Eight questions to ask yourself before you book a band
Paul Hurst
Smashwords Edition
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Introduction
“Bands tend to know what they are worth, and charge accordingly”.
Booking a band or group can be worrying and expensive, and if things go wrong it could ruin your event. Asking these key questions should reveal why some bands are so much cheaper than others! Although my experience (since the late 1970’s) has been mainly for events involving period and traditional music, these questions should apply to most events. And just asking the questions can be quite revealing – are they met with hostility, resentment or evasion? If so, there may well be something they don’t want you to know!
As you can imagine, going public with these questions has not exactly made me universally popular with other musicians. Tough. Certainly in the past, there has not been a level playing field. Whilst some comply with legislation and invest time, effort and money in providing the best service they can, others stick to the bits they enjoy and skip all of the ‘boring’ safety and legal bits.
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Chapter 1: How good are they?
“An amateur practices until they can get it right, a professional practices until they don’t get it wrong”
In other words, how suitable will they be for your event? As well as their musical abilities, how good are they at logistics, time keeping, presentation, interaction with guests and understanding of what you require? And, quite frankly, will they be a right pain in the arse to deal with before and during the event?! You can get an idea of this by the sort of things they want to know in advance – are they concerned with access, any special requirements you may have and what they can do to add to the performance, or are they just interested in when they’ll get paid?
A band is a band is a band in the same way that a car is a car is a car. There are a wide range of performers available to you, ranging from clapped out Morris Marinas to shiny new Aston Martins.
Some are indulging themselves in their hobby, looking for a bit of beer-money, whilst others aim to provide the service you want.
I've met some frightening cases over the years – dance ‘callers’ who bully and belittle their audience, people in bands just because they are family members or own the sound system and/or van, musicians who have become ‘jaded' over the years who just want to know where the bar is, when they'll be fed and how soon can they can go home. At one wedding fair, a bride was still shell-shocked at all the demands and requests that a band had made – full three course meal before, dedicated rooms (in a small venue), requirements for other refreshments, three hours for a sound check and so-on. All possibly normal for a top line act appearing at Wembley Stadium, but not exactly appropriate for a small wedding, in a room where there just wouldn’t be room for the guests, the band, their equipment AND their egos!
There are also excellent musicians who have no sense of time keeping and are liable to arrive late, or who become ‘prima donnas' on stage. Others have a problem with sobriety, not necessarily a problem if your event is a beer festival, but probably not so suitable for something rather more refined. One superb group I know will probably all be stoned by the interval, if not already far gone on arrival. And then there's the chap who tends to pick fights with the organiser 'Listen pal, I'm telling you...', or the one who on arrival, immediately insists on a free bar for the band before he will discuss anything else.
You can often tell how ‘serious' or committed a band are by looking at their instruments and equipment. Although I have several systems available, my usual rig is a compact but powerful modern Yamaha set up plus a bass bin. This fits into most venues and is clear enough to be heard without causing anyone's ears to bleed! A sound system should be chosen to match the size of the venue, not the perceived image of the band.
Although the better bands usually only play for private and corporate events, making it hard to see them in action, it should be possible to see a video, hear a tape or CD and read comments from past clients.
Going back to the car analogy, it is also obviously important to make sure you are getting the right style of band. Good though an Aston may be on a race track, there are obviously more appropriate vehicles if your interest is in rallying. For example, booking a jazz band without checking to see if they are 'swing' or trad' gives you a 50/50 chance of a cock up, whilst a quick listen to a demo should make things clear. I say this from experience, having been put out by an agent several times into completely the wrong sort of gig. His only concern was earning a fee, his motto being 'don't worry boy, just turn up. You'll be alright...’
Chapter 2: What guarantees do they offer?
It seems only fair that the client should not have to bear the risk of guaranteeing how a group they don’t know will perform at an event – the liability should be on those providing the service. They are responsible for sorting out transport and equipment, and for fully understanding not only what is required at the event, but also where the potential problems are, or what could work better. The simplest way you can be sure that your performers will be there on time, clean, sober and presentable is if you have absolute discretion over payment of all fees. Will any of the group behave inappropriately, or be rude to your guests? Will they be truly professional? Check if they have the option to pay in cash after the event is over, or if they insist on full payment in advance. If so, why?
