to start booking touring bands/artists?
My motivation is to build a successful business. We all are in the business of artist development and if the artist’s business isn’t growing, then neither is mine. So I focus on how to honor the artist and their fans and make it profitable for everyone involved.

While growing up were you involved in your local music scene? If so, how did you get involved?
When I had just turned 19 I found that I might have a knack for organizing live music as I was helping my friends who started a band called 10 Lb. Boots. I had no idea, at first that it could become my profession because I was focused on sports journalism at the time. This young band needed help in securing venues to perform at and marketing for the shows.
If you could recommend one piece of advice (“trick of the trade”) to current or aspiring concert promoters, what would it be?
Do not ever lose sight of your passion for the music and don’t ever settle for what isn’t both fun and challenging. Every show you book should be viewed as a business plan that begins the day of confirmation and never ends. Handle the show with professionalism and integrity and that business plan will pay off for you well beyond the day of show.