Bands

[Ricesnaps]

This follows on from my marquee thread....

I am guessing this is a common experience?

I arrives in good time to set up on Thursday. Had been assured before we set off that there would be a level and firm stage for us in the marquee which we would "share" with the band, who were leaving at midnight anyway.

On arrival, the band had already arrived, set and used the entire stage (but had a lovely set of active mackies, so obviously had good taste).

No my issue here isn't with the band. They obviously decided to arrive nice and eary and get there stuff together. But why on earth would the client, after discussing arrangements with me and being told clearly that we needed about 3m to set up in, let the band do that?

While we are ranting, how on earth do we stop people using speakers as handy tables for beer and other drinks. Add to that the drunk "how much of my weight will you speaker hold if I lean on it" people and the "let me stagger into you speaker and see if the whole bottle of wine that my mate perched on the top of an M-Flex stays put" idiots.....?

[soundscapes]

i have it written into my contract that i require 3m setup space. worse still is when the band play 90% of your party set or give you a huge list of songs not to play

[wensleydale]

clients have other things on their mind.
i just gradually steal all of the bands power leads one by one if they are ni the way. Then point all my lights in the their eyes.
The we all have a jolly good laugh about it and they go and play their cover of brown eyed girl.
Oh how we laugh.......

[Ricesnaps]

i have it written into my contract that i require 3m setup space. worse still is when the band play 90% of your party set or give you a huge list of songs not to play
So you turn up, the band have taken all the room, the client is stressed beyond belief anyway....

how would you play it - band moves or you go home? Work with them? Show them the clause in your contract?

I am seriously thinking of two additions to my "I must charge more" list -

1. upstairs venues without lifts
2. Working with a band

[soundscapes]

its simple, if i cant fit all the lighting out then it goes back in the van and ill run with however much i can fit out ( ive had to run with 2 light effects before due to a band monopolising the stage and power points ). thats why i use 3/4 tripod t-bars rather than goalposts as its more adaptable. ill simply make client aware of the reason it looks so naff.

[Ricesnaps]

its simple, if i cant fit all the lighting out then it goes back in the van and ill run with however much i can fit out ( ive had to run with 2 light effects before due to a band monopolising the stage and power points ). thats why i use 3/4 tripod t-bars rather than goalposts as its more adaptable. ill simply make client aware of the reason it looks so naff.
I take a goalpost and two T-bar stands, so it's possible to do.

I guess I asked because I think most of us would make the best of a bad situation rather than refusing to play or sticking to contractual arrangements. I bet the band would expect us to move if we got there first?

[soundscapes]

i would never refuse to play, but have once been unable to play as there were not enough mains outlets for us both. having it written into the contract saves the hassle of the customer complaining about poor lighting etc.

[Dragonfly]

i do same as simon in my t and c i reserve the right to downsize the show with no refund if it is not safe to use the usual amount of equipment or indeed enough space to put it in.

worst ive had was a band bringing a 4ft high stage with them and putting it right in front of my gear with theirs on it. and in my abscence they re routed my system through theirs.

[DMX Will]

its simple, if i cant fit all the lighting out then it goes back in the van and ill run with however much i can fit out ( ive had to run with 2 light effects before due to a band monopolising the stage and power points ). thats why i use 3/4 tripod t-bars rather than goalposts as its more adaptable. ill simply make client aware of the reason it looks so naff.

Doesn't help with recommendations/equirys for future bookings from the client's guests though does it. :( :(

[Corabar Entertainment]

Whenever possible, we get the band's details beforehand and contact then directly to generally have a chat and get a copy of their set-list, so that our DJ doesn't duplicate any on his sets.

One of the benefits we have found is that when you aren't a nameless, faceless DJ, they seem to be less inclined to ignore your requirements!

[axeman]

This all rings bells with me !! there's been a few occasions, where i've turned up at a venue and the band have the whole stage taken up... just recently i was forced to set up in the corner, behind the bands p/a. (the organiser told me id have to make the best of what space their was) and the band said i couldnt move anything - so i simply put 1 tri pod in with 4 cans (pointing over my head) and no other lights, telling the organiser thats all the space would allow.... the last hour was comical.... when the band started to remove their gear accross the dancefloor through the dancing hoards.... looking for an early nite . only to find my amp rack/flight case was parked on top of the bands multi-core cables and the plugs on either end prevented it from being removed......shame that ....and of course i couldnt move anything !!!

[A1DL]

If you know there's a band, it can be worth enquiring what time they are planning on arriving, then if it's like an hour before you were planning to be on site, get there that bit earlier. It's always best for everyone for the band and disco to work together rather than against each other.

Where space is precious, you may only need one PA system, usually the band play a couple of sets and the disco finishes the night, so if the disco PA is up to the job, why not offer to put the band through the disco FOH? Looks better for the customer than stacks of different cabs, and come end of night the band aren't having to take cabs through your packed dancefloor!