Please be quite sure, in advance, how far their obligation and liabilities extend. In one of our breaks at a wedding, whilst the main meal was going on, we were chatting to the guys handling the video recording. I was gobsmacked to find that their contact guaranteed them payment whatever happened. If the motorways were blocked, if it snowed heavily – whatever – they would demand full payment. Even if the vehicle they were responsible for choosing and maintaining broke down, the liability was still on the client to pay up
In an ideal world you would be guaranteed of complete satisfaction in all contracts, and expect a full refund if this was not the case. Sadly, although I do in fact have confidence enough in myself and my colleagues to make this promise ( a full, no quibble 100% money back guarantee that clients will be delighted with our performance), I’ve yet to hear of anyone else willing or able to do this. Asking groups exactly what exactly what guarantees, if any, support their promises can be quite revealing. We can all say what should happen, but what rights do you have if things go wrong? Why should you take all the risk?
The only exception to our guarantee is where a client asks for something that we are pretty sure will go wrong. Rather than refusing the booking, we’ll take it on but, but explain our concerns fully, make suggestions and state clearly exactly why we cannot offer the guarantee. The last time this happened, the Bride’s family left the room en masse before we got half way into the evening and headed to the bar. We saw very few of them again that night – an unfortunate way to start a wedding. The problem was the part of the evening tailored specifically for the Groom’s family, to the exclusion of the others. Having been advised of this, still going ahead and then not being too concerned about the split did not bode well for the future. We always try and make weddings as inclusive as possible, concentrating on the ‘two families joining together’ aspect of the day.
Chapter 3: Is their electrical equipment legal?
It is a requirement of both ‘Health and Safety’ legislation and the ‘Electricity at Work Regulations 1989’ that ALL mains powered electrical equipment is checked and tested by a ‘competent person’ to comply with Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) standards. As well as being the law, it is also common sense. Many bands either ignore this, claim it doesn’t relate to them or simply lie and claim that their gear has been tested when it hasn’t. This can put you, your guests and the venue at risk, as well as the band themselves.
A schedule of tested equipment should be available, and all tested equipment will be marked with green and white stickers - see our health & safety section for details http://www.barndance.co.uk/health-and-safety, as well as examples of a few 'dodgy' items I’ve found during testing.
Over the years, I have found few performers that did not have at least one fault the first time their equipment was checked (usually fuses).
If a band is unable to provide details of testing, I suggest you agree, in writing, that you can inspect equipment used. If any amplifier, mixing desk, mains lead, transformer - ANY piece of mains powered electrical equipment over a year old is not PAT tested, you can withhold the fee. If they cannot agree to this, you should use extreme caution and ask why this is a problem.
It is also worth asking about the age and quality of the sound system, and what back-up is available in the event of failure. Again, the attitude of a group to the non-musical part of their act can give a strong indication of how seriously they take themselves as professionals.
I’ve picked up a fair amount of ‘flak’ over the years from other musicians who objected to all this ‘Health and Safety gone mad’, but was told about one of the worst offenders who got himself mildly zapped on stage from his dodgy gear. Whilst he was recovering, someone who also worked with me said to him ‘See, that’s why Paul insists on having everything checked’. Apart from the disruption to your evening, having a stage littered with charred and smouldering musicians is a bit of an eye-sore. And if they set fire to the venue, things could get messy in a legal way.
Chapter 4: Are they insured?
Again, a matter of common sense as much as anything else. Musicians in general do not tend to be the richest members of society, and are unlikely to have assets to match the £5 million pounds worth of cover I ask for as the minimum (most of us have £10 million cover via Equity). For your piece of mind any performer should hold third party insurance in case of accidents. There has been a trend to encourage the public to sue for all sorts of personal injury; if you plan to host an event it would be wise to obtain written confirmation of insurance beforehand, just to protect yourself. Best to make sure that you are not in the firing line from any claims from guests or the venue should something go wrong, and there turns out to be no valid insurance in place.
A good agent or band leader will ensure that all performers will have cover, and should be able to provide you with written details.
