Booking the right musician or band for an event or venue can be a challenge but as we all know, if you get it right, they can transform a regular evening into the “best night ever!”
As always, I recommend starting with a clear brief for your event based on –
- The type of event
- The running times
- The guest demographic
- The size of the venue
- The budget
- The purpose of the music
It can be difficult to come up with the correct musical terms for what you want so I would suggest always thinking about actual artists and songs that you can use as an example for your music brief.
I’ve had many conversations when clients have told me that what they want is a jazz musician but by discussing actual artists and songs that they like have realized it was a band playing Indie and Rock anthems they should book.
Once the type of music is clear then budget often becomes an important part of any booking. The larger the band the more it will cost but you shouldn’t expect an acoustic duo to have the same impact as a four-piece rock band or an eight-piece soul band with horn section.
Having decided that you have the budget for an eight-piece soul band then you will need to make sure you have enough space for them to perform. A professional band will be able to provide their technical rider which should contain all the details of the space they need to set-up, power requirements and how long it takes them to sound check and be ready to play.
As you can see it starts to get complicated when you are booking a band so it’s important that they are professional, experienced and will take the stress away from you. They should be able to provide audio recordings, video performances, client references and setlists to make your job of booking them very easy.
A solo musician or acoustic duo should be simpler to book but again I recommend you ask for them to provide quality audio and video recordings for you to review. If they can’t do this then invite them to play a short set for you or go along to see them play at another venue.
If you are booking a band for an important event, then it’s imperative that you know that they are going to turn up and play as promised. So, make sure you have a clear and legally binding contract in place to avoid any misunderstandings or problems leading up to the event and on the night itself. Professional bands should be able to provide this for you and will also have the correct insurances and electrical testing certificates in place.
I trust the above is useful and if you would like to find out more then please get in touch and “Let’s Talk About Music”.