Involving live music into any corporate event is not as
easy as it seems. Besides deciding on the band, there are
4 aspects you must consider in order to have a hope of having
a successful event. They are, in the order of importance:
1) Venue
2) Agents
3) Technical Set Up
4) Band Character
In a moment I'll tell you the details of the crucial
issues that can aggravate and potentially ruin an otherwise
beautifully accomplished occasion. It will just take a few
minutes, but as you read this page, more and more, you will
start to feel better and better about hiring live music for
your next corporate or social event. Most importantly is . . .
Venue Selection
As an event planner, your ability to keep numerous things
in mind when hiring musicians. Selection of the perfect venue
is the first ingredient you will need. This ability alone may
distinguish you as a professionals in an industry filled with
amateurs.
When choosing the venue, be certain the room size is
in proportion with the number of guests who will be attending.
I got into this business as a singing piano player. When I
am performing I need to connect with the audience. If the room
size is proportionate to the crowd size, I can do my job
successfully. If the room is too big and there are not enough
warm bodies in attendance, the audience will feel too
intimidated to approach the band. When you keep the band close
enough to your guests will feel comfortable enough to interact
with the musicians and vice versa.
Have you noticed yet that keeping the venue small so the
band can be close to your guests will increase your chances of
having a successful event? Depending on the act, you can leave
a little dance floor in front of the band. But all in all, keep
the crowd near the band and allow the band to be an integral
part of your event.
I have frequently worked with party planners who are
clueless when it comes to what size stage is needed for a
band.
"If you fail to plan ahead, then you are planning ahead
to fail."
Here are the stage specs for various sized bands:
3 Piece - 8 feet by 16 feet
5 Piece - 16 feet by 24 feet
12 Piece - 16 feet by 32 feet
With the is newly acquired information, experienced event
planners will always prefer to go with a room with a stage
rather than just placing the band on the same level as
attendees. Proper planning for stage requirements avoids major
headaches the day of the show. Also, having the band on a stage
allows them to be seen by everyone even by the people in back.
When selecting the venue, you will also need to keep in
mind the acoustics of the room. High ceilings and flat walls
with lots of windows and no curtains to muffle the sound are
not optimal environments for bands. Work with an experienced
sound person to mix the band and equalize the room and
eliminate feedback.
Agents
There are only a handful of very few good
professional bands anymore. If you don't know a good
booking agent, you will be hard pressed to find them. A good
agent will be the one to help you through the minefield of
mediocre, amateurs with amps that have no volume control knobs.
As an event planner you need to figure out your event theme and
then contact a talent booking agency to see if there are bands
that fit.
The most popular bands play a wide variety of styles. A
good group of musicians knows songs from the '60s, '70s, '80s
and '90s. Frank Sinatra has never gone out of style. So make
sure the band plays what we call "Jazz Standards". Depending
on your event and your geographical location, it is either
"Country Music is King!" or "Classic Rock Rules!". Know your
demographics before hiring a band.
As with any vendor, you get what you pay for. Let's talk
about budget. I wonder, even as you continue to read this
report, if you realize the amount of time a band puts in before
receiving a paycheck to practicing their instruments, learning
and memorizing repertoire and coordinating lights and
choreography. Most bands require anywhere from $1,200 to
$45,000 per gig. Experienced booking agents will be able to
place the right band for the party. With any event, experience
wins every time. Ask for references and testimonials.
Technical Set Up
Once your musicians are booked, you now need to cover
logistics. Tech setup includes the movement and placement of
equipment and sound checks. Bands usually bring their own
equipment.
Amplifiers, instruments, a PA system for vocals,
lighting towers all the way down to carpet for the drums need
to be set up and placed and checked and moved and double
checked again. Allow enough time for all of these details to be
adequately addressed well before show time. Because it is not
IF something goes wrong, it's WHEN something goes wrong.
And it always does with a band. Give them enough time to fix
it.
Sound check must take place no later than 3 hours before
the performance start time. Load in should occur 1 or 2 hours
before that. The sound check should take no more than an hour,
and after that, let the band go back to their rooms, freshen
up, take a nap, grab a meal. They should return NO LATER than
30 minutes before their performance.
Band Character
Musicians have traditionally had a reputation for being
evil practitioners of any number of very colorful vices. It has
been my experience, however, that we are no different than any
other industry be it stock brokers, medical personnel or city
workers.
Use these simple rules and you will notice you can keep
any group of performers in line.
- Band members should not eat any food in buffet lines or
inside the ballroom area. They should have a separate area or a
"Greenroom" where they can eat, drink, warm up their vocal
cords, stretch out and generally prepare for the gig.
- During a performance, bands should not consume alcohol
or smoke. If they can't wait a few hours to partake of their
favorite libation, fire them on the spot. You will avoid
headaches and embarrassment down the road. In addition, you
will get the reputation you will not tolerate any such
behavior. Trust me. Word will get out you are a professional
party planner.
Finally, remember: Treating musicians with dignity and
respect translates into a happy band which brings you happy
clients and guests who enjoy the entire event no matter
what the occasion.
You are now armed with the 4 seriously critical ingredients
for success that you did not have before. If you have learned
this information through the school of hard knocks, you can
feel assured that you are a true professional.
Now picture the night of the event. Following dinner (if
it is served), lights should be dimmed, the band is introduced,
they hit the first chords and the excitement ripples through
the room. People move towards the dance floor and the smiles
appear on everyone in the room. Why? Because you did your job
and provided an exquisite ingredient that every corporate party
needs: Live Music.
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