The radius clause knows when a band has been bad or good, gigging close to a booked show

Red Schomburg Guhts performs at Somergloom’s opening night show Thursday.

Ever heard of a “radius clause”?

A radius clause is an agreement, struck between an artist and whoever is booking them to perform, stipulating that the artist must not perform within a certain geographical area and time proximate to the date of contracted performance.

These agreements can be more or less formal. If there’s a contract, the clause is written into the contract. If you’re getting paid big bucks to headline a pricey festival in Boston, for example, the organizers will freak out if you book an intimate gig at a local Cambridge club.

The way the organizers see it, the band’s double-dipping is stealing money directly out of their pocket, because the fans who would’ve paid the full festival price to see