Again, I’ve not been ‘Mr. Popular’ for insisting on this, but usually manage to put it into focus by asking musicians if they bother to insure and ‘M.O.T.’ their car or van. Horrified by the idea that they would fail to do either of these things, it is usually possible to then lead them on to look at insurance (and P.A.T requirements) in the same light. It’s an uphill struggle though, so always take the time to check this for yourself. I’m not sure what would happen if a band you book set fire to your venue, and then don’t turn out to have insurance, but I’m betting the loss adjusters will come gunning for everyone they possibly can.
Chapter 5: Who are they working for?
“There is nothing as unreliable as an un-remunerated musician”
A strange question you way think, but as well as the many part time musicians who just play ‘for a bit of fun’ and regard Saturday night as ‘their’ night out playing what they want to, I’ve also met those who actually play rock music, but who have to call themselves ‘folk rock’ musicians to get any bookings. Others spend hours rehearsing wonderfully elaborate and very clever arrangements and sets of tunes, which they will play regardless of what is actually required. Once, at a major event at the Sidmouth Folk Festival, the whole room full of dancers ground to a halt when the band performed (very neatly) a change to the rhythm. Yes, it showed how clever they were, but it did seem to relegate the dancers to being merely an accompaniment to the music. All of these performers have the same thing in common – they are working to THEIR agenda, not yours.
And please don’t be misled by the size of a band. A few good musicians with decent instruments and equipment can often get a much better and tighter sound than a large group. The more musicians, the more equipment there is to set up and sound check. Not all venues have the space, and not all events have the time required to do this properly. And the more musicians you have, the more the temptation for them to stop concentrating on the dancing, and start focusing on how the tune is developing. They can go off into a world of their own.
Whilst chatting to their sound engineer at another band’s gig, I noticed that, although the huge band was dripping off both ends of the stage, only a few channels of the mixing desk were active – most were down at zero! He confirmed that the band was really more of a social club. They liked going out as a group, even if only a few of them were actually doing the work. The rest were not adding anything at all to the sound, but instead making the whole sound messy and less focused. And if food, drink and socialising are the focus, rather than the client, it’s not just the music that gets messy.
By talking to the band first and looking at their web site, you should be able to get an idea of what their main focus is – themselves, or you. In the past, I was lucky enough to have another band local to me who were absolutely brilliant at finding me work. When a potential client rang up the other group to ask for details, they would then be instructed by the band leader as to exactly when the evening would start, when the evening would finish, what was to be provided for the band, what music would be played and so on. It made is so easy for me to then take the enquiry but ask instead what the client actually wanted. I was so sad when that group broke up!
Please do be sure that the performers will do what YOU, the client want - book the most suitable group and make sure they are fully briefed as to what is required. Ideally, have some kind of guarantee as to your satisfaction (see above).
Chapter 6: Are they flexible?
“Quality – Service - Price.
We can deliver on two out of
these three.
Please tell us which two are most important to you”
Sorry, this bit will sound like a blatant sales pitch, but all I can do here is give examples from things that have happened to us over the decades. I’ve heard of examples where things have gone from drama to crisis, but the story is always the same - something goes wrong, and the performers won’t/don’t/can’t help find a solution.
Imagine a sunny summer’s wedding day. Rather than go into a hot stuffy hall or marquee, your guests decide to sit outside instead. I’ve met two types of bands. The first stay inside, cross their arms and say things like ‘Why did they book a barn dance band if they didn’t want to dance’? No skin of our nose’ etc. The others offer to play un-amplified ‘acoustic’ tunes outside as either background music or a mini concert until it is possible (if at all) to go inside later on. Several times we’ve moved the sound system outside for the first half, moving the dancing back inside once things cool down later in the evening.
Following a power-cut at a rural barn before one event the client set out some candles and we gave a three and a half hour performance of songs, tunes and dances with no sound system – do check that any group you engage will have the ability and willingness to look for solutions should it become necessary. Another example – my own band when setting up for a medieval banquet noticed the bridegroom was laying cutlery although due to leave for the service. We took over from him and finished setting up our gear later afterwards. Although not our ‘job’, we do try to treat an event as a whole performance, it was the obvious and sensible thing to do.