Also, although you're not being paid to do it, if you're onsite and working with a good band, it doesn't cost you anything to give a lightshow whilst the band are playing their set, and can be good fun.

Just keep a close eye when it comes to the electrics, IMHO many band members seem to be lacking knowledge in this department! I laid a 16 & 32 single for a band earlier this year, hour or so later found the keyboard player trying to forcibly mate a domestic 13a 4-way block with the 16a ceeform :bang:

[soundscapes]

of course it costs to put on a lightshow for a band (bulbs arnt free, and then theres wear and tear) and what happens if the band damage ur pa ? all it takes is one dodgy guitar lead and ur amp could end up fried ? im all for working.

[theoloyla]

I am sure we had this thread only a couple of months ago. On that thread I said the important thing is to decide who is the featured entertainment. Is the disco just warm up, interval and wind down or is the band a cameo/novelty/diversion? Also posession is paramount. If you have set up first then you have the stronger hand. Get there early if there is a band on the bill!

[A1DL]

of course it costs to put on a lightshow for a band (bulbs arnt free, and then theres wear and tear) and what happens if the band damage ur pa ? all it takes is one dodgy guitar lead and ur amp could end up fried ? im all for working.


Ummm, how? The comp/limiters, assuming set correctly, protect against any bad signals, even if you were going straight into an amplifier you're unlikely to "fry" it. Unless I'm missing something :confused:

And realistically what is the cost of wear and tear and lamp life reduction for say two x one hour band sets? You're talking pence not pounds.

[Have a disco]

Try to ensure any band there has to stay exactly where they are til the night ends. As that they may not pack up theyre gear because you have got people on the dance floor, and they try to thred they're way through with gear in they're hands, had flaming row with one band as a band ruined the happy couples night by trying to get away early. but you should have equal corner space and be notified buy any hirer of other acts within your T & C's

[Corabar Entertainment]

...But surely that only spoils the evening for the client?

[A1DL]

Only once have I ever come across a really unhelpful band, so to keep the balance I played every song on their playlist for the second half of their set in the interval.

It was mutual hate after that :)

Mossy

There's nothing smart or clever about that,
what about the CUSTOMER ?
The DJ, the band, the caterers, etc are there to get on and do a job.
The first priority should always be the Customer.

[A1DL]

morning Ang :D

great minds think alike, hey!:)

[Paul James Promotions]

Only once have I ever come across a really unhelpful band, so to keep the balance I played every song on their playlist for the second half of their set in the interval.

It was mutual hate after that :)

Mossy

I take it you don't expect any more work from that client ;)

[CRAZY K]

I always get on well with Bands and Discos ( cheers Steve!) when it comes to sharing gear--I usually play through the Band or Disco.

Unfortunately I have a summer gig coming up next July in a marquee where the Band have refused to let me play through their gear, insisting I set up my own.

At one stage I was thinking of ditching the gig completely, but decided to do it after explaining to the bride that I dont want people tuning guitars and banging drums or lugging equipment through the audience when im doing my Barn Dancing. I expalined how it could ruin the whole evening.

Ah well--I will be professional as usual and just carry on---

I will repeat my warning again when I contact the client a week before the gig--I get the impression the Band arent too professional--friends of family etc. probably doing it for nothing:eek:

CRAZY K

[Jiggles]

I guess I should have explained it a bit more, the band arrived late, didn't have time to do a sound check, two of them were drunk (or on drugs) and when I asked them for a play-list (so I could avoid those songs) I was asked Why the 'Flipping-heck' do you want that by the lead singer. The client is a regular customer of mine and was as amazed by the band's attitude and lack of professionalism as I was. So during their first set I was stood talking to their sound engineer and that was when I saw their playlist.

To quote the client, the band were awful and were murdering a lot of good dance tunes. It would have suited the client if they didn't come back out for a second set.

On reflection I don't think I did spoil it for the client, the crowd got to dance to the good tunes and the band got to murder something else in the second set.

Mossy


Now thats the way you do it :D :D :D

[Dragonfly]

recently worked with a 4 tops / temptations tribute band who asked that before they came on i only play 4 tops and temptations stuff to get everyone in the mood?? for an hour?

[CRAZY K]

recently worked with a 4 tops / temptations tribute band who asked that before they came on i only play 4 tops and temptations stuff to get everyone in the mood?? for an hour?

Being a big sixties fan I think an hours worth of that Tamla sound non stop would be a real turn off!

I doubt if theres an hour of QUALITY music for them is there---the tracks were only 2 or 3 minutes long as well. Did you manage 20 tracks?

Then followed by another hour of live music :eek:

Presumably they had to repeat all the stuff you played:D

Bring on the Supremes, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder I say!

CRAZY K