As a veteran of many years, please believe me when I say you need your performers to be flexible! Things do go wrong, and it helps if everyone is working together. At one birthday party, the marquee company only finished setting up an hour or so before the event was due to start. We set up on the side stage as instructed, but it was obvious that once the tent side was taken out, we would be visible only from the knees down! And the power supply was faulty as well (we always check it first, this time the cable drum had been used fully wound, and fused together). We sorted out a fresh supply, waited until the meal was finished and then set up again inside the main marquee. A bit of a rush, and certainly no time for an extended sound check, but it all worked out okay. Except, of course, for the bit when some of the family set fire to the garden at the end - but that’s another story.
Many of my own gigs now are warm-up acts before the disco (often provided by one of our musicians, a couple of them are also excellent DJs). Rather than just book the other musicians for just the first part of the evening, I’ll book them for the normal three and a half hours. That way, we’ll have a plan ‘B’ if something goes wrong – say the power goes down. Two of my own band are also close-up magicians; I always carry some props with me, just in case. A couple of times this has really paid off.
Whether proving first aid for the best man (his new shoes had given him blisters), providing an extra sound system for the speeches (the house system had failed), pulling a van out of a field (with our Subaru), coping with dodgy electrics (at least seven times now) or helping out other suppliers (with their faulty gear), do please rig the odds in your favour by going for performers who will contribute to the overall success of your event if things do go a bit pear shaped at some point.
Chapter 7: Are they ‘fun’?
“When it comes to the requirements for pleasing an audience, all the knowledge and instruction and apparatus in the world is worth less than one ounce of soul.”
The quote above is from a magician, Ottawa Keyes, and sums up the difference between performing and entertaining. A group can be superb performers, dedicated professionals who fully understand their trade and who will turn up on time and looking smart, but still not be the ideal group to book. Perhaps they take themselves too seriously, or have just somehow lost the plot over the years. Personally, I would always rather see an amateur group perform, warts and all, so long as they put in their hearts and souls – rather than watch professionals who are just going through the motions, and who can’t wait to just get back home.
Events can pick up a buzz, a vibe all of their own. The audience pick up on this and respond accordingly, the performers appreciate the response and in turn pick up their game accordingly. But this is unlikely if you have a group who are just doing a job, who have no passion.
Some traditional performers regard themselves as guardians of a secret and ancient mystery. They insist that dances are performed correctly down to the last step, coming out with lines like ‘Come on, this is your heritage we are teaching you’. They don't seem to have quite grasped the idea of 'social' dancing.
There are dance ‘callers’ who can make the evening a very grim affair, blowing whistles, clapping hands and sending everyone back to their places like a primary school teacher!
We have found that usually audiences simply want a light-hearted ‘fun’ event, where anyone – regardless of age and ability - can join in, and which doesn’t slow to a crawl with long and over-complicated dances being taught. Callers should enjoy their job, and be able to communicate this to the audience.
Chapter 8: What back-up do they have?
“Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. And probably at the worst possible time”
The variation on Murphy’s Law above applies just as much to weddings, parties and other events as to anything else in life. Whilst some specialist acts can prove very difficult to replace, if not impossible, a good band should be able to call on a wide range on musicians to try to provide cover in case of illness, injury or abduction by aliens. Some bands have very fixed arrangements, and are unable to work with others in the event of a key member dropping out. Best to check this in advance, rather than finding out if something goes wrong.
As before, asking a few questions should reveal just how much your event will be a hostage to the state of health of every member of a band. Sadly, it’s not unusual for me to get calls asking if we can cover for a band who have dropped out of a gig – usually at the last minute, and usually far to late to find anyone who is still available. Rather like picking a school football team, the best performers always go first, so whatever you do, please don’t delay in selecting a group, so it is you who gets first dibs on the star players.
I do hope that at least a few of these ideas are of interest, but am sure that there are many other good tips and bits of advice. Do please pass on any you know, and I’ll include them in later editions! If you want to talk about your event (no obligation) please give me a call or send an email.
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I do hope that at least a few of these ideas are of interest, but am sure that there are many other good tips and bits of advice. Do please pass on any you know, and I’ll include them in later editions! If you want to talk about your event (no obligation) please send an